Asexual and into safe, soft, nonsexual, (mostly) g/t vore. Pronouns are they/them or she/her. Nom or NPH for short. I only rp with close friends.
DNI: blogs that post explicit sexual content, irl vore blogs or weight gain blogs, proshippers/anti-antis, TERFs, racists, ace/aro exclusionists, etc.
If you know who I am outside of this blog, haha, n o  y o u  d o n ' t
Hi! Welcome to my blog. I'm NomPunHere, but you can call me Nom, Pun, NomPun, NPH, or whatever. She/they pronouns, please. I'm not too active these days, but in here, you will find:
Please do not ask to RP unless I know you personally. I may occasionally engage with some silly little RP-type asks, but I'm also pretty bad about getting around to answering asks in general, so don't expect too much.
I do have a sona! I haven't officially introduced them on this blog, though. Maybe someday I'll finish her ref sheet. Today is not that day. Other than them, the vast majority of my OCs are bees I made to fill roles in a couple of my fics lmao
A lot of my work is fandom-based, though I also have some non-fandom posts floating around that people seem to like. I'll put my fandom list under the cut so I don't have to break up the names with slashes (hopefully)
Explanation of my DNI will also be under the cut. You can skip past the fandom list if you want, since it's so long
List of current/major fandoms, in (mostly) no particular order:
And here's some older/minor fandoms I may occasionally take interest in, again in no particular order:
OFF
Subnautica
Journey (2013)
Legend of Zelda (Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Twilight Princess, and Wind Waker, though my memory of those last two isn't the best)
Homestuck
Baba Is You
Golden Treasure: The Great Green (if anyone recognizes this one I love you personally)
Plants Vs Zombies (mostly the first game)
Undertale
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Boku no Hero Academia
SPORE
To The Moon (and its sequels)
Terraria
Flight Rising (note that I haven't played since like 2020 though so I'm not up-to-date)
Detroit: Become Human
PIKMIN (only up through Pikmin 3 so far though)
Mushi-shi
Steven Universe
Gravity Falls
Invader Zim
Danny Phantom
How to Train Your Dragon (only the first two movies plus Gift of the Night Fury and Book of Dragons. Haven't seen RoB, DoB, or RttE)
BE MORE CHILL
Miraculous Ladybug
Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
The Dragon Prince (only the first two seasons but I intend to watch the newer episodes later so NO SPOILIES)
My Little Pony (gen 4) (haven't seen The Movie or anything after it)
Okay that's probably way more than enough. Some of these fandoms, I will not talk about in a vore context, either for my own comfort or the comfort of others. And some of these, I don't actually remember much about, but they all have a place in my heart so I figured I'd mention them
DNI:
Blogs that post explicit sexual content
I would strongly prefer not to see that type of content, and I definitely don't want people interpreting my work as sexual, so I ask that you not follow or reblog my posts. If you just leave likes on my most popular posts though (like over 100 notes), I won't give a shit.
If you're gonna interpret my work as sexual regardless of what I say, then you do you, man. I just don't wanna know about it.
Blogs that only post hard and/or fatal vore
For this one, I mainly just don't want my posts reblogged there, because that's generally not what my posts are meant to be, and I don't want them to be interpreted incorrectly, if it can be helped.
Blogs that post irl vore/weight gain pictures or edits
I'm not judging, so long as everything is done with consent, but these do make me uncomfortable, and I don't wanna see it.
Proshippers/comshippers/anti-antis
Again, the content makes me uncomfortable, and I would rather not have people interpreting the relationships in my works as romantic or sexual unless they're intended to be.
On another note, if you strongly identify as either anti-anti OR anti, and go out of your way to harass people who disagree with you, I probably won't like your vibe! We don't need that around here! Thanks.
MAPs/pedophiles and zoophiles
I hope you're getting whatever help you need.
TERFS, transmeds, racists, sexists, LGBT-phobes, neonazis, ace/aro exclusionists, and whatever else I'm forgetting. Idk I'll probably block you if you give me that sort of bad vibe
This should be pretty self-explanatory, I should hope? Don't be a dick.
I don't want to argue with anyone, and I don't want to be dragged into any drama. This is meant to be a safe place to talk about my interests. Thank you for understanding, and I hope you enjoy your visit (or stay)!
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who the hell was gonna tell me that bugs (or insects, at least) make a little envelope around their food when it's in their stomach. I have been writing bug vore for like 5 years and I have never once heard of this. what. can you imagine the possibilities
Would You Kill Me Dead If I Started Posting Nonsexual Transformation On This Blog
Yes. Perish.
No??? Do what you want
I actively want you to, please do
maybe make a sideblog for it
Bald/Nuance/See Results
Voting ended onJan 19
note that the majority of my stuff would still be vore and G/t, but I have some unposted works that have TF on the side or as an additional main theme. there will also be a follow-up question to this so keep an eye out for that
if you have questions, comments, or concerns about this, feel free to put 'em in the notes of this post or send an ask
also yeah the phrasing on this poll is rather unserious and I don't anticipate that anyone will actually come after me if I start posting TF but eh, anxiety isn't always rational
Would You Kill Me Dead If I Started Posting Nonsexual Transformation On This Blog
Yes. Perish.
No??? Do what you want
I actively want you to, please do
maybe make a sideblog for it
Bald/Nuance/See Results
Voting ended onJan 19
note that the majority of my stuff would still be vore and G/t, but I have some unposted works that have TF on the side or as an additional main theme. there will also be a follow-up question to this so keep an eye out for that
if you have questions, comments, or concerns about this, feel free to put 'em in the notes of this post or send an ask
also yeah the phrasing on this poll is rather unserious and I don't anticipate that anyone will actually come after me if I start posting TF but eh, anxiety isn't always rational
Would You Kill Me Dead If I Started Posting Nonsexual Transformation On This Blog
Yes. Perish.
No??? Do what you want
I actively want you to, please do
maybe make a sideblog for it
Bald/Nuance/See Results
Voting ended onJan 19
note that the majority of my stuff would still be vore and G/t, but I have some unposted works that have TF on the side or as an additional main theme. there will also be a follow-up question to this so keep an eye out for that
if you have questions, comments, or concerns about this, feel free to put 'em in the notes of this post or send an ask
also yeah the phrasing on this poll is rather unserious and I don't anticipate that anyone will actually come after me if I start posting TF but eh, anxiety isn't always rational
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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falls to my knees i love transformation i love reading about bugs everything you make slaps crazystyle cowabunga etc etc explodes into 200 varied flowers .
Sheesh, i get that feeling of getting distracted, developing higher expectations for your works and/or having your interest drift from the previous. As an artist myself, it's completely relatable and understandable! No need to push yourself if it's a struggle to do smth specific, writing and drawing should mostly be fun, relaxing and/or for enjoyment, depending on a person.
If you have different priorities right now, it's completely alright! If you have other interests right now that differ from what you do on this blog, no biggie! I'm sure i speak for the majority of your followers when i say that we understand and there's no pressure put on you to finish anything
(Sorry if this is a little much-)
{Would have sent it privately (assuming you would have been alright with it in the first place of course) but I'm on my old account that I'm not too proud of anymore soooooo... Hopefully a random ass anon patting your shoulder doesn't bother you too much (-<âą')}
heh, thank you for all your understanding, I really appreciate it. and I totally get not being proud of an old account sfhkfhgs it seems to happen a lot around here- /lh
but yeah I've been writing a ton, and it's still a lot of bug vore lmao, just that I've also been exploring other themes along with that and I don't know if some of them would get me attacked with pitchforks if I posted them here lmao;; (speaking of which I still need to get around to just posting that poll I've been thinking of for the past like year or two of "would you guys kill me dead if I started posting a little nonsexual TF on the side as a treat")
and again I can't get myself to actually finish anything that I could post here, even though I desperately want to share my stuff ;v; I could post WIP snippets again but I wanna share complete stuff, not string you guys along on fragments
but yeah your asks haven't been too much, if anything it's me spilling my guts all over the floor here that's being too much eheh. you seem very kind, and again, thanks for the understanding <3
Poking you with a comically large stick from the doorway
Is everything alright? You were more active for a few days and then fell into the backrooms. Just busy or did smth happen? (Asking not because impatient but genuinely curious/worried)
okay so the thing about that
I really wanted to write something for another ask I was sent a few months ago
and then I started writing for it and realized I didn't know how exactly I wanted it to go and I got stuck
and then I put it down and I haven't thought of anything else to do with this blog since then and I've just gone back to what I was doing before. aka writing down fic ideas and occasionally working on the actual fics themselves and never finishing anything hfjkshgkjfs
plus I've also become a lot more active on my main than I ever was before, and I've been interacting with people on discord more, so that's kind of. filled the hole?;;
I do want to post on here again, and actually finish fics, but my interests have shifted a little and it's hard to get motivated to write or draw things that would fit on this blog, especially as my standards for myself keep increasing and any WIPs seem more and more impossible to turn into fully realized works. the only things I can get myself to finish are things I'd never show anyone, because my standards for those aren't nearly so high
wow this turned into a vent, huh. sorry about that
here have some low-effort warmup sketches I did within the past month or two, as a treet. it's not vore or anything it's just two S/hermas and a S/eth. and a Gay Thoughts T/iso
How do you think H/egemol and T/welth A/rchitect meeting would go? Also, why do you keep separating names with the /?
ooooo, that's an interesting one. and thanks for doing the slashes thing, even if you don't understand it, heh. it helps keep my posts out of the main fandom tags/searches so that the people who don't want to see my kind of blog are less likely to stumble across it on accident.
but anyway, heck yeah, meeting of two tinkerers
putting it under a cut because 1. it got kinda long, and 2. for anyone avoiding (act 2) s/ilksong spoilers
I think they'd have a lot of valuable knowledge to exchange. just full hyperfixation rambling mode at each other, their "conversation" a nonstop torrent of incomprehensible technical jargon, complete nonsense to the average onlooker.
it might take a bit to get to that point, of course. gotta figure each other out, first. H/egemol's the quiet, observant type, and in his armor, he looks like any old massive muscle-for-hire. if anyone could see the suit for what it really is, though, I'm sure it would be a bot like T/welfth.
which would scare the hell out of H/ege, I'm sure, being figured out so easily like that, but it's not like this automaton has any interest in eating him. bigotry against maggots probably isn't much better in P/harloom, considering their whole Everything, but T/welfth has like None opinions on that. there is only their directive.
they wouldn't give too much of a shiet about H/egemol at first, honestly, seeing as he's not a Weaver, but once they realize that 1. he's wearing a mech suit of foreign origin, and 2. he built it himself, then they'd launch into that sort of academic discussion.
the A/rchitect's technical knowledge is a lot more advanced than H/egemol's, even with him as one of the leading engineers of his kingdom, but he picks up on what they show him quickly, and he does have some insights of his own to offer. different techniques and such, but mostly further ways to augment constructions with magic. I imagine he's intrigued by the whole S/ilkfly thing. it seems more efficient than using raw Soul. he doesn't, uh. doesn't yet know where they come from;;
alright, this is getting long, but while you're here, on This Particular Blog, if you'd like a vorish scenario-
I imagine T/welfth A/rchitect would be really interested in picking apart H/egemol's suit to see how a less technologically-advanced society got something like that to work. H/egemol, of course, is not comfortable with this and really has to be talked into it. he knows T/welfth can likely put it back together flawlessly, he just doesn't want to be... exposed.
their solution? stuff him in their internal storage compartment while they work. there, feels just like his armor. surrounded by metal and moving parts and clicking cogs. comfy cozy. it might even be slightly Not Freezing Cold against his Thin Fragile Chitin, since they're actively working all the time.
they give him copies of a bunch of blueprints, a deactivated automaton or two, and may even lend him their own arm or something for him to dissect in recompense. they've got four, it's fine. they can rebuild it themself if he messes something up.
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I love you nonconsensual body modification I love you transformation I love you newly-turned vampires and werewolves I love you ghosts realizing their own death I love you zombies that retain their sapience I love you came back wrong trope I love you body swaps between two different species I love you character having another character occupying their body physically (vore/endosoma) or metaphysically (sharing a body trope) I love you characters facing a life-altering injury and learning to live with their new limitations I love you characters having to deal with sudden drastic changes to their bodies that make them feel no longer wholly their own
on the topic of nonsexual vore, sometimes i can tell i'm iron deficient because i'll start having dreams about eating people. just thought it was interesting
Thoughts on silk song? I know you were super excited for it
(thank you for spacing the words out, that might be enough for me to get away with posting this without it showing up in the main tag lmao)
anyway I've 100%ed the game as of a couple weeks ago so the thing I said just before it came out about not spoiling it for me no longer applies (EXCEPT for the secret ending, I've just started a run to try and get that, no spoilies blease)
good game, highly enjoyed, and I look forward to future updates/DLCs đ
spoilers under the cut
ohhhhh my gods I am phucking OBSESSED with Styx you don't understadn. they are my scrungliest boyfailure. this thing has So Many Problems and I can fix him and also make him worse <3 I don't really ship Styxnet but I can appreciate it from a distance so long as the dynamic is handled with nuance and care
this binch is Optimal Pred Material (though I could see it being a willing prey as well if shrunken down) and I am throwing it at my other scrungle from the last game. they are not in any position for healthy relationships but I can. I can fix them.
Huntress is also optimal pred of course. was honestly having Thoughts about her before the game even came out lmao. those thoughts still persist for the most part, but alas, other bugs have taken the forefront
I honestly didn't like Green Prince at first. I didn't like that he was tall and edgy and had that kinda voice and called a prince and didn't fit in with the rest of the game at all in terms of visual design. I thought he was tumblr sexyman bait. but now I see the light. he is all of those things for a reason. and he is kinda tumblr sexyman bait but like in an acceptable way imo. good storyline. made me feel things. he is spinning rapidly in my brain
I have. so many godsdamb ideas for him and his lover. I can fix it. all the phucked up stuff will still have happened because that's where all the fun is but I can fix it. I have been given new touys and I am Going to play with them. (also they were both pred-leaning switches but in the present day one of them is prey-only due to no longer being physically capable of eating anyone. ...for now at least.)
I've noticed that a lot of people seem to view Sherma as a child, which. okay yeah I get that, it makes sense. he's smol (though no smaller than plenty of other adult HK bugs) and has a very high pitched voice and a very innocent/naĂŻve view of the world, I can see where they're coming from. I, however, see him as an adult and always have, since that's just the assumption I came in with when I first heard about him years ago, and the game never disproved it. I imagine him as just a guy who grew up in an environment where he didn't have to face the Horrors and could get through everything on blind faith alone, or, despite it all, his optimism persisted through everything the world could throw at him.
that being said. heehoo Sherma prey. I rest my case.
Trobbio. I want to dangle him over a maw and drop him in while he kicks and wails about how his ruff and makeup are going to be ruined. he would also be the most insufferable pred if given the chance. lemme at 'im I can do so much with this dork. (I am Also throwing him at my scrungle from the last game)
Shakra pred hell yeah hell yeah woo yeah hell yeah can I get a hell yeah
Pinstress and Seamstress have Potential and I don't know what to do with it yet but it's There, trust
I am going to be the first person to write a Lugroali (Lugoli (Ass Jim)/Groal) fic on Ao3 if no one does it first and it is Going to be vore and the only way to stop me is if someone else writes and posts a damb Lugroali fic before me. it's too easy. Groal canonically vores you I mean come on. literally in the art that started the whole ship the artist drew Lugoli getting sucked into Groal's mouth. what did you expect to happen. this is going to be what gets me out of my hiatus
Lace and Phantom are very eatable. to me. Phantom probably tastes like shiet but fix them up a little and it's fiiiiiine. they could use a rest I'm sure. Lace is nonstop complaining though
Second Sentinel! also very eatable. metallic and cold yes but I'm sure they'd be very polite in there if you asked nicely
Twelfth Architect I lobve yuooouuuuuouuuouu,,,,,,, blease put me in your thorax compartment,,,,,,,,,,,,, that you definitely have,,,,,,,,, it would be so noisy in there but it's comfy. trust. trust. you can put a wad of silk in there and make a lil bed it's fine.
Garmond, switch, easy. cuddly as phuck. very protective as a pred, takes it very seriously, encourages his friends to rest in there and have faith in him to watch over them. has to be very thoroughly convinced that it's okay for himself to rest if the positions are reversed. he does trust his allies but he feels that he needs to be out there fighting alongside them, or on their behalf.
Zaza is most likely sapient, at least in my interpretation, but for the sake of not getting attacked with pitchforks they can remain an observer. probably tends to cuddle up to Garmond's belly if he has someone in there, or cuddles up to whoever's eaten him if he's in someone else. fusses over him a lot
Grindle. put him in tummy jail. he'd probably make a palace out of the place tbh, he's used to it. at least it's more comfy than the other kinds
I'm not gonna bring Bell Beast (aka Eira aka Buppy) into the vore but I just wanna cuddle her and her Liddol Buppies so bad. so so bad.
same with Fayforn. snuggle that minor deity/nature spirit/definitely just a normal bugbird
oh speaking of fluffy things. Vog. the predcrush. oh my gods. not to be a lesbian but ohhhhh my gods
Kratt can go die in a hole though I'm feeding him to a ductsucker
Khann and Karmelita excellent preds 10/10 no notes (yes notes actually but this post is getting long enough as it is)
Gurr also, actually. so so much pred potential
Seth as a character is so so beloved to me and I almost cried when I fought him but out of respect I will not be discussing him on this blog
that is probably. more than enough for now. as a treet for reading through all that, have this quick Styx doodle I made a while ago (and if you've by some slim chance seen this elsewhere already, no you haven't <3)
Anatomy: larvae (usually called caterpillars) have a cylindrical body with a well-developed head, chewing mouthparts, and from none to up to five pairs of prolegs in addition to six pairs of thoracic legs; adults have dusty scales that cover their large, usually triangular wings and body, modified into flattened âhairsâ; two pairs of wings (a few species have reduced wings or are wingless); proboscis for siphoning liquids
Diet: foliage, nectar, some caterpillars are carnivorous, some do not feed as adults
Metamorphosis: holometabolous
Habitat: found in all terrestrial habitats worldwide, except Antarctica
Evolved in: Early Jurassic (possible Late Triassic records)
Do you have a favorite in Lepidoptera?
One or more of my favorite animals is in Lepidoptera
I love at least one or more of these animals
I like at least one or more of these animals
I am neutral about at least one or more of these animals
I dislike all of these animals
Voting ended onOct 31, 2025
Propaganda under the cut:
Lepidoptera is one of the most widespread, widely recognizable, and most popular insect orders in the world. About 180,000 species of Lepidopterans have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organisms.
Lepidopterans first appeared in the fossil record in the Triassic-Jurassic boundary and coevolved with flowering plants since the angiosperms first began to bloom in the Middle/Late Cretaceous.
Limacodidae (âslug caterpillar mothsâ). The caterpillars are doing all sorts of things. The adults are fully stanced up. Thereâs just a lot going on here.
Among the most northern dwelling species of butterflies and moths is the Siberian Apollo (Parnassius arcticus), which is found in the Arctic Circle in northeastern Yakutia, at an altitude of 1,500 metres (4,900Â ft) above sea level. In the Himalayas, various Apollo species such as the Common Red Apollo (Parnassius epaphus) have been recorded to occur up to an altitude of 6,000 metres (20,000Â ft) above sea level.
Pyralid moth species, called sloth moths, such as Bradipodicola hahneli and Cryptoses choloepi, are unusual in that they are exclusively found inhabiting the fur of sloths (suborder Folivora). These moths live off of the algae that grows on the fur of sloths, eating enough for it to not become cumbersome, but not so much that the sloth loses its camouflage. In fact, the mothâs droppings enhance the algae growth, thus enhancing the slothâs camouflage, as well as generating a self-sustaining âgardenâ that will feed itself and ensure the health of its next generation.
Moths are able to hear the range emitted by bats, which in effect causes flying moths to make evasive maneuvers to avoid their main predators. Ultrasonic frequencies trigger a reflex action in Owlet Moths (family Noctuidae) that will cause it to drop a few inches in its flight to evade attack from bats. Tiger Moths (tribe Arctiini) emit defensive clicks within the same range of bats, which interfere with the bats and foil their attempts to echolocate it.
Artistic depictions of butterflies have been used in many cultures including as early as 3500 years ago, in Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The Monarch subspecies Danaus plexippus plexippus migrates each autumn to overwintering sites near the west coast of California or mountainous sites in central Mexico. This massive movement of butterflies has been recognized as "one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world". The subspecies was categorized as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2022, as it has declined anywhere between 23 and 72 percent in the past 10 years. There is concern that the migration of the eastern North American population may be at risk. Studies have shown that this is mainly due to the loss of critical milkweed habitat, as native milkweed is the host plant for monarch caterpillars, and more croplands are using herbicides to control âweedsâ.
The Domestic Silk Moth (Bombyx mori) is the domesticated form of the Wild Silk Moth (Bombyx mandarina), and one of the few truly domesticated insects. The caterpillars, called silkworms, are entirely dependent on humans for reproduction, as a result of millennia of selective breeding, and the adults are no longer capable of flight. Silkworms are a primary producer of silk, which is collected from their cocoons. Silkworms are also sometimes used as feeder insects for pet reptiles or invertebrates, as food for humans, or can be kept as pets themselves.
Sphinx Moths (family Sphingidae) are some of the fastest flying insects: some are capable of flying at over 50 kilometres per hour (31Â mph), having a wingspan of 35â150 millimetres (1.4â5.9Â in). They have a hovering, hummingbird-like flight, and can fly both forward and backward.
Moths exhibit a tendency to circle artificial lights repeatedly. This suggests they use a technique of celestial navigation called transverse orientation. By maintaining a constant angular relationship to a bright celestial light, such as the Moon, they can fly in a straight line. Celestial objects are so far away, even after traveling great distances, the change in angle between the moth and the light source is negligible; further, the moon will always be in the upper part of the visual field or on the horizon. When a moth encounters a much closer artificial light and uses it for navigation, the angle changes noticeably after only a short distance, in addition to being often below the horizon. The moth instinctively attempts to correct by turning toward the light, causing airborne moths to come plummeting downwards, and at close range, which results in a spiral flight path that gets closer and closer to the light source.
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Anatomy: neuropteran larvae are specialised predators, with elongated mandibles adapted for piercing and sucking, their body form varies between families; adults have smaller chewing mouthparts and four membranous, veined wings, all about the same size
Diet: varies widely between families: from arthropods, small vertebrates, freshwater sponges, bryozoans, spider egg sacs, roots, pollen, honeydew, or nectar
Metamorphosis: holometabolous
Habitat: worldwide in terrestrial and freshwater habitats (excluding Antarctica)
Evolved in: Permian
(source)
Do you have a favorite in Neuroptera?
One or more of my favorite animals is in Neuroptera
I love at least one or more of these animals
I like at least one or more of these animals
I am neutral about at least one or more of these animals
I dislike all of these animals
Voting ended onOct 29, 2025
Propaganda under the cut:
Neuropterans evolved in the Permian, and convergently evolved many of the traits some of the more famous insect orders today had first. Specifically, the extinct family Kalligrammatidae, often called "the butterflies of the Jurassic", had large, patterned wings long before butterflies evolved, and the mantidflies (family Mantispidae) (image 2) have been around since the early Jurassic, sporting raptorial forelimbs before the mantises (order Mantodea) arrived in the late Jurassic. However, following the KâPg Extinction Event, the diversity of neuropterans has declined.
Adult Green Lacewings (family Chrysopidae) (image 1) have tympanal organs at their forewings' base, enabling them to hear well. Some Chrysopa species show evasive behavior when they hear a bat's ultrasound calls: when in flight, they close their wings (making their echolocation signature smaller) and drop down to the ground. Green lacewings also use substrate or body vibrations as a form of communication between themselves, especially during courtship.
Green Lacewings lay their eggs one by one, each mounted on a slender stalk about 1Â cm long, usually on the underside of a leaf, wherever aphids are present. Immediately after hatching, the larvae moult, then crawl up the egg stalk to feed on the nearby prey. Green lacewing larvae are colloquially known as "aphid lions" (also spelled "aphidlions") or "aphid wolves". Depending on species and environmental conditions, some green lacewings may eat only about 150 prey items in their entire lives, but in other cases they can eat 100 aphids in just a single week. Their performance is variable, but there is interest in further research to improve the use of green lacewings as biological pest control.
Some Chrysopa species are sometimes referred to as âstinkfliesâ, due to a defense mechanism that enables them to release a vile smell from paired prothoracic glands when threatened.
The Spongillaflies (family Sisyridae) have a unique life cycle. At first glance, the aquatic larvae have spindly legs on a bulky thorax, long antennae, and flexible, threadlike mouthparts. However, they carry seven pairs of jointed, movable tracheal gills beneath their plump abdomen. This type of gill is possessed by no other living insect family. Spongillafly larvae use their unique threadlike mouthparts to parasitize Spongillidae freshwater sponges (of the genus Spongilla, hence the name "spongillaflies") and Phylactolaemata freshwater bryozoans by stinging into the host animals' body and sucking out cell contents. They will feed for several weeks to one year, before leaving the water to find a damp, hidden place on land to make their cocoon. Adult spongillaflies are omnivores, mainly scavenging on carrion, but also feeding on pollen and honeydew, as well as hunting small invertebrates.
The Wasp Mantidfly (Climaciella brunnea) mimics paper wasps not only in looks but also in behavior: when disturbed it will curl its abdomen beneath itself, mimicking a stinging wasp. If that doesnât work, it will hold the tip of its abdomen vertically and move itself in a back and forth motion, displaying its striking coloration.
Many neuropteran larvae are known for being specialized predators, but none quite so famous as antlion (family Myrmeleontidae) larvae, sometimes called âdoodlebugsâ, because of the spiraling marks they leave in the sand. Antlion larvae have a large, plump abdomen and long, venomous mandibles (see gif above). They are covered in forward-pointing bristles which help them to anchor their abdomens in the substrate, and exert greater traction, enabling them to subdue prey considerably larger than themselves. Larvae are ambush predators and, depending on the species, they will either hide and wait for prey under leaves, debris, pieces of wood, in cracks, or they will build a funnel-shaped pit trap. As ambush predators, catching prey is risky because food arrives unpredictably and, for those species that make traps, maintaining one is costly. The larvae therefore have low metabolic rates and can survive for many months without food. They can take several years to complete their life-cycle, but mature faster with plentiful food. Once the larvae attains maximum size, it will spin a cocoon of substrate and fine silk from its spinneret. After completing its transformation into an adult insect over the course of about one month, it emerges from the case. Adult antlions resemble large, nocturnal dragonflies, and generally do not live as long as their larval forms, typically living for about 25 days, but some adults survive for as long as 45 days. Adult antlions are much larger than their larval form, however, and exhibit the greatest disparity in size between larva and adult of any type of holometabolous insect.
Antlion larvae are unusual among insects in lacking an anus. All the metabolic waste generated during the larval stage is stored for later. Some is used to spin the silk for its cocoon and the rest is eventually voided as meconium at the end of its pupal stage (ie. they reach adulthood and the first thing they do is take the biggest poop of their life).
While antlions are more famous, their cousins, the owlflies (family Ascalaphidae) (image 3) also have ambush-hunting, predatory larvae. Owlfly larvae resemble antlion larvae, but have elongate, sometimes finger-like appendages on the side of each of their abdominal segments, helping break up their silhouette and better camouflage them against their surroundings, usually against leaves, tree bark, or substrate. In some genera, larvae actively place sand and debris onto their back as self-decoration camouflage. Uniquely for neuropterans, which tend to be poor fliers, adult owlflies fill a similar niche as dragonflies, being fast-flying aerial predators which capture and feed on other insects in flight. Both larvae and adult owlflies are important in maintaining a natural ecological balance and helping to control pest insects.
Many neuropterans are predators of common crop pests like aphids, scale insects, and mites, both as larvae and as adults. Their use as biological pest control has been examined, however, it is difficult to introduce and maintain populations in fields of crops. Nevertheless, farmers appreciate the neuropterans that do visit their crops, as they are dependable âhelpersâ. Gardeners can attract green lacewings (and therefore ensure a steady supply of larvae) by using certain companion plants and tolerating beneficial weeds. Chrysopidae are attracted mainly by Asteraceae, such as calliopsis (Coreopsis), cosmos (Cosmos), sunflowers (Helianthus) and dandelion (Taraxacum), and Apiaceae such as dill (Anethum) or angelica (Angelica).
Anatomy: two compound eyes and three ocelli; chewing mouthparts (bees have developed their mouthparts into a proboscis for drinking nectar); when present, there are two pairs of wings; the forward margin of the hind wing bears a number of hooked bristles, or hamuli, which lock onto the fore wing, keeping them held together; females have an ovipositor for laying eggs (in some species this has been modified into a venomous stinger)
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Most hymenopterans are parasitoids, feeding on nectar or other plant material as adults but living as parasites as larvae. Adult females have a special ovipositor for inserting eggs into hosts or places that are otherwise inaccessible. In some species, this ovipositor is often modified into a venomous stinger (thus, only female hymenopterans are capable of stinging). The sting is typically used to immobilize prey, but some wasps (including ants and bees) may use it in defense.
The Cedar Wood Wasp (Syntexis libocedrii) is the only living species in the family Anaxyelidae, though the family has an extensive Mesozoic fossil record, making it a âliving fossilâ. The Cedar Wood Wasp has the strange behavior of greatly favoring ovipositing in recently burnt incense-cedar (Calocedrus), red cedar (Thuja) or juniper (Juniperus). The wood is often still smoldering while the wasp is laying its eggs, and the larvae develop in the warm, burnt wood. The Cedar Wood Wasp occurs from the mountains of central California to southern British Columbia, but is very rarely seen, except by firefighters.
The parasitoid Tick Wasp (Ixodiphagus hookeri) has been investigated for its potential to control tick populations. It lays its eggs in ticks, and the hatching wasps kill their hosts.
The smallest known insect is Dicopomorpha echmepterygis, a Fairy Wasp from the family Mymaridae. D. echmepterygis males are blind, apterous, and their body length is only 40% that of females, with a body length averaging 186 ÎŒm⊠smaller than certain species of Paramecium, amoeba, and shorter than certain bacteria (Thiomargarita magnifica), all of which are single-celled organisms. The measured body length of a female was 550 ÎŒm. D. echmepterygis males have relatively long legs and are dull grayish brown, with small heads that lack compound eyes, and unsegmented antennae. Females, however, have entirely black bodies with dusky brown legs and antennae. The antennae are twice as long as the males, and females have fully-functional wings that are narrowed slightly through the middle. The wasps parasitize the eggs of the bark louse Echmepteryx hageni. Adult males appear to mate with their sisters inside the host egg and die without ever leaving the egg. âŠfollow bestanimal for more Bug Sex Facts.
Little is known about the family Trigonalidae, but what is known indicates a remarkably improbable life history: in nearly all known species, females lay thousands of minute eggs, "clamping" them to the edges of, or injecting them inside leaves. The egg must then be consumed by a caterpillar. Once inside the caterpillar, the trigonalid egg either hatches and attacks any other parasitoid larvae (including its siblings) inside the caterpillar, or it waits until the caterpillar is killed and fed to a vespid larva, which it then attacks and feeds on. If the caterpillar is neither attacked by another parasitoid nor fed to a vespid, the trigonalid larva fails to develop. Therefore, they are parasitoids or hyperparasitoids, but in a manner unique among all insects, in that the eggs must be swallowed by a host, and even more unusual in that there may be an intermediate host.
In the eusocial wasp subfamilies Polistinae and Vespinae, both adults and larvae feed each other. While adults typically feed on nectar and other fluids, they will bring chewed up protein sources, such as insect prey, back to the larvae of the colony. Prey are chewed up and fed to the larvae, which in return, produce a clear liquid (with high amino acid content) for the adults to consume; the exact amino acid composition varies considerably among species, but it is considered to contribute substantially to adult nutrition.
Ants (family Formicidae) are derived eusocial wasps identified by their elbowed antennae and distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen individuals often living in small natural cavities, to highly organised colonies that may occupy large territories with a sizeable nest (or nests) that can reach hundreds of millions of individuals in super colonies. Typical colonies consist of various castes of sterile, wingless females, most of which are workers (ergates), as well as soldiers (dinergates) and other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens" (gynes). Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems. Some ant colonies are peaceful farmers of fungi, hemipterans, and Lycaenid caterpillars, while others are conquering warriors that kill or even enslave other ant colonies.
Trap-jaw Ants of the genus Odontomachus are equipped with mandibles called trap-jaws, which snap shut faster than any other predatory appendages within the animal kingdom. One study of Odontomachus bauri recorded peak speeds of between 126 and 230Â km/h (78 and 143Â mph), with the jaws closing within 130 microseconds on average. The ants were also observed to use their jaws as a catapult to eject intruders or fling themselves backward to escape a threat.
(suicide cw) A Malaysian species of ant in the Camponotus cylindricus group has enlarged mandibular glands that extend into their gaster. If combat takes a turn for the worse, a worker may perform a final act of suicidal altruism by rupturing the membrane of its gaster, causing the content of its mandibular glands to burst from the anterior region of its head, spraying a poisonous, corrosive secretion containing acetophenones and other chemicals that immobilise surrounding insect attackers. The worker subsequently dies, hopefully taking the surrounding attackers with it. (/suicide cw)
Ants may be the only group apart from mammals where interactive teaching has been observed. A more knowledgeable Rock Ant (Temnothorax albipennis) forager will lead a naĂŻve nest-mate to newly discovered food by the process of tandem running. The follower obtains knowledge through its tutor. The leader is acutely sensitive to the progress of the follower and slows down when the follower lags and speeds up when the follower gets too close.
Leafcutter ants (Atta and Acromyrmex) feed exclusively on a fungus that grows only within their colonies. They continually collect leaves which are taken to the colony, cut into tiny pieces, and placed in fungal gardens. Workers specialise in related tasks according to their sizes. The largest ants cut stalks, smaller workers chew the leaves, and the smallest tend the fungus. Leafcutter ants are sensitive enough to recognise the reaction of the fungus to different plant material, apparently detecting chemical signals from the fungus. If a particular type of leaf is found to be toxic to the fungus, the colony will no longer collect it. The ants feed on structures produced by the fungi called gongylidia. Symbiotic bacteria on the exterior surface of the ants produce antibiotics that kill bacteria introduced into the nest that may harm the fungi.
The Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) is the most common of the 7â12 species of honey bees worldwide, and was one of the first domesticated insects, likely first domesticated in ancient Egypt, where tomb paintings depict beekeeping before 2600 BC. It is the primary species maintained by beekeepers to this day, often kept in orchards and on farms both for pollination and for honey collection. Unfortunately, this has also led it to spread far outside its native range and become possibly invasive in some areas, and it often competes with native bees for resources when not kept within the farmlands it was bred to pollinate.
It is estimated that one third of the human food supply depends on pollination by insects, birds and bats, most of which is accomplished by bees, whether wild or domesticated.
There is a common misconception that bees "violate aerodynamic theory" (a misconception quoted quite often thanks to a certain movie). However, the truth is that bees do not engage in fixed-wing flight, but their flight is explained by other mechanics similar to those used by helicopters. In 1996 it was shown that vortices created by many insects' wings helped to provide lift. High-speed cinematography and robotic mock-up of a bee wing showed that lift was generated by "the unconventional combination of short, choppy wing strokes, a rapid rotation of the wing as it flops over and reverses direction, and a very fast wing-beat frequency". Wing-beat frequency normally increases as size decreases, but as the bee's wing beat covers such a small arc, it flaps approximately 230 times per second, faster than a fruitfly (200 times per second) which is 80 times smaller.
Bees and honey were sacred in Ancient Greece. Honey, according to a Greek myth, was discovered by a nymph called Melissa ("Bee"); and honey was offered to the Greek gods from Mycenean times. Bees were also associated with the Delphic oracle and the prophetess was sometimes called a bee.
The Schmidt sting pain index is a pain scale rating the relative pain caused by different hymenopteran stings. It is mainly the work of Justin O. Schmidt, who was an entomologist at the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Arizona. Schmidt classified the stings of 78 species and 41 genera of Hymenoptera, rating their level of pain, starting from 0 for stings that are completely ineffective against humans, progressing through 2 for familiar pains such as those caused by common bee or wasp stings, and finishing at 4 for the most painful stings. Only the Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata), the Pepsine Spider Wasp (Pepsis grossa), and the Northern Warrior Wasp (Synoeca septentrionalis) ever achieved a 4 rating.
Hymenopterans in general are highly susceptible to habitat loss, which can lead to substantial decreases in species richness and have major ecological implications due to their pivotal role as plant pollinators.