buggirl42069

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Friend aquired! c:

This is a cat. To me

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Funguary entry 4 - Wrinkled Peach Mushroom

actually the first one i drew. graceful lady. don't worry about the bleeding

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hey bug nation. i forgor to share my oil paintings from last semester

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A Story About Taking in a Strange Creature by Ishida Umi

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ouhggh 😳

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2023-05-02

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Snake-Mimicking Sphinx Moth (Hemeroplanes triptolemus): the caterpillars of this species are able to mimic snakes by turning upside-down and inflating the area around their head

It's very common for moths to engage in mimicry during the larval stage of their development, and their caterpillars are often known to mimic snakes. In most cases, they'll simply mimic the snake's eyes (or eye) and its general morphology, but there are a few species that take their disguises to a much higher level, mimicking the snake's eyes, scaly texture, coloration, posture, and even its behavior with such a startling degree of accuracy that the tiny, harmless caterpillars are often mistaken for actual snakes.

Hemeroplanes triptolemus is probably the most famous example of this.

Above: a caterpillar of the species Hemeroplanes triptolemus displaying its defensive posture

This species of sphinx moth can be found in the rainforests of Central and South America. When threatened, the caterpillar suspends itself from a twig, turns its body over to expose its underbelly, tucks in its legs, and inflates the anterior segments of its body in order to mimic the shape of a serpent's head. As the body segments expand, several markings on each side of the caterpillar's body are exposed, mimicking the eyes and nostrils of a snake.

Above: the caterpillar is shown hanging upside-down; its actual head is visible near the tip of the "snake nose"

As this article explains:

At the slightest hint of danger—be it a stooping bird or pouncing lizard—the sphinx moth caterpillar begins its masquerade. Dangling from a twig, it reveals an underside patterned in faux snakeskin and eyespots that appear to glisten. By sucking in air through tiny holes in its surface, the caterpillar inflates its head to create the illusion of a triangular skull swollen with venom glands. If the shape of a deadly snake isn’t enough to startle away a hungry predator, the caterpillar will lunge as if to strike. And despite the larva’s comical lack of any actual weaponry, the strategy appears to be effective.

Above: detailed photos of the "snake's head"

This disguise is only present in the final instar, which is the last stage of development before the caterpillar undergoes pupation and then matures into an adult moth.

Above: the adult form of Hemeroplanes triptolemus

As I've said before, moths are some of the very best mimics in the world. I've also written posts about wasp-mimicking moths, moths that mimic jumping spiders, a moth that can mimic a broken birch twig, a moth that disguises itself as two flies feeding on bird poop, another snake-mimicking moth caterpillar, a moth that mimics a curled-up leaf, a moth that mimics a cuckoo bee, moths that mimic hornets and bumblebees, and a moth that can mimic the leaves of a poplar tree.

Sources & More Info:

BioGraphic: Snake Fake

National Geographic: This Harmless Caterpillar Looks Like a Pit Viper

Animal Behaviour: Defensive Posture and Eyespots Deter Avian Predators from Attacking Caterpillar Models

University of Nebraska: Mimicry in Insects (PDF)

Ecology and Evolution: Outstanding Issues in the Study of Antipredator Defenses

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Soil centipede, Orya barbarica, Oryidae

Found in Morocco and Spain

Photos 1-6 by faluke, 7 by sebsant, 8-9 by pierrecorbrion, and 10 (for scale) by federico_biguzzi

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Alejandra Bogue por Joel-Peter Witkin

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wowowowowow

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I ordered some plants online and got an extra special bonus

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for the past few days I've been waking up to the sound of a small animal in my bedroom, messing with plastic bags and such on the floor, but in a way that I had literally no idea what it was. It sounds about the size of a mouse, but it doesn't scurry in bursts like a mouse - it moves continuously. when it walks over plastic, it sounds like slowly deflating an air mattress into a bag of tissue paper.

now that I own the house and I have to pay to fix this stuff, it's extra disturbing; especially since I can't find any evidence of damage in the rest of the house. a squirrel already destroyed some of the soffit to get into the roof earlier this week - what new horrible thing is here now?

friends, today I caught the animal:

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What a terrible world we live in where you can google wild plants or bugs because you're interested in them and the first results are all "how do I kill this"

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@fishermod submitted: Who's this little friend I found on the pool room door? Spotted in the Vancouver area of BC, Canada.

What a cutie! It's a California flattened jumping spider :)

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i love my girlfriend @tourmalyyyne

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Spiny handsome fungus beetle, Cacodaemon hystricosus, Endomychidae

Photographed in Singapore by Nicky Bay // Website // Facebook

Shared with permission; do not remove credit or re-post!

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Walker’s frother moth, Amerila rubripes, Erebidae

Photographed at Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia by Steve & Alison1

Shared with permission; do not remove credit or re-post!