This small green maggot (fly larva) appears to be glowing on its underside. Possibly of family Syrphidae.

I was looking for something (anything) interesting on the milkweed in the backyard one day, when instead I found something interesting on me. No doubt the hitchhiker got on board when I brushed up against a plant. I really don’t know much about fly larva, a.k.a. maggots, but LordV over on Flickr suggested this might be a Syrphid, so I’m going with that for now.

Flies are fascinating, sometimes spectacular creatures, but nobody likes a maggot, it would seem. (Dipterophiles excluded, of course (well, if that’s an actual word).) I thought our little friend here was kind of nice being green and glowing (at least seemingly!), because “maggot” conjures up more repulsive images of white, mealy little worms. Everyone has to start somewhere, I suppose is the lesson; big (or beautiful) things are potentially awaiting from all sorts of beginning.