While visiting with a friend of mine, I noticed a vine along the fence line with their neighbor. The friend said that it was a passionfruit vine and that the neighbor really liked the fruit. Along with the neighbor enjoying the fruit, I also noticed something else – butterflies.
Over the last several years, I have been noticing passionfruit/flower butterflies a lot more. The butterfly uses the passionfruit vine as its main foodsource from egg to butterfly. Then the butterflies sip nectar from flowers while completing their lifecycle by mating and looking for more food sources.
At the school where I have an office is the garden bed where I took most of these photos. It is important to appreciate the insects that are an integral part of our survival. If living spaces and outdoors continue to be bombarded with toxic substances with the intent to kill off insects, we may find that the bees that are necessary to agriculture can no longer survive. Then what will become of us?
Sometimes just letting things be is the best solution. At one of the high schools where I work, I noticed a bunch of passionflower butterflies flying around the corner of the parking lot. Sure enough, there is a giant, weedy passionflower that spreads across the fence and over nearby foliage in a very dominating fashion. The area is alive with butterflies.
So in short, insects are important. Perhaps a person may not like them in his home, his food or his garden. However, when anyone eliminates nature from the equation, they also eliminate life.
Over the last several years, I have been noticing passionfruit/flower butterflies a lot more. The butterfly uses the passionfruit vine as its main foodsource from egg to butterfly. Then the butterflies sip nectar from flowers while completing their lifecycle by mating and looking for more food sources.
At the school where I have an office is the garden bed where I took most of these photos. It is important to appreciate the insects that are an integral part of our survival. If living spaces and outdoors continue to be bombarded with toxic substances with the intent to kill off insects, we may find that the bees that are necessary to agriculture can no longer survive. Then what will become of us?
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| The shell of a passionflower butterfly's chrysalis |
Sometimes just letting things be is the best solution. At one of the high schools where I work, I noticed a bunch of passionflower butterflies flying around the corner of the parking lot. Sure enough, there is a giant, weedy passionflower that spreads across the fence and over nearby foliage in a very dominating fashion. The area is alive with butterflies.
So in short, insects are important. Perhaps a person may not like them in his home, his food or his garden. However, when anyone eliminates nature from the equation, they also eliminate life.
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