Glitterbugs

I have been walking more lately, between two and four miles a day in two increments. Somehow that leaves me with less to say here instead of more.

Until today when I saw the strangest creature lying by the car wash entrance.

It looked like a very large green slug except that it was covered in gold glittery speckles. It appeared to be dead since it didn't move when I nudged it, but I took a picture of it anyway.

Then I continued walking as my mind conjured up the story of the mystery critter.

I decided it must be a Glitterbug.

Really a very large caterpillar that would soon encompass it's entire body in a pale green cocoon, like Monarch butterflies do. With a little gold tip on the end.

It would sleep until June and then emerge as a giant blue and gold butterfly that like to feed off of oranges and other sweet fruits seldom found in this area.

When it was fully emerged and its wings were dry, this butterfly would do something no other butterfly does. It would sing!

Well, not really sing. Much like a cricket rubbing its legs together, it would use its antennae to emit a high warbling sound that only very small children with excellent ears could hear. And . . . of course other Glitterbug butterflies who would be attracted so they could mate and produce eggs that they would lay among the prickly thorns of red Floribunda roses.

The babies would emerge all green and gold and sparkly to crawl around eating rose leaves until they were also ready to make cocoons. Or until some bird or other animal would gobble them up or carry them away, because that was their one fault. As very large, very beautiful babies, they were easy to spot caterpillars in a world of less beautiful ones.

That makes them very rare. Especially in this part of the country and I decided I was very fortunate to get to see one.

Beautiful Glitterbugs!