It's all about diversity

A Zebra Swallowtail--not unusual, by any means.
Yet, in our woods, rare.
A treasure to find, a fleeting moment--sipping moisture from sand at a nearby lake.



And I wondered why it is I seldom see one.
In our sprawling fields of wildflowers and dense oak and hickory woods.
For we have so many others that choose to visit our growing, green space.

Yet, as much as we have, something is missing.
A Pawpaw tree--the single plant that this butterfly feeds upon as a caterpillar.
With long, draping leaves and a crooked spindly stem,
others are far more lovely.

For as I may not miss its graceless presence in these woods, its absence means the world to a butterfly.

It is believed that the Paw Paw has disappeared from much of its natural US habitat due to the harvesting of virgin forests. Paw Paw seedlings are sensitive to ultraviolet light, and do not re-establish themselves once the forest has been clear cut.
More info here.

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