Twitchy's Techhole

When I said it was birdseed she just went “oh- can they actually eat that? Is that safe?”

I didnt know how to respond like, at all, so I just pointed at the duck and said “bird”

tech news today is that Mullvad VPN has gone mask-off about being the major funding source for the Swedish Orebro party, who are racist nationalists. unfortunately all discussion of this is occurring on fucking Mastodon instances i can barely load

if you are a mullvad customer (as i am) and want to get out, here is guidance from this guy

The scientific name of this species is Naryciodes posticalis. It belongs to the Limacodidae family of moths, which are commonly known as slug moths, thanks to the gelatinous, slug-like appearance of their larvae. That name seems a little ironic in this case, because Naryciodes posticalis actually mimics a snail.

Above: Naryciodes posticalis caterpillar

The caterpillar has a bulge in the center of its body, with colorful markings that form three concentric layers. These features mimic the appearance of a snail's shell, which may help to deter predators. It also has a pair of short, stubby appendages that resemble eyestalks, but they're located at the back of the caterpillar's body.

Above: this photo shows the underside of the caterpillar's body, with its mouth slightly visible on the right

This species is found only in Japan.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't find any other information about these strange little creatures, and I get the sense that the entire genus is poorly studied.

Above: close-up of the caterpillar's head

Sources & More Info:

iNaturalist: Naryciodes posticalis

Zootaxa: A New Species of Naryciodes from Korea

Let's use mama as a pillow