Nature Nugget: The Mangrove Rivulus

The Mangrove Rivulus is a small killifish (a family of numerous small, oviparous fishes much used as bait and in mosquito control) found in the tropical and subtropical portions of the western Atlantic/Caribbean Basin from central Florida south through the West Indies and Caribbean to Brazil. It is strictly a coastal species occurring in salt and brackish habitats and rarely in freshwater. Its range closely parallels that of red mangrove forests, which is its preferred habitat, where it occupies marginal and ephemeral (temporarily flooded) bodies of water such as stagnant, seasonal ponds, sloughs, and mosquito ditches. It also occurs in similar habitats away from the mangroves in elevated marsh habitats above the intertidal zone, especially in microhabitats such as the burrows of the great land crab. The crab burrows provide refuge for the Mangrove Rivulus during the dry season when seasonal pools of water dry up. Up to twenty-six small individuals have been found in a single crab burrow, but one or two per burrow is the usual number found.

Tolerating the extremes of temperature and salinity found in these habitats, the Mangrove Rivulus is one of the few fishes that can survive here. It can tolerate salinities from 0–68 parts per thousand and temperatures ranging from 7–38 degrees Celsius. It also can tolerate low oxygen levels and high sulfide levels that are produced in these habitats from decaying leaf litter, which would kill most fish species. The Mangrove Rivulus is also amphibious and frequently travels across land during rains to reach pools of water or crab burrows. It will also leave drying up bodies of water and waters that are too low in oxygen or too high in sulfides and bury itself in moist debris. It is capable of surviving out of water in this moist situation for up to 60 days. It is able to do this because of special epidermal capillaries that allow it to absorb oxygen and expel carbon dioxide through its skin.

Reproduction in the Mangrove Rivulus is very unusual. It is the only known vertebrate “hermaphrodite” that is self-fertilizing. Hermaphrodite means that it has both male and female reproductive parts. Both eggs and sperm are produced in reproductive organs called “ovotestes.” Each hermaphroditic individual fertilizes its eggs before laying them. The young are “clones,” meaning that they are genetically identical to the parent. This hermaphroditic mode of reproduction may be an adaptation to isolation in the crab burrows and other microhabitats these fish invade. Not all Mangrove Rivuli are hermaphrodites. There are two types of males that occur: primary males and secondary males. Primary males are hatched from fertilized eggs, but secondary males were once hermaphrodites that underwent a change and became males due to certain environmental conditions. True females have not been found in the wild but occur in captive-raised populations. Hermaphroditic individuals are identified by the presence of an eyespot at the upper base of the caudal fin and by a white band in the outer part of the anal fin. There is recent evidence that shows that the young adult fish are able to reproduce by normal sexual reproduction at first, but as they age, they become hermaphroditic. Eggs, at laying, vary in development from recently fertilized to ones containing already developing embryos. Mangrove Rivuli eggs are capable of surviving droughts in damp substrates or debris in a state of “embryonic diapause” where the embryo is in suspended animation. Eggs in this state are viable for several months and hatch soon after inundation by water.

God has implanted in the genes of His creatures enough genetic variability to allow for adaptation for survival under the most extreme circumstances. “It was the Maker of all things who ordained the wonderful adaptation of means to end, of supply to need. . . .

“He who studies most deeply into the mysteries of nature will realize most fully his own ignorance and weakness.” Education, 133.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Branchiopod Time Capsule

fairy shrimpFound around the world, except in Antarctica, Branchiopods are a group of crustaceans that live in temporary pools and saline lakes. Branchiopod means “gill foot,” because they obtain oxygen from the water through their feet. There are numerous varieties of Branchiopods. Most are microscopic in size. Only three orders of them are considered large enough to see easily with the naked eye. These large Branchiopod orders are the fairy shrimps, clam shrimps, and tadpole shrimps.

The fairy shrimps, which also include the brine shrimps, unlike other large Branchiopods, have stalked compound eyes and lack having a shield covering the body. Reaching a size of .5 to 1.5 inches, fairy shrimps swim on their backs with their legs up toward the light. They feed on algae, bacteria, microorganisms, and detritus, which they filter from the water with their legs while swimming. Adult females carry their mature eggs, before laying them, in an ovisac where they can be supplied with oxygen.

The clam shrimps are less than half an inch long and have internal compound eyes and a large bivalve shield, resembling a clam’s shell, which covers the entire body. They spend most of their time on the bottom of rain pools filter feeding, sometimes dug into the mud like mussels. They can also swim with the use of their legs and second antennae. Clam shrimps develop very quickly, reaching maturity within a few days of hatching. Thus they are excellently adapted to the extreme conditions of temporary bodies of water.

Tadpole shrimps resemble miniature horseshoe crabs, having a flattened shield that covers most of the body and the internal compound eyes. They are also called Triops, because they have three eyes. Varying from 1 to 3 inches at maturity, Triops are hermaphrodites, meaning that they are self-fertile and do not require another Triop for reproduction. Triops inhabit temporary, freshwater pools, often in deserts, where they live on the bottom of the pools and dig in the mud looking for plankton, worms, insect larvae, and tadpoles on which they feed. Since these pools are short-lived, the Triops consequently have short life spans with a maximum of up to 90 days. They are capable of completing their life cycles in 20 to 40 days.

The most amazing thing about Branchiopods is how their eggs are perfectly adapted to the temporary bodies of water in which they live. Some eggs hatch right away after being laid, but some require the pool going completely dry, then reflooding again, before they will hatch. Called “resting eggs,” these eggs contain embryos that are in diapause (suspended animation) and are capable of surviving in completely dried up pools. When the female senses the pool is drying up, she sends a chemical message to the eggs before she lays them. This message stops the development of the eggs when they are either 13 or 27 days old. This same message lets the eggs know that when they are exposed to water again it will be time to hatch. Thus the embryo manages to survive without any metabolism, remaining viable for decades. The eggs are often carried by wind to other pools and are resistant to extremes in temperature.

It is so amazing how God has given His creation the ability to survive, even under extreme circumstances, as we have seen with the Branchiopods! “Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. . . . It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures.” Steps to Christ, 9.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature – Diana Fritillary

Fritillaries are a group of large and ornate butterflies found in temperate regions throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. They are members of the brush-footed butterfly family, which are so named because their front legs resemble a pair of brushes. These brush-like front legs are used for chemical sensing rather than walking. Most fritillaries are orangish with silver markings on the undersides of their wings. Fritillaries get their name from the Latin word fritillus (dice box) because of their spotted markings. The larvae of many fritillaries are nocturnal and feed on violet leaves.

One of the larger and more strikingly beautiful butterflies in North America is the Diana Fritillary. With wingspans up to 4 inches, the Diana Fritillary is a uniquely dimorphic species, meaning that the sexes are differently colored. Above, the males are brownish-black on the inner part of the wings and orange on the outer margins. The underside of the wings is a beautiful burnt orange. Females, in contrast to the males, are dark blue-black with lighter blue spots and patches near the edge of the wings. This female color pattern is thought to mimic the Pipevine Swallowtail, a toxic butterfly that occurs throughout the range of the Diana Fritillary. Diana Fritillaries are found mainly in the uplands of the middle and southern Appalachian region, and in the Ozark and Ouachita mountain regions.

Diana Fritillaries prefer moist forested areas where they are frequently seen feeding on flowers in openings and along roadsides. They are relatively long-lived for a butterfly, with adults living four to five months. Adults require high-quality nectar plants such as common mint, buttonbush, milkweed, coneflower, and compass plant. Diana Fritillaries reproduce once a year, laying their eggs in the fall on the ground in woodlands near violet plants. The young larvae or caterpillars spend the winter in a resting stage, called diapause, and resume growth and development in the spring. The mature caterpillar is black or dark brown with black or orange spines. The caterpillars complete development by late spring, pupate in leaf litter, undergo metamorphosis, and emerge as adults in June. Males are typically the first to emerge, with females following one-and-a-half to two weeks later.

The Diana Fritillary was named after the Roman god Diana, who was also known as “Diana of the Ephesians.” The first commandment (Exodus 20:3) says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” This includes not only graven images but can also be material possessions, television, internet, or anything that interferes with your relationship with God. “The day of God will reveal that they are, in reality, only wood, hay, and stubble. The great temple of Diana was ruined; her magnificence utterly perished; those who shouted, ‘Great is Diana of the Ephesians!’ perished with their goddess and the temple which enshrined her. Their religion is forgotten, or seems like an idle tale. That temple was built upon a false foundation, and when tried, it was found to be worthless. But the stones that Paul quarried out from Ephesus were found to be precious and enduring.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 155, 156. “The present age is one of idolatry as verily as was that in which Elijah lived. No outward shrines may be visible, there may be no image for the eye to rest upon, yet thousands are following after the gods of this world,—after riches, fame, pleasure, and the pleasing fables that permit man to follow the inclinations of the unregenerate heart.” The Review and Herald, November 6, 1913.

“The time has come when we as a people should search ourselves to see what idols we are cherishing.” Ibid., March 7, 1899.

David Arbour writes from his home in De Queen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget — Attractive but Poisonous Creatures

Throughout the animal kingdom, many creatures have bright colors as a warning to would-be predators that they are poisonous. For example, the Coral Snakes of the southern parts of North America have rings of bright red, yellow, and black. They are relatives of the Cobras and, like them, are capable of injecting a powerful neuro-toxin into their victims through short, fixed fangs near the front of their mouths. This neurotoxin they inject attacks the nervous system causing paralysis and respiratory failure.

The Monarch Butterfly is another creature that uses bright colors to warn that it is poisonous. When it was a caterpillar, it fed on the leaves of the poisonous Milkweed plant and stored up toxins from this plant in its body tissues. It has bright orange and black wings to warn birds and other predators that it is poisonous and not to be eaten.

In Central and South America, the Poison-dart Frogs are colored in various bright colors such as reds, yellows, and blues to warn that they have poisonous skin secretions that can cause death in just a few minutes if eaten. Some species are so deadly that just touching them can result in death. Some Indian tribes in South America use these skin secretions to tip their darts and arrows, to make them more lethal.

 

Poisonous Sins

 

Even though these creatures are attractive to look at, they are none-the-less poisonous and deadly. Sin is the same way. It is very attractive but the end results are deadly. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 16:25.

“God has made ample provision for His people; and if they rely upon His strength, they will never become the sport of circumstances. The strongest temptation cannot excuse sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in the power of earth or hell to compel any one to do evil. Satan attacks us at our weak points, but we need not be overcome. However severe or unexpected the assault, God has provided help for us, and in His strength we may conquer” Patriarchs and Prophets, 421.

 

Nature – The Electric Eel

All living things produce electricity. In most animals and plants, the pulses of electric current are so tiny that special instruments are needed to detect them. But some fishes are able to produce enormous amounts of electricity—enough to stun or even kill.

The most powerful of these electric fishes is the electric eel. It can discharge up to 650 volts—enough to kill a person on contact. (The electric current used in houses in U.S. is usually 120 volts.)

Electric eels live in the shallow, muddy waters of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers of South America. They are not related to other kinds of eels and resemble them only in their snakelike shape. The electric eel has no dorsal or tail fins, as other fish do. It swims with the aid of a long anal fin, which runs nearly the whole length of the underside of its body. It can swim backward, forward, up and down, with equal ease. These eels are air-breathers and must come up to the water’s surface frequently, approximately every 10 minutes or so.

The electric eel is like a living storage battery. All of its normal body organs are crowded into the front fifth of its body. The remaining four-fifths is packed with more than 5,000 tiny electric generators.

The electric eel uses its electricity in several ways. When it swims, a small “battery” in its tail sends out weak electric pulses at a rate of 20 to 50 a second. They bounce off objects and come back to special pits in the eel’s head. It uses electric “echoes” in much the same way that bats and whale sharks use sound to navigate. Scientists believe the eel may use these pulses to communicate with other eels.

It is fortunate that the electric eel has this ability to navigate by electricity. As it grows older, its eyes are damaged by its own electricity, and it becomes blind. Actually, eyesight is not too useful in the dark and muddy waters in which it lives.

If an enemy threatens the electric eel, or a frog or some other possible prey is in the water nearby, the eel acts promptly. It turns on the powerful “main battery” that fills most of its body. Discharges lasting about 0.002/second are sent out in quick succession. The eel can continue discharging at a rate of up to 150 pulses/second without showing any signs of tiring. Fishes and frogs are killed by the eel’s strong electric shocks. A larger animal—even a horse that has come down to the water to drink—may be stunned and drown. But except for the gradual damage to its eyes, the eel does not seem to be affected by the electricity, with vital organs located in the front of their bodies and the rest covered by fatty tissue which acts as an insulator.

Young eels produce very little electricity. The larger they grow, the more powerful their electrical shocks become.

Excerpts from Nature’s Champions, Alvin and Virginia Silverstein, © 1980, 16, 17.

Pray that the mighty energies of the Holy Spirit, with all their quickening, recuperative, and transforming power, may fall like an electric shock on the palsy-stricken soul, causing every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring the whole man from his dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual soundness.

God’s Amazing Grace, 312

Nature Nugget — Three Stages of Newt Development

The Red-spotted Newt is found in the eastern part of North America. Adult Newts are aquatic and are found in ponds, small lakes, marshes and ditches in wooded areas. They are olive-green with red spots above and yellow with small black spots below. They have skin-gland secretions that are distasteful and toxic to most predators.

The life cycle of the Red-spotted Newt is more complex than that of most salamander species. Newts lay their eggs in the body of water in which they live. The gilled larvae, averaging slightly over a quarter of an inch at hatching, remain in the water until mid-summer when they metamorphose into a land-dwelling form called an eft. Efts are red or orange and rough-skinned. They take shelter under logs, rocks or piles of dead leaves in wooded areas near water inhabited by adults. Efts are most active during and after rain showers —even in broad daylight. Their bright coloration is a warning that they are not edible. After spending one to three years on land the efts return to water and transform into adults.

Like the Newt, the growing Christian goes through three stages of spiritual development: justification, sanctification and glorification. First we are led by the Holy spirit to seek Christ and repentance, which results in us being justified by faith, which is granted by the merits of Jesus Christ.

“The grace of Christ is freely to justify the sinner without merit or claim on his part. Justification is a full, complete pardon of sin. The moment the sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is pardoned. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, and he is no more to doubt God’s forgiving grace.” The Faith I Live By, 107.

By daily dying to self and conforming to the will of God the growing Christian becomes sanctified, which means purified.

“Through obedience comes sanctification of body, soul, and spirit. This sanctification is a progressive work, and an advance from one stage of perfection to another.” My Life Today, 250.

And finally, if we die in Christ or are part of the living righteous at Christ’s second coming, we will be glorified; which has to do with the brightness or radiance that will surround our transformed immortal bodies from being in the presence of God. “In that great day, those whose characters the judge of all the earth can vindicate will stand before the world glorified and honored. On this earth they manifested forth the light and glory of God, and He now rewards them according to their works.” Upward Look, 272.

“Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” Romans 8:30.

Nature Nugget — Luminescent Creatures

Bioluminescence is the ability of certain living things to give off light and is the result of chemical processes that go on in their tissues. Most luminescent animals are found in the oceans, especially in the deeper depths where no sunlight can reach. Numerous creatures such as fish, shrimp, jellyfish, squid and plankton have luminescent parts of their bodies which they use in various ways, such as to lure prey, attract mates, communicate and to defend themselves.

Luminescent lights, near the eyes of one deep sea fish, shine forward like a flashlight, allowing the fish to see where it is going and helping it find its prey. Another species has a luminescent lure which it uses to attract smaller fish, thus bringing them close enough to capture. Some fish have the ability to turn their lights on and off. You may be familiar with how a squid defends itself from predators by squirting out a black inky cloud to confuse the predator and cover its trail so it can escape. Well, there is a deep sea species of squid that does the same thing except it squirts out a luminescent cloud in defense.

Terrestrial examples of bioluminescence are fireflies, glowworms and certain fungi that grow on dead wood. Fireflies, also called lightning bugs, use their flashing lights to attract mates. In the tropics, fireflies are often placed in jars and used as lanterns. In Cuba, women sometimes attach luminescent click beetles to their clothing as ornaments.

We as Christians need to be more luminescent. Jesus says, “Ye are the light of the world . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14, 16.

“The word was spoken to me, ‘Speak to the people all the words that I shall give thee. Wake up the mighty men. Let them become fully aroused, that they may with pen and voice stir up the people to whom God has given great light, that they may let their light shine forth in clear, steady rays to the world. A world is to be warned; and when the third angel’s message goes forth with a loud cry, minds will be fully prepared to make decisions for or against the truth.” 1888 Materials, 510.

What a solemn responsibility we have in regard to the light we have been entrusted with. Let us share this light with others, for the Lord will not come until this light is shared with the whole world.

A Parable from the Leaves

It is not difficult to discover that in autumn the leaves fall. This is such a common thing, so plain and manifest, that even a child observes it. Neither is it difficult to go a step further, and moralize upon their fall; for the Scripture has set us an example, and in moralizing we have but to repeat the words, “We all do fade as a leaf” (Isaiah 64:6).

It is well for us to remember our frailties. To know our limitations is one secret of power, one of the foundation-stones of success. We are weak; without Him we can do nothing: “We all do fade as a leaf.”

“The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever” (Isaiah 40:6–8).

The voice of God cries out to every person gifted with the power of speech: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear; and he that hath voice to cry, let him cry. “Cry,” says the voice of God to us; and when, in wonder and questioning, we ask, “What shall I cry?” there comes this answer to our questioning: “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.”

And so, if we cry at all as the Word bids us cry, we must declare the weakness and frailty of man. But this is not all the commission. We must not stop here; having said so much, we have only begun. So far there is no whisper of hope, no thought for courage. Obeying the Word that bids us cry, and having given so much of the message, we must proclaim the rest. “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but [oh, the glory of its truth!] the word of our God shall stand forever.”

This is the whole message; it is twofold—the weakness and frailty and failure of things earthly, and the power and permanency and steadfastness of the things of God.

It is a suggestion of this twofold message that is given us in the life and death of the leaves. The leaves fade and fall away; and drawing the parallel, we say that we, too, must cease our labors and pass from our places. But this is but one side of the message; there is another, for the message is twofold.

The leaves fade and fall away, it is true, but they leave behind them mighty monuments of their labors. Not one leaf lives through the summer days, but, when it fades, leaves behind that which may stand for years, perhaps ages.

The leaves fade, but there abideth that which, through the leaves, God has built. While the leaves lived, they worked to build up the tree, which remains when the leaves are gone. Gray trunks and naked limbs are the mute testimony of the gigantic task wrought by the leaves.

The work of the leaf is not in vain; something is left behind that shall laugh at the fierceness of the storm, that shall brave the cold of winter, and that shall continue the growth of the tree until its circuit is accomplished.

While we remember that the leaves of autumn fade, let us not forget that the leaves of summer work. And it is the work that is of importance. By their labor they rear the beautiful maples, the stately elms, the giant oaks. By their fading they show us how weak was the instrument through which the Creator worked.

So it may be with us.

We, too, like the leaves, do fade. All the people are but grass; all flesh is like the fading, dying verdure of autumn, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. One withers, the other fades; both are alike lost.

But our failure is not the only thing for us to consider. The great question with each of us should be: Have I, in life’s summer days, done with faithfulness the work that God gave me to do? It is the work that is of importance.

Our failure—our dying and passing from the work of life—shows how weak are the instruments that God uses for the accomplishing of His purposes. But what we leave behind, the memories of an unselfish life, the souls helped by us out into a better life—these remain to show what God can do through humble instruments.

What the leaves leave behind must in turn perish and pass away, but not so that which human lives may leave behind. It is our privilege to leave behind us an immortal heritage.

What sort of monument are you building? What kind of memorial are you erecting? If you live as you may, there shall something abide; for “the word of our God shall stand forever,” God will still carry on the work in which for a time He has given us a place. Without us, after our fall, as without the leaves after their fall, His work goes on. Of those who do His work it is said, when the fading time comes, “They rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Revelation 14:13).

Faithfully let us work the works of Him that sent us, “while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

The Youth’s Instructor, December 13, 1900.

Nature – Hognose Defense Strategy

Hognose snakes are stout-bodied, sluggish, rear-fanged snakes. Their venom is mild and not dangerous to humans and their most distinguishing feature is their upturned snout for which they are named. This upturned snout aids them in digging in the loose sandy soil habitats in which they live. There are three species in North America: the Eastern Hognose, Western Hognose, and Southern Hognose. The Eastern Hognose is found in a wide range of habitats throughout the east, the Western Hognose occurs in deserts and plains of the west, and the small Southern Hognose is found in mature pine forests of the southeast. Hognose snakes are diurnal predators which prey on lizards, rodents, birds, amphibians, eggs, and insects. The Eastern Hognose preys mostly on toads which have very toxic poisons in their skin. To deal with this, the hognose has huge adrenal glands in its body that secrete antidotes that neutralize the poisons or the snake would die.

Coming in a wide range of colors and patterns, Eastern Hognose are often confused with poisonous snakes such as rattlesnakes, copperheads, and young cottonmouths. To further heighten the confusion is its strange defensive behavior. When first encountered by a potential predator, the hognose lies perfectly still, hoping that its coloration will make it inconspicuous. If that doesn’t work, it frantically tries to escape. If this fails it goes into a feigned aggression by rising up and flattening its head and neck like a cobra and making a loud hissing noise. This behavior has given it the nickname of spreading adder. At this time the mouth can be either open or closed. Often it will try to hide its head under the coils of its body and extend its tail up to distract from its vulnerable head. If this doesn’t work the snake will start aggressively striking out with its mouth closed, but it will not bite. Finally if the snake is attacked or touched, it will start writhing with its mouth open, discharging foul-smelling fecal material and strong scented musk from glands at the base of its tail. If it has eaten recently, it will also vomit. The writhing results in the snake covering its body in the foul smelling secretions. Sometimes the tissues in the open mouth will bleed copiously. While all this is going on the snake turns belly up.When the writhing finally ceases, with a twitch it goes limp and still, with tongue hanging out, feigning death. From this position of apparent death it waits for its would be predator to leave. During this time it can be picked up, all the while remaining limp and unmoving unless it is turned right side up, which will result in it rolling upside down again.

Like the hognose snakes we have an enemy, but he is too smart for us to defend ourselves without help. “Now is the time when we are to confess and forsake our sins, that they may go beforehand to judgment and be blotted out. Now is the time to ‘cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (II Corinthians 7:1). It is dangerous to delay this work. Satan is even now seeking by disasters upon sea and land to seal the fate of as many as possible. What is the defense of the people of God at this time? It is a living connection with heaven. If we would dwell in safety from the noisome pestilence, if we would be preserved from dangers seen and unseen, we must hide in God; we must secure the protecting care of Jesus and holy angels.” In Heavenly Places, 348.

David Arbour writes from his home in De Queen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature – The Wandering Glider

The Wandering Glider is the world’s most widely distributed dragonfly occurring worldwide between the 40th parallels of latitude, but being most common in the tropics. They are also the world’s highest flying dragonfly having been recorded at 20,000 feet in the Himalayas. Wandering Gliders, averaging about two inches in length, are yellowish-red overall with a black stripe down the top of the abdomen. The eyes are reddish and there is a faint yellowish patch in the base of the hind wing. The hind wing of this dragonfly is extra wide, which allows for its characteristic gliding flight. Unlike most dragonflies, this species seldom lands during the day and will even fly in pouring down rain and at night during migration periods.

Like all dragonflies, Wandering Gliders are predators, feeding on smaller insects such as gnats, mosquitoes and midges. The abdomen of the adult can store large amounts of fat that is used as energy for long-distance travel. They often form large feeding swarms in areas where food is plentiful. One feeding swarm, forming a cloud covering 13 square miles, was reported. Wandering Gliders lay their eggs in small shallow pools and temporary rain puddles where they deposit 500 to 2,000 eggs per clutch. Because of the temporary nature of the pools where they lay their eggs, the larvae, called Naiads, have to develop very rapidly. On average, it takes about six weeks for them to mature from egg to adult. Like the adults, the Naiads are predators also, feeding on plankton, tadpoles and the aquatic larvae of other insects.

Wandering Gliders are most famous for their overseas migrations and wanderings, traveling hundreds and even thousands of miles over oceans to find breeding areas. One population of Wandering Gliders has the longest known migratory journey of any insect and the only one with a regular trans-oceanic crossing. This journey involves a circuitous route covering 10,000 miles and four generations of the dragonfly and follows the seasonal monsoon rains that move back and forth across the Indian Ocean between India and Africa. The dragonflies do not fly with dry winds but instinctively fly with moist winds that are converging to where the rains are. After the monsoon rains hit India, millions of recently emerged Wandering Gliders follow the winds across the ocean, at a height of around 6,500 feet, to East Africa where the monsoon rains hit next. They then lay their eggs in the temporary rain pools and in a few weeks a second generation emerges which continue following the winds which take them to southern Africa where they lay their eggs. The third generation which emerges follows the monsoon rains as it reverses direction and heads back north to East Africa again. Here they lay their eggs and in a few weeks the fourth generation emerges and follows the monsoon rains back across the ocean to India where the cycle starts all over again.

Like the Wandering Gliders, we Christians are on a journey. “We are making life’s journey amid the perils of the last days. We need to watch carefully every step, and to be sure that we are following our great Leader. Skepticism, infidelity, dissipation, and crime are on every hand. It would be an easy matter to let go the reins of self-control, and plunge over the precipice to sure destruction. …

“Infinite Love has cast up a pathway upon which the ransomed of the Lord may pass from earth to heaven. That path is the Son of God. Angel guides are sent to direct our erring feet. Heaven’s glorious ladder is let down in every man’s path, barring his way to vice and folly. He must trample upon a crucified Redeemer ere he can pass onward to a life of sin. Our heavenly Father’s voice is calling us, Come up hither.” Our High Calling, 11.

David Arbour writes from his home in De Queen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.