Set Them Free!

If you paid attention in grade school you know something about caterpillars and their evolution, but did you know if you Google the word you can get as many as 866,000 hits? If you narrow it down by adding the word moth, you reduce that number to a workable 110,000, because unfortunately we don't all evolve to become butterflies. Now, if you have caught three, and Camden has named them - Catti, Pilli and Tilli - you might be inclined to research what kind of little woolly worms were dining on your oregano.


Sadly our little trio was not the romantic sounding Isabella or Ruby tiger moth variety, but the lowly fall web worm species, hated by gardeners statewide. The fun kid thing to do was release them and celebrate the event with a parade. Camden was in the lead with tambourine in hand, I followed with the remote control lady bug and Grandpa Mike had the honors of carrying the prisoners, the huaraches and his green purse. Upon finding a suitable site, the bug hatch door swung open and one of the creepy crawlers high-tailed it south, one cautiously held his/her ground, and one needed an ambulance.


The moral of the story is if you need to identify your favorite woolly worm, plant, insect or the slime growing in your bathroom, you can do so at Discover Life.org. Check out the "Lost Ladybug Project" which offers a low-budget video not even in the same class as the disco honeybees. I think the ladybugs need better sponsorship.









My favorite bugs!