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Monarch Butterfly
Common names: Caterpillar/ Larva (plural Larvae, this is the scientific name)/ Butterfly/ Monarch Butterfly.
Taxonomic classification: Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Insecta, Order: Lepidoptera, Family: Danaidae, Genus: Danaus, Species: plexippus.
Environment encountered: Mount Holyoke College Botanic Gardens and the Talcott Greenhouse.
History on campus: Their annual migration into the Massachusetts is synonymous with the spring season.
Categorical and legal status in human society: They are essential crop pollinators (Andrẻs). They do not have a legal status in human society; however, they have been used as model organisms for various biological research. Moreover, butterfly research has provided invaluable data regarding the global time and geographical scale, which is essential in climate change research.
Contributions and function within a larger ecosystem: They are a food source for other organisms, such as birds and reptiles. They are ecological indicators of a heathier ecosystem.
The alignment of ethical values upheld by the Mount Holyoke College community with the behavior possessed by a 1mm to 14mm insect species is exceptionally fascinating. The caterpillar is of relevance to the ethical values upheld by Mount Holyoke College’s community through the symbolism centered on its behavioral characteristics. For instance, the most obvious idea of symbolism is the degree of patience that a caterpillar has for change. Unlike most insects which have a shorter life cycle, the monarch butterfly undergoes through the four stages of a life cycle in one year. It takes a whole year for an egg to hatch, and eventually develop into a beautiful adult butterfly. This also mimics hope for transformative and positive change. Moreover, my research revealed that “A college student is reflective of a caterpillar with regards to how their personal experiences lead them to spiritual renewal, which eventually results in their molting into new individuals.” This is congruent with how an ethereal butterfly emerges from the pupal stage.
In terms of institutional histories and knowledge, caterpillars are feared as parasites that feed on plants, thus interfering with the food system. In the Old Testament of the Bible, the caterpillar and locust are regarded to be one of the plagues that were used when God wanted to free the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the word “caterpillar” is obtained from the old French word “catepelose” fused with the “pillager”, which means a thief. Henry Bolingbroke described the friends of King Richard as “the commonwealth caterpillars that I swore to weed and pluck home (Shakespear).” According to Calarco, human beings and animals share ethically salient traits (Stone). Over time, research has been published on the life cycle of Monarch butterflies; hence, their stages are more understood. In some of the studies, authors have utilized them as a symbol of the human soul. Moreover, Christianity has likened the metamorphosis of the insect, specifically in the transformation from a pupa into an adult, with being born again, having hope and changing for the better.
Lastly, rethinking my ethical relationship with this organism allows me to now more clearly identify how I can relate more to it. I have learned that advancements in developmental biology have enabled us to discover how organisms use specific genes, which in this case, is the development of butterfly wing patterns. Monarch butterflies reuse the toolkit gene to create wing spots. Therefore, the main takeaway from this excerpt that is most applicable to my ethical relationship is that new patterns evolve when old genes learn new tricks. This has enabled me to feel more connected to this concept that butterflies go through metamorphosis, and although the last stage is a massive inconvenience, the insect has been able to evolve and negate it. The butterfly experiences the freedom of liberating itself from the cocoon where transformation occurred, and it has developed wings to allow it to explore the outside world. This transformative change can be related to my ethical relationship.
Pegasus
Common name: Pegasus; Greek name: Pḗgasos.
Taxonomic classification: Mythical horse.
Environment encountered: Mount Holyoke Library – LITS.
History on campus: In 1909, the Pegasus was selected as a class symbol (Class Colors and Symbols). Moreover, it was only designated for even year classes, in which they would use a red-colored Pegasus.
Categorical/ legal status in human society: In the current human society, the Pegasus is not just a mythical creature, but a symbol of good arising from evil (Hayes 57).
Contributions/ function within the larger ecosystem: The Pegasus represents art, glory and triumph in the society (Hayes 57).
Mount Holyoke College is the nation’s oldest institution of higher learning for women. As a result, the institution needs to uphold and preserve some of its culture and traditions. For instance, the red Pegasus symbol has been essential to the college as it holds meaning for the Mount Holyoke College community, beyond its essentiality in enabling students to identify themselves in various class-related activities. They are many versions of the birth of the winged stallion, which may make its relation to the Mount Holyoke community so powerful. The Pegasus is a pure white and majestic horse that carries an aura of loyalty, divine, and a source of help when you least expect it. This idea has been mirrored the Mount Holyoke community in several ways. The institution was established in a time when female education was not appreciated by society. Therefore, through its establishment, the power of the “Red Pegasus” was revealed, that is, women were given the freedom and hope of seeking knowledge to advance themselves as individuals.
Various institutional histories and beliefs have shaped the institution’s practice and beliefs. This can be linked to Tom Regan, an American philosopher, who was among the pioneers of the animal “rights theory”. The theory seeks to establish a fundamental evolutionary continuity between human beings and animals in relation to ethically relevant traits, and then apply the egalitarian ethics (Bornemark et al. 2). Bornemark et al. viewed horses as a hardworking animal that was historically used to transport people on the roughest roads and toughest climbs. As a result, these animals were considered as a symbol of power. Furthermore, the Pegasus can be associated with the concept of the “Great Chain of Being”, which implicates the presence of a connection between the natural and supernatural worlds. Taking into consideration that the horse manifests in the form of an angelic being in various religions, they will be at the top of the chain. Therefore, with regards to the Mount Holyoke community’s perspective, a Pegasus is a symbol of a power higher than that of human beings.
Learning that a Pegasus is commemorated as a zodiac sign, my perception of the animal is that it either holds a divine inspiration or is simply another false hope of this utopian world, that is, the journey to heaven. Therefore, my ethical relationship with this animal would be this ideal hope of purity and guidance within my Mount Holyoke community experience.
Bibliography
Andrẻs, Josẻ. “José Andrés: Why We Need to Protect Monarch Butterflies.” National Geographic. 2014, Web.
Bornemark, Jonna, et al. Equine Cultures in Transition: Ethical Questions. Routledge, 2019.
“Class Colors and Symbols.” Mount Holyoke College. 2019, Web.
Ghazanfar, Mobeen, et al. “Butterflies and their contribution in ecosystem: A review.” Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, vol. 115, no. 42, 2016, pp. 115-118, Web.
Hayes, Amy. Medusa and Pegasus. Cavendish Square Publishing, 2015.
Martin, Kaylindi. “Mount Holyoke College Wildlife Trail.” Mount Holyoke College, 2019, Web.
Shakespeare, William. Richard II. Edited by Dawson, Anthony and Paul Yachnin, Oxford University Press, 2011.
Stone, Ken. “How Do We Think Human/Animal Differences?” Marginalia. 2016. Web.
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