Hey, Lady! Take My Picture!

One pleasant April day, as I roamed around under the power lines at Eighth Avenue, I realized that a flittery shadow was following me. Turning around, I saw that a small black butterfly with white spots had paused with its wings spread out to rest on a blade of grass.

As I got a closer look, I realized that it was an Eight-spotted Forester Moth (Alypia octomaculata), an old friend that I had seen last year. It flew up and away but landed on another stem of grass close by. It seemed to want me to take its picture and to be sure that I got a good shot of its vividly orange, fuzzy "boots". (I found out later that what looked like fuzz was actually scales similar to the covering on its wings.)

                   

                      

                                   "How about a close-up of my face? And my boots, of course!"

 

"The undersides of my wings look handsome too."

"Do I look like an airplane getting ready for take off?"

"See how tightly I can hold on to the grass!"

"Well, its time for me to explore another patch of grass. Maybe I'll see you again soon. Be sure to have that camera ready to get pictures!"

You know that I'll be ready.