What a gift it is, to see something in nature that at first glance seems ordinary, and then to discover, after observing it more closely, how extraordinary it truly is! I think our little insect friends are great examples of the extraordinary that may at first seem ordinary.
3 Moths on our Patio
I’m starting with moths today because it seems like moths play second fiddle to butterflies due to butterflies’ stereotypically more charismatic (translation: colorful) appearance. But wowza—there are lots of beautiful colorful moths too, like these 3 that graced our patio last week! Note the moths’ lovely colors, color gradations and scalloped white lines!
Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly Life Cycle
We’ve been fortunate to witness (several times!) the metamorphosis of Cloudless Sulphur butterflies from the larval (caterpillar) stage, into a pupa (chrysalis), and then emerge as a butterfly! Wowza again! This art is part of my Tucson Yard Journal ~ August.
More Butterflies
Our Desert Broom flowers are magnets for many kinds of insects including these butterflies, which I painted for my Tucson Yard Journal ~ October. Check out those colors—wowza!
Filigree Skimmer
We see numerous red- and rust-colored dragonflies in our yard but this was the first time we’d seen a black dragonfly! Its intricate wing structure reminds me of lace. Wowza! I painted this for my Tucson Yard Journal ~ August. You can see all of my Tucson Yard Journals to date (June through October) on my website.
Crane Fly
These large insects are often mistaken for mosquitoes but not only are they harmless, they have (as I wrote for this Perpetual Journal entry) tiny modified hind wings that act like gyroscopes! Wowza once again!
What makes you say “Wowza!” when you step outside?