From caterpillars to chemistry

Abstract

I remember v-e-r-y slowly putting my hand through the fence into my neighbor’s yard to capture my first black female tiger swallowtail; no net available. I was nine. It was awesome! I still have the specimen with its sewing pin through the thorax (thankfully not the abdomen, as I was pretty inept in those days) and a label the size of a business card. Those were the early days of excitement and fascination as I learned about butterflies and other insects.