Caterpillar Tendrils!

   It occurred to me today that this old world is filled with some of the most marvelous creatures ever.  Sure, most of us can recognize thousands of critters even if it is from only picture books but, sometimes, ones plop down upon us and cause us to scratch our heads in wonderment.  

  Literally, that happened today. Kerplop!  A critter landed on the wicker chair next to me.  Son happened to see it and then questioned if I had any idea what it was.  Nope.  Never saw one before in my life...even in those picture books.  So, we did what we always do.  We took photographs.  I took some.  Son took some...just in case the others were not clear enough for an identification. Then the magic of the internet came into play!  Instead of browsing millions of photos online, I merely type in a vague description and, BAM!, there you go!  Good old Google has an answer.  My search line was "orangish brown caterpillar with tendrils".  

    This is a horned spanworm and those little twirly things are called tendrils!  This critter obviously fell from either the hickory tree or the oak tree that shaded the chairs.  The caterpillar chews on the leaves of hardwood trees so that makes the most sense.  (At least, it is not a cabbage worm!)  When the caterpillar ages, it will turn into a rather nondescript brownish gray moth. 

  While this is all interesting, it was those tendrils that captivated my attention.  Most of the time, the tendrils are small and mostly unnoticeable but when the critter is disturbed, that all changes.  It can puff those things up until they are quite scary looking.  The most noted theory is that tendrils are supposed to be a disguise and make the critter look like some odd flower with long stamens.  To my way of thinking, it looks a lot more like a spider than a flower.  Also, to my way of thinking, that makes more sense as appearing to be a scary predator is a probably a better defense that looking pretty.  Also, if you look really close at the last photograph, you can see what appears to be claws!  SCARY!  (Aren't we glad this thing is about an inch long and not some dinosaur sized creature!)

  Either way, Son and I finished our photo session with said critter and then I gently put it back on a hickory branch where it immediately started munching more leaves.  (Like I said, at least, it is not a cabbage worm!)  That ended our encounter with a very unusual and unknown (at the moment) critter that literally dropped in to visit us.

Fuzzy!

   Earlier today, I was spreading more mulch on the pathways when I spied a caterpillar on some plant trays.  Knowing it was probably pretty cold (our temperature was near freezing overnight), I had a thought to move the poor thing in a warmer spot.  Son laughed at me for trying to warm a caterpillar but he is just as kindhearted.  We sat and watched the critter for a bit not thinking much about what we were doing by helping the critter.  After a few photographs and a long discussion, the sun had shifted a bit so I returned the tray to its original spot and the caterpillar was promptly forgotten.

  Later, I got to thinking about that critter and even went back to look at the pictures.  Yep, I had just warmed up a tent caterpillar.  You know, one of those critters who, with the help of about a bajillion other tent caterpillars, make the huge webs in trees.  Yep, THOSE tent caterpillars!  I pondered where his buddies were and what tree was going to be an unsightly mess once the web was made.

  Actually, the critters do eventually turn into moths and they do not hurt the trees other than leaving behind some munched leaves.  (The leaves regrow after the caterpillars leave.)  I figure that the critter has a right to live so I have no qualms about leaving it be.  Live and let live.  All creatures, great and small....

Show A Little Kindness

   Every now and again, I do something that I will most likely regret in the near future.  It is usually one of those "I just could not help myself" moments.  I know that there are good reasons for not following through with the deed but, then, I do it anyway.  Another thing, it usually involves rescuing some critter...one that is bound to be a problem, at some point.

  Earlier, my brother came down the lane with one of those huge wheeled garbage cans.  He asked if I had any trash that I needed to bring to the road for pickup.  Well, yes, as usual, there were a few bags.  I politely protested that he did not need to come get my garbage but he insisted that I did not need to tote it all the way down the lane.  (Goodness!  I have wonderful brothers!)  So we filled the can and he went to slam the lid shut.  WAIT!  Bewildered, he stopped and stared at me.  I had seen a beautiful moth on the inside of the can.  I could not let it just die!  So, my brother patiently waited until I lifted the moth from the can. 

  The coolness of the morn had the moth a bit sluggish and it welcomed the warmth of my hand.  While I talked with my brother, the moth stayed put on my palm.  A bit later, I tried to shoo it onto the azalea bush but the moth really wished to stay on its cozy resting spot.  Finally, I gently tickled it enough to make it crawl onto the leaves. I felt good about saving the moth...until...I remembered that moths lay eggs that hatch into caterpillars which usually eat leaves...of my plants!  Uh, oh!

  Regardless of the damage the offspring of this moth may bring to the garden plants, I am still glad that I rescued it from certain death.  All creatures deserve a shot at life.  Folks, be kind.  This old world needs that right now.

Pretty Little Moth

  Mr. PJ, the old dog, is not a spring chicken or even a pup any longer.  His days now are spent sleeping.  He no longer wishes to be outside hiking about the hillside nor does he wish to go to the pier.  It is just too much effort for the old dog to muster.  This puts a strain on me, as well, as I now pretty much have to carry him when he does go out to do his business.  Using a homemade sling under his belly makes the job of hoisting him a bit easier but it is still a strenuous task.  He deserves the help, however, since he has been a loyal friend since he came into my care.  Today, I made a promise to him to help him as long as needed.

  His care has put a damper on my hiking, however, so my photography has been relegated to whatever is found within a few steps of the front door.  Guess what??  There is not a lot happening there.  This morning was a different story.  I found a moth!  Whew!  I never thought I would be so excited to see a highly common moth resting above the door.  Why?  Well, it gave me something to think about and to photograph.  The moth was a very commonly seen Porcelain Gray Moth.  Nothing special...yet, highly special.

  It is sort of humorous how mundane things become important when they are taken away.  My hiking was always viewed as exercise.  My photography was nothing more than a way to share the Bayou.  My time outside was "getting fresh air".  Now, these things are sorely missed.  My priorities have been altered.  So...enjoy a photo of my day...a lovely Porcelain Gray Moth!

The Lady in Red!

  Since chive blossoms seem to attract a myriad of insects, I am fully considering strewing seeds over the entire hillside!  This would be a win/win situation!  I would not have to cut grass again and I would be able to butterfly/moth watch while simply sitting in my lawn chair!  Things could not get much better than that!  I would save about 8 hours a week in cutting time and could spend that extra time enjoying the beauty of Mother Nature!

 Early this morning, I glanced out the window and saw a slight movement above the white garlic chive blossoms.  The sun was not up yet but I could tell that the movement was a moth.  Ok, that did it!  I slipped on my shoes and headed out the back door.  The mosquitoes were terrible this morning but I was determined to get my photograph.  For several years now, a species of moth has been visiting the herb garden but photographing it was never an option.  This morning, the moth literally posed for the camera!  Right at sunrise,  a Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth flitted over the blossoms.  It was gorgeous!  It appeared to be dressed in a red velvet gown with black trim at the head and hem of the gown.  On the black parts, lovely turquoise gemstones glittered in the sun glinting over the pines!  Such elegance!  Such beauty!  Yep!  Well worth the wait!

 

Is That A Good Idea??

  Camouflage is a good thing.  In the critter world, it is a necessity.  Either a critter will use camouflage to catch something to eat or hide from being eaten. Whichever the case may be, a good camouflage can save a life.  The bobcat's coloring can hide it while it lies in wait for prey to appear.  An ambush by the cat can take down even a much larger critter.  That element of surprise is heightened by its ability to sit perfectly motionless under a palmetto frond.  The spots on the bobcat closely resemble the sun dappled leaves that litter the ground.  It is hard to spy the cat due to that camouflage.  Then, there are those critters that use their camouflage to escape being eaten.   The Mottled Duck is one such animal.  This bird nests right in the midst of the marsh but finding a mama duck on the nest is nigh on impossible.  Her feathers are so like the marsh colors that unless you hear her, she blends really well.

  Camouflage can only go so far in protection, though.  A bit of common sense needs to be applied in there somewhere as well.  No matter how well that duck is hidden, if she quacks, her hiding spot is revealed.  The same with that bobcat.  Let that cat scratch an itch and supper will have to wait.

  Just yesterday, Son made the remark about camouflage gone awry.  A moth had plans to stay hidden on the fence post during the daytime hours.  It was well camouflaged because the browns of the moth's wings blended well with the wood of the fence post.  Perfect hiding spot...probably not.  The moth had decided to improve its hiding spot by crawling into a "crevice" only that crevice was not a safe place. The moth was between the fence post and the gate.  Had Son not seen the moth in time, he may have smashed it by closing the gate a bit to sharply.  Son, having a soft heart when it comes to critters, told me to "Be careful, there is a moth on the gatepost."  He knows me well.  The roles could have been reversed here.  I could have very easily been the one trying to save the moth.  

  The camouflage did not do too well in protecting the moth from potential harm but Son did, so all was well.  Nothing ate the moth nor was it smashed by the swinging gate.  It lived to flit around another night and, hopefully, escaped the bats!  Life's a struggle!

Early Transformation

  Late this afternoon, I finally climbed down off the tall stepladder to take the old dog out for a hike.  He has been so patient with me as I paint the living room that he got three extra treats and a promise of a nice, long walk!  After nearly an hour of meandering about the place, we settled down on the pier to watch the mullet jump.  Oops!  Big mistake.  Spring is here...the gnats are out in full force.  That ended our lounging for the day as even PJ wanted inside!  

  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!

The Steadfast Moth

  Son was doing a bit of work on the small deck on the back of the greenhouse.  He was extending part of it to make it easier to pick the scuppernong grapes that grow on an arbor just beyond the greenhouse.  Since I am so short, the grapes are just out of reach but a deck under the arbor will help immensely.  While he was working, he found a moth.  While there is nothing unusual about finding any critter on the Bayou, this moth was being particularly calm.  The critter was on one of the risers of the steps and even though, each of us had made several trips up and down those steps, the moth did not move.  It stayed motionless even through the hammering just a few feet from its resting point.  The critter had no inclination to take flight until nightfall so it trusted us to not harm it.  

  The moth in question is none other that a type of sphinx moth.  My tomato plants had dozens of caterpillars munching the leaves so I am assuming that this fine specimen is one of those.  While my garden looked atrocious for a while, I could not bring myself to smash the caterpillars and this moth is the result of my lackadaisical gardening. Which is ok by me except for the fact that now this very same critter (if a female) will most likely lay dozens of eggs on the garden plants and that cycle will start all over again.

  Late in the evening, I went to check on our friendly moth and was happy to find that the beauty went on its merry way.  Now, perhaps Son can finish the deck without worry of smashing a moth.  The Steadfast Moth halted construction of a much needed deck!

Cocoons and Thunderstorms

  Here lately, my hikes have been cut short either by thunderstorms or heat neither of which is desirable walking weather.  Personally, I prefer the thunderstorms.  They are cooler.  This afternoon, however, I did manage to slip down to the pier just after one rainstorm.  There was not much happening but on the way back up the hillside, I found where squirrels had gnawed some oak branches.  The ground was littered with leaves and twigs.  It must be a nest building time for the critters! One brown leaf caught my eye.  There was a nice sized cocoon attached to the leaf.  Since the leaf (and cocoon) had fallen in the debris line left behind by high tide, it was a prime target of ants.  

  I gingerly picked up the the leaf and examined the cocoon.  Yep, our transforming caterpillar was still inside.  As much as I do not care for the leaf-munching caterpillars that attack the garden, I decided that leaving the cocoon near the ants would just not do.  So, I headed up the hill with the cocoon.  There, I examined it a bit further and then had another thought.  Perhaps, the cocoon should not be moved too far from where it had originally been.  So back down the hill, I went.  While I did not want to plop the thing back down where I found it, I did not have a lot of options.  Finally, I decided to poke the leaf/cocoon in the crotch of the very oak that once held the leaf.  Ok, so I rescued the soon-to-be moth from the ants and probably just put it right where one of those aforementioned squirrels would find it.  I am sure that that critter would dine upon the caterpillar if it had its choice about the matter but it is now out of my hands.  Son would be proud.  Even though I interfered by moving the thing out of the way of the ants, I am now leaving it up to Mother Nature to handle this situation.  If she wants well-fed squirrels, so be it!  If she wants the moth to lay eggs in the garden, so be it! I will just have to battle them then, not now.

  Boom!  The thunderstorm let me know that I had better return to the Little Bayou House and forget about the critter snug inside its own little "house".  Or was that Mother Nature telling me to stop interfering with her business?

Finding New Things

  Since I do a lot of roaming about the hillside and about the Bayou, itself, I find a lot of things that I deem interesting.  Critters and plants, alike, have me on my knees with the camera in action.  It is quite amazing how many things go unnoticed  each day.  We all have a tendency, as of late, to be so self involved, so caught up in the world or just absorbed in thought that we find it difficult to focus our attention on the world about us.  I cannot be this way.  I have left behind the turmoil of this old world and have, more or less, secluded my self from the rat-race that everyone else is fighting.  

  Today's find was a tiny moth.  This thing was no bigger than a pinky fingernail and would have been easy to overlook had I not been truly focused.  Granted its bright white wings stood out against the browns of the dead leaves that litter the forest floor and that made it easy to spot. After a few photographs, I made a mental note of where the moth was found, time of day and its leaf choice.  Sometimes things like these are necessary to find an identity.

  This, to my way of thinking is a Black-marked Inga Moth.  I had never seen one quite like this before so a bit of research was due.  Once I identified my moth friend, I checked to see where these are found.  Not here.  According to all of the reference sites I visited, these live elsewhere and not in Mississippi.  Interesting!  Ten states were listed as sighting spots.  All ten surrounded us but Mississippi and Louisiana were not included.  Does this mean we do not have them or does this simply mean that folks here are too busy to notice a tiny white moth.  I am not.  The photographs will stand to prove that the little moth has at least visited the area.  Hello, Little Black-marked Inga Moth!  I am glad to make your acquaintance! 

Counting...

  Just recently, my cousin gave me a book about counting one's blessings.  The author tries to make the point that not all blessings are huge and magnificently apparent but some are almost hidden.  As I have been reading the book, it has become one of my goals in life to find beauty in common places. Those ordinary things that are usually passed by without ever a glance have suddenly become highly important to me..as they should have been all along.  It matters not if I am looking at the marsh grass, a tall pine tree or a bug.  I want to see the fine detail of things.  I want to view the beauty before me.  I want to appreciate the blessing of my senses.  I guess I am just trying to soak up everything and stow it in the deep, dark corners of my mind where I can draw on it in the future.

  This morning, my sensory titillation literally landed at my front door.  I had gone out to feed Ms. Put her breakfast when I noticed that some time during the night, a moth had rested on the screen door.  I suppose it was planning on spending the daylight hours clinging to the screen.  From my vantage point inside the entryway, the moth did not appear to be vividly colored or exotically marked but still, there was something about that moth on the door that intrigued me.  It seemed so peaceful.  I admired its color and the perfect symmetry of its wings.  The dull, brown moth was a thing of exquisite beauty even though some would think my findings quite crazy!  I appreciated the moth coming to visit.  It had brightened my day and was marked as one of my blessings for the day.  I knew there would be many more.

  In fact, there are many, many blessings that go unseen, unheralded by the great fanfare that most would think should accompany any act of God.  Perhaps we should start counting the tiny, mundane things in life as blessings so we appreciate life in general.