Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Luna Moth (Actias luna)

The luna moth emerged but does not want to leave the Shelter at the Garden. I took it out of the cage and brought it outside:

Thismoth has been hanging around for several days. It has no mouth parts - it won't live long enough to do much else than mate all night long. It is tempting to imagine that this moth is hanging around because it wants to, because it likes us, because it feels safe. The truth is that this moth is probably very flawed in some way. It is possible its wings were damaged when curing after it emerged from its coccoon. It is possible that something else is wrong that keeps it from flying off. But the moth doesn't care for us anymore than my bees trust or care for me. To my bees, I am that bumbling beast that occasionally rips the roof off their house, steals their food, and meddles with every aspect of their lives - sort of like a president - but not one they elected. Oh. Wait.




So today in the Garden, I passed by a beautiful fragrant Common elderberry (Sambucus canadensis). The red elderberry cannot be eaten, but the common, or black, elderberry can be eaten if properly prepared. Gathering them is not permitted in Minneapolis parks, but it is permitted in State parks. If the fruit tastes as wonderful as it smells, it will be worth the effort to find.

I also found this Fringed loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You are so funny.

And you know, I had to deliver the veggies as penance for buying all that yarn on the cheap.