#fuscous

forgot how fun painting was lmao

THESE COLORS WERE NOT ALTERED.  Yes, Perilampid wasps look like this.  And, there are insect themes (almost actually memes) where certain groups flip the switch and go from the more normal apparently melanin based integuments (my quick read of the lit is that melanin is not just a pigment, but a   super hero pigment that has all sort of super powers that I am not competent to talk about, but probably a big reason that insect bodies are fuscous (old name meaning dark, but maybe not black, also indicates that I might be showing off just a little in the way that taxonomists like their jargon because they are valued so little by society)) to metallic.  Probably under there is still an armor of melanin, but that it just a guess.  Anyway Perilampids like this one do metal in spades.  Sadly there will be no more Perilampids on this site if the 200 acre maglev trainyard is built on top these globally rare forests.  Where are the metallic people btw?  Photo by Cole Cheng.  

Marked by active interest and enthusiasm.