I love a good cautionary tale, where you get to hear how someone else messed up their life in the name of you avoiding repeating their mistake. I hesitate to write this like I do all things where I have to go back on a design decision, but it has come up a lot with my friends recently, and a warning to you all felt necessary. So here is your dose of “blogger Schadenfreude” for the month – If my failures make you happy then today is your day. I feel pretty dumb, but all design failures are great lessons to learn, risks are taken, and therefore pitfalls are constant. You see my wonderful daughter who I honestly can’t say enough good things about now “strongly dislikes” her wallpaper (she knows not to say hate, but that’s the sentiment). Her room is so freaking cute and she will absolutely admit it, but to her, it feels like a little girl’s room. And she is 9 1/2 – NOT a little girl anymore. So let’s back up and go step by step on how we got here:
2020 – We finally got into escrow on our home and we were so excited. We lived in lockdown at the mountain house which is famously neutral. “why doesn’t our house have any color” was the consistently taunting question.
2021 – We moved up to Portland and while renting a house nearby I started designing their rooms – desperate to start doing the fun stuff (and to avoid thinking about the daunting renovation that felt neverending at the time). Elliot LOVES design, color, and pattern – she wanted to be very involved and boy was it fun to do it with her. I know we shouldn’t label our children but this girl is extremely enthusiastic and easily excited about all the things (likely a 7 enneagram like her mother, although she has STRONG 3 tendencies – also like her mother). She wanted to be a huge part of the process and honestly, it was just so fun for me – zero regrets on how I went about it, by the way. She is so hard to say no to. We went on Pinterest together and most of what she loved was a hard no for me (unicorns, fairies, etc – both of which I like but I knew she would regret those as wallpaper) but what I gleaned from her is that she wanted color and pattern – AND SO DID I!!! But as she aptly puts it now, “I was six, Mom. Who lets a 6-year-old make a long-term decision?”. LOL (She’s 9 1/2 now).
We decided on this awesome butterfly wallpaper by Schumacher which I honestly thought had more negative space, but regardless it is indeed fun as heck. While it was busier than I could handle in my own bedroom she loved it and we designed the room around it. We didn’t use temporary wallpaper or pre-pasted and I’m not even sure if the wallpaper installer primed it beforehand (which would make it easier to remove). That’s all to say this paper isn’t permanent, but it’s not easy to take down either.
2022-2024 – She loved her room – I mean, it’s incredibly cute. I won’t claim that she knew how lucky she was to have her mom be a designer who creates this as her job (she’s a kid, it’s not her job to instinctively know how the world is run and how privileged she is). But I do know that she loved it… for a while and felt really thankful. She showed it off to her friends proudly and we gushed together about how fun it was and how it represented so perfectly her personality.
2024 – Now. Well, she grew up. Starting about a year ago (so like a year after it was done) she got it in her head that the wallpaper is for little girls and no one wants to be older, bigger, or more teenager-y than an 8-year-old girl. It started small and not bratty at all, just comments like “When will I be able to redo my room?” and I didn’t shame her for those comments, I want her to express what she wants, but I also didn’t comply. While I was of course annoyed with an internal “WTF??”, I realized quickly that the annoyance was with my past naive self, not her.
Butterflies come in a stunning array of colors, from the common yellows and oranges to rarer greens and blues. Among this rainbow, pink butterflies shine as some of the most eye-catching. While not the most common, pink butterflies exist on almost every continent and offer a unique beauty. In this article, we’ll explore the many shades of pink found on butterflies around the globe and what makes pink butterflies so special
What Causes Pink Coloration in Butterflies?
Butterfly wing color comes from two sources – pigments and structural coloration. Pigments are chemical compounds that reflect certain wavelengths of light. The most common butterfly pigment is melanin, which creates blacks, browns, and reddish hues. Other pigments like pteridines can produce reds, yellows, and whites. Structural coloration comes from the physical structure of tiny scales on a butterfly’s wings. These scales refract light to produce iridescent blues, greens, and purples.
Pink butterfly coloration results from a combination of red pigments and structural ridges on wing scales that reflect pink wavelengths, The specific shades range from pale pink to deep fuchsia depending on the density of pigment and scale structures, Some butterflies can even change their pink hues depending on viewing angle and light conditions This remarkable ability comes from advanced scale physics and makes pink butterflies seem to glow
Diverse Pink Butterfly Species Around the World
Pink butterflies inhabit jungles, forests, and even deserts on six continents. Here are some of the most vibrant pink species:
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Pink-spotted Swallowtail – Common in Central America and parts of the southern United States, these large butterflies are mostly black with distinct pink spots on their hindwings. They’re often seen gathering nectar from flowers.
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Pink Rose – Native to Southeast Asia, these butterflies have deep pink spots scattered across their dark black wings. The vivid pink perfectly complements the jet black.
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Common Pink Forester – Discovered in Ghana just a few years ago, these African butterflies show bright pink coloration on their underside wings. Males and females display different pink patterns.
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Painted Beauty – One of the largest Amazon rainforest butterflies, Painted Beauties dazzle with large swaths of pink on their wings contrasted with electric blue. No two have the exact same pattern.
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True Cattleheart – The 8 subspecies in South America are a sight to behold. Males exhibit incredible bright pink bands and spots on their mostly black wings. Females also have pink but on different areas than the males.
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Ruby Spotted Swallowtail – Occasionally found in parts of the southern United States, these tropical species feature black wings with distinct ruby or pink spots, both on top and underneath. The colorful spots make them pop.
Threats Facing Pink Butterfly Populations
These vibrant pink butterflies face mounting threats, especially from habitat loss in their sensitive tropical ecosystems. Deforestation, urbanization, and climate change all severely impact native butterfly populations, with several pink species now endangered.
Other threats include:
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Pesticides – Used to control mosquitos and agricultural pests, these chemicals can be toxic to other invertebrates including butterflies.
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Invasive species – Non-native plants and predators disrupt native butterfly food sources and balance.
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Illegal trade – Collectors fuel dangerous smuggling of rare butterflies like some pink species. Strict regulations aim to curb this.
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Pollution – Toxins from industry and development accumulate in the environment, harming butterflies.
To protect pink butterflies, conservationists promote preserving native vegetation, wise pesticide use, stopping illicit butterfly trade, and mitigating pollution. You can support these efforts by contributing to reputable environmental groups. Also plant native plants in your yard to help all local pollinators.
The Special Allure of Pink Butterflies
So what makes pink butterflies so special compared to the many other butterfly colors? For starters, pink is an exceptionally rare color in nature, made only through unique chemicals and structures. Spotting a flash of pink in the wilderness feels like discovering a jewel.
Pink also represents gentle beauty, love, and kindness in many cultures. To see a delicate pink butterfly flutter by promotes a sense of innocence and optimism. Their soft coloration contrasts with the bolder yellows and oranges of other butterflies.
Watching pink butterflies dance through the air, we’re reminded of nature’s incredible palette. Their striking yet gentle hues stay with us long after the butterfly has flown away. With care and preservation, these pink beauties will continue to brighten the world’s forests for generations to come.
What Should I Have Done Instead?
Just painted it a relatively neutral color or white and let her decorate it however she wanted it. It’s what I did for her cousins’ bedroom (seen here) which I think is the right move. furniture that can grow with them, but enough negative space for them to show off their personality – nothing stylistically permanent. The rooms that they love on TV are full of posters, polaroids, and SO MUCH CLUTTER – these little relics they collect that provoke emotion and start to build their identity. So by putting a busy pattern on her wall, with butterflies, and in bright colors she feels locked in and she’s not wrong. She still puts posters all over it and rearranges everything all the time to look a bit “cooler”. I love that she cares and that she feels empowered to have a personal style and to voice it. I just wish I hadn’t locked her in so much.
It’s My Fault…I Know!!
So let me be very clear, the culprit here is ME, not her. She is a sweet pre-tween who wants her room to have the flexibility to grow with her changing styles. I was the mom that wanted to put hot pink butterflies on my 6-year-old’s walls without playing out the long game. It’s totally normal to reject the “little girl” style as you are trying to find your own voice and independence into the tween years. DOH.
Lullaby | Pink Butterfly| Sleep my baby | Baby Sleep Song | Kids Sleep Song | Babies Lullabies | 4K
FAQ
What type of butterflies are pink?
Pink Rose Butterfly. The Pink Rose (Pachliopta kotzebuea) is a butterfly of the Papilionidae family. It is found in the Philippines. Food plants include birthwort (Aristolochia) species.
What does it mean if you see a pink butterfly?
When a butterfly is coloured pink it is frequently associated with love and romance, these very feelings are symbolized. If you’re single, seeing a pink butterfly may indicate the beginning of love; however, for those in relationships, it serves as a gentle sign to cherish and nurture your current ties.
Do any butterflies have pink wings?
Butterflies of the Adirondacks: Pink-edged Sulphur (Colias interior) Butterflies of the Adirondacks: Pink-edged Sulphurs normally rest with their wings closed. Both male and female adults have conspicuous pink wing edges.
What is the pink rose butterfly?
The Velvet Rose, also called the Pink Rose, is a swallowtail found in the Philippines. The genus Atrophaneura was formerly Pachliopta. The dorsal wing surface is jet black and each ventral hindwing surface contains a row of bright, neon pink spots. The underside of the body is the same brilliant pink.
What is a pink butterfly called?
The Pink butterfly is called the Anartia amathea. This is one of the most common butterflies seen in Central America. The caterpillar of this butterfly feeds on plants from the plantain family and its scientific name means “honey bee”. This butterfly has a wingspan of about 4 inches, making it one of the largest butterflies in Central America.
Do any butterfly species have pink wings?
While it’s rare to find a butterfly with entirely pink wings, some species do have small portions of pink on their wings. For instance, the Magenta Monarch found in Hawaii has a distinct shade of pink on its wings, and some females of the Cruiser butterfly species have pink spots.
Which butterflies are pink?
Several butterfly species are partly or mostly pink, making them stand out in nature. These include the Pink-spotted Swallowtail and many others featured in the article, with pink nuances that may vary between males and females, and across subspecies.
Are pink butterflies rare?
Yes, pink butterflies are rare. Some species even have additional unique features like a blue shimmer or sapphire dots on their wings, making them one of the rarest butterflies in the world. Researchers have reported sightings of these rare pink butterflies in several regions.
Why are there no pink butterfly species?
There have been no pink butterfly species discovered until now because it is not an actual color or has any wavelength. This shade forms or appears as the combination of two or more different colors or the reflection of light in different spectrums.
Are pink butterflies poisonous?
Some pink butterfly species, like the Pink Dolphinwing, have evolved to mimic the appearance and behavior of toxic butterfly species. This adaptation serves as a protective mechanism against predators, allowing them to avoid being attacked. (Source: National Wildlife Federation)