Butterflies redux
Garden Variety has reported her unscientific observation that there are a heck of a lot more butterflies this year.
And, apparently, it isn't because she planted more butterfly-friendly perennials. Or because she made a newspaper tent over the parsley to protect the caterpillars from the birds.
University of Maryland entomologist Michael Raupp, the scientist behind the blog, Bug of the Week, has his own (much intelligent) theory. He called it a variation on the "slow growth, high mortality hypothesis."
Butterflies are cold-blooded creatures, after all, and the warm summer jacked up their metabolism and rushed them through their most vulnerable stages. "When caterpillars are small, they can't escape their predators," he explained.
So, yes the cold winter probably kept parasites and diseases down.
And, yes, we are all more aware of the damage that pesticides can do to these beautiful creatures.
And, yes, some of us are providing more habitat for them.
But growing up fast helps more.
