bugs are really fckd up

(August 29th, 2025)

For an ichneumon, this wasp is considered relatively easy to distinguish thanks to it's large size (roughly 30-35 mm), choice of hosts (sphinx moth caterpillars), and it's sleep schedule (it being diurnal, while most other members of it's subfamily are nocturnal). Many of the writings I found on them describe their flying style as "lazy" or "leisurely", but a few observation posts also mentioned how these wasps rarely stop to rest, possibly the reason why there's such a serious lack of information on these tiny dragons.

Did somebody order a lil skitter critter with cartoon eyes and a singular tuff of spine hair? No? Too bad, because she's here anyway and honestly she's causing a bit of an issue. That's because all species within the genus Cheiloneurus are believed to be hyperparasitoids, however C. Claviger is currently the only one with a known primary host who happens to be Microterys nietneri, a fellow encyrtid wasp who is on the front lines fighting back against soft scale insects that can do some serious damage to all sorts of plants. M. nietneri has been used in particular to save olives in the Mediterranean/Middle East from scale, but at some point C. claviger showed up uninvited.

*Whimpers*

Sounds like his new home is an upgrade anyway!

She waves hello!

A very beautiful Cephalochrysa nigricornis solider fly, that's my best guess. Surprised it let me get my pictures, even despite the window! They distracted me from watering my therapy plant heh!

cucumber

Funky toddlers

This wasp can often be found rooting around in mulch or woodchips in search of beetle grubs to lay her eggs on. Her other extracurriculars include slurping nectar from native flowers (and by proxy pollinating them) and finding a nice stick or reed to curl up around or dangle off of.

Photo by Chris Roberts

[VIDEO TAKEN: APRIL 13TH, 2026 | Video ID: A video of a brown longhorn beetle standing on a human hand, momentarily cleaning one of its forelegs before slowly returning to a more restful position, mouthparts still moving /End ID.]

Etsy

Emerging dragonfly at 1am

I asked the receptionist if the puffer had been sick before or what was going on, and she said they had to remove another fish who was BULLYING HIM!!!!!! Fuck that other fish i am so relieved to see the puffer healthy and happy!!!!

image by Rick Nirschl