Butterflies and Chrysalides

(photo courtesy of wikipedia.org)

My second oldest daughter found a treasure on Saturday, what looked like a funny piece of wood attached to our fence. I knew immediately that it was a butterfly chrysalis, though I did not know the species. After a bit of research, we discovered that it was a swallowtail's chrysalis, due to its distinct use of silk as a little harness.

I scrolled through the website (whatsthatbug.com), and I noticed that not one other species formed a chrysalis exactly like that of the swallowtail. (Pictured to the right is the swallowtail chrysalis, and below it is the chrysalis of the monarch butterfly. Beautiful, aren't they?) Some hung, some rested along a flat surface, and a few had a silk harness, but not one other chrysalis matched that of the swallowtail, which is what made it so easy to identify.

(photo courtesy of wikimedia.org)

Most people think of something very simple when they picture a butterfly. They are probably familiar with the life cycle of this insect, but do they know how even in their similarities, butterflies are amazingly different? I myself was astounded by the variety I found among this species, and as I studied the photos, I remembered Jesus's words in Matthew 6:26b, "Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Yes, we are. If butterflies are so individually unique, think of all the people in the world, each made by their loving Creator. He knows us, and cherishes us more than butterflies.

WOW!