Creative Sacred Living Magazine September 2014 | Page 58

When I go on my yearly "Hunt" for these ephemeral Animals, it is
usually late summer, typically the 1st week of August through
September, when the wildflower Prairies of the Mid-West and my
stomping grounds, Wisconsin, are at their peak. You will see many
types of Flowering plants. Boneset, which is a favorite and essential
plant for the survival of the Monarch Butterfly, always draws other
Moths and Butterflies. The great variety of Goldenrod is not just
astonishing to look upon when one finds a field awash in it, it is also an
essential nectar source supporting a host of essential animals including
the Honeybee. There is Aster, Compass Plant, Woodland Sunflower,
Joe-Pye Weed, Queen of the Prairie, Purple and Prairie Coneflower, just
a vast amount of nectar sources during a time of frenetic insect activity
particularly Butterflies and Moths. Two of my personal favorites to look
for, watch and Photograph are actually Moths, the two I speak of are
the White Lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata) and Humming Bird Moths
(Hymaris thysbe). They both have a habit of making a circuit, or
pattern around the plants they prefer to gather Nectar from and
pollinate. I have watched Humming Bird Moths do figure eights (the
infinity symbol) around two wild bergamot searching each tiny blossom
for food, and then repeat the process in reverse upon the next two.
Sphinx Moths are big, and you can hear and feel their wing beats, they
will also brush against you when you are calmly sitting watching them.