Bug Squad

The Western tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) is the kind of butterfly that combines steel with silk. It's a tough critter. Often you'll see it with its wings clipped by a predator--maybe a bird or a praying mantis.

No, no, no, you got it all wrong! I said Please don't eat the pollinators! No butterflies and no bees. Eat the flies, gnats, mosquitoes, aphids and stink bugs. No butterflies or bees. Sadly, the praying mantis in our family bee garden does not listen to me.

Every time I see a golden jar of honey, I'm reminded of the Cordovan bee (Italian subspecies) that visited the Garvey bee garden back in 2010. I managed to capture a photo of her and labeled the image "Golden Bee Nectaring on Lavender," because that's what she was doing. Nectaring on lavender.

If I were in charge of a praying mantis' daily diet, I would enforce one stringent rule: "Please don't eat the pollinators! Do not, I repeat, target the bees or butterflies.

Say the word wings to folks who attend fairs and festivals and they may think of something to eat--buffalo wings or chicken wings. But if you head over to McCormack Hall at the Solano County Fair, Vallejo, you'll be thinking of insect flight. Flight of butterflies and moths.