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The Question Mark gets its name from the distinct white marking on the hindwing. The dorsal side of the wing is a more exciting mixture of orange and brown. (see below) The Comma is a similar butterfly but does not have the white dot that forms a question mark.
John photographed this gal in the garden and then watched her fly around landing over and over again on his hop plants. Guess what one of her larval host plants is? Hops! At least we'll get to see what the larval form looks like!
Once upon a time, a beautiful whiter than white butterfly was flittering along beside a great hot and rumbling mountain. He wondered why the air burned his sniffer a bit, but was so focused on finding another sweet flower to set his feet upon that he didn't realize the mountain was a volcano.
He had almost reached a safe distance when the volcano erupted. The huge noise, the sudden light and the heat hit him all at once. It shoved him 30,000 feet into the air, and had he not been a butterfly he'd have slammed back to the ground, but instead he floated, like a feather, like a dry leaf, tipping this way and that with the air currents taking him beyond the danger, slowly to the ground five miles away. Knocked out from the blast, he fell without notice or care.
He got so sick from the burn he nearly died. But all the other whiter than white butterflies gathered round and prayed for him with all their butterfly faith and eventually he did recover. He had changed though. Apparently the heat, the force and the flash of the explosion left a permanent photographic memory of the event on his wings so deep that it burrowed all the way into his DNA. Only the white rim of his wings remained untouched.
So he and all that followed him, each became unique perspectives on that one volcanic eruption. - every time you see one, you see yet another picture of that place, that moment in time.
A flittering little reminder to one and all that if you get too close to the heat, sometimes you get burned. And if it's a terrible heat, like alcoholism, or any drug addiction, like marrying a molester or someone abusive, sometimes it burns all the way into your DNA so that it marks your children and theirs too. Certainly prayer can help you survive.
But the sins of the father and the mistakes of the mother are visited upon their children to the third and fourth generation isn't just a biblical concept, it's scientifically proven as well. The children of addicts are genetically predisposed to become addicts. The children of abused parents are socially predisposed to allow it too.
"If you get too close to the heat sometimes, more than just you gets burned."
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You only see this because 'HE' (not the picture) is too beautiful to throw away. I took three pictures of him and foolishly quit there. This was the best one and I had to crop the hell out of it. I never see it without a little ache of regret. Such a beauty and I didn't do him justice. This Eastern Comma caused me to make the rule: Don't ever stop shooting till the butterfly has left the area.
Set your camera to macro mode
no sudden movements
no sudden sounds
softly sweet talk or sing to him
and if he lets you take a picture
get a little closer
and with each picture get a little closer still
You don't quit shooting till he leaves
These digitals make it easy to get good butterfly shots so long as you don't quit before they leave.
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) larva, ironically, in a Question Mark pose.
London, Ontario, Canada.
June 30, 2006.
Photographs, Text and Videos © Jay Cossey, PhotographsFromNature.com (PFN).
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A dead-end? Or the last little turn on your trip HOME. All in your point of view, I'd say.
Explore March 1, 2007 #396
Question Mark butterfly - Along the Eagle Pass Trail near Willow Lake in River Pond State Park. They look a little different with their wings folded.
Today is march 13th. Today I turn 29. I'm happy but at the same time living a kind of crisis for being close to 30. Time flies!!!!
This question mark is a tattoo that I have on my shoulder. I did it in 1999, in a moment when my life was experiencing important changes.
It always remembers me that nobody know what's coming next, what will happend to me, so.... I'm free but a the same time I must be flexible to avoid breaking when things are not ok.
I'm grateful for the nice life I have, for being able to chose what I want to do and for having so good friends to share things.
[This year Esther deserves a special mention for being the first one to congratulate me. Thank you! -- Who will be the winner next year.... ?]
Have't been much railfanning lately. Did have operation #2 and a better scar view this time. My wife does better shots usually than I do.
I don't talk about the age...not since - well...ever.
Lied when I was young to be older - now I just lie.
That title doesn't mean I wonder what type of butterfly it is - it is actually called a Question Mark or the specific classification is:
Polygonia interrogationis
They are a Question Mark because of a small marking on the underside of there wings that actually looks like a question mark. They even have a cousin that looks pretty similar that is called a Comma - and you can guess why. I have several pictures of Question Marks - because they have a habit of spreading their wings - like the one in the picture - and sunning themselves. It makes for a easy photo opportunity.