Opinion: Longing for an alien encounter? Hit the backyard.

SUN JOURNAL • June 14, 2026

You don’t have to travel light-years to encounter alien life because it’s already here—in your own backyard. I’m talking about the common insects buzzing and burrowing all around us. Because, let’s face it, insects are weird. They wear their skeletons on the outside of their bodies. Insect ears can be almost anywhere — on the torso, legs, mouth, or even wings. Their eyes don’t always stay on their heads either — Japanese yellow swallowtail butterflies have primitive eyes on their genitals. Butterflies, moths and flies taste with their feet as well as their mouths. Insect abilities are even more astonishing. For instance, the diabolical ironclad beetle can survive being run over by a car. Insects also possess senses we lack entirely. Even more surprising are recent discoveries about insects’ behavior. Animals with different sorts of intelligences and capabilities are all around us. ~ Margie Patlak, Corea, Maine, and Philadelphia