Just Is
"But what are they good for?" a student asked, when on a lab field trip we found these colorful insects in October feeding on the same species of milkweed as these I photographed in a roadside field a month ago.
I told him "ask me that question again in class", which he did, and we talked about our what's-in-it-for-me anthropocentric way of viewing nature. On the one hand, it's a legitimate question: how does this creature impact my life and why should I bother taking note of it? (Turns out, it's easier to say what chinch bugs are BAD FOR in that regard, to the extent that we understand the role in plays in human economies; it's an important pest of turf and grains.) On the other hand, an organism can impact the web of trophic and nutrient flow pathways in ways we cannot calculate into its perceived WORTH to us or to the planet until we manage to drive it toward or to extinction.
And then, for me, this little herd of immature insects in their spiffy black vests were "good for" an interesting photograph and a great question for discussion in biology class.
So what am I GOOD FOR? Hmmm? And YOU?