Endangered
Lepidoptera Week
These need areas with certain plants and a lot of sunshine. This is as good as I can do with my limited experience to portray an amazing iridescent butterfly. I think their wing probably looks mostly like the top right wing in this picture but more of a coppery sheen, but when the light hits them they truly exhibit a rainbow of colours. The caterpillars secrete a bit of honeydew type substance that a certain kind of ant eats. If the caterpillar is attacked, the ants defend it. The butterflies are small, their wingspan is only up to an inch wide. They have several fragmented habitats in New South Wales, Australia. Those habitats are only within an area that is about 40-45 miles across. The butterflies have not been found in several locations they once were found, and it is thought that all of their population is likely on the decline. They are illegally collected, and you can understand why. They are beautiful. Habitat loss though is their biggest threat.
It is my birthday soon. My parents came and dropped off a gift certificate for the art store I get most of my stuff from. It was perfect timing, I had run out of canvases and was going to head out today to get more. I am 28. Ok, not really. I've been saying I'm 28 for so long I generally forget how old I actually am. Probably the fact that I have a 20 year old son and have been married almost 24 years doesn't help make my claim that believable. I will be 28 until my license says I'm 82 at which point I will start aging but I will claim I'm 102 so I look really good for my age. So, I'm off to go to the art store now. Happy almost birthday to me!
Comments