Insectopia

“Transformation of the periodical cicada from the mature nymph to the adult.” Insects, their ways and means of living. 1930. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKOXW7NhhFk/

BB&B I’m calling you the fuck out

But honestly, butterflies will drink the decaying slurry of carcasses, fetid puddles full of leaf litter, and the sweat off your stinky primate body because it fills nutritional gaps in nectar diets. Nectar is sugary but it lacks important minerals, they have to fill the gap with something.

Centipedes pretty much all fall under a “sleek and lethal” aesthetic but to me one of the cutest things of all is when a tough fierce predator gets gentle and protective. A mother centipede will stay wrapped around her eggs and babies not only to keep parasites at bay but to hold them up off of the ground and keep them clean of any fungi or bacterial infections! Some studies find that if the babies are already hatched, the whole family will scatter and fend for themselves when disturbed (such as by a huge human uncovering them), so the babies don’t “need” the mother’s protection, but she’ll still hold onto them for a long time if she can. Every extra day that they get a little more time to grow under her watch probably makes a difference.

back at the museum!

A long-nosed weevil, a ‘Rhinotia Hemistictus’ in particular, majestically looks over the yard from its wattle leaf. I imagined that it looked quite proud of itself somehow. An “I’m king of the castle…” scenario. 

this here is a vinegaroon: super chill, super intriguing to watch and handle + super harmless

Pancake slugs are pretty great.

heres one of my leeches!! theyre a native species called richardsonianus australis and theyre amazing <3

Texas Wasp Moth

last one for now, an eastern tiger swallowtail

I think most of that happened when I moved to a new apartment a couple months ago. I don’t think it appreciated having its home packed in a box and driven around. But no worry, the next time it molts it’ll be back to normal.