Mario Padilla

Mario is an entomologist from Alamosa, Colorado. He attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Master’s degree in entomology. His thesis explored how queen bumble bees regulate worker reproduction via pheromone signaling and aggressive behavior. In 2015 Mario came to Butterfly Pavilion to become the entomologist and beekeeper. In this role, he is responsible for managing hundreds of terrestrial animals, keeping bee hives, teaching a popular beekeeping course and participating in conservation projects. His current project concerns helping Nepali farmers mitigate human-elephant conflict using honey bee fences as a deterrent.