I wonder if there are butterflies in the Golf Course Park next to the Bay. | |
Butterflies stay near water, so it is worth a look. | |
The eucalyptus grove offers shelter and flowers with nectar. | |
Two butterflies on the meadow. | |
Next to the thumb is a black dot on the wing: this indicates a male. Some males mate with other males. This might be an innocent mistake because their eyes cannot see that black dot. | |
It seems that the male is located below the female, and they are facing opposite directions. | |
Perhaps they have invented a new way to mate. | |
Perhaps they have been in the Bay Area too long
(from October through January). Next week, if the female's eggs are fertilized, she will migrate to a better climate near Santa Barbara, find some milkweed, lays some eggs, and die well before the caterpillars hatch. ("cater-pillar" is Latin for "cat that is hairy"). The early Dutch name for butterfly probably refers to the color of its excrement: boterschijte means "butter shit". |