Puddling Silvery Blue |
Silvery Blue exposed |
Silvery Blues are grey and spotted underneath |
Nectering is good for the vetch, but leaving behind eggs, maybe not so good |
a rumination on backyard biodiversity
Puddling Silvery Blue |
Silvery Blue exposed |
Silvery Blues are grey and spotted underneath |
Nectering is good for the vetch, but leaving behind eggs, maybe not so good |
This blog is a way to reflect on my attempts to make a plot of land designed for humans a tolerable place to live. For me that means surrounding myself with a diversity of living organisms and understanding why I am doing it. If you are interested in understanding your place in nature, in enjoying backyard bugs and birds, or just passing by, then welcome.
There's a little grassy clearing where some paths cross in the woods that I call the "bee-loud glade;" it is lined with wildflowers, including roses and wild vetch and the blue butterflies are all over in there. I always wanted to know more about them. Love learning about the "puddling." :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure if albino earwigs are a common thing, but thought you might want to see a picture of one taken by a gardener: http://gracepete.blogspot.ca/
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say I'm not sure I wanted to see it....bleck! :)
The earwig looks like a recently moulted adult, so not really an albino. Insects have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies and to grow must form a new skin under their old skin and then cast off the old. Sometimes when I look in the mirror I wish I could do that.
DeleteI guess you could think of most insects as serial albinos: each time they cast off their skin, they crawl out as a new, soft-bodied and usually white creature. As they inflate their bodies to their new size and harden-off their cuticle, the colours return.
Of course! I never thought of insects as moulting. (Yes, wouldn't it be nice...) :)
ReplyDelete