Ibhu Elihle

NGOBUNYE ubusuku obupholile ibhu langena endaweni yokudlela kanokusho. Njengoba libhakuza lidlula ngasetafuleni lentokazi ethile eyayidla lapho, yalixosha ngokuxhamazela njengokungathi yayihlaselwa umiyane othwala izifo! Leli bhu ladlulela kwelinye itafula, ekugcineni lahlala emphecweni webhantshi lomlisa othile. Le ndoda nomkayo basabela ngendlela ehluke ngokuphelele—balijabulela leli bhu, becabanga ngobuhle balo nendlela lesi silokazane esintekenteke esingenangozi ngayo.

“Azikho izilokazane ezingeyona ingozi njengamabhu,” kuchaza uJohn Himmelman, omunye wabasunguli be-Connecticut Butterfly Association. “Awakwazi ukuluma, kanti amanye asekhulile, njengebhu i-luna elaziwayo, awadli nhlobo. Awanawo amarabi nanoma yiziphi ezinye izifo, awantinyeli . . . Eqinisweni, abantu abaningi abaqapheli ukuthi izimvemvane zingamabhu andiza emini.”

Bonke abantu bayazithanda izimvemvane, kodwa bambalwa kakhulu abathanda ubuhle bamabhu nokuhlukahluka kwawo. Ungase ubuze ngokungabaza, ‘Ubuhle?’ Abanye bacabanga ukuthi ibhu limane liyisihlobo esingakhangi sovemvane oluhle, kodwa kokubili kunegama elilodwa elingokwesayensi—ama-Lepidoptera, okusho “amaphiko anezimpephelezi.” Izinhlobonhlobo ezaziwayo zalezi zilokazane ezincane ziyamangalisa. I-Encyclopedia of Insects iveza ukuthi kunezinhlobo ezingu-150 000 kuya ku-200 000 zama-Lepidoptera ezaziwayo. Kodwa kuzo, zingamaphesenti ayishumi kuphela eziyizimvemvane—zonke ezinye zingamabhu!

Njengabanye abantu abaningi, kwakwethukela ngicabange ngamabhu ngaphandle kwalapho ngiqoqa amajazi ami asebusika bese ngifaka uzamlandela oxosha inundu. Ngangingazi ukuthi lapho esekhulile, amabhu awazidli neze izingubo—lokhu akwenza lapho eseyizibungu kuphela.a

Kodwa yini eyashintsha umbono wami ngamabhu? Esikhathini esithile esidlule mina nomyeni wami savakashela abangane bethu uBob noRonda. UBob wayewazi kahle amabhu. Wangibonisa ibhokisi elincane elaliqukethe lokho ekuqaleni engangicabanga ukuthi uvemvane oluhle. Wachaza ukuthi kwakuyibhu i-cecropia, noma i-robin, elinye lamabhu amakhulu kunawo wonke eNyakatho Melika. Lingaba namaphiko angamasentimitha angu-15 kusuka kuleli chopho kuya kwelinye futhi liphila cishe umjikelezo wonyaka owodwa. Ngamangala kakhulu ukuzwa ukuthi liphila izinsuku ezingu-7 kuya kwezingu-14 kuphela lapho selikhulile! Ukuhlolisisa i-cecropia ethandekayo kwangivula amehlo ngamabhu.

UBob wangibonisa izilongotshane ebhokisini lakhe. “Lezi zilongotshane amaqanda,” kuchaza uBob, “futhi ngifuna ukuwafuya aze akhule abe amabhu.” Ukufuya ibhu? Lo mqondo wawuvusa ilukuluku. Nokho, kwacaca ukuthi ukufeza leli cebo akulula neze. Kwaphela amasonto amabili uBob ezama ukuchamuselisa amaqanda, kwanhlanga zimuka nomoya. Wabe esecabanga ukuwafudumeza ngesitimu samanzi. Ngemva kwesonto enze kanjalo, amaqanda angu-26 kwangu-29 achamusela ngosuku olulodwa. UBob wabe esefaka lezi ziphungumangathi ezincane, ngasinye singangomiyane, esitsheni esiwumgodi esibushelelezi ukuze zingaphumi.

Ukudla kokuqala lezi ziphungumangathi ezakudla kwakungamagobolondo azo. Ngemva kwalokho, kwadingeka uBob azondle, okwakuyinselele ngempela. Ngemva kokucwaninga, wazama ukuzipha amahlamvu e-maple. Lezi ziphungumangathi zasondela kula mahlamvu kodwa zangawadla. Kodwa lapho uBob ezipha amahlamvu amathunduluka nawe-birch, zasina zazibethela.

Lapho lezi ziphungumangathi seziyizibungu, uBob wazifaka ebhokisini elinesivalo senetha. Leli bhokisi lalinomswakama ofanele lezi zibungu namahlamvu. Futhi lalizigcina kahle izibungu, ngoba zase zilunywa unyawo lapho nje sezikwazi ukuhamba.

Ukondla izibungu ezingu-26 ezilambile kwaba umsebenzi omkhulu kunokwakulindelekile. Isikhathi ngasinye lapho uBob efaka amahlamvu ebhokisini, lezi zibungu zaziwashaya ziwabhuqe wonke zingakapheli izinsuku ezimbili. Wacela usizo kudadewabo nabangane bakhe ababili, umfana nentombazane, ukuba bahlanganyele ekunakekeleni nasekondleni lezi zibungu ezikhulayo.

Ukuba yizidlakudla kwalezi zibungu kubalulekile, hhayi nje ukuze zikhule lapho ziseyizibungu kodwa ukuze zithole ukondleka lapho sezikhulile. Phela, ibhu i-cecropia eselikhulile alinawo amazinyo, futhi alidli nhlobo! Ukuze londleke phakathi nesikhathi salo sobudala esifushane, lithembela ngokuphelele ekudleni elalikudle lapho liseyisibungu.

Ukwebuza

Njengoba lezi zibungu zazikhula, zebuza kaningana. Izigaba zokuphila kwesibungu phakathi nokwebuza kuthiwa ama-instar.

Isikhumba sesibungu se-cecropia asikhuli, ngakho lapho lesi sibungu sesikhule kakhulu nesikhumba sesingasanwebeki, kusuke sekuyisikhathi sokwebuza. UBob wayebona uma lokhu sekuzokwenzeka ngoba lezi zibungu zaziyeka ukudla. Ngemva kokuphotha ingubo kasilika futhi zinamathele kuyo, lezi zibungu zazithula dú izinsuku ezimbalwa kuyilapho kukhula isikhumba esisha. Lapho isikhumba esisha sesilungile, izibungu zazimane ziphume esikhunjeni esidala, sona sisale sinamathele engutsheni kasilika. Lapho ngibona lezi zibungu esigabeni sokugcina sokukhula, ngamangala ukuthi zase zikhule kangaka. Zazingaba amasentimitha angu-12 ubude futhi zinkulu kunonkomba wami.

Ukwenza Umfece

Ngemva kwesigaba sokugcina sokukhula, isibungu ngasinye sasenza umfece (cocoon)—igobolondo elikhulu lemicu empunga elinamathela othini. I-cecropia yenza izinhlobo ezimbili zomfece. Omunye uyisikhwama esikhulu esithambile, esiyindilinga bese siyacija phezulu. Olunye uhlobo luncane futhi luthe ukuqina, kanti lume njengeqanda njengoba luluncane nhlangothi zombili. Yomibili le mifece inelinye igobolondo eliqinile ngaphakathi. Imifece ye-cecropia ngokuvamile iba nsundu ngokubomvu, noma ibe nsundu, ibe luhlaza noma ibe mpunga. Uma iqhathaniswa nemifece yezinye izinhlobo zamabhu aseNyakatho Melika, imifece yebhu i-cecropia mikhulu—ingamasentimitha ayishumi ubude namasentimitha angaphezu kwamahlanu ububanzi. Le mifece emangalisayo iyakwazi ukuvikela okungaphakathi ezingeni lokubanda elingaba ngu-34 ° Celsius ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa.

Ngemva kokuba lezi zibungu sezizivalele emifeceni yazo, akukho esasingakwenza ngaphandle kokulinda ngesineke. Zaze zaphuma entwasahlobo yonyaka olandelayo, cishe ngemva konyaka uBob athola ibhu lokuqala eselikhulile. UBob wafaka izinti ezinemifece ocezwini lwe-plastic foam ukuze zihlale ziqondile. Ngokushesha, wonke ama-cecropia ngaphandle kweyodwa aphuma emifeceni yawo, akwenza kwafaneleka ukulinda ngesineke nokuzikhandla.

Ukwazisa Amabhu Ngokuthé Xaxa

Ukuzibonela mathupha umjikelezo wokuphila omangalisayo we-cecropia kuye kwangenza ngawanakisisa amabhu andiza phambi kwezibani futhi ahlale ezakhiweni. Engakubona kwangishukumisela nokuba ngithole okwengeziwe ngalezi zilokazane ezithakazelisayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ngafunda ukuthi amabhu nezimvemvane kunekhono elihle kakhulu lokundiza, njengoba ezinye izinhlobo zifuduka amabanga amade kakhulu. Ibhu elincane i-diamondback linamaphiko angamasentimitha angu-2,5 kuphela ubude ukusuka echosheni kuya kwelinye, kodwa livame ukundiza lisuke eYurophu liye eBrithani linqamula uLwandle LwaseNyakatho oluyaluzayo. Kanti i-sphinx, noma i-hawkmoth, ibhakuza imi ndawonye phezu kwembali njengoba kwenza i-hummingbird.

Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile ngibone umjikelezo wokuphila kwe-cecropia, ngabona enye ihlezi esihlahleni ngaphansi kwesibani. Ngangazi ukuthi ngenxa yokuthi amaphiko ebhu antekenteke kakhulu, akufanele ulokothe ulibambe ngawo. Nokho, uma ubeka isandla sakho esivulekile phambi kwebhu, lingase ligibele emunweni wakho. Lapho ngikuzama lokhu, lesi silokazane esithandekayo sangithokozisa ngokugibela emunweni wami ophakathi. Ekugcineni, sandizela phezulu ezihlahleni. Njengoba sihamba, ngacabanga ukuthi sifana kangakanani novemvane. Ngokuzayo lapho ucabanga ukuthi ubona uvemvane, bhekisisa. Ungase uthole ukuthi ibhu elihle, elingenangozi.—Inikelwe.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

1. Ibhu i-“robin” (i-“cecropia”)

2. Ibhu i-“polyphemus”

3. Ibhu i-“sunset”

4. Ibhu i-“atlas”

[Imithombo]

Natural Selection© - Bill Welch

A. Kerstitch

[Izithombe ekhasini 18]

Izigaba zokukhula kwebhu i-“cecropia” zihlanganisa:

1. Amaqanda

2. Isiphungumangathi

3. Ibhu elikhulile

[Umthombo]

Natural Selection© - Bill Welch