class insecta

It started last summer, I had never noticed it before then. Now again this summer.

smart butterfly works crosswords

I have a new friend. We are not in the same class. Actually after I looked it up, I found that I'm in a different phylum. My summer friend is of the arthropod phylum. A very unlikely friend. Also, it's been a long long time since I was in biology class.

butterfly earrings

He's a Red Admiral. I was in US Air Force but I know an admiral is equivalent to a general. I've been looking up Red Admiral traits on the internet.

Here's a few of his traits:

• The males are territorial and many times can be found in the same location day to day. This why I believe the gender is male. (of course who knows what he identifies as)
• migrating range from Canada to Mexico (well traveled)
• considered to be people-friendly butterflies that will approach and perch on human beings.

I'm a butterfly perch

Last summer we noticed this butterfly visiting our deck on multiple days. One day it landed on my shoulder and our daughter snapped a picture. It has returned again this summer. Of course knowing that butterfly's lives are measured in weeks not years, this must be a descendant.

This summer one of his visits happened while the grandkids were here. They had fun with him. He landed on two of them. He's a good entertainer.

his relative from last year

Interactions like this start me wondering about the animal, asking myself, what's it thinking, does it even think. What would be like to be one?

Adolescence and getting through puberty is a difficult emotional time. But imagine the trauma of metamorphosis? You're an overeating vegetarian caterpillar, then enclosed in this shell like thing and then come out with fancy wings. That's a lot of change to handle.

Butterfly - buttercup - close enough - here's a song from a favorite movie, "There's Something About Mary".


 

How are your insect relationships going? Please comment below.