Divine creation can be seen painted on the canvas of a butterflies wing…© Kristen D’Angelo
With a wingspan measuring just under a half of an inch (1.2-2 cm) the Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis) is the smallest butterfly known in North America. Western Pygmy-Blues are not primarily blue in color, as their name suggests, but are instead varying shades of a lovely iridescent hue. Western Pygmy-Blues typically have coppery brown/blue dorsal wings, which shade to a brown ventral wing showing white dashes.
Western Pygmies also have four black dots near the base of the ventral hindwings and flaunt an arc of black silvery metallic dots along their far edge. These butterflies are also typically narrow to broadly fringed. Adults enjoy a variety of flower nectar, while caterpillars feed on host plants such as Saltbush (Atriplex) from the Goosefoot Family (Chenopodiaceae).
A concerned mother plans for her children’s future! She lays her eggs diligently. Depending on the species she may lay them singularly or in a group. She may lay them on the underside of a leaf or in a crevasse. Most always she lays them on the most tender leaves. She may use the “simple eye” on her abdomen to lay on the tip of a twisted tendril.
A female butterfly is not a realtor, but she might as well be. Location is everything to her! Location, location, an investment in her species future…
… A minute spec of life is set upon a leaf, out crawls a miracle, a Butterfly to be – K. DAngelo
