#millipedes just look cool

[jadetheblade4]

I need to destroy the unreasonable bug fearer in me. My favorite type of bugs I like to see are moths, mantis, and millipedes guys

[hallowshumour]

Sum bugs I made!

Din is mine and Mia belongs to my friend Skye.

🐞🐛

[animalcuckllective]

I would love a big pet lizard. Once I don't have any cats I might get a pet skink or something. Something big and cute.

[spockandawe]

And finally, more crochet! After I finished the rocky horror lips, I felt this vague urge to clear out patterns I'd acquired and never made, and when I looked at my ravelry stash, obviously shuttle the shongololo was the first thing to catch my eye. Yes, it was a free pattern, not money I'd spent going to waste, but come on. IRRESISTIBLE.

I did do some modifications on the fly, because it's written for dk yarn (and a lot of it), and i have very little dk, but SO much worsted, including the variegated stripe yarn I was absolutely determined to use for the body. I think I multiplied recommended hook size by 1.5 all over and just went for it! Checking the gauge? In THIS economy?? But it was a huge success, even though I VASTLY underestimated how much material it would take and despite intending to use up my stash, I had to re-up on supplies multiple times (between yarn, stuffing, and breaking my hook, it was like. seven trips). I must inform you that there's so much material in this thing that when I tossed it onto this bed, it rolled off the other side and sounded like a body hitting the floor. It's huge, and it's HEAVY.

But the results are undeniable! Holding two stands of multicolor yarn with the same gradient pattern and just making sure they never sync was SO cool. And the underbelly is a velvet yarn that's sooooo so soft, I love it so much. However, 132 legs. That was... unfortunate. But I'm a creature of fleeting memory! And when I recovered a little, I started thinking about the short pillbug version of the millipede, and I started thinking about my yarn leftovers, and, well, here we are. I used one strand of a different gradient yarn to mix it up a little, and also, to avoid even more shopping trips, but oh man. OH MAN. This pattern is something I probably won't do again, but it is very, VERY fantastic

[bogleech]

Could I mayhaps know what's the name of that arachnid field guide you have 0//0 it looks really pretty and I have. A thirst for all arachnid related field guides and biology books, love those critters

The Golden Guide to Spiders and their Kin! There were lots of them, originally made in the 60's or 70's I believe, and they used to still be so common when I was a kid - still in print, and sold for just a couple dollars everywhere - I thought everybody had a few! But now they seem to be forgotten.

I had the spiders one, insects one and "seashores" one (mantis shrimps and nudibranchs!!) before I could even read, just looking at the pictures all day. As I learned to read they were how I learned concepts of taxonomy and ecology, why I knew what a "parasitoid" was in first grade and I'd talk constantly about insects that aren't really RARE, but culturally most people never heard about. These books made things like velvet ants, bolas spiders and hairy millipedes seem to me like knowledge as ordinary as dogs and cats.

That "pests of animals" page in particular is why I knew there were wingless parasitic flies, and I thought that was so cool, I was obsessed with "SHEEP KED" for my entire childhood. This bug that nobody ever heard of when I mentioned it, but was at one time deemed worthy of inclusion in an everyday field guide. And they include "duck louse" as an animal pest you're expected to encounter. Sheep and duck parasites?!.....Oh, right! When these books first published, it was still commonplace for almost everyone to have experience with farm animals. Most people at least had grandparents or aunts and uncles with a farm they might visit and help out on. Of course they would encounter sheep and duck parasites. I think they still publish these, actually, I'm sure I still saw them in Barnes and Noble only a few years ago, but it's remarkable what a different America they were made under. My old copy even recommended DDT to control bed bugs....they did eventually edit that out in newer editions.

Some of their attitudes may be outdated here and there, and they're only intended for North American wildlife, but I think the golden guides might still be perfect introductions to their topics for anyone, anywhere of any age really?? They're such well-balanced overviews so densely packed with just the most essential information about each organism.

....Did people really ever just call tree frogs "hylas?!" It's one of their genus names, but was it also used as a common name anywhere? That's a cute idea. Maybe it was, briefly, so at some point to someone there was a concept of Frog, Toad, and Hyla?

[frudoo]

Bells Ring (1)

Title: Fade Into You

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Warnings: Mentions of body-shaming, infertility, infidelity, alcohol consumption. Suggestive imagery.

MDNI

“May ah have this dance?”

Starstruck. That’s the only possible way to describe exactly how you felt the first time your eyes met that sea of cerulean peeking through long, dark lashes and a quirked brow. You tensed immediately upon hearing the prince’s unmistakable dialect. It was as if your body wanted to swallow itself whole, curl into a tiny little sphere like a frightened millipede hiding from a predator. He cleared his throat and you were drawn from your trance, hastily placing your dance card into his outstretched palm.

You were not the diamond of the season, not even close. Not even a nugget of bronze. Overlooked by Queen Aiyla herself, you fit in most perfectly with the common ladies of the ton, bonding over petty gossip and drinking lemonade in the gardens. Although you had a larger stomach and a softer jawline than most other ladies, you were friendly, pleasant company, and they treated you as such. Neither notably wealthy nor tragically poor, you were comfortable and content somewhere in between.

“I do apologize for my hesitation, Your Highness,” you’d said timidly as he led you to the dance floor, placing one hand on his shoulder and keeping the other in his.

“No apologies necessary, ah assure ye,” he’d responded with a charming lopsided smile, smoothly pulling you into his strong arms as the dance commenced.

Ewan had kept you occupied all night, much to the dismay of every mama and all of the more eligible ladies for a man of his nobility. He may as well have signed his name in every slot of your dance card, as he did not let another soul near you for the entire duration of the time he spent at the ball. When the night was over and the two of you parted ways, you were nearly positive that you must have dreamt up the whole ordeal, a childlike fantasy for a girl larger and far more inferior than nearly the whole population.

But the next morning, he’d arrived at your home to call on you and wasted his entire afternoon teaching you Gaelic phrases as well as entertaining your excitement over poetry. Ewan was kind and patient, holding your gaze and admiring your other features when you looked away. He was enamored with your beauty, your voice, your passions , simple as they may have been. You could not deny the butterflies in your soft stomach that only fluttered when he was around, or the goosebumps that rose across your delicate skin whenever his fingers brushed over yours.

From then on, the prince had made up his mind, spending most of his time courting you, taking you on walks through the gardens where all of the other ladies you had been acquainted with now looked upon you with jealous scorn. Ewan seemed to enjoy keeping you on his arm, showing you off. It was maddening, the absolute hold he had on your love-struck heart.

On a particularly cool night that autumn, he had snuck you into the innermost part of the woods, away from the night owls of society and into a safe haven where it was just the two of you. He’d lifted your skirt and sunk to his knees, worshiping the sweetness between your thighs like it was the only thing he was made for. You hadn’t known anything to feel better, not until his plump lips entwined with yours as he lay you on the damp grass and showed you what heaven hid beneath his trousers.

In less than a quarter of a year, he had proposed to you, and even quicker than that, you were wedded. The two of you honeymooned in Greece before returning to Glasgow, which you now called home. Just like that, you went from sewing your own dresses and cooking your own meals to eating dinner with the King and Queen as the respectable Princess MacTavish. It was overwhelming, to say the least, but the long nights you spent in your husband’s chambers made it all worth it.

You wish you could say you don’t know where it all went wrong. It was bliss in the beginning, days mostly spent in bed with each other or having picnics in the castle garden. But when you failed to conceive a child after your first wedding anniversary, tensions grew between you and your beloved. Ewan was supportive at the start, holding you while you wept and assuring you that you were not broken, these things just take time.

But by the time your second anniversary came around and you still were not with child, he had already withdrawn. He stopped inviting you to his chambers and declined each of your advances, only bedding you after his mother commented on the lack of intimacy between the pair of you. Ewan had become a shell of the man he used to be, a fraud residing in the body of the tender-hearted lover you fell so hard for.

Communications between you and your husband had been reduced to those of business, financials and such. When you would make your afternoon rounds around the ton to have tea with the elderly widows or pick flowers with the children to give to their mamas, Ewan would stay inside to write or drink his stress away. You grew to hate the smell of scotch.

After an especially nasty argument, your husband informed you that he would be taking some time for himself to travel. He might as well have smacked you across the face—for such royalty to travel for leisure without his wife was a clear sign that their marriage was in distress.

But you, innocent and naive, weren’t aware that the ton you poured all of your time into befriending had already sensed the strain long ago. Vicious whispers shaming your barrenness, blaming it on your plush body or lack of care, floated into every ear willing to listen like rotten leaves being carried by the breeze. The servants looked at you with pity as you watched Ewan ride away in his carriage, and gave you space to cry when you should have been bathing or eating dinner.

You were midway through another crying spell when the letter arrived on a random Tuesday afternoon, delivered to you by one of the servant girls. Addressed to Ewan, who still had not returned, with the heady scent of floral perfume seeping through the paper. Disrespectful as it was, you opened the letter and read it through furrowed eyebrows.

My Beloved Ewan,

Every second that we are apart is a dagger to this weary heart of mine. I am aware that you must return home to your family, or lack thereof, but I cannot stand to be an ocean away from you any longer. Come a fortnight after you have received this letter, I will be on my way to make my home in Glasgow. You will no longer need to travel to see me. Anytime you need me, I will be there. Until I am with you once more, hold this close to your heart and feel mine beat with yours. I belong to you entirely, ma chérie.

Coralie

You could practically feel your heart drop down to your stomach, bile rising until you abandoned the letter and your feet carried you to the drawing room. You emptied the contents of your belly into the chamber pot, hot tears accompanying the sting in your throat.

You desired to curl up into a ball the same way you wanted to the first time you met him. Perhaps your hesitation wasn’t something to have been ashamed of back then, rather an older and wiser version of yourself attempting to protect you from her inevitable heartbreak.

That Thursday, you heard the news that Ewan had returned, but you made no effort to reunite with him. The thought of seeing his face made you sick. The one who was supposed to be yours and yours alone had given his heart to another. Ultimately, however, a formal dinner invitation from King MacTavish could not be avoided.

Now, on an especially gloomy Saturday, here you sit at a silent dining table opposite your infidel husband, with your clueless in-laws in the same respective position on the other sides.

[photographerstanheight]

FIRST DEAD BODY I'VE EVER SEEN...

THEY LOOK DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE. THEY DON'T MOVE.

Hi. I'm Adam. Adam Stanheight. 26 years old. He/Him, what else do I say... I got no goddamn clue what I am. Bi? Gay? Pan? Don't give a shit. Women are cool. Men are fucking great. Like all those kinds of people. I'm that one guy, you probably know me, from that fucking bathroom shithole or whatever. It fucking sucked. ...And now I'm here. Posting on some random website I thought was interesting, plus it's full of freaks to make fun of. What will I post exactly? No fucking idea. Cats, photos I've taken, maybe some death threats to Jigsaw... By the way Jigsaw go kill yourself. Old Prick. Anyway. Do whatever. I really don't give a shit, you wanna talk? Talk. You wanna send memes? Send memes. Make sure they're fucking funny. You wanna whine to me about how sad your sorry life is? Go right ahead. I'm not a therapist so I'll probably laugh in your face.

Everyone shut the fuck up we have a fucking art fridge now this is a new addition yes I’m serious

Art 1. (Mr Millipede ily /p)

Art 2. (Aka me kissing billy its canon)

Art 3. (Smiling friends… smiling friends save me…)

Art 4. (Me and the HOMIE!!! A COUPLE OF BFFSSS!!! Unless… WHO SAID THAT!!!!)

By the way look at my cool ass cat. Her name is Mabel.

OOC UNDER THE CUT

Frowns... Hi chat... It's me... Dew... Sighs....... I have been uncovered from the depths of hell.... sad face emoji... but hi :,]

I'm sure all my mutuals will come swarming so i'm not gonna go thru the whole junk ab pronouns or whatnot ugh... he/him just in case. also don't be weird. I am an adult and yeaes ... so yeah if i see age below 18 i will nawt be doing weird 18+ stuff BITES OWN ARM OFF

But heeeeeyyyy, I'm a chainshipping, rustynailshipping and yapping FREAK so i made this to hopefully hang out w chatters... but also i wanna bother the fuck outta apprentices and other people sorry not sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Erm.. what else... my writing of Adam will be that he's trans!!!!! Omg ur transgener... That is so cool... He has top surgery but not bottom surgery,, guh... girl queen pussy boss....

AAAAnd I think I'm gonna let a bit of my chaos out so expect poootentially sooome sexual schtuffs?? Yours truly has some sillies in mind as a hypersexual loser like myself... I won't make it his whole personality tho idk :P

How did Adam get out of the trap? I don't fucking know and I am too goddamn lazy to think of it rn. I'll post tho when I actually can think , puts splinters in my eyes

Tags... lame. Whatever yapyap i'm a loser and i like 2 b fan see

|📸| ~ 𝑴𝑶𝑫 𝑻𝑨𝑳𝑲𝑺. - ya boy is yapping

|📸| ~ 𝑨𝑫𝑨𝑴 𝑨𝑵𝑺𝑾𝑬𝑹𝑺. - ask replies ofc

|📸| ~ 𝑨𝑫𝑨𝑴𝑺 𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺. - hes talking to people waoah,...

|📸| ~ 𝑨𝑫𝑨𝑴𝑺 𝑹𝑨𝑴𝑩𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺. - he's talking!!!!! just for fun

|📸| ~ 𝑷𝑯𝑶𝑻𝑶𝑮𝑹𝑨𝑷𝑯𝑺. - beginning to roleplays perhaps idk i just like to have them

anyway erm... face reveal!!!!

[rainba]

I love me some weird darling 🙏

I'm currently making a enclosure for a small worm herd and looking for prices on African giant millipedes, as well as planning a terruiam full of moss, rolly pollies, plants, etc. If Kairos and Luka can't handle that they will find special new friends in their bed at night!!!!

(I may or may not have just sobbed over scaring a cattpillar while trying to pick it up and this request is my emotionalsupportrequest/j)

Anon, that’s so cool…. Like, really cool. Kairos and Luka would also fully support you!! (〃＾▽＾〃)

Fun fact: Kairos also loves bugs! Particularly spiders. When he was a kid, he didn’t have any friends– so instead, he always played with the little creatures crawling around on the playground. 

If Kairos learns that you also love insects, he’d be more than happy to listen to you talk about them!! He would also try to help you take care of them, too. Ღ

Oh, but… Make sure you don’t give too much love and attention to your bugs. Kairos might get jealous if you focus more on them than him. ^^;;;;;;;

(Bonus: if you let Kairos name one of the bugs, he’d make up a ship name between the two of you and would give the bug that name. LOL.)

With Luka– he would think it’s actually very endearing! Does he, personally, like insects? Not really… (o^ ^o)

Does he like the way that you love insects and nerd out over them? Absolutely!

He’ll fully support your hobbies and interests! So– if you need things for your little buddies– Luka will help you pay for everything. (๑>◡<๑) You might as well just save his credit card information on all of your online accounts. Just, um… Don’t ask him to hold any of your bugs.

He’s fine with looking at them! He’s unbothered at the idea of taking them outside or moving them around. But genuinely holding them in his bare hands will creep him out a bit... ^^;;;;;;;

[frozenhi-chews]

since ur talking about bugs

what are ur favorite bugs...:o

-Chris!

HOOOOO I HAVE A LOT OF FAVORITES!!

My first and foremost favorite will always be Deaths Head Moths. (Moths in general too, but OUGH these guys!)

Just LOOK at how pretty they are!!!

And since I said I would defend earwigs, I will! Cuz guys, these lil fellas are freaking awesome! No they do not climb into your ear, they never do that

They have little pincers on their butts! Like I'm pretty sure that if they were called anything else, like pincer bugs, they'd be less hated. How come scorpions who have pincers and stingers get praise but these little guys don't? As a kid I always found them fascinating. They're just super cool lil guys! And yes, there are albino earwigs. I know this because I've seen a couple in real life! Was pretty cool!

Scarab beetles and longhorns are also a good fave. Beetles in general are just so cool, but then you have these guys with super cool features?

Uh, HECK YES?!?! Not to mention, beetles can squeak!! If you pick them up they'll make little eeking noises and it's so cute! Deaths head moths can do the same.

Another unconventional but cool type of bug would be millipedes and centipedes

Idk its probably the sheer number of legs these guys have that make them so freaking cool! And centipedes have venom too, which also makes them cool. The fact that they can be kept as pets is really awesome, makes me wanna have some. But I don't have anything for them yet. Regardless, you should be careful when handling centipedes. Millipedes are usually fine, but still. Be careful

And why not throw in a spider huh? Issue is, I can't decide on a spider, so let's go wiiiiith...crab spiders. And orb weavers cuz why not?

Crab spiders can shift colors to match the flower their sitting on. And they actually look like crabs, don't they? They're a very interesting little critter and I hecking ADORE them! Orb weavers are just as cool. With the massive intricate webs they make, and the fact they often redo these webs almost every night. They can get pretty dang big too, I saw one that was bigger than the size of a quarter. Such a beautiful girl. (Girl spiders are often bigger than boy spiders. Boys get eaten after mating too)

So yeah!! There's some bugs and spiders and other critters I adore!! Thanks for letting me infodump Chris!! This was a blast!!

[frostbitepandaaaaa]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

thanks for the tag @andorerso and @quarantineddreamer

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

weirdly enough.... exactly like B-- i was a young, weird little girl who wanted to live in Brian Jaques' world of Redwall so i wrote little stories of my own in that universe. shit, i could not have been older than 9 or 10. it just kind of sprouted from there.

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

published fics? six. (x files, game of thrones, mad max: fury road, star wars/rogue one/andor, avatar the last airbender, harry potter) unpublished? maybe three or four more than that.

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

when i started publishing fanfic... oh my god it's been like 19/20 years now.

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

write. i go through phases, of course, but i am such a picky bitch. my phases usually end up like this:

step one) i read everything there is to read based on a certain niche trope that i am in the mood for at the time.

step two) wow! that was great. what a feast!

step three) ...okay i'm still hungry and these fics didn't quite scratch this very, very niche itch i have so--

step four) *chuckles* i'm in danger.

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

i feel like i've gotten a lot better at plotting and pacing. it's weird, because i never felt like that was really an issue for me before, but i've realized that until i started writing for rebelcaptain, i was heavily a 'vibes-based' writer. which i feel that i still am in many ways, but with rebelcaptain i am going back and resequencing, cutting/adding/shortening and deleting way more than i have in the past in order to maintain tension and pacing better. wether or not these things are actually improved is another matter altogether, but i feel like they are. (and is a big reason why all of my multi-chapters take forever........ sorry about that. it's me slicing and dicing my drafts). the world building aspect of Star Wars is also really cool-- wanna a certain setting? just fucking make it up! no one cares. and as a setting slut, i love this for me. <3

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

australian cattle stations.

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

i don't discriminate, but the comments that compare me to other works/creators (i've gotten Bronte, Justified, the Coen Brothers and others). those both make me so happy and so mad because how???? no way. not me. @justwandering-neverlost also left my favorite comment ever, before we were friends-- that i inspired her to be a better writer. and now look at us! she can't get rid of me! bet she regrets that. <3

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

me and my western/small/rundown town settings. you can pry that shit from my cold, dead hands. also... storms.

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

modern aus honestly. i start one in order to give myself reprieve from angst and plot and shit and all of a sudden i am having hours-long breakdowns about how this character would fit into this setting and how this character would react to this this thing in this time and all of a sudden the fluffy little modern au has grown 5000 legs and now is a hydratic millipede of hellish proportions that i have to methodically find a way to domesticate without cutting off more legs because two more grow in its place and--

10. What is the easiest type?

you want angst? pining? idiots in love? i got you.

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

i write anywhere-- on my phone in my car in between appointments at work. at my desk at home. on my couch. in the bar. in my bed. on the patio. i use ulysses. i love the formatting options and just the simple UI in general. it allows you to be as organized or unorganized as you want (very unorganized in my case). as to what time... i'm trying to get better about only finding writing strides at like... 11PM on Tuesdays but alas.

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

any historical au. i would love to do one cause i love research and world building and all that but... uh... see my complaints about modern aus above and you can see why i have avoided those. it's one of those 'i've never tried [insert addictive drug here] because i know that i would like it too much and it would ruin my life' sort of situations

13. What made you choose your username?

i was like 8 or 9 years old and wanted to get into a Harry Potter chatroom and everything i picked was 'already taken'. cue me just smashing two words together and never really looking back.

no pressure tags: @justwandering-neverlost @chipthekeeper @luciechat @fulcrumstardust @incognitajones

[muckmagister]

RAPID FIRE QUESTION ROUND!!!! what's your favorite dessert? what's your favorite will wood song? what are you majoring in in college (or maybe you're doing general education i don't know) and how are you liking it so far? what's your favorite insect? i can't think of any other questions but you can think of questions you would like to be asked and answer them. bye 💖💖💖

AWAAH OK

cheesecakes or red velvet cakes!! don't ask me to pick which cheesecake flavour is best it entirely depends on my mood i love them all.

i'm doing a bachelor of science and majoring in maths and physics✨💫 and i would've got to this ask sooner but a physics lecture started just before i got it😭😭 but i do like it so far!! a bit daunting at first but if i manage it right it should be fine. also it's so nice to actually have a routine again lmao

favourite insect is so tough actually. ok so weevils are silly looking with a silly name and lots of variety but i don't really feel special affinity toward them, beetles are cool too they're either really pretty or badass. moths are also beautiful and awesome and so cool but they also dive bomb my face at night sometimes and one of them decided to die in my drink which i didn't realise until after i tried to take a lil sippy and was subsequently sent to hell for a brief moment. spiders are epic i let them live in my room on the ceiling and they catch the mosquitoes and dive bombing moths so we're pretty chill besties tbh. i have not stopped thinking about the argentine ant since i watched the kurzgesagt video on them like. they're just lil guys😭 nothing particularly special about them really. And Yet. so basically they're just like us and i love them for it. anyway, clearly i've been thinking about this and i reckon the truest answer from deep within my soul is the humble millipede. loved them since i was young, they just be walkin' along, hanging out, vibing. gods purest critter. you give them a lil poke and they curl up. ough. i cried once cause my cousin killed one in front of me.

thank you!!!! 💖💗💕

bonus: i recently got a trio of new shirts and im npc-maxxing rn wearing the new sample text shirt it's great

sitting in a corner somewhere eating my lunch before my next class and if you interact with me i say "OMNOMNOM" and that's it 😁👍

[crevicedwelling]

Hi how do I stop being afraid of bugs

this isn’t a question I’m very qualified to answer because I’ve never been afraid of any bugs, plus all of my favorite bugs that I keep and cherish are some of the ones even people comfortable with bugs say no to (yeah centipedes). I’ll try to answer best I can though!

I suppose it’s a little different for everyone, but a lot of people tell me that the images and information I post made them less afraid of bugs. if you can’t handle live bugs at all, then learning about them and looking at pictures of them hopefully flips the switch from “gross and scary” to “oh hey that’s kinda cool” or “they’re not that bad at all.” the more you learn about bugs, the more you’ll realize most (even predatory or big ones) are totally harmless to humans, and even things like wasps that can sting want nothing to do with people. I will gladly tell you all sorts of bug facts if you think it’ll help.

if you’re able to, start with letting an ant go on your hand, or pick up a (non fuzzy) caterpillar. look for things on the ground like isopods and millipedes. feed an anthill a cookie. maybe take a look at some pretty moths gathering around a light. they’re all little guys trying to live their lives, and they have important jobs to do. genuine phobias aside, the way a hatred and fear of insects is just the “default” for people now is one of modern culture’s biggest failings. most animals are bugs and we need to love them more than ever

(anyone who is better at this sort of thing please chime in! I like bugs too much and not liking bugs is pretty much a foreign concept to me)

[onenicebugperday]

@the-apocalypse-is-cancelled submitted: Hey there! I found this dead caterpillar with fungus growing out of its head in [removed] (please remove location) my partner is pretty sure it's a type of cordiceps but I haven't found anything online that resembles it.. would you happen to know? Totally fine if not just enjoy the cool fungus xjznzn

Here are some other cool bugs I'm happy to find, no need to ID!

A flat backed millipede!! I'm super chaffed to find this guy! The highlight of my day. And below is a giant worm I save from getting squished on the road. I took a picture and then promptly put him safely out of the way of any bicycles and cars.

I hope you like him!

Hello! It does indeed look like the start of an entomopathogenic fungus growing out of the caterpillar, but I don't recognize it either. Cordyceps is just one genus of entomopathogenic fungus - could be from another genus in the families Cordycipitaceae (under which Cordyceps falls) or Ophiocordycipitaceae. Or another one I'm unaware of! Who knows, I'm not a fungus expert. Still a cool find.

Love the millipede, though, and MY WORD THAT'S A BIG WORM. Glad they were safely relocated to a worm-friendly zone :)

[floridensis]

wonderful millipede day today!!

i went up to yamato scrub natural area, where a couple years ago an inaturalist user (jaykeller) posted some millipedes that as best as we could tell are Narceus gordanus, also known as the smokey oak millipede, at their most southern range.

i love those chunky things so ive been desperate to go see them since. today i finally made time in decent temperature to go look for them. at first i was only finding florida ivory millipedes (last four pictured, havent seen those since 2019 in miami) but after walking some distance away, my mom found a dead dried up millipede that i was certain was the kind i was looking for. we started digging in the dirt and dried plant debris and started to find just one after the other after the other in an area smaller than a coffee table

i love them. im so glad we found them. its so cool, its over an hour drive to see them but thats much closer than i thought id have to go to see them, theyre mostly in central and north florida

[sir-squibbly]

Big Bug Appreciation Post! (1/2)

For anyone who’s been on my blog, or has interacted with me, it’s no surprise I’m a bug enthusiast. But I don’t think I’ve ever made an official bug appreciation post, and there are a lot of bugs in my state that I think are super neat, so I wanted to briefly talk about them here. Not all of them will be insects though.

Unfortunately, I won’t be putting in any isopods or roaches because my state doesn’t have a whole lot of those guys that I would consider “particularly special.” But just note that I do appreciate isopods and roaches, and think that they have a great impact on their natural environments.

Anyway, onto the bugs!

Blue-Winged Wasp

These babes usually hang out in the dog fennel near my yard, and I think they’re very pretty wasps. Their wings are an iridescent blue (hence the name), and their yellow spots are quite cute. They're also relatively chill, so you can stand pretty close to them and they wouldn’t care.

2. Common Paper Wasp

They’re everywhere, but I’d be lying if I said they weren’t pretty either. I think that they have a really neat color palette and super cool pattern to them. I’ve had personal experience with them, and I’ve always made sure that when I went on my balcony, that I didn’t present as a threat to them. Overall, I enjoyed sitting with these pretty critters.

3. Giant Leopard Moth

They look like snow leopards! Ironically enough, similar to how snow leopards are closely related to tigers, leopard moths are closely related to tiger moths (in fact, they’re in the same family). I raised one of these guys. His name was Napoleon, and he was the fanciest little guy 🩵.

4. Amber Snail

It’s usually stated online that amber snails are a pretty rare species. So I think it was pretty neat how I once found five or six on my mom’s calla lilies. They’re very tiny and very adorable, ‘nuff said.

5. Golden Sill Orb Weaver

A huge species of orb weaver that I think is absolutely gorgeous. These gals can get big, and I mean BIG. But no matter the size, it’s always a treat to see them during walks into the woods.

6. Agapostemon Sweat Bee

Agapostemon is actually just a genus of sweat bee, and I’ve personally come across at least two species. All I really need to say about these guys is that they’re metallic green bees, and the ones that live near my house are surprisingly mega chill (I still wouldn’t hold one tho lol).

7. Bee Fly

Maybe not as cute as their Japanese relatives, but they’re still whimsical little fairy creatures that I would absolutely pet in a heartbeat (if given the chance).

8. Flatback Millipede

I just wanted to bring up how metal I think these guys are. 10/10, absolutely fire little guys 🔥🔥🔥.

9. Eastern Pondhawk

They’re everywhere in the local pond and I love them. They’re one of my favorite examples of dimorphism because of how cool the females look (they’re the green ones). But sometimes it can be hard to distinguish a male and a female because younger males are more green. Still, they’re cool bugs.

10. Violet Dancer

In my opinion, one of the prettiest species of damselflies. I’ve encountered one of these before (at a swamp). They’re just as vibrant as in the pictures 💜.

11. Ebony Jewelwing

Another beautiful damselfly! This time, on a larger scale. These can also be found in swamps, and their metallic green color is super cool.

12. Swallowtails (Just in General)

(Pipevine Swallowtail in the picture)

Swallowtails are my state’s official butterfly, and the reason for that is pretty simple: They’re literally everywhere. The most common is the Eastern Tiger, but there are other species, such as: The Black Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail, and probably even more. Another neat thing about them is that they’re in the same family as the world’s largest butterfly species: The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing. So there’s some fun lil trivia for ya 👍.

13. Golden Northern Bumblebee

They’re very friend-shaped, and also very big. In fact, some of them can get bigger than carpenter bees. They don’t visit very often, but I really like them.

14. Variegated Fritillary

A very close relative of the gulf fritillary. In fact, I found caterpillars of both species eating passion vine together.

You can usually tell them apart pretty easily since Variegated caterpillars are lined with white dots. Also, fun fact: Their spines are non-stinging and completely harmless in general.

15. Larger Elm Leaf Beetle

Super friend-shaped, and extremely lightweight (you will barely feel them on your hand). They're pretty easy to handle since they’re very docile. But they’re considered pests to certain plants, so they’re not very liked by gardeners.

16. Golden Tortoise Beetle

Also friend-shaped, but very tiny and super skittish. One really interesting thing about them is that their larvae use their own feces as a shield. So, yeah, that’s a thing that they do.

17. Imperial Moth

A close relative of the Luna Moth (they’re in the same family). They might not be the most extravagant moths, but they have a rustic charm to them, and they remind me of bananas. Also, they’re fluffy, so they’re automatically cute.

18. Pink-Striped Oakworm Moth

A much smaller relative of the Luna Moth (also in the same family). These babes are nocturnal and absolutely adorable.

19. Antlion

Despite being shaped like a damselfly, these fellas are more closely related to lacewings and mantidflies. You may recognize their name, and that’s because the most notable thing about antlions is their larvae (also called “doodlebugs”).

Y’know, these silly lil guys. The ones that make pit traps to eat their favorite food: Ants. They're funky. I love them.

20. Spring Fishfly

I just think they’re cool. They come from water.

21. Woolly Apple Aphid

Adorable, fluffy, whimsical fairy creatures. I had the pleasure of holding one once. You can’t even feel them on your finger.

22. Red Velvet Ant/ Cow Killer

Despite her name, she’s not actually an ant. She’s a type of wasp in the family Mutilidae, where females are wingless. These wasps (specifically the males) are called “cow killers” because of a myth that said their stings were so powerful, they could kill a cow. This isn’t true tho.

23. Crane Fly

They look like giant mosquitoes, but fear not! They won’t hurt you! In fact, one of their nicknames is “mosquito eater.” But they don’t actually eat mosquitoes. At least, the adults don’t. They don’t even have the proper mouthparts to do that. Instead, Crane Flies feed on nectar, which makes them minor pollinators. So while they can get everywhere once they spawn, they��re not actually that big of a problem. And they’re super frail, so please be gentle if you want to hold them🤎.

24. Two-Spotted Longhorn Bee

Absolutely adorable! They don’t visit very often, but when they do, they like to visit the sage in the garden. I usually find them frequently the same plants as the Leafcutter bees.

25. Giant Water Bug

One of the coolest dudes ever. You’ll always find them anywhere wet, but please know that they can get BIG. They won’t charge after you, but they will bite if they feel threatened, and it will hurt. I’ve encountered these funky guys before, and I just admire them from a good distance.

26. Promachus Robber Flies

Promachus is also just a genus of robber fly (I don’t know how many species live in my state tho). I just think they look cool. And they’re good for pest control 👍.

27. Common Checkered Skipper

Cute little babies that are slightly blue. I have one in my bug collection.

28. Long-Tailed Skipper

Another cute little baby. And also blue! These things are pretty common in the garden, and I’m always happy to see them.

Reached the image count limit. I’ll post the second part in a bit.

[corninthegob]

"Just make a quick drawing for pride this year," he said to himself. "Do a chibi drawing, it'll be way quicker, and you'll be able to post more after," he said. IT'S THE 22ND AND I SPENT 13 HOURS ON THIS DRAWING WHY CAN I NEVER BE NORMAL 😭😭😭😭😭 I am also working on like 3 other drawings that i WANTED to post in june, but because my brain seemingly cannot just draw a SIMPLE drawing and i always have to draw something very time consuming, you shall see those next month. Or later, I'm not actually too torn up about not posting within a certain timeframe, I just find it funny that i thought drawing all 7 of my ocs and my fursona wouldn't take too long just bc they're chibi lmao.

Also, that millipede in the middle is a sona I've been trying to design for AGES. It's just taken a long time because anthropomorphising a long bug with about 50 legs is, unsurprisingly, difficult. I finally figured out how i wanted his body to look thanks to inspiration from "Another Crab's Treasure," the way Kril's second pair of legs kind of naruto-run behind him is very cute and makes a cool silohuette, and gave me a way to make the millipede's longer legs look less out of place. His current name is just 'Mr. Millipede' and i have no real set colours for him either. I tried to do kind of an oil-slick effect on him in this one, but it didn't *really* turn out how I pictured, I need more practice lol.

Also bonus drawing of me seeing how long this took me to draw: