Ramblings: Flying jewels

Today was a reward from Mother Nature to make up for the cold and rainy days we have endured this spring. Puttering around in the yard, relaxing under the trees, watching the birds and butterflies enjoy the day consumed a few hours.

Two winged beauties that caught my eye today were both mostly black. I spied a little dusky beauty perched on the bloom of a dandelion. The dark wings spanned only about two inches. At first, I thought she was a moth, but a closer look convinced me she was a skipper. I believe this was a Dreamy Duskywing. That is the first time I have ever seen one. I can add it to my list. Some folks keep a bird life list. I keep a butterfly and moth list also. Skippers have larger bodies in relation to their wing size. They often look fuzzy like a moth.

Another flying jewel proved much harder to identify. I watched it flying around as I relaxed in the sun. Much to my amazement, it landed on my foot. I was wearing hot pink socks. Maybe it thought my socks were flowers? This one was smaller, maybe one and a half inches in wingspan. It was black with white polka dots on its wings. Not little splashes of white or streaks, big white polka dots were quite a contrast to the glossy black wings. I searched my butterfly field guide in vain. The only butterfly that looks anything like the one I saw is a 'Mimic' and lives in Florida and it is larger.

I decided my tiny visitor was a moth. Some moths are diurnal and enjoy basking in the sunshine. They help pollinate as they fly from flower to flower. There is a diurnal moth, called the wasp moth that looks like my polka dot visitor. I am not convinced that is a correct identification. I wish I had taken a photo. I shall wear those hot pink socks again tomorrow and see if I can attract it again. This time I will have a camera ready.

Butterflies, moths, wasps, bees and flies all help pollinate plants. They are crucial to the reproductive process of over 75 percent of the world's flowering plants. Over 150 food crops in the US depend on pollinators. Imagine life without apples, oranges, tomatoes or pecans. We must protect our pollinators, or we will be eating food produced artificially. Bees and the monarch butterfly get a lot of publicity, but all pollinators are at risk. Several things contribute to the declining populations of pollinators. Habitat loss and degradation are the major causes. Pesticides! Pesticides do not discriminate; those chemicals kill everything. Everyone can have an impact on the health of pollinators. Use native flowering plants and shrubs in your landscape. Choose plants to attract different pollinators. Choose plants that flower at different times throughout the season. If you only have a patio, grow some annuals in containers. The pollinators will find your containers and provide you with hours of entertainment. Don't use chemicals. They are not healthy for you or for any living creature. Expect to see a few 'worms,' aka caterpillars eating leaves. We can't have butterflies unless we have caterpillars. Another important issue is providing habitat for nesting and egg-laying. Leaf litter is essential in the life cycle of many over-wintering species. If each of us makes small changes, we will have a huge impact on the health of our planet.

'til next time,
Annie