Picture 1: One of 11 butterflies sipping nectar from the florets of a thistle bulb. Three thistle bulbs are next to the butterfly. Photo by Bob Dryja
By ROBERT DRYJA
Los Alamos
The slopes going up mountain sides often are covered in snow during the winter. There is not much to see up close since plants are hidden under the snow and insects are not active. Most birds have migrated to lower and warmer elevations. Only the footprints of animals in the snow are occasionally apparent. This situation reverses with the arrival of summer. A great variety of plants, insects, birds and animals become apparent. Startling relationships can be observed among them.
For example, a single thistle plant may be seen growing on a slope, surrounded a multitude of other plant species. Evidently the seed of a particular kind of thistle was carried by a bird or blown by the wind. It happened to land in a location favorable for its growth. Thistle species vary in their preferred growing habitat, varying from marshy to dry. The slope on which this one thistle plant is growing faces eastward and so is kept dry by long and direct exposure to sunlight. Evidently the seed of a sunny dryland thistle was lucky enough to land in its preferred habitat.
The flower of a thistle is different from other kinds of flowers. A large bulb forms the base of what initially seems like a single flower. A close inspection shows that a great many little stems are growing from the base. These stems are actually individual flowers called florets. Each floret produces nectar. A thistle plant therefore may become a favored source of food for butterflies. Picture 1 shows one of eleven butterflies that flocked around a thistle at the same time, sipping its nectar. It is a remarkable to see one lone thistle in bloom and surrounded by butteries.
The butterflies themselves are interesting. This particular species lives on high mountain slopes with an occasional thistle. How often is a rose bush seen at a lower elevation with butterflies swarming around its flowers? Like all butterflies, this particular species has its wings grow in upper and lower sections. These are called the forewing and hindwing. The hindwing has two parallel rows of white spots. The forewing has one parallel row of white spots. The forewing also has various black squares and lines, (see Picture 2). The name of this species is Nokomis Fritillary.
The wings of a butterfly can present a challenge when used to identify a species. The inner side is seen when a butterfly opens its wings. The outer side is seen when the wings are closed together. The color patterns can be different for the inner and outer sides. Additionally, the forewings and hindwings can have their own different patterns, (see pictures 3 and 4).
A person does not need to hike to a distant high mountain to see a flock of butterflies around a bush.
A species of plant called the butterfly bush is grown in nearby neighborhood gardens. A flock of butterflies called the painted lady may gather around it. They sip nectar from its columns of blue flowers, the same as occurs for the thistle (See Picture 4).
Picture 2: A Nokomis Fritillary butterfly is sipping at the florets emerging from the top of a thistle bulb. White dots dominate the hindwing while black squares and lines dominate the forewing. Photo by Bob Dryja
Picture 3: A Painted Lady butterfly is sipping nectar from the blue flowers of a butterfly bush. The hindwing has a pattern of grey and white while the forewing has orange coloration. Photo by Bob Dryja
Picture 5: Are these two different species? Or is sunlight making one of them appear to be orange? Photo by Bob Dryja
