I saw a moth on Barry’s hat this morning and of course I had
to try and identify it – without success so far, I have to say.
side view
detail - so delicate
Anyway, in the course of my research I came across this note
–‘passes winter as an egg’ and that made me laugh. I started thinking how
difficult it would be trying to metamorphose backwards, as it were, and fit
into a receptacle now patently far too small. In human terms that is a ghastly
thought, not to mention eye-watering.
I also discovered that the Ghost moth, among others, has no
tongue and cannot feed. What a sad life that must be. I suppose it’s akin to
human parents raising their young and then popping their clogs. I know it feels
like that sometimes and often we feel redundant. Let’s be honest, we are
redundant once the bank of Mum and Dad serves no further purpose and our young
people have flown the nest and are busily growing their own credit ratings and
treating overdrafts as a challenge rather than a limit (or was that just me?)
It is sobering to realise that so many beautiful creatures
live very short lives. Dragonflies spend more time as somewhat unattractive
nymphs. They live in the murky depths of ponds for three or four years, terrorising
the more peaceable inhabitants. Then they emerge from their hard cases as diaphanous
beauties, bringing colour and pleasure to onlookers, though not to the
unfortunate insects they hunt without mercy.
Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)
Not as great a beauty as the Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea)
What a stunner - but completely helpless on the ground for dragonflies cannot walk . . .
Laying eggs
So much beauty, such a little life
They mate, they lay eggs, they
die. However, they have no thought for the future, no understanding of their
ephemeral existence. What do I know, though? Maybe they have a very complex
belief system and look forward to dragonfly heaven where food is plentiful and
life never ends. Would I have found them so attractive had I lived/existed in
prehistoric times when they had wingspans up to 75 cms? Nonetheless, they are
fascinating beasts.
However, and I hate to repeat this cliché, it’s all relative .
. . We live but a blink of an eye when compared to galaxies. Who knows what the
Mars probe will reveal? (provided it
lands safely, of course!)
