Hello folks who wonder if shopping at Walmart every time is like being on a reality TV show,

Imagine you are presenting in front of a big crowd and you notice the audience is distracted. You see them checking their phones, some people picking their noses and neighbors conversing with each other. At this point, you have lost your audience and you need to be quick on your feet and do something that brings back their attention and the spotlight on you.

3 words. Pollinators. Butterfly. Honey Bee. (*the order does not matter)

And see the crowd applaud.


The Western Pygmy Blue butterfly is considered to be the smallest butterfly in North America. So small, its wingspan is as big as the dice you use to play a game of craps at the casino and ultimately ruin your vacation.

Here is how big it gets.


Oh, no you didn't! Stop judging my nails and concentrate on the butterfly please. Moving on, you see this butterfly has a neat way of getting to live another day. While it is heads down sipping on the nectar, it will shake its hind wings with the eyespot design to divert a predator's attention to the wings instead of the body.


Now, if hearing the word "butterflies" makes your ears perk, the mere mention of "moth" might make you want to leave the room. Don't worry, you are not alone, the majority of the world likes to promote butterflies as essential workers while regarding moths as sore spots in nature that do not have any artistic background.

That is because they have been judging moths by the lack of colors on their wings. Take a closer look and it's hard to resist falling in love with these underrepresented pollinators. Take for example, this moth sitting on a Poison Hemlock.



Poison Hemlock was unfriended by humans after it caused the death of Mr. Socrates. Another ally humans have in this fight against Poison Hemlock is the Poison Hemlock Moth that we saw above. It is the only moth whose young ones (caterpillars) will feed on this toxic plant and live to tell the tale. So, stop with the Monarch-Milkweed obsession already.

This moth is almost the same size as the Pygmy blue butterfly, but no one claims spotting one made their day nor is it on any one's lifer list. They can be identified by the distinct brown spot in the center of the wing.

Here is how big it gets.


Make sure when you run into it next time, you thank it for helping humans in the fight against Poison Hemlock. 

Just like butterfly wings, these moths have scales on their body that resemble shingles on the roof.


These scales will fall off anytime they brush against something. In this case, it's my hand. Losing some scales on the wings does not impact the ability of a moth or butterfly to fly away but it does make the wings vulnerable to faster wear and tear which can in the long run, affect its ability to fly. 


No comments:

Post a Comment

Did you learn something new in this post? Let us know in the comments below

Tags

acorns adventure adventures algae alligator american crow ant cricket ants aphids aquatic snails arachnids argentine ants bananas bark beetles barklice barnacles bats beaver bees beetle beetles bird lice birds black-tailed deer bloodworms bristletail bug bugs bumblebee butterflies calicoflower canada goose cardinal carpenter bees carrots caterpillars cave centipede cockroaches common murres coot corvids court case crabs crawfish crayfish cricket crickets crow crustaceans damselflies death deer diatoms dock dragonflies earwigs eggs egrets elephant seals eucalyptus european starlings eyes farallon island ferns fingerprints fishes flea flies floods florida flowers fly freshwater snail frog frogs fundraiser fungus fungus-eating lady beetles galls gannet geckos geese goats goldfinch gophers grasshopper green dock beetle green heron green lacewing guest post gull gulls harvestmen hawks herons hike history honeybees house sparrows india insects isopods jumping bristletails jumping spiders juncos katydid kayak lacewing lady beetles land snails leaf miners leafhopper lice lichens lizard lizards lynx spider maggots Magpie mallow marsh megabats midges mildew millipede mites moles mosquito moths mouse spider nematodes nettles newt newts night nuthatches oaks owl paper wasps parasite part 2 pavement ants pelicans pigeons pill bugs plants pocket gophers pollen pollination pollinators poppy praying mantis pseudopupil pupa quail rabbits rat roach roadkill rove beetles salamander salmon sandpiper scat scorpion Scorpions sea lions sea otters sea urchin seals seeds shorebird shrimp silverfish skunk snails snakes social media solifuges sparrows spider spiders springtails squirrel squirrels starlings stilts stinger sun spiders surf scoter swallows tarantula termites thrips ticks towhees trees turkey turkey vulture turtle venom vernal pool vultures warblers wasps water boatmen webspinners whales wildflower wolf spider woodpeckers Wren wrens yellow jackets youtube

Featured Post

The case of the missing grasshopper

Hello folks who wonder if crime does not pay well at least the benefits are hard to dismiss, This case is about Gregory , a band-winged Gras...