F for Fritillary (F number 2)
Well, I forgot that Sunday was a day off – and put up ‘F’ on Saturday night. So here is ‘F’ number 2 – Fritillary, an exquisite butterfly.
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This beautiful photograph of a Gulf fritillary is by Ralph Daily on Flikr.
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Fritillaries
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Fritillaries, fritillaries,
have butterfly fragilities,
they flit and flutter by with ease
among the flowers and the trees,
stop using that weedkiller please,
or cease to see fritillaries.
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Gulf fritillary butterflies are also called Passion butterflies.
Butterflies are not as efficient at pollinating crops as bees, but they play their part.
Butterflies in general are affected by weedkillers such as Roundup – not only do they affect the butterfly themselves, they kill their food plants.
On February 14, 2014, the NRDC in the USA called on the EPA to examine the use of Glysophate, recognising its use was decimating the population of monarch butterflies. I cannot find any info as to whether this worked, or whether the first steps are being taken to limit or ban its use.
In the EU, similar lobbying in April 2013 led to a ban on neonicotinoid chemicals, that are blamed for the loss of bee populations from various causes including the Verroa mite.
It is difficult to overestimate how important crop fertilisers like butterflies and bees are – without them, we starve! It would be impossible to hand fertilise even one field of crops. Much easier to hand remove, or remove by mechanical means, weeds.
- Posted in: A-Z Challenge 2014
- Tagged: animals, bees, butterflies, chemicals, endangered, fertilisation, nature, poison, science
lizbrownlee - poet 
I would rather have a flying squirrel as a pet than a fritillery, though they are both beautiful. You always manage to put a moral or a laugh in your poems.
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I do hope for a laugh sometimes, Liz!
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Double posts for F how great is that? I love those butterflies. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
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Thanks, Rosie!
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Thanks for the story behind the story — glad the beautiful little creatures are getting some protection. Someone must do something. Also, great poem. Yes, ‘stop using that weedkiller please’ peeps of the world.
Silvia @
SilviaWrites
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Thanks, Silvia!
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So glad you did a second F! Lovely post about a lovely creature!
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Thanks, seekingmeme, I do my posts the day before and schedule them to post at 00.01 in the morning, so Sunday would not be a day off for me anyway, it would be the saturday… and heck, I just enjoy the rhythm of it!
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What is it that Joni Mitchell sings in “Big Yellow Taxi?” —
“Give me spots on my apples/ But LEAVE me the birds and the bees, PLEASE!”
~ Both “F” posts are stellar.
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Thank you, Rosie!
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I always feel a bit sorry for the weeds too x
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Me too!
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I had to look and see what a fritillary was. I’d never heard the name. Thanks for another informative post! And thanks for stopping by to visit my blog!
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Thank you, Lori!
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