flitillary
n.— «The erratic, zigzagging flight of courting and songbird-evading fritillaries prompt some people to refer to them as “flitillaries.” Actually, the genus name probably derives from fritillus, a cylindrical cup used by the Romans to throw dice. This dice cup was decorated with white spots, as are many fritillary butterflies.» —“August Nature Almanac: Fields of mint lure amorous fritillaries” by Stephen Jones, Ruth Carol Cushman Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado) July 28, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A writer stumbles upon a tiny, motionless creature on a country road and, against all good advice, takes it home. The resulting memoir, Raising Hare, is a lovely meditation on nature and our relationship to it. And: have you ever invented a fake...
Our discussion of Anglo-Saxon kennings inspired listener Paul Holler of Arlington Heights, Illinois, to write a lovely poem exploring the idea of the kenning sea-guest, meaning “sailor,” and what it means to be a guest of the sea and what that says...