Most insects are not considered beautiful even though they may have amazing colors and shapes.
As a naturalist, it's impossible to ignore insects since they are so numerous and have remarkable life histories.
They are difficult to deal with since there are so many types, some unfamiliar to us. If you begin to learn the common species here you will be richly rewarded since this knowledge opens up a panorama of ecological interactions and natural patterns that are often hidden from us.
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Blue crabs females have pretty red claw tips, attract males. This is the “lipstick on a crab.”
Consider a few insects common in early December in Southwest Florida.
The salt marsh caterpillar moth is widely distributed from Canada to Texas and is often encountered feeding on dog fennel. This first adult I have seen in Florida was attracted to our window light at night. They use plant toxins to protect themselves and the defensive display is striking as it reveals orange areas normally hidden. The life story of this moth reveals dog fennel is toxic and should not be eaten by humans.
A common but rarely seen scarab beetle is the large ox beetle. The "rhino" beetle male has three horns, which are used in male-to-male combat. The grub larvae of this beetle are commonly found in sandy soils where they leave small mounds of sandy pellets. Both moles and white ibis relish these large grubs and provide biological control when these beetles occur in lawns.
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William Dunson, Ph.d., professor emeritus of biology at Penn State University, splits time between Southwest Florida and his farm in Galax, Va. He can be reached at wdunson@comcast.net.
The sculptured pine borer is an interesting beetle recently encountered at Wildlfower Preserve. A pest on various pine species, adults feed on young buds and leaves and the larvae are born in decaying wood. A nuisance for pine growers, they help the turnover of tree biomass in forests. Woodpeckers likely have a different opinion of this bird food than humans do.
Insects considered especially beneficial to humans are the dragonflies, since they eat other insects, including injurious species such as mosquitoes and flies. Their rapid movements make them hard to appreciate but it is becoming popular to study the common species with binoculars. A large twilight darner flew into a window and I caught it for a moment to appreciate the beauty of its form - the amazing wings, large eyes and strong jaws, which bit me. All dragonfly larvae are aquatic and live totally different lives from their parents - an adaptation that avoids competition between juveniles and adults.
Humans find "flying flowers" - the butterflies - very attractive. Yellow cow pea flowers in bloom now are attracting many small blue butterflies, including the tiny Cassius blue, a marvel restricted to far southern climates.
Milkweed butterflies are much easier to identify but still somewhat confusing. These gorgeous "flowers" are native to South Africa as local butterflies are not suited to obtain nectar through the "front door" of the flower corolla tube. This crafty butterfly uses a hole in the base of the flower, possibly made by a bee, as a back door to steal nectar.
Since pollination does not occur, the flower will not benefit as it would if South African sunbirds drank from the front of the corolla tube.
Another surprising recent sight was a monarch obtaining nectar from the tiny flower of Florida privet. These flowers do not seem designed for attracting large butterflies and are mainly visited by bees and wasps. Butterflies visit flowers because they are more flexible in their behavior than we may think.
Blue crabs obviously are not insects, but as crustaceans are sister arthropods. The female has red claw tips, which are pretty but seemingly of limited general interest. If these claws are painted black, males lose interest in mating with them. This is the "lipstick on a crab."
It is a common theory human genes have their origins in early stages of animal evolution. Why, for example, did human females start coloring their lips red with plant pigments to enhance their sexual attractiveness? Isn't it amusing that a primitive animal such as the crab basically does the same thing?
William Dunson, Ph.d., professor emeritus of biology at Penn State University, splits time between Southwest Florida and his farm in Galax, Va. He can be reached at wdunson@comcast.net.
