OK, I'm back from wrapping trees at the Extension Service. I wrapped 1000 bald cypress trees to be given way.
Here's the deal. I wanted to see what butterflies are actually seen in Mississippi, so I looked it up. To me butterflies are just, well, orange ones, black ones, pretty ones..........you know, a real scientific identification process. Anyway, I found sixteen that are seen in the state. I even found out the Spicebush Swallowtail is the Mississippi State Butterfly. While looking this stuff up, I saw a picture of moth that looked interesting, so I clicked on the picture. It was a picture of the Black Witch Moth, Ascalapha odorata, and in the Caribbean and Central and South America superstitions, it is considered an omen of death and misfortune. In Mexico it is believed that if one flies into the house of someone who is ill, it means that death is close. In Jamaica it is thought to be a lost soul and brings bad luck. That's one, bad-a** moth! The article went on to say that the Black Witch Moth was featured in a gruesome manner in the novel "The Silence of the Lamb" but was replaced with the Death's Head Moth in the film version because the Death's Head looks scarier than the Black Witch. I find all this stuff just fascinating, Mellie. I just know I will now become a fan of butterflies and will have to identify those I see.
