A western gulf fritillary butterfly rests on the bare branch of a crape myrtle, its wings carefully outlined and colored to match its small fuzzy body. Could it be a hint of spring in the middle of winter? With daily temperatures in the 70s and 80s, old man winter may be losing his grip. This is good news for butterflies, surviving the winter. Butterfly expert Art Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California, notes that the butterfly can be killed by hard freezes. So far so good! But a word of warning: In several weeks baseballs will be flying and bats will be swinging as Spring Training kicks into gear. So to all those fritillary butterflies out there flying around McKechnie Field and Pirate City, keep your head down, spring is coming!

gjefferies@bradenton.comBuy Photo