365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Snug As A Bug
Day 74: I can think of better places to take a long winter's nap than glued to the side of my house, but when a biological urge as strong as this is upon one of Nature's creatures, it cannot be suppressed. Given the markings and the distinctive shape of the chrysalis, I am going to assume that this is Pieris marginalis until someone corrects me. Margined Whites are common in my yard. Some old-school lepidopterists will refer to them as Pieris napi, but marginalis is now considered a distinct species. The older terminology tends to slip between my lips more often than not, force of habit from having learned them from an out-of-date field guide. Note the dark spot and obvious veination in the wing, as well as the "belly-band" thread securing the chrysalis to the wall. Just how did the butterfly manage that, anyway?
Labels:
butterfly,
chrysalis,
Pieris marginalis
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