One day last week, as Michael was walking home from school, he suddenly noticed a great big female S. Limbata female on his shirt. She must have fallen out of a tree or something. She worked her way to his backpack, and there she clung for about another mile, until he got home and set his backpack down next to my big, overgrown basil plant, and she (almost) disappeared into its branches.


She is clearly in the twilight of her life. Her gait is just a bit unsteady, and she has several black spots on her face and body that are a further sign of old age. But she is still has a good appetite, and she has been spending her days in the sun, picking bees off the basil flowers.

Here, she's giving herself a little clean-up after eating.

I like the brightly colored blue and orange on her mouth.