Summary

Dillard recognizes how to spot praying mantis eggs. She spends a few days walking around looking for clusters of eggs. She finds one and takes it back to the tree outside of her house so she can watch them hatch in a few weeks. This reminds her of the Polyphemus moth her grade school teacher brought in to show the class. He hatched in the Mason jar and could not spread his wings out so they dried bent back and stuck. The teacher let the moth out during recess and Dillard watched as he hobbled along, disfigured.

Dillard is fascinated by the insect world—by its abundance and variety, the intricacies of survival. She thinks about articles and books she has read about the adaptations of insects and parasites. At night she walks along the creek transfixed by the light of the moon...