The large blue butterfly is distinguished by the unmistakable row of black spots on its upper forewing with the undersides showcasing beautiful black spots.  Becoming extinct in 1979 in Britain it’s making a comeback through successful conservation projects although it’s still on the endangered list. This pretty butterfly has the most unique life cycle but before we delve

into this butterflies life cycle let’s discuss what evolution is and what it is not.  Evolution is small random changes over a very long time that turns one organism into another.  There is no intelligent design in evolution. Evolution does not “learn" meaning it is not guided by any kind of intelligence.

The Large Blue Butterfly Life Cycle

The female large blue butterfly lays her eggs on flower-heads of Wild Thyme (Thymus Polytrichus).  These plants grow around red ant (Myrmecia Sabuleti) nests.  Once hatched the caterpillar eats all parts of the flower.  For unknown reasons after the third molt, it becomes restless and leaves its food source by dropping to the ground.

I would like to note at this time that one of the top predators to butterflies is ants.  The grounded caterpillar starts to emit a chemical from its “honey gland” that attracts the red ant.  The ant does not eat the caterpillar but starts to stoke the caterpillar.  And not just anywhere but on the caterpillars 10th segment.  Somehow the ant knows that stroking there will result in a sweet ooze for the ant to eat.  The caterpillar raises its hind end up in the air.  Once this is done for some reason that signals the ant to pick-up the caterpillar and carry it to the ant’s underground nest.  Not only does the ants not eat the caterpillar but they allow it to eat some of their own babies (grubs).  One reason may be because the ants get to keep milking the caterpillars 10th segment for their own food.  Although scientists have tried to harvest this nectar it seems only the touch of the ant’s antenna or feet will yield the nectar.

The large blue caterpillar makes its cocoon inside the nest and ~3 weeks later emerges as a butterfly.  Again, for some reason the ants allow the butterfly to leave their nest unmolested and it casually crawls out.

There are 2 discrepancies that stick out to me when thinking about this life cycle and how evolution says things develop.

1) The first time this caterpillar fell to the ground it would have gotten eaten.  The chemical they produce is not a “general” chemical but specific to the red ant, Myrmecia sabuleti.  From an evolutionary standpoint, I don’t even know how you would be able to begin this very complex relationship with the ant without the caterpillar getting ate first.  Dead caterpillars don’t reproduce to get to the next evolutionary stage.

2)   How could the caterpillar evolve to secrete this sweet substance from their 10th segment that protects them from the ants eating them?  Again, from an evolutionary standpoint, you need the chemical, the substance and this physical motion to not only get the ants not to eat them but to take them into their nest and allow the caterpillar to eat their own babies.  You need all of these fully working in conjunction at the same time.  This is not evolution. Evolution is small random changes over a very long period of time. That these 3 traits would develop and all function at the same time is mathematically impossible!

Romans 1:18-20
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

When we start thinking about things logically and rationally you see evolution for what it is.  A colander with so many holes it shouldn’t even be considered a theory! The only answer left is intelligent design.  For more interesting and fun facts check out my blog centered around apologetics.

Your Sister in Christ,

Angela

Founder of Sanctification Day By Day
A Women’s Christian Ministry supporting women in their spiritual
growth with Jesus Christ.  To help sanctify and mature so that we,
in faith, stand on God’s Word and beat back the enemy that would
destroy us and our families.

Additional Resources:

The Curious Case of the Large Blue Butterfly — a Conservation Success Story
https://entomologytoday.org/2014/04/04/the-curious-case-of-the-large-blue-butterfly-a-conservation-success-story/

Large Blue Butterfly at Collard Hill
https://youtu.be/6Q-SC2VjHuo

Feeding Strategy by Jennifer Owen (page 140)
https://books.google.ca/books?id=NLpXSf8WaQsC&pg=PA140&lpg=PA140&dq=the+10th+segment+on+the+%22large+blue+caterpillar%22&source=bl&ots=W8zkM4_zIO&sig=ACfU3U1pAQizKzCxM15R2a3AYEcyFefPoQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRo8S4n-LuAhVOF6wKHcaCAG0Q6AEwDnoECBIQAg#v=onepage&q=the%2010th%20segment%20on%20the%20%22large%20blue%20caterpillar%22&f=false

The National Trust’s Large Blue Blog
https://ntlargeblue.wordpress.com/life-cycle-of-the-large-blue/