Thankfully, it appears our childhood fascination with bugs doesn’t diminish with age.
On the afternoon of Sunday, June 28 and evening of Monday, June 29, a swarm of insect enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds gathered at the Head of Sequatchie Valley Farm to learn about the often overlooked world of butterflies and fireflies.
Bill Haley identifies a butterfly.
Leading the Sunday group of nearly 60 butterfly aficionados in an exploratory and informative field presentation was Bill Haley, the Chattanooga Aquarium Education Outreach Coordinator. Initial thunderstorms, while delaying the start of the expedition, did little to dampen the spirits of the intrepid group as they gathered by the office at the picturesque Head of Sequatchie Farm. After the rains abated, Haley led the group on an educational foray into the fields behind the office.
Roaming the field, Haley caught and identified the species and sex of various butterflies. In all, 17 different butterfly species were identified as well as numerous damsel and dragonflies. Occasionally presenting beautiful and delicate butterflies on the tips of his fingers, Haley also pointed out the larval host plants on which certain butterflies would lay their eggs. After tallying the species count, the afternoon was brought to a close by following Ranger Anthony Jones on a short hike to the beautiful and historic Devilstep Hollow Cave.
Steve Murphree discusses the cecropia moth
The butterfly presentation was succeeded the following night by a presentation on fireflies and other night critters by Dr. Steve Murphree, entomologist extraordinaire of Belmont University in Nashville. Luring visitors with live bait, Dr. Murphree provided a container with beautiful and colorful larvae of the cecropia moth, the largest in North America, as well as a tenacious scorpion who may or may not have eaten its partner.
In his presentation, Dr. Murphree began by providing an informative description of the fireflies that could be found locally, notably the “Big Dipper” firefly, or Photinus pyralis. In all, 40 species of fireflies exist in Tennessee, many of which are rare and some of which are cannibalistic. Murphree also briefly described the bioluminescence of fireflies, which involves the combination of oxygen and the chemical luciferin with the enzyme luciferase to efficiently produce light in the fireflies’ abdomens with very little wasted heat. Dr. Murphree also briefly discussed moths, scorpions, katydids, and other insects of the night before proceeding to the “hands-on” portion of the evening.
Grabbing a small flashlight and handing out glass insect jars, Dr. Murphree demonstrated the flashing pattern of the “Big Dipper” firefly and encouraged the audience to attempt calling the fireflies. As the sun sank and the valley grew dark, earth-bound stars began to appear as if on cue and people of all ages crouched in the grass, signaling to the fireflies.
Grant Fisher participates in the Fireflies presentation.
Another featured presenter for the evening was Grant Fisher, a Sevier County middle schooler who appears to be getting a jump on his graduate research with his four-year ongoing study of cecropia moths. Toward the end of the evening, Grant joined the other participants around a make-shift bug station which consisted of a UV light against a white sheet followed by a short hike during which various insects, such as scorpions and millipedes, were found to fluoresce under the ultraviolet light.
Nestled in the beauty of nature’s classroom, the butterfly and firefly presentations were both hugely successful and brought a number of people out to one of the most beautiful sections of the Cumberland Trail.