Day 295: Among other assorted flutterbyes in my garden, the hot weather has brought out Woodland Skippers in droves, and they love the lavender. These cute little critters fascinated me when I was a child because unlike other butterflies, they frequently hold their hind wings at an angle to their forewings when at rest, a pose which puts me in mind of experimental aircraft. The larvae of Ochlodes sylvanoides feed on a variety of tall, coarse grasses; in Washington, this includes the invasive Reed Canary Grass. Perhaps the abundance of Skippers in recent years is related to the increase in available forage, Nature attempting to strike a balance between native and non-native species. That said, it seems like the Canary Grass is winning despite the Skippers' valiant efforts to control it, but it does my heart good to see so many of these charming butterflies in my garden.
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