joy is not made to be a crumb

Earth by night, December 16, 2014.

Above: Carriola witti

Moths of the genus Carriola have a very unusual appearance, as their wings are covered in translucent patches that reveal a delicate network of greenish-yellow veins. The green coloration is caused by the haemolymph (i.e. "blood") that passes through these veins.

Above: the male form of Carriola thyridophora, with a close-up of the hyaline windows and bright green veins on its wings

The males of this genus typically have brown or beige borders around their wings, while the females have pink or white borders instead. The hyaline windows also tend to be much clearer and more extensive in the females.

Above: the female form of Carriola seminsula

This article describes the adaptive benefits of wing transparency in moths:

The coevolutionary arms race between prey and predator has generated some of the most striking adaptations in the living world, including lures, mimicry and camouflage in prey. Transparency, by definition, constitutes the perfect background matching against virtually all types of backgrounds. Transparency is common in pelagic environments where there is no place to hide.

Above: genus Carriola

Carriola tussock moths can be found in many different countries throughout Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Malaysia. They also inhabit certain parts of China, India and Sri Lanka.

Above: Carriola seminsula

This is one of my favorite moths, tbh. I love it when moths have hyaline windows on their wings, and this genus is especially beautiful and bizarre.

Sources & More Info:

Nota Lepidopterologica: Review of the Genus Carriola with Descriptions of Four New Species

Singapore Biodiversity: Carriola ecnomoda

iNaturalist: Genus Carriola

BioRxiv: How Transparent Wing Windows Reduce Detectability in Moths

Journal of Evolutionary Biology: Transparency Improves Concealment in Cryptically Colored Moths (PDF)

Moths of Borneo: Carriola Tussock Moths

A relatively messy study/fanart for project hail mary, the last month has really awakened my inner space loving child again

oops all rogues, a small heist adventure that follows syb and three other rooks robbing some rich guy's mansion as they rebuild in thornkirk

a riverboat crew adventure dealing with the deal zirk made with that winter fairy during the finale

something about the blades that takes place like fifty years ago and features a younger batilda

the deep folk and the awakened have to figure out how to live together in old zelbuldar/endoterra

either something insanely high level that has all the players play as one of those super powerful fairies OR oops all paladins who are each a champion of one of the greater fairies who compete to defeat some insanely powerful horror in the name of their patron fairy (emily of course plays a champion of moria)

something taking place during the war against the giants and the north with young hexbloods, featuring other hexblood npcs