Bright Spots in a Gray Day

Moth Moments

Upper photo: Hubner's Pero, Pero hubneraria
(please mentally insert two dots over the "u" in "Hubner")
Lower photo: Light Marathyssa, Marathyssa basalis

I try to take a few minutes each day at work to walk around the decks of the visitor center and see what the security lights attracted the night before. Lights left burning all night are not among my favorite things, but I guess this is one of those "lemonade from lemons" things. Since I am not high enough on the food chain to change policy, I will make the best of the situation and use it as an opportunity to add species to the database :)

The moths above represent two of the seven species observed one morning last week. The pero uses willows and alders as host plants. The photo is included because I find the moth to be very pretty -- I'm such a girl ;)

The second moth is included because it is so darn peculiar-looking. When I first saw it, I thought I was seeing the remains of a moth that had been gobbled up by some nibble predator. Upon closer examination I discovered that the abdomen wasn't missing as I had presumed, it was just curled up and over. And the wings weren't ragged, just folded. Sneaky, eh?

The coolest thing about this Light Marathyssa? Its caterpillar feeds on poison ivy! Now, I know that will bring a smile to the faces of many.

Back to Normal...I Hope

You may have noticed (or perhaps not) that posts and replies to comments have been a little shy around here lately. Trust me, it hasn't been by choice. Life has a way of kicking you around now and again. Let's just say that March is a month Treebeard and I were glad to see the last of. It was a month of anxiety, necessary separation and painful loss. We are a little weary as a result. But, I am an optimist and I have to feel that things are on the up-swing. For one thing, our house is finally under construction! Yes, folks, we have a foundation and the framers are due to start on Monday. I spent one day this week picking out flooring (hardwood, carpet, and vinyl), cabinets, and countertops. Having lived in park housing my entire adult life I've never experienced having a choice in such things. Heady stuff, don't you know.

Anyway, I hope to start posting things of swampy interest here in the very near future. Everything is greening up, blooming and busting out. Butterflies are flying, dragonflies are emerging and pollen is coating everything in bright yellow. Spring is my favorite season and I plan on sharing -- even if I have to resort to pilfering more photos from Treebeard :>. (Do you know that that stinker saw a woodcock with five chicks the other day?!?! Such excess!)

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a couple of my pictures of a dragonfly emerging. They're sort of representative of how I'm feeling.