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August 28, 1997 - Butterflies: Wonders of Our World6A % The guffolk Times • August 28, 1997 Butterflies: Wonders of Our World It seems to me that this has been an exceptionally good year for our big yel- low -and -black swallowtail butterflies. As we sat eating our lunch on our little brick patio a few days ago, there were two pairs of yellow swallowtails dancing in the trees above. If you've ever Focus watched butterflies flying, they always en seem to fly in a very erratic way. It Nature is seldom we ever see them on a by Paul straight and level Stoutenburgh course. It is usually up and down and this way and that. It's all part of their survival pattern to make it difficult for predator birds to catch them. How they can maneuver in and around the tree limbs is beyond me. I'm told they do it by using their four wings separately or in unison or a combination of both. These colorful swallowtails are our largest and most beautiful of the 7,000 - plus species of moths and butterflies we have here in North America, with at least 27 species of swallowtails east of the Mississippi alone. They're called swallow- tails because of the long appendages (tails) at the bottom of their wings. These tails act as lures to take the predator attack away from the more vulnerable parts of the but- terfly. Losing one or two of these tails is no great loss and we see an occasional swal- lowtail missing this tail part, showing that it was sacrificed to the predator, but in do- ing so the butterfly got away. Generally speaking, moths fly at night while butterflies fly during the daytime. The best way to distinguish a moth from a ADOPTION al4ew "EDIE" Very Shy. "BUD" Very Sweet. "ALEX" Loves to play ball. "MAE" Loyal, loving. "Anything That Floats but a Boat Race. " The Old Barge and North Fork Animal Welfare League are bring- ing back an East End tradition. Call for details Southold Animal Shelter PECONIC LANE, PECONIC 765 -1811 North Fork Animal Welfare League this poison with them. If eaten by a bird, the bird gets sick but will recover, know- ing full well not to eat that orange -and- black butterfly again. Here one butterfly was sacrificed for the many who will live on unmolested. Still other butterflies have become mimics of those who are protect- ed by this bad - tasting butterfly. Their size and color patterns so closely resemble the poisonous species that birds are fooled and leave them alone. All these devices have made the moths and butterflies clever survivors. Actually, some butterflies can see ultra- that it might take 250,000 to cover their wings. And what colors and patterns they produce! Studies on ancient weaving show a distinct pattern of the designs found in these butterfly scales. Enlarged under strong magnification, these become a multitude of tiny glittering jewels. It was the color and scent that attracted the oppo- site sex in the dance above us as we sat eating our lunch. Butterfly Baby Food Both moths and butterflies belong to the order of Lepidoptera, a Greek word mean- ing "many changes" After mating takes place, the eggs of the female will be placed on a particu- lar type of leaf that the emerging young will enjoy. We know the various stages butterflies and moths go through in their life cycle: the egg, the larva stage, then the spinning of the chrysalis if it's a but- terfly or the spinning of a cocoon if it is a moth, and then the final miracle — the emergence of the moth or butterfly itself, but that's about all we know. As Dr. Mitchell Emsley states, "We do not know how a butterfly works. We do not know how an egg becomes first a caterpillar, then a chrysalis then a butterfly — only that it does. Now and then we gain a little insight, but no more than you would of a hotel kitchen by looking in the doorway as the waiters pass in and out." To me butterflies and moths fall into the category of "The wonders of the world, the beauty and the power, the shape of things, their colors, lights and shades; these I saw. Look ye also while life lasts." (from "Wapiti Wilderness" by Margaret and Olaus Murie.) years. We often won- der how such a delicate bit of fluff survives during storms such as we had last week, but they do, for I saw butterflies flying the very next day even though there were still broken limbs and torn leaves scattered Suffok Times photo by Paul Stoutenburgh about as a re- BLACK SWALLOWTAIL —We have over 26 species of swallowtail butter - minder of the flies east of the Mississippi. Here we see the common black swallowtail. harsh weather we Another equally common is the yellow swallowtail we've seen lately dancing had. about in its mating ritual. Through evolu- tion these butterflies and moths have worked out devices that have proved their ability to survive. Some have large, color- ful eye spots on their wings that, when flashed, scare off would -be predators. Others have evolved colorations that blend in with the background, making them almost impossible to see. Still others are poisonous to their would -be attackers. A perfect example is our common or- ange- and -black monarch butterfly. The young caterpillars feed on poisonous milkweed plants and then as adults carry violet light from other butterflies in colors we humans cannot see, another feat of nature that man has yet to comprehend. Some butterflies have scent glands on their legs while others have scent glands as part of their intricate scales that cover their wings. These scales are what give the butterfly and moths their vivid colors and iridescence. Some scales are pigmented, others are like prisms reflecting light. Like the scales on a fish, or the feathers on a bird, the Lepidoptera have their own particular scales, some so tiny and perfect ■ _A9_ B _11– Its - -11– mat a Nuun "dotin 75 Years Ago Aug. 25, 1922 The Ballot, a Household Utensil: The changes of time vary our methods, but not our motives. A generation ago the mother could remain at home and know that the water was sanitary, the milk was pure, the eggs fresh, etc., etc. The housewife who wants her home to prosper cannot afford to sit idle while a political campaign is in progress. Not only should she study to use her own ballot wisely, but she should stir up her neighbors that their combined house- wifely and motherly care shall follow the interests of the home and the welfare of the family into the government where they are now administered. 50 Years Ago Aug. 22, 1947 A&P Specials: Peaches, 3 pounds for 20 cents; Beechnut Baby Foods, Strained varieties, 12 jars for $.95; sliced bacon, half -pound package, $38. And don't forget to visit A &P's Dairy Center! When the cream in your coffee comes from A &P - you can be sure it's rich, pure and deli- cious, like all of A &P's thrifty dairy foods. Found: Boat - In Gardiners Bay, a small rowboat. Owner can have same by identifying property and paying cost of advertising. Inquire of Captain Julian Fiedler, Greenport. 25 Years Ago Aug. 31, 1972 Dog Warden Sees Fewer Strays: While most East End towns are finding stray dogs an increasing problem, Southold Town notes a decline in the number of homeless dogs in its streets. Adam Johnson, who has been town dog warden for the past five years, says he finds people are becom- ing more concerned about making provisions for their pets before departing. It was two years ago that Southold experienced its biggest problem with packs of homeless dogs left to run loose. Then last September and October there were fewer strays. He sug- gested that newspaper and radio pleas might have helped lessen the number of summer residents abandoning pets that they felt they couldn't take back to the city or less suburban areas. The usual is about 15 to 20 dogs a month that Mr. Johnson finds roaming without licenses. These he takes to veterinari- an Dr. William Zitek in Southold, where they are kept for five days before examination and cremation. Any time within those five days they can be redeemed by their owners upon payment of five dollars. The tpwn picks up the $22.50 tab for care and disposal of each animal whose owner doesn't claim him or for whom another home can not be found. This comes to about $2,000 a year. And so, Mr. Johnson is hopeful that this fall, in Southold anyway, the spiritual improvement of man marches on.