Only My Husband...

Kevin is a nature fanatic. He likes all animals but really prefers the creepy-crawly ones like snakes, lizards and bugs. He has a box in the garage of turtle shells that he has collected over the years. He is constantly bringing home live turtles that he saves off the highway. And then I have to convince Kaelyn that no, we really can't have a turtle as a pet.

The other day, he came into the house and yelled "Do we have any nail polish remover?" I answered, that it was under the bathroom sink, then thought to ask what he wanted it for. "Nothing," came his reply. Nothing? Kevin needs nail polish remover for nothing? This set off alarms in my head so I went to check. He had found a butterfly and put it in a jar with a cotton ball with the nail polish remover on it, in order to kill and preserve the butterfly. Great.

Later that same week, I had bought two bottles of rubbing alcohol to make carpet cleaner. I noticed that half a bottle was gone and asked Kevin about it. He once again, replied "nothing" when I asked what he had done with it. One look was all it took for him to come clean. He was using the alcohol to soak a bird's skull that he had found in the yard!

Last week he came home with a giant moth that he befriended at the gas station on his way home from work. This thing is BIG and scary looking, but also quite beautiful, if you like that sort of thing, which I guess Kevin does, but I do not! This moth (butterflys have antennae with knobs in the end, moths have feathery protusions) has been living in our playroom all week. The first night it was here, it took flight and landed on Kevin's hand, and either defacated or laid eggs on his finger. We weren't sure which. Kevin was so proud!

I finally identified the species of moth, it is a type of silkmoth native to the Rocky Mountain area. I don't know how she got to Missouri! Notice, I called it a "she", it was eggs she was laying on Kevin's finger. I have learned a great deal about the life cycle of this moth and I am afraid that I will be learning a lot more. During her short stay, she has laid close to eighty eggs in my window sill, which of course Kevin plans to nurture. They should hatch in 9-14 days. After laying all of these eggs, the adult moth will soon die, and the circle of life continues.

Did you know that an adult silkmoth does not eat, that it doesn't even have any type of mouth? Interesting. I am sure I will be updating on our moth saga but in the meantime, here are some pictures of the little lady.