Bug Squad

Butterflies flutter. Bees don't. Indeed, some bees seem to possess Superman's extraordinary power of "faster than a speeding bullet." They're just lacking a blue costume, a red cape and an "S" on their thorax.

Just call it sleeping with the enemy. But how can you sleep when you sense a predator in your midst? Last night, as usual, was Boys' Night Out in our lavender patch.

In the entomological world, we call that a "two-fer." Two insects in the same photo. Sunday morning we spotted a fiery skipper butterfly (Hylephila phyleus) on an artichoke leaf. It was warming its flight muscles, maybe to flutter over to the lavender for a sip of nectar.

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but thankfully, they don't keep our bees away. The blossoms, that is. We need those pollinators! During National Pollinator Week, June 16-22, it's a good idea to pay tribute to the apple.

As we near the end of celebrating National Pollinator Week, June 16-22, look around and see all the insects foraging on reddish-orange flowers. And occasionally, you might see a reddish-orange insect like the showy Gulf Fritillary butterfly.