Another Episode of, They Ought to be Everywhere!

Yes. Many have speculated, why isn’t this or that more commonly encountered. Like in this example, leafwing butterflies, Anaea. Well. Leafwings are common at the CB. But to get to espy them, you have to give them bananas. Otherwise, they generally don’t come down from the trees. Although, sometimes they nectar.

But getting back to, They Ought to be Everywhere. The larval food plant of the leafwings is crotons. When Crumby thinks crotons, he thinks sand. But some crotons don’t grow in sand. For example, that humblest of all crotons, Croton monanthogynous is happy in clay. Plus, it’s close to occurring everywhere. Or as close to everywhere as may be in these dreadful, wicked times.

So the question is, do leafwing larvae employ Croton monanthogynous. Which also helps to answer the question, What’s it good fer?, Croton monanthogynous, that is.

OK. What’s it good fer?, is making a cocoon for yourself if you happen to be a goatweed leafwing, (Anaea andria). Course ideally, bigger leaves might work better. Huh-huh. This particular caterpillar needs several leaves to cover up, a few less than he has got on. Yes. There is his old noggin sticking out. Mercy!

Yes. Mercy! And while we’re discussing, What’s it good fer?, how about that humblest of all snoutbeans, least snoutbean (Rhynchosia minima)? Man alive! Just like practically the whole world, Crumby used to despise least snoutbean. He used to exclaim, I hate least snoutbean all righty. What’s it good fer? Dang weed!

But gradually, as Crumby’s wicked Christian upbringing receded to the distant past, Crumby came to realize that least snoutbean is a good plant and vital to many. Like this little bee furnishes its home with cutouts from least snoutbean leaves. Here the bee goes cutting out a pattern.




You can tell when the Megachiles have been at the snoutbeans. Looks this a way. They also do your redbuds for Goddess sakes.