Color me simple, but my family and I are easily pleased. All it takes is a nature hike. As our feet grow tired, our spirits lift and relax.
Last June, Husband and I took our lil rascals on some local nature trails. The trails wandered near a small river. The river wound through the countryside and through charming small towns that inspire eye rolls when people call them home. Finally, the river met its terminus in the Ohio River. But back to our hike. A flash of color caught our eyes. Whatever hue this is, it can’t be called simple.
Would anybody like a bug lesson? In these difficult days, I want to provide something innocuous that provokes neither controversy nor anxiety. If you don’t like bugs, mud, and humidity, though, then my apologies.
These creatures are called ebony jewelwings.
Step right up and take your front row seat at nature’s reality show! The one with the white dots on the wings is female. She’s being courted by the brilliantly colored male of the species. For more detailed information, I’ve provided a link from a more “official” source:
https://bugguide.net/node/view/601
Science is a wonderful thing. By science, in this context, I mean that we’re the beneficiaries of the work of countless others. I wonder who it was who thought up the animal (and plant!) classification system. A lot of science involves mere bookkeeping, and what a book! And it’s all available at one’s fingertips on the aforementioned website.
For those who don’t want to follow the link, check out this awesome taximony:
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)
Suborder Zygoptera (Damselflies)
Family Calopterygidae (Broad-winged Damselflies)
Genus Calopteryx (Jewelwings)
Species maculata (Ebony Jewelwing)
Two weeks later, we sought another nature trail, as the original hike was so delightful. Our colorful winged friends presented themselves again:
https://www.nps.gov/miss/learn/nature/ebonyjewelwing.htm
Before I go, I suppose I can’t resist injecting a bit of religious talk into my blog:
“…God likes variety. How do we know this? All you have to do is look at the number of bugs He’s created and you know He likes variety,” Fr. Chad Ripperger
https://youtu.be/TMc (space put here so the whole blasted window won’t pop up) vZaiBwe4
at about the five minute mark, give or take a few seconds.
Until later, your humble blogeress, JE
Jennifer Edelmeyer's Blog 