Las Mariposas part II

Las mariposas part II
May 13, 2012
By: Gina Yoryet Roman


Black is a very strong color which can symbolize sadness and despair as that is the color used through bereavement. When one mourns the loss of a loved one, we automatically associate those moments as dark and hopeless, life is nothing but colorless and empty.

Black doesn’t always have a negative aspect as some people wear it to hide their corporal flaws because it makes them look thinner or because it matches almost every color.

Although there are some black garments in my closet, I have a preference of bright and vivid colors, especially when I am down in the dumps because it lifts my spirit. Cats are among my least favorite animals but black cats in particular give me the creeps and the grayish dead looking color of moths make me feel anxious, it may be because many years ago people were very superstitious and they believed that when a moth flies right into your home, it is attracting death, death is hovering around.
Black ribbons hung on the entry way of houses when someone dies.
is another dark item that scares me.

Death is tragic enough to add even more pain so why not try to make it a little less difficult to alleviate the pain sooner?

I’ve always liked to bring my surroundings to life with my collection of butterflies; clothes, shoes, pictures, real butterflies, jewelry, decorations, stickers on my car, keychains, etc. In each culture butterflies have a different meaning but why do I love butterflies? Because they represent who I am..

 In Chinese Mandarin the word for butterfly is "hu-tieh". "Tieh," meaning "70 years,” therefore butterflies have become a symbol for a long life.

In ancient Greek the word for butterfly is "Psyche", which means, "soul".

for some, the butterfly symbolizes alpha, the beginning of a new life and in some cultures the butterfly is also considered to bring good luck.

To me these lively colorful insects that I am infatuated with, represent fighting, conquering, thriving, winning, surviving, prospering, rising, happiness, life, courage, transparency, purity, hope, energy, good vibes, beauty, but most of all, they represent the freedom I’ve fought for since I was a little girl. The fight against my overwhelmingly strict father, a life and death battle for my beliefs as an individual, finding a balance between my two worlds and the fight to find my sense and my ideals to define the person I was meant to become.

That is why I rather stick with “Las Mariposas,” because moths could be deceitful and they may bring tragedy like my grandmother used to say. .
Even though butterflies and moths belong in the insect order Lepidoptera and they can be similar, there are some remarkable differences. Butterflies are gorgeous and moths are so gray, dark and dull, a perfect example is reflected in their wings.

These are some of t heir most remarkable differences:

Antennae
• Moths: Have simple thread-like or 'feathery' antenna without a club
• Butterflies and Skippers: Have a thickened club or hook on the tip of the antenna, never 'feathery'
• Exceptions: Several families of moths have antenna with clubs, most notably the Castniidae (Sun Moths)
Colour
• Moths: Duller colours
• Butterflies and Skippers: Brighter colours
• Exceptions: Many moths are brilliantly coloured, especially day-flying ones such as the northern Queensland Day Moth Alcides metaurus (Uraniidae), or the Jacob's Coat Moth Agarista agricola (Noctuidae). Many butterflies and skippers are dark brown with few markings.
Wings
• Moths: Wings are linked together with a bristle-like structure called a frenulum
• Butterflies and Skippers: Wings are not linked – no frenulum
• Exceptions: Australia has the only skipper in the world with a frenulum, the Regent Skipper Euschemon rafflesia (Hesperiidae). Also, many moths do not have a frenulum.
Resting posture
• Moths: Hold wings flat when resting
• Butterflies and Skippers: Hold wings together above body when resting
• Exceptions: Many moths, including geometrid moths hold their wings up in a butterfly-like fashion when resting. Butterflies in the lycaenid subfamily Riodininae, and skippers in the subfamily Pyrginae hold their wings flat when resting.
Forelegs
• Moths: Forelegs fully developed
• Butterflies and Skippers: Forelegs reduced, missing terminal (end) segments
• Exceptions: Only some butterflies have reduced forelegs. Most skippers have normal forelegs.
Pupae
• Moths: Pupae spin a cocoon
• Butterflies and Skippers: Pupae (chrysalids) not in cocoon
• Exceptions: Many moths do not spin a cocoon, many butterflies and skippers form a silken shelter, often with plant leaves.
Activity
• Moths: Fly at night
• Butterflies and Skippers: Fly during the day
• Exceptions: A few butterflies and skippers are active at dusk, many moth species are day-flying.

“Who are you if you don’t stand up for what you believe”
I believe in the beauty, transparency and strength of the butterflies because they give me a sense of hope and freedom.