Eye to Eye
Hello, neighbor. Most butterfly photos show wings from above or from the side. This Theona checkerspot is looking right back at you, big eyes and orange-tipped antennae and all. Open, its wings are a checkerboard of orange and cream. Closed, the underside shows bands of orange and cream spots outlined in black, so it looks like a completely different butterfly depending on which side you catch.
This little native flies all year round here in the tropics, and ranges from Colombia all the way up to the southwestern United States. The males patrol their patch and stop to perch while they search for a mate, and those short pauses are often the only chance to get this close.
This moment of noticing was an intentional one. On a morning walk with my dog, I noticed this large area of “weeds” (plants people cut down constantly without thinking about the life inside). The area was swarming with butterfly life of all sizes and colours. After exchanging Gaia for my camera back at home, I went and sat amongst the grass, and let the butterflies come to me. I could tell the many people passing by were wondering what I was doing. If only they would stop to watch the butterflies, too, they might want to keep these “weeds” around.
What we protect begins with what we notice. My noticing leads to The Wild Land Project.
About This Image
Common name: Theona checkerspot
Scientific name: Chlosyne theona
Location: Northern Belize
Collection: Things with Wings
