Consider the Birds of the Air . . . and also the Bugs Beneath

If we are instructed to consider the birds of the air and by so considering them, learn some of the most basic and important lessons of life, it would seem to be appropriate to re-direct this process of observation and learning from the skies overhead to the dirt beneath our feet. And, as birds inhabit the air above us, so too do insects thrive upon the grass and ground below.

Which insect would you think I see most often as I walk across campus and hike up into the hills surrounding Handong? Let's make this a multiple-choice question (that's what most of my students here are most happy to find on their examination papers). Would you say its a(n):

A) Ant
B) Beetle
C) Butterfly
D) Dragonfly
E) Praying Mantis
F) Some other insect

Okay ... I threw that last choice in for fun just to start you thinking about how many other kinds of insects you could name. So now that I've narrowed the choices to five, which one do you think is most common in these parts of Korea at this time of the year? As I recall my experiences in high school biology, I remember how I searched fields and hills alike for large variety of insects during September and October in Missouri so that I might fill a large display box.

The most prominent insect in my Missouri collection of autumn insects was the butterfly -- probably about six or seven different species, as well as a few moths for good measure. I always loved the butterflies, not only for their diverse designs of beauty, but also because of their formation through metamorphosis. They are a constant reminder that beauty arises out of the most unexpected of conditions and the most unlikely of characteristics.

So, with this past experience to guide me, wouldn't it seem most likely that the most common insects that I might find here would also be butterflies? You would think so; I thought so, but my experiences have proven different. I have seen a few butterflies and even more beetles, but the most common sights of all, nearly every day as I walk about, are the abundance of dragonflies! There are literally everywhere.

It may very well be that the autumn is one of the seasons when dragonflies mate. I don't know; I have some research to do on that. But, the question that presents itself to me is: what life lesson do the dragonflies teach? I'm pondering that one. Initially, I've observed that I rarely see just one dragonfly. I nearly always see two, three or more dragonflies in close proximity to one another. That would seem to remind us of the importance of community -- of life together with others.

I'll think some more on this subject and relate my thoughts in later posts.

And, by the way, which of the five do you think is the insect I've observed most often after the dragonflies?

Here's a hint -- its not butterflies.

More to follow . . .