On the way back up the hill, a small movement in the pine straw caught my eye causing me to linger a bit longer. Since I had left the door open, PJ was safely inside and I could explore the cause of the wiggling pine needles. Dropping to my knees, I was surprised to see a moth making its way up a pine tree. This little guy had just emerged of its chrysalis and was ready to do its transformation! It was a matter of being at the right place at the right time! So what else could I do but watch!
At the first sighting, the wings of the moth were still tightly folded and moist. The moth needed to climb a few feet before finding a satisfactory spot to unfurl the wings so they could dry and it could become a full fledged moth. This only took a few moments and I admit that I wandered off for a bit in the midst of the transformation. About ten minutes from start to finish was all it took for the critter to turn from a weird looking bug to a gorgeous moth!
Now a question...why are most butterflies so brightly colored while most moths are predominantly gray, brown or green? Well, it is a simple matter of survival. Butterflies are active during the day and visit brightly colored flowers to feed. Their colors help them to blend with their surroundings. The same goes for moths. Most moths are more active at night and hide during the daytime hours. Their coloring and markings help them to blend with tree bark or leaves. At night, there is no need for bright colors so the more muted tones suit their needs. Question answered!
No comments:
Post a Comment