Don’t Touch These If You See Them on Your Plants

One of life’s greatest pleasures is tending a garden. It is really fulfilling to see your plants flourish and to eat the veggies (or should I say fruits!) that you have grown. Truthfully, however, not everything is peachy. Insects may be both allies and enemies in the never-ending war for pest management.

I was recently intrigued by a social media photograph of a leaf adorned with small, complex black geometric designs. It was so odd it may have been a plant disease or a lattice from another planet! At first, I was worried, as was everyone else. Nymphalis antiopa butterfly eggs, with their intriguing markings, were shown to be the real deal following closer scrutiny.

A Butterfly’s Magical Mourning Cloak