I mean, you always know where to find me? in my backyard. I love to plant a lot. Observing the fruits of your labor and watching plants grow is a really fulfilling experience. But let’s be honest—it can be really challenging. One of the biggest challenges is taking care of the pests. There are moments when you don’t even know which pests are beneficial to you and which ones would destroy all of your priceless belongings.

I recently came into a photo on social media that perfectly captures this ambiguity. The first time I saw it, I was afraid. The picture showed a leaf covered in little but intricate black geometric designs. At first, it looked like the leaf was covered in some kind of odd disease or an alien lattice. Many others were wondering what it may be, just like me.

After some research, I discovered that the strange patterns are, in fact, the eggs of Nymphalis Antiopa butterflies. If you are not familiar with this species, allow me to introduce it to you. Nymphalis Antiopa, the Mourning Cloak butterfly, is a fascinating insect with an odd life cycle and a few remarkable traits.

Let’s talk about the eggs first. The photo I saw showed these eggs on a leaf up close. They have the appearance of a thin covering of delicate black lace applied to the exterior. It’s actually rather nice once you get over your initial shock. Eggs are laid in clusters, and each tiny egg is a wonder of perfect geometry. When I first saw it, I thought, “This is either going to be really good for my garden or really bad.”