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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tracking God News
Looking for the character and personality of God in His creation.
Issue # 2
Editor: Ron McCluskey mailto:editor@trackinggod.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to TRACKING GOD NEWS
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IN THIS ISSUE
God Cares for His Creatures
Short Tip
Butterfly Books
Short Tip
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FEATURE ARTICLE, God Cares for His Creatures ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some of the most brilliant butterflies in tropical America are the butterflies of the genus
Morpho. Many species are brilliant metallic blue. A few of the females are metallic red. These butterflies have a mirror like quality to the upper surface of their wings. They can
be seen from several miles away if they are flying over the tops of the trees in the jungle.
The sun reflects off of their brilliant wings.
So, how does God protect these beautiful creatures? Apparently they are good to eat, although I have never tried one. The birds like to eat them. But, if they are so easy to see,
how do they survive? God has designed that the brilliant reflective surface of the wings actually protect it!
If a bird sees the Morpho and starts to chase it, the butterfly will fly down into the dense
shadows under the jungle canopy. Here, where it is dark, the upper surface of the wings looks almost black and the bird will have trouble seeing the butterfly. If the bird is still
able to track the butterfly and gets close to it, the butterfly will find a shaft of sunlight
coming down through the trees. It will then fly through it, causing a FLASH of light to shine in the eyes of the bird. The butterfly can then get away.
Once the butterfly gets away, it will land on a tree. God designed the bottom of the wings
to have great camophlage. Because of this, the butterfly can land and safely hide.
Many years ago, I was trying to catch one of these butterflies. I saw one flying toward me.
I was sure that I was going to be able to capture it. However, just before it got to me, it
landed on the trunk of a tree. Even though it was only a few feet away from me when it landed, I could not see it again until if flew. I walked over to the trunk of the tree and
looked carefully at all the shrubbery around the tree, but I could not see it.
God is very good at taking care of the Morpho butterfly. Although very easy to see, it is
very hard for any predator to catch. God is very good at taking care of us too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHORT TIP
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When presenting this to a group, it helps to have a camera flash. When you tell about the butterfly flying through a flash of sunlight, have a specimen or picture of the butterfly
and trigger the flash at the butterfly. This will help the viewer understand how it would
be hard for the bird to follow it. You can find some camera flashes that can be manually triggered here: Camera World -
Wolf Camera -
Photo Alley -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Butterfly Books
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some books that have good pictures of butterflies: Butterflies of the World:
Amazing Butterflies and Moths: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHORT TIP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can find specimens of Morpho butterflies here: http://iannibutterfly.net/Morph.htm You can find information on how to mount butterflies here: http://iannibutterfly.net/spread.htm The best source in the United States for insect collecting supplies is here: http://bioquip.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tracking God News IS PUBLISHED BY: http://www.trackinggod.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
copyright 2002
Ron McCluskey
You may reproduce this newsletter in part or in whole providing that you include the website, contact information and resource links.
Ron McCluskey is an emergency room physician and amateur naturalist. Growing up, he studied insects and birds. While he continues to enjoy studying these natural subjects, his interest has grown to include the rest of creation as well.
He has spent over a year doing volunteer work in tropical countries. While there he enjoyed seeing how God's creation gives ample evidence of His intimate knowledge and care for His nature.
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