Hiding in the tundra...

[Kenelm Philip]

	Mark Walker commented, re Rocky Mtn. tundra collecting:

> Arctic Lepidoptera seem to be well equipped for falling at a whim and
> disappearing into the darkest depths of the arctic meadow landscape.

	They do indeed. Many times I have had a specimen under my net, and
have been unable to find it. The underside color patterns are amazingly
good camouflage, and the butterflies crawl way down into the vegetation
and appear to vanish.

	That's not as bad as what the scree inhabitants do, however. They
pop down into the cracks between rocks--and will sometimes emerge several
feet away, leaving the impression that they can _fly_ through the scree.

	Oh well--at least in the tundra they can't thumb their noses at
you from the treetops...

							Ken Philip




 
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