An important part of designing anything is the requirements that must be
followed. In this section, we hope to explain some of the requirements that would have to
be followed if an insect, such as this, were introduced.
Life Cycle Requirements
For the butterfly to live off the plant, its life cycle must follow that
of the plant’s. The kudzu plant follows most plants, living in the spring, summer,
and fall. Then, it will die off in the winter.
Our insect will live during the summer as a larva. The larva will feed off the kudzu
leaves. In the fall, it will spin its chrysalis. Next spring, it will lay eggs. The eggs
will hatch, and the cycle will start over again.
Design Requirements
The appearance of the insect is very important. It must not be
perceived as a monster (i.e.- Mothra). People must see this insect as a harmless creature;
hence we chose the butterfly, a harmless, beautiful creature which is accepted by society.
It cannot be abnormal in size or color, either. No one would feel safe
living in a world with a neon green butterfly with a 10 ft. wingspan! We must use a color
scheme acceptable by society. Something in-between too flamboyant and something dull and
ugly. The size must also be reasonable. Anything too large would cause major traffic
problems!
Food Chain
Introducing a new insect into an environment can impact the food chain in
a major way. We have to make sure that the Kudzu Butterfly does not displace other insects
from the food chain.
Let’s use our imagination here. We have introduced the Kudzu
Butterfly. It has eaten the kudzu and is controlling the spread of the plant. The birds
have stopped eating mosquitoes and started eating the Kudzu Butterfly. The butterfly has
solved one problem, but it has also created another. Without being controlled, the
mosquitoes will soon overpopulate the globe as the kudzu plant has done in the
southeastern United States.
