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Home My WebLink AboutFebruary 28, 1980 - Nature Works Miracle of Miracles _ _ � ___ _ � __ �__ ,�- _ _ _ .__ _ . �_ __ __ _ _ ____ __ _ __ _ ! � s page 6 � C'ebrt�ary 2f3, 1980 - � e �uffo[� �J:iine� ___..�.__._______.. v_� _ �__ �--- � �� Nature Works IVi��r�cle of Miracl � ; �.« �. . : � ' Sp itting wood can be a real chore or it can ' � : ; � be a relatively enjoyable experience. It was � � � ��" � a real chore when I was a boy and it was my job to keep the mammoth pot-belly stove in O n� ��, � ; � t h e c e n t e r o f o u r l i v i n g r o o m f e d. I t a l w a y s �O�U� ;� � ; �� ., a � seemed to me that in those early days a r „ young boy had better things to do than split o wood. � a _ � ; _ � . � �� e . : 0� � �'> Today, with more time and a need for �3� r � 4< � I activity,I find wood splitting for our kitchen � , _ � ` � } stove isn't half bad. There's a chaltenge in � w �; .' i d trying to figure out the best spot to split the carpenter ants.Here they had assembled in � �� " � ; �; � � ; log and how to beat the maze of cross grain a dormant mass in the very tree they had �,� ; ' that persist wherever a knot or limb occurs. been feeding on. Great tunnels were cut �- � ; � � ,� � I m u s t a d m i t I d o n t a l w a y s c h o o s e t h e a w a y w h e r e t h e y h a d w o r k e d t h e i r w a y � ''' ;: z � correct spot and action,but as time goes on I through the wood. I wondered what anti- � '� �� '-y � � �� ;' ' �� , � � � ' , keep telling myself I'm learning. freeze they employed,even in their dormant � �, .. $ stage,for I knew they had spent many a day �� ; �y�' ��'` �� '~�;a; F �:� ��' � � � �.�:: ' and night in well below freezing tempera- � t'`��k ` � '; �� tures and still survived. �� 5 ,: Spilled out on the ground, they surely S �"�� would make a fair meal for my chickens . �` � later when I left the chopping area.Often I'd � ,�._' seen them scratching around after I left, � _ � probably picking up small eggs,insects,and �' ' �� i �:.._ so forth. � � . �. � � . ; > , �>: � � NATURE'S MI�,A�Y.�E--1�ating Cecropia mo��is proc�uc� eggs w�f�g�:�� Moths'Fascinating Life History hatch into larvae. These larvae continually eat and grow and molt until � " Earlier in the week, while pruning out in in the fall they are about four inches in length. They then weave a silken ° the garden,I noticed what appeared to be an o�d, dried-up leaf attached to the base of a cocoon around themselves in which they hibernate for the winter. From rose bush. Looking closer it proved to be a this cocoon a handsome, six-inch, orange and brown moth emerges to cocoon of the handsome Cecropia moth.The mate the following spring. This complete process, called metamorphos- �s , cocoon was about three inches long, brown is,took place in my small garden. Photos by Paul Stoutenburgh and tapered at each end, and made up of a tough silk-like material that had molded it to photographed this handsome caterpillar. I � the stem. My mind went back to the time had intended to keep my eye on its } when I found the larva of caterpillar that movements so I could photograph the next ; weaves this cocoon. stage in its interesting life, which would be � Moths have a fascinating liFe history and, the spinning of a cocoon.But nature likes to like most insects, start out life as an egg. work in secrecy, and when I couldn't find it ' ,�: When they hatch from the egg they show the next day I knew I had missed an i little resemblance to whaC they will eventu- important part of its life cycle. ? ~� ally become.The adult moth attaches these Miracle Of Miracles ,..�. ,.�.. .. . . <-: . > eggs to what is called the host plant, or one When the mature caterpillar starts tc ' CATERPILLAI3 on which the young will readily thrive when build its cocoon iYs an indicator that colct '' they hatch. weather is coming.It is in this pupa stage i9 � By now my outlook on life is much As they grow they shed their outer skin or will winter over in its silken, weatherproo_ ` � ` different than in those early days and my molt.This is done many times as the small home,safe from winter storms and its mam� � eyes find joy in the muititude of events about caterpillar grows. predators.When spring comes along and thc rrxe.This mor.ning,when I laid open a log, it It was when I was checking my pear trees warmth penetrates the cocoon, the miracle ' spilled out a treasure of black, shiny ants. over d found this big four-inch blue-green of miracles will start to take place. Whai. ,y Looking closer I could see the feeble slow Cecropia caterpillar munching away on lhe went in as an"ugly"caterpillar miraculous- � movements of these carpenter ants that had leaves of my favorife tree.Needless to say it ly emerges as a beautiful orange aaad brown. r been shaken out of their deep winter was moved to a less important variety, six-inch, adu1C moth. It is in this stage that dormancy. where it went right on its way busily most of us become aware of moths anc� ; Most ants go below the frost line in winter devouring leaf after leaf. It was then I butterflies, but this stage has been createc� and become dormant, but not so with the for just one purpose. Not to eat -- not do � anything but mate,produce eggs and die.In �� > moths we seldom see these handsome ��'�� ; A new comedy thriller kom the creofors of"Silver Streokn adults, for much ot their mysteries ar�� ' carried on at night. - ��;,�": ; 2� � GoleJi� Fle�wn How does one male moth in this grea�big ��:�,��r� �� , _ .r , , ,_. :<;,::n:., world find a suitable mate. It's been roven _. P .i Chevy Che�s� that the males can scent a female three miles away and be lured to her for the I ` « wonder of matin When an insect has �`- '' My old tax service g. � � � �' ` , �� > > , � �� passed through all these stages--egg,larva, j �� . � .r� �,��` ��,.,L'�,�� I'� �� ',�'�� C�IC�II�t C�011b�@"C�'16C�C pupa and adult -- the procesa is called a ; �r � f �'"� I I �� eVe �111� . � $h0(.1�d complete metamorphosis(change of form). � �; . � g All about us are such wonders; and the , See what happens when a I�18Ve COIYI@ Il@I'@ remarkable thing about it all is that many � fumbling, falling Chevy Chase �aSt yP�11�' are right in our own backyards. The sad � plays a detective assigned part is that so many of us go through life � ; to protect Goldie Hawn. glorifying material things that someone else '� � Good luck, Goldie! has told us we need. The tragedy is that ' ; � because of our unawareness of how the � 727-6300 natural world works,we abuse it and deface i rM /�� it. Think for a moment of the multitude of � 's TELEVISION WORTH PAYING FOR Route 58 & I� problems we have created,just in the world � � � �' � � �J�� ,�,� Osprey Ave. , �a- af pollution. We have not become stewards � � , of the land, but rather consumers of the � � �<�� , A'� �� ,, Riverhead land. � �1 � ,� l, l R �,� � , � G We make sure we thoroughly un- It s a shame that TV and the vast array of derstand your tax situation before propaganda that is put out in advertise- we prepare your return. And then ments usualiy leave these wonders of the E xF,os,,,e�o,,,,�, ,e„P, we double-check every return for natural world out, but then again there is no ' dollar to be made on the miracle of the ; � Oriyinal cover Power switch BCCUf3C�L �� SNAI?P � Ready Iainp �JUCtOPfly. 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