I  saw my first butterfly of 2008 on Sunday, April 6, on the east side of Lake Couchiching.

The butterfly was a Mourning Cloak, wings mainly a velvety-brownish, purplish black with a pale yellow band on the outside wing edges. Between the light yellow band and the dark part of the wings are 13 deep blue dots spaced along each wing.

This was an early spring treat. Usually, they start winging around the areas I frequent in May.

It was just sublime to see Madame Mourning Cloak. After warming herself on the lawn, her dark beauty made a striking contrast in flight above the white ice near shore. She eventually roosted in a willow tree and then flitted around the yard.

For some reason, I did not have my camera with me. It would have been a lovely shot as she opened her wings in bright sun, not quite ready to fly. I apologize for missing that opportunity, but can offer a good link.

There is a Government of Canada website which lists the butterflies with the host plants upon which they lay their eggs.

The pictures of the butterflies are great. There are no pix of the host plants, just botanical and common names.

So, if you want to know which plants you need around to create butterfly nurseries, here’s your source: Government of Canada Index to Larval Food Plants, click the link provided. 

It will probably come as a surprise to learn how many trees are used by butterflies as egg incubators.

After the eggs hatch, the butterfly larva, aka caterpillars, feed on the leaves.

The larva of the Mourning Cloak is rather a plain-looking black caterpillar with spiky bits along its back, punctuated with red spots.

Too many times, I have witnessed little kids stomping the life out of caterpillars. Families, please educate youngsters that even the plainest or freakiest looking creatures have a place in our world.  

We need to adopt a bit of a Buddhist stance, and let the little ones know about the huge array of life, all of it special.

Little black caterpillars with spikes and spots transform into spectacularly beautiful Mourning Cloaks.

You might want to mention bats while you are at it. Many people have appallingly uninformed attitudes to bats.

 Driving into a mall parking lot one day, I witnessed several young boys beating a wall with large sticks. As I got closer, I saw that they were cudgeling a little cluster of baby bats clinging together on a wall for dear life, waiting for mother to return.

The boys were laughing, egging each other on.  I asked them to stop. Harming animals is against the law. How would they feel if they were the bats? I would call the police if they continued.

The boys left. I circled the block. They had returned to torture the bats again. When they saw me, they scattered.

Those bats could be doing insect patrol in a garden in due course, if they lived.