Preview of some dichotomies

I'm collecting some photos from my archives to support an essay called "Some Interesting Dichotomies." These are the first. A Yellow-Spotted Millipede [bottom photo] was photographed in my classroom in Leggett, Mendocino County. I've always been fascinated with students' reactions to my lessons on centipedes and millipedes. Since most students begin by worrying which are poisonous, I start by letting them observe the critters in separate jars. I ask them to observe anatomical and behavior details and take notes. They always come up with a surprisingly (to them) long list of similarities and differences. The end result is that lots of students switch from an attitude of fear or disgust at these creatures to one of fascination and protectionism.

Some of the dichotomies I'll be discussing are butterflies-moths, dragonflies-damselflies, frog-toads, lizards-salamanders, and centipedes-millipedes. These are groups of organisms that most people cannot tell apart and, more often than not, one group is generally liked and the other disliked.

The remaining photos, from top to bottom, are of a butterfly, a moth, and a centipede. I'll be looking in my archive and my journals for representatives of other such groups and will include some brief natural histories and notes on how to tell them apart.