7:15 AM

The end of a bug story

As they say on medical TV shows, I called it at 7:15 am.

Oleo is officially deceased.

Yesterday morning, I moved him and his rose bouquet to a sunny window. The morning was below freezing and although our house was warm, I figured the sunlight would be invigorating for my polka-dot wasp moth.

And, it was. He perked up immediately!

When I arrived home at 7 pm, I found him on the door in the office/guest room. Sometime during the day, he flew from his rose bouquet to the door.

Unlike yesterday, he was on the wooden portion of the door, rather than the window. That spot is much warmer — for now. I left him there, knowing that the low tonight would be too cold for him to be on the door and figuring I’d move him back to his vase of roses at little later.

And, I did. About 7:45 pm, I positioned him on a rose and moved the vase from the chilly window to a small table.

I came into the room to check on him at 8:10. He was lethargic.

I sat down to read an email and checked on him at 8:20 pm. As I was looking at him, Oleo fell from the rose to the table below. I tore a leaf from the rose and put it underneath him. He moved only slightly.

I checked on him at 8:45 and he was off the leaf but barely moving. I picked him up and placed him back on the leaf.

9:00 and he was still moving slightly — almost spasmodically.

We walked the dogs and I checked on him at 10:00. He was twitching.

I went to bed and checked him at 3:15 am. He wasn’t on the roses or the table. After a worried search, I found him on the floor under the table. He appeared to be gone but when I picked him up, the touch of my skin gave life to him.

For an hour, until 4:15 am, I sat in my office chair, letting Oleo walk up and down my arms and across my torso. He tired and began faltering, as was I.

I put some of the roses in a box and placed him there before returning to bed.

I awoke at 6:45 and he was moving slightly, very slightly, in the box.

The pups and I took a short walk. Neither seemed interested and Syau was limping. We returned home after a few blocks.

I checked my polka-dot friend at 7:15 and he was still. Not a twitch.

But, knowing my Lazarus bug, he may still revive once more!

But, I doubt it. I believe our little adventure and friendship has ended.

About 9:15 am on Monday, Oleo returned from death in my car. It’s now 7:15 am on Thursday. His thawed body lived 70 hours more than he would have if I hadn’t picked him up from the vet’s steps and put him in my car.

Polka-dot wasp moths have a life span of 5 days if they aren’t eaten or squashed. Five days or 120 hours.

Oleo lived 70 hours with me — more than half of his life.

He was a bug and I am crying that he is no longer here.

Why? Because he could be the last Dusky Seaside Sparrow of moths.

How many species have we lost this year? This decade?

Maybe, there won’t be a polka-dot wasp moth for someone to thaw out next year.

Maybe, we won’t be here next year.

Oleo was a moth. Just a moth. And, so much more.

To me, Oleo represented all the moths and butterflies and Dusky Seaside Sparrows that no longer exist.

He was only here for 70 hours but he will be missed.

Thank you, Oleo, for being here with me for more than half of your very short life. I am honored to have shared those hours with you.

Hours to me but a lifetime to you.

If you missed the first two episodes of my bug story, you can read them here:

And, Oleo’s story did not end at 7:15 am on Thursday, as I thought when I wrote this installment. His story continued until Friday at 5:30 — and, past that: