the common green birdwing (ornithoptera priamus) | source

Common Green Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus), male, family Papilionidae, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park, Queensland, Australia

photograph by James Cornelious

Lepidopterans from the Edinburgh Journal of Natural History and of the Physical Sciences, Vol. 1 (1835-1839).

"Lepidopterans" includes both moths and butterflies. The moth in the bottom middle is the lovely Madagascan sunset moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus), which was once classified as a butterfly. The butterfly in the middle is the male common green birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus). This species exhibits sexual dimorphism in which the female is larger than the male and has brown and white coloring.

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.

🐝Send in a number + Character and I'll draw them in an outfit or as a creature based on that insect🦋

Allotopus Beetle

Apollo Butterfly

Assassin Bug

Atlas Moth

Bald-Faced Hornet

Banded Darter

Banded Demoiselle

Beautiful Demoiselle

Bhutan Glory Swallowtail

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Bullet Ant

Bumblebee

Butterfly Dragonfly

Cabbage Butterfly

Cattlehearts Swallowtail

Common Batwing

Common Bluebottle Butterfly

Common Brimstone

Common Rose Swallowtail

Conehead Mantis

Cream-Spot Tiger Moth

Creobroter

Cuckoo Wasp

Death's-Head Hawkmoth

Devil's Flower Mantis

Differential Grasshopper

Drain Fly

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Eighteen-Spotted Ladybird

Elephant Hawkmoth

Elephant Mosquito

Emerald Bee

Emperor Dragonfly

European Hornet

European Mantis

Eyed Ladybug

Fire Ant

Five-Spotted Hawkmoth

Fork-Horned Stag Beetle

Fourteen-Spotted Ladybird

Ghost Mantis

Giant Leopard Moth

Giant Long-Legged Katydid

Giant Malaysian Leaf Insect

Glasswing Butterfly

Goliath Beetle

Golden-Ringed Dragonfly

Great Black Wasp

Green Grasshopper

Green June Beetle

Green Snaketail

Green Stag Beetle

Halyzia Sedecimguttata (aka orange ladybird)

Hercules Beetle

Honey Bee

Housefly

Hummingbird Clearwing

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Impatiens Hawkmoth

Jerusalem Cricket

Jewel Beetle

Lime Hawkmoth

Long-Legged Fly

Luna Moth

Monarch Butterfly

Mosaic Darner

Mud Dauber

Oleander Hawkmoth

Orchid Mantis

Painted Lady Butterfly

Paper Wasp

Peacock Butterfly

Pharaoh Ant

Picasso Bug

Pipevine Swallowtail

Poplar Hawkmoth

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing

Question Mark Butterfly

Red Admiral

Rosy Maple Moth

Ruddy Darter

Scorpion Fly

Silverfish

Small Tortoiseshell

Snakefly

Southern Hawker

Southern Flannel Moth

Spicebush Swallowtail

Spiny Leaf Insect

Sunset Moth

Tailed Jay Butterfly

Tarantula Hawk

Thorn Bug

Tiger Mosquito

Twentytwo-Spot Ladybird

Ulysses Butterfly

White-Lined Sphinx

White Witch Moth

Yellow Jacket

Zebra Swallowtail

Citrus Locust - Chondracris rosea

What a large, bright green specimen! With its grand size (based on the description I received), I initially thought it would turn out to be a specie of Birdwing Grasshopper. Research deeper to discover the identity of this insect, the only thing that was correct in my assumption was the family of Grasshopper (Acrididae) that this find belongs to. In fairness, it is a large family with around 10,000 members so the statistics were favorable. As a member of Acrididae - the Short-Horned Grasshoppers - it shares lineage with some of the North American Grasshoppers that we find familiar such as the Red-Legged Grasshopper. Those red spiky hindlegs only deepen the similarities! Though not a Birdwing, this Grasshopper does possess large wings: those green forewings cover a pink-red tinged hindwing. However, from my own investigations it is unclear whether those wings are used for distanced flight or just to slow descent after launching under normal conditions. I'm leaning towards the latter at time of writing, but any confirmation on the use of this Grasshopper's wings would be appreciated. Large species are certainly quite capable of distanced flight, such as the Carolina Locust (another Acrididae member). But that specie doesn't have the "eyes and markings" that this one does on the side of the thorax.

Remember earlier when I said that I thought this was a Birdwing Grasshopper? It seems others think the same way, as one of the informal names of this Grasshopper's subfamily is "Bird Locust" due to their large size. This subfamily also includes prominent pest species that can undergo swarming behavior, travel great distances via wind riding and devour their fill of crops. Though the term 'Locust' evokes a swarming picture, this Grasshopper fortunately doesn't appear to be one of the species that can enter a gregarious phase. Perhaps conditions aren't right to facilitate this morphological and behavioral change where it lives? Or perhaps it just isn't capable of such a transformation. No matter the case, I think we would have our hands full if this insect was capable of swarming. In fact, I'm certain that the situation would be quite dire, especially with the crops it feeds on! As the common name suggests, citric plants could be on the menu within its range, but it has also been reported to defoliate sweet potatoes, cotton, rice and sugarcane; all are important agricultural resources for humans. Though it doesn't seem to be able to swarm, more modest aggregations could be possible. With bright green coloration, they would have a camouflaged head-start when crops are plentiful.

Pictures were taken on October 3, 2019 in China with a Google Pixel.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɴɪɴᴇ

CHAPTER NINE - NIGHT.

WORD COUNT - 2,015.

RATING - G.

SUMMARY - isabella leaves to miami to retrieve her evidence while the rosalind children adapt to not having their mother around as a certain citizen barely hides her jealousy towards ivy and ellie while the youngest rosalind begins her piano classes in the lorde Household.

liking, commenting, reblogging or following would be heavily appreciated!

It was going to take a good temporal length to get to Miami, and Isabella had to come to terms with the length of the upcoming period, the woman discerned that throughout her journey, she would achingly miss her children. Nevertheless, her trip to Miami was specifically for her children’s safety; heretofore Isabella left Jackson, she had a conversation with Maria and Tommy, she had explained to them that her trip was to get supplies that she needed, that evidently weren’t in Jackson, she felt bad lying to them, but her excuse wasn’t a complete lie.

They did offer her men and women to come with her, but Isabella had told the couple that she thought it would be best to go on her own. However, out of kindness the two had supplied Isabella of a horse she named Lana to help her get to her location quicker and Isabella was utterly grateful for what they have provided to her.

They provided the woman two pistols, a hunting rifle, a bunch of Molotov cocktails and melee weapons, Isabella had her own shiv but was very appreciative of the weapons they furnished for her. It had been around forty-five minutes ever since her departure and the matriarch guessed it would take less than four days to get to Miami unless her trip was disrupted besides from the obvious infected.

It didn’t surprise her that she would run into some infected immediately, Isabella had observed that they were Runners, meaning that they were weaker than other infected, Runners were pale, mottled and covered in wounds with handful of their hairs falling out of their head. They were known to have poor eyesight and maintained human-like vocals like their groans.

Isabella quietly hopped off Lana and tied her reins around a tree ere she used her stealth to attack one Runner with her shiv. She hastily grabbed the infected with her left arm and suffocated the being prior to stabbing the zombie numerous of times till it demised.

-As the body lifelessly dropped, Isabella sighed consoled and mollified that she was able to have a plethora of action. She turned to another Runner who was a couple of steps away from her, its back faced towards Isabella, in a hunched position, motionless; Isabella sneakily crept towards the Runner in attempt to smother and stifle it to death.

It began to moan loudly, its body moved passively, attempted to resist Isabella along with the fungus’ influence. Though, the Runners defence was in vain as it simply died in Isabella’s arm, after she acknowledged that the infected was now dead, Isabella pushed the deceased Runner away. Noticed a badge that was under dirt just beneath her.

She simply crouched down and picked it up, discerned that it appeared like one of the badges Ivy collected. Ivy collected Butterfly badges, Isabella remembered how Ivy used to go on about the butterfly being her spirit animal, the woman then examined the badge and checked that it was a Common Green Birdwing Badge before she pushed the object into her bag.

Unaware that she left one infected alone that soon picked up on Isabella’s arrival, the moment it’s groan became louder, Isabella quickly turned her body towards the direction of the infected, quickly pulled out her pistol and relieved at least two bullets into its head then watched it collapse against the field.

Apprised that the sound of bullets might’ve alerted other infected, Isabella quickly made way back to Lana, untied her from the tree she assigned the horse to then hurriedly climbed onto the steed’s back and urged the colt to continue their trip.

Maria stood in front of the three Rosalind children as she were one of the three adults, besides Tommy and Joel who took the responsibility to look after Isabella’s children. Even though Maria had a whole community to look after, she did have other people who could take on stuff she did, plus, Maria also did this out of the fondness she had for Isabella.

“Just because your mother isn’t here doesn’t mean there’s no school for you guys,” Maria jokingly pointed out, her hands awkwardly on her hips as she gestured them to come closer to her. “Robin, after school you have training with Joel, and Venus is going to start her piano lessons with Kaylee.”

“Ivy,” Maria then skewed to the oldest Rosalind child, “I was told your skills have improved so you will be able to pick your patrol partner soon,” Ivy smiled at the new knowledge accustomed to her, “now get to class,” she light-heartedly directed the three children who then scurried out of the Rosalind building.

Ivy was pleased that she was soon able to do patrols out of Jackson, yet, it’ll most likely start when Isabella returned back to the society. The last thing the matriarch want is to hear that Maria didn’t promise her wishes and let one of her children out.

“Why do you think mum’s gone?” Venus inquired the two of her siblings, her innocent tone contrived her two older siblings to mentally seek for answers to ooze her curious mind. However, the two couldn’t find an appropriate answer.

“Ah, I don’t know, it’s just mum being secretive again,” Ivy lightly mumbled, lightly greeted a few citizens who bid them a good-morning as they walked by.

“I wonder when mum will finally trust us with her secrets,” Robin casually said, he curved his head to briefly look at his older sister, “I know mum trusts you with her secrets.”

“Well, she didn’t tell me the reason for this one,” Ivy bluntly foretold which caused Robin to make a perplexed expression due to her curt manners. Forthwith, Jesse sauntered his way towards the three Rosalind siblings, merrily greeted the three of them ere he took Ivy away from her folk and walked with her to their school building, left Venus and Robin to kick off their own conversation.

“A little birdie told me you and Ellie made up,” Jesse facetiously brought up.

Ivy gently hurtled her shoulders, “the argument wasn’t big enough for there to be any making up, it was just you two behaving like two idiots over a guy who’s barely done anything.”

Jesse jeered, entertained by Ivy’s arrant and impudent attitude. “As funny as the guy is, he is a dick,” Jesse facilely mentioned as their presences towards the school neared, “I mean I don’t mind you being friends with him, but mixing him with our friendship is a big no.”

It was Ivy’s turn to jeer at Jesse, she looked up at him in disbelief, “friendship?” Ivy repeated in distrust.

“Aren’t we friends?” Jesse genuinely questioned whilst they entered the school building at the same time Robin and Venus trailed behind them and then made way towards their own classes.

Ivy hummed not aware of her own answer. “I don’t know, perhaps acquaintances,” she sassily joked during the moment she made way into their classroom, Jesse snickered at her answer then hiked towards his seat.

Dina and Ellie were already in the classroom, they seemed to be having their own conversation, Ellie afflicted and Dina peeved and fidgety.

“Hey,” Ivy hindered the miffed conversation the two women shared and Ivy could see Dina drop her shoulders, peeved and wired.

“Hi,” she greeted evidently tormented.

Ellie looked back at Ivy with an instigative smile, the four of them all sat down on their seats, Ivy glanced behind her and noted that Rowan was either late or was not coming in, soon after she turned back to the front, she could feel the uncomfortable glances almost all of them shared with one another.

It was clear to Ivy that it must’ve been about Ellie and her spending the night together, this was what Ivy was uneasy about, petty disputes because of romance. Dina was surely territorial to things or people she believed was hers, keep in mind, Dina is a good person, the young girl was just very possessive.

Ivy lightly breathed through her nose before she turned to face the front of the class during the time that their teacher prepared for their English class.

As soon as school was finished for the day, the youngest Rosalind kin was dropped off to the Lorde household, it had been about an hour since the young girl’s arrival and the young teenager was already brought to the big piano and shaped to already press her fingers against the keys.

Venus was adept and efficient for a beginner, but Kaylee cited that there was still a lot of work Venus had to exercise.

In the atmosphere, Venus had acclaimed that the Lorde cabin had a darker tone compared to her home. There were more maroon, brown and black colours, moreover, if Venus was being genuine, she’d say that these colours did bring comfort to her drab aesthetic.

After a long period of playing with the keys to a melody Kaylee had strictly fashioned her to practice, the girl was finally allowed to take a break, Venus was grateful that Kaylee’s optimistic and bright attitude was dimmer and dourer when it came to lessons; at least Venus’ mother would be paying for the lessons for a good upshot.

“I’ve heard your mother has gone on a trip.”

Venus had forgotten that it wasn’t only Kaylee and her downstairs, the practice room was mutual by Adam who sat down and read a book that Venus observed had a very interesting cover, Venus had considered on asking what book he was reading after she responded to his question, “yes,” Venus simply answered, “what book are you reading?”

Adam made an “oh” noise ere he hid the cover of his book with an abashed expression on his face as if he has been caught red-handed. Venus peered her head to the side, luckily, she was able to catch the title of the book, her nose scrunched in confusion as she sounded out the letters. “F—Fifty? What is Fifty Shades of Grey?” Venus curiously investigated which caused the man to sit down silently, unprepared with what to say, but Kaylee returned back to the practice room in time with a bunch of freshly-baked cookies which easily caught the attention of the young girl.

Kaylee looked back at Adam with a balked and foiled expression as she watched her brother silently apologise.

“Does your mother like the flowers Adam gifted her?” Kaylee inquired the young girl whilst she placed the batch of cookies on the low table.

Venus swiftly prodded herself of the sweet pea flowers Robin informed Venus the Lorde man gifted their mother. “Oh right, yes, she did,” Venus nonchalantly reacted, “she likes flowers and is gardening in our backyard, she was very grateful for it.”

Adam looked delighted at the young girl’s answer who was agile and astute enough to know what was going on.

“Do you like my mum?” Venus bluntly asked the man, easily observed how the two Lorde twins became stiff, caught in the act of their code hastily revealed by the curt and keen little girl. With their awkward kickback, Venus’ answer was commonly answered; Venus found Adam aberrant there was something about him that was different and off but the girl couldn’t place her finger on what was the mystifying thing about him. With a smirk that provoked the man that sat down a handful of paces before her, Venus leaned forward with a new-fangled face on her expression. “I hope you know that you’re not the only one in line,” Venus rudely teased, “and I hope you know that you’re not even first or second in line.”

Kaylee coughed to put a halt at the young girl’s mannerless comment. “I’m sure that your mother taught you manners,” the female twin retorted during the moment Venus picked up a cookie and munched it away, the woman then gestured Venus to return back to the piano and resume committed to the instrument ere she looked back at Adam and shooed him out of the practice room.

thank you @ash37474 and @panemedited for the support!

liking, commenting, reblogging or following would be heavily appreciated!

if you wanted to hear what the song venus played sounded like here it is!

#Nice collection. What are those?

Thank you. Those are a few of my preserved butterflies and beetles. From left to right starting from the top is a peacock butterfly, a Hercules beetle, an eastern tiger swallowtail, a chief goliath beetle, and the common green birdwing.

Do... you have insects where you’re from?

Adding ‘drawing wukong as a yellow swallowtail and mei as a common green birdwing fae’ to my list of things to draw

pests won't rest

Male Green Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus)

Pest control is one of the more challenging aspects of horticulture, especially when done ecologically responsibly. As discussed in my first pest control post, the museum tries to use the least amount of pesticides and insecticides possible.

Milkweed bugs swarming an Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepias perennis).

The primary pest control method within the rainforest conservatory is through beneficial insects. Mealybugs are the most significant culprit and one of the more challenging to treat. If an infestation is caught fast enough, it can be treated with isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol essentially melts the bugs, and then they can be sprayed off with water. This process may be repeated a few times before the infestation is completely eradicated.

Zamia spp. recovering after a heavy scale and mealy bug infestation.

Scale is another very common pest. The plant above had a particularly nasty scale and mealy bug infestation. To treat this fragile plant, I slowly removed the pests using a toothbrush and soapy water. After a few weeks of recovery, the plant quickly grew two new fronds. The only remaining damage is some scarring on the undersides of the leaves.

Ladybug eating aphids off of milkweed.

The preferred way to deal with pests is through beneficial insects. Twice throughout the summer, we released a few hundred Cryptolamus inside the conservatory. These beneficial insects will target mealybugs, and once released, they get to work quickly. In the greenhouses, we allow beneficials to come naturally. Ladybugs and syrphid flies are the most common and easily recognizable beneficials. On occasion, we may use insecticides within the greenhouse. This is not ideal, but not as difficult to do as in the rainforest. Because of the butterflies in the conservatory, pesticides need to target pests but are ineffective on the butterflies and other beneficial soft-bodied bugs, like earthworms.

Two Blue Porterweeds (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis) suffering from a heavy mealy bug infestation.

As you can tell from the pictures above, pests can quickly kill a plant. These Porterweeds were happy and healthy the night before this picture was taken. The mealybugs reproduced quickly and killed these plants. These plants were treated with isopropyl; however, this proved ineffective due to the severity of the infestation.

Lady bug larvae feeding on aphids on milkweed.

Freshly painted Pentas graffiti in the meadow of the rainforest.

Unfortunately, there is no way to save a plant, and the entire plant must be removed to prevent the further spread of the pests. Papaya trees are magnets for pests, and though the plant itself was surviving, the tree had to be removed for the health of the surrounding plants. The Blue Porterweeds pictured above had to be removed as well because there was no way to rehabilitate the plants. Once removed, we replanted with healthier, more resistant plants. The Pentas pictured above were planted because of their pest resistance. Pest control can be difficult, but learning how to do so in an ecologically responsible way is vital to protect beneficial insects and soil health.

the common green birdwing (ornithoptera priamus) | source

[start id: two images of a drawing of franky and robin as fairies with butterfly wings. robin has her arms out as she drifts down into franky’s arms, smiling gently. she is wearing a green halter top and a purple skirt. she has black and white wings, like that of a common mormon  swallowtail. franky is below her, arms open around her, and he’s smiling up at her widely. he’s wearing a green grass skirt. he has black and green wings, like that of a queen alexandra's birdwing. they are floating in a flower blossom, dappled in bright sunlight. the first image is the full image, and the second image is a close up of franky and robin. end id]

for week 2 of the frobin spring event by @frobinfandays! based on the visual prompt ‘blooming tree’! ive been wanting to do some butterfly designs for a while, and this was a fitting prompt so! butterflies :)

🆕️ butterfly wing earrings! now available in my etsy shop 🦋 they're made of felt so they're super light-weight. i based them off of real butterflies (blue morpho, common green birdwing, purple emperor, and peacock pansy) 🌷🌿❤️

The full book title contains 3777 words and reads as follows: 'The historical development of the Heart i.e. from its formation from Annelida: Clam worm, Seamouse, Lugworm, Megascolex, Tubifex, Pheretima, Freshwater leech, marine leech, land leech. Arthropoda: Ladybird, Krill, Rock Barnacle, Root-headed Barnacle, Copepod, Silverfish, Cairns birdwing, Silver - spotted skipper, Scutigera, Cray fish, Large white, Andonis blue, Camberwell beauty, Tiger swallowtail, Regent skipper, Black – veined white, Green – underside blue, Blue Morpho, Apollo, Guava skipper, Cleopatra, Large copper, Millipede, Orb spider, Black widow spider, Giant crab spider, Wolf spider, Bird – eating spider, Tenebrionid beetle, Green Tiger beetle, African goliath beetle, Scolopendra, Diving beetle, African ground beetle, New guinea weevil, Barnacle, Lobster, Shrimp, Woodlice, Mite, Prawn, Housefly, Butterfly, Monarch butterfly, Peacock butterfly, Honey bee, Fairy shrimp, Horsehoe crab, Tick, Bluebootle, Froghopper, Yellow crazy ant, Water flea, Sea spider, Fiddler crab, Shiny spider crab, Hermit crab, Sail swallowtail, Red admiral, Morpho butterfly, Desert locust, Stephens island weta, Speckled bush cricket, Mole cricket, Dung – beetle, Euthalia ynipardus, Small blues, Termite, Hornet, Mosquito, Garden spider, Tarantula, Desert hairy scorpion, Emperor dragon – fly, Moth, Centipede, Wood ant, Stag beetle, Indian red admiral, Blue admiral, Harvestman, Hoverfly, Shield bug, Assassin bug, Cicada, Coreid bug, Rose aphid, Water – boatman, Wasp, June bug, Large tortoiseshell, Frog beetle, Mexican red – legged tarantula, Paintedlady, Sydney funnelweb spider, Small tortoiseshell, Mountain bumble bee, Trapdoor spider, Jumping spider, Daddy longlegs spider, Orchind bee, Asian carpenter bee, Parasitic bee, House spider, Giant longhorn beetle, Flea, Bedbug Beetle, Cockroach, Scorpion, Spider, Ant, Gnats, Grasshopper, Silver fish, Crab, Great green bush cricket, Elephant hawk – moth. Mollusca: Neomenia, Chaetoderma, Chiton, Lepidopleurus, Apple snail, Sea hare, Sea lemon, Dentalium, Freshwater mussel, Marine mussel, Pearl oyster, Cuttlefish, Giant squid, Chambered fish, Devilfish. Fishes or Pisces: African glass catfish, African lungfish, Aholehole, Airbreathing catfish, Alaska blackfish, Albacore, Alewife, Alfonsino, Algae eater, Alligatorfish, Alligator gar, Amberjack - Seriola dumerili, American sole, Amur pike, Anchovy, Anemonefish, Angelfish, Angler, Angler catfish, Anglerfish, Antarctic cod, Antarctic icefish, Antenna codlet, Arapaima, Archerfish, Arctic char, Armored gurnard, Armored searobin, Armorhead, Armorhead catfish, Armoured catfish, Arowana, Arrowtooth eel, Asian carps, Asiatic glassfish, Atka mackerel, Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda), Atlantic cod, Atlantic herring, Atlantic salmon, Atlantic Sharpnose Shark - Rhizoprioltodon terraenovae, Atlantic saury, Atlantic silverside, Australasian salmon, Australian grayling, Australian herring, Australian lungfish, Australian prowfish, Ayu, Baikal oilfish, Bala shark, Ballan wrasse, Bamboo shark, Banded killifish, Bandfish, Banjo, Bangus, Banjo catfish, Bank Sea Bass, Barb, Barbel, Barbeled dragonfish, Barbeled houndshark, Barbel-less catfish, Barfish, Barracuda, Barracudina, Barramundi, Barred danio, Barreleye, Basking shark, Bass, Basslet, Batfish, Bat ray, Beachsalmon, Beaked salmon, Beaked sandfish, Beardfish, Beluga sturgeon, Bengal danio, Betta, Bichir, Bicolor goat fish, Bigeye, , Bighead carp, Bigmouth buffalo, Bigscale, Billfish, Bitterling, Black angelfish, Black bass, Black dragonfish, Blackchin, Blackfin Tuna - Thunnus atlanticus, Blackfish, Black neon tetra, Blacktip reef shark, Black mackerel, Black scalyfin, Black sea bass, Black scabbardfish, Black swallower, Black tetra, Black triggerfish, Bank Sea Bass aka Yellow Sea Bass - Centropristis ocyurus, Bleak, Blenny, Blind goby, Blind shark, Blobfish, Blueline Tilefish, Blowfish, Blue catfish, Blue danio, Blue-redstripe danio, Blueline Tilefish , Blue eye, Bluefin tuna, Bluefish, Bluegill, Blue gourami, Blue shark, Blue triggerfish, Blue whiting, Bluntnose knifefish, Bluntnose minnow, Boafish, Boarfish, Bobtail snipe eel, Bocaccio, Boga, Bombay duck, Bonefish, Bonito, Bonnetmouth, Bonytail chub, Bronze corydoras, Bonytongue, Bowfin, Boxfish, Bramble shark, Bream, Brill, Bristlemouth, Bristlenose catfish, Broadband dogfish, Brook lamprey, Brook trout, Brotula, Brown trout, Buffalo fish, Bullhead, Bullhead shark, Bull shark, Bull trout, Burbot, Bumblebee goby, Buri, Burma danio, Burrowing goby, Butterfish, Butterfly ray, Butterflyfish, California flyingfish, California halibut, Canary rockfish, Candiru, Candlefish, Capelin, Cardinalfish, Cardinal tetra, Carp, Carpetshark, Carpsucker, Catalufa, Catfish, Catla, Cat shark, Cavefish, Celebes rainbowfish, Central mudminnow, Chain pickerel, Channel bass, Channel catfish, Char, Cherry salmon, Chimaera, Chinook salmon, Cherubfish, Chub, Chubsucker, Chum salmon, Cichlid, Cisco, Climbing catfish, Climbing gourami, Climbing perch, Clingfish, Clownfish, Clown loach, Clown triggerfish, Cobbler, Cobia, Cod, Codlet, Codling, Coelacanth, Coffinfish, Coho salmon, Coley, Collared carpetshark, Collared dogfish, Colorado squawfish, Combfish, Combtail gourami, Common carp, Common tunny, Conger eel, Convict blenny, Convict cichlid, Cookie-cutter shark, Coolie loach, Cornetfish, Cowfish, Cownose ray, Cow shark, Crappie, Creek chub, Crestfish, Crevice kelpfish, Croaker, Crocodile icefish, Crocodile shark, Crucian carp, Cuckoo wrasse, Cusk, Cusk-eel, Cutlassfish, Cutthroat eel, Cutthroat trout, Dab, Dace, Desert pupfish, Devario, Devil ray, Dhufish, Discus, Diver: New Zealand sand diver or long-finned sand diver, Dogfish, Dogfish shark, Dogteeth tetra, Dojo loach, Dolly Varden trout, Dolphin fish - Corypaena hippurus, Dorab, Dorado, Dory, Dottyback, Dragonet, Dragonfish, Dragon goby, Driftfish, Driftwood catfish, Drum, Duckbill, Duckbill eel, Dusky grouper, Dusky Shark - Carcharhinus obscurus, Dwarf gourami, Dwarf loach, Eagle ray, Earthworm eel, Eel, Eel cod, Eel-goby, Eelpout, Eeltail catfish, Elasmobranch, Electric catfish, Electric eel, Electric knifefish, Electric ray, Elephant fish, Elephantnose fish, Elver, Ember parrotfish, Emerald catfish, Emperor angelfish, Emperor bream, Escolar, Eucla cod, Eulachon, European chub, European eel, European flounder, European minnow, European perch, False brotula, False cat shark, False moray, Fangtooth, Fathead sculpin, Featherback, Fierasfer, Fire goby, Filefish, Finback cat shark, Fingerfish, Firefish, Flabby whale fish, Flagblenny, Flagfin, Flagfish, Flagtail, Flashlight fish, Flatfish, Flathead, Flathead catfish, Flier, Flounder, Flying gurnard, Flying fish, Footballfish, Forehead brooder, Four-eyed fish, French angelfish, Freshwater eel, Freshwater hatchetfish, Freshwater shark, Frigate mackerel, Frilled shark, Frogfish, Frogmouth catfish, Fusilier fish, Galjoen fis, Ganges shark, Geel, Garibaldi, Garpike, Ghost fish, Ghost flathead, Ghost knifefish, Ghost pipefish, Ghost shark, Ghoul, Giant danio, Giant gourami, Giant sea bass, Gibberfish, Gila trout, Gizzard shad, Glass catfish, Glassfish, Glass knifefish, Glowlight danio, Goatfish, Goblin shark, Goby, Golden dojo, Golden loach, Golden shiner, Golden trout, Goldeye, Goldfish, Gombessa, Goosefish, Gopher rockfish, Gourami, Grass carp, Graveldiver, Grayling, Gray mullet, Gray reef shark, Great white shark, Green swordtail, Greeneye, Greenling, Grenadier, Green spotted puffer, Ground shark, Grouper, Grunion, Grunt, Grunter, Grunt sculpin, Gudgeon, Guitarfish, Gulf menhaden, Gulper eel, Gulper, Gunnel, Guppy, Gurnard, Haddock, Hagfish, Hairtail, Hake, Halfbeak, Halfmoon, Halibut, Halosaur, Hamlet, Hammerhead shark, Hammerjaw, Handfish, Hardhead catfish, Harelip sucker, Hatchetfish, Hawkfish, Herring, Herring smelt, Hickory Shad, Horn shark, Horsefish, Houndshark, Huchen, Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, Hussar, Icefish, Ide, Ilisha, Inanga, Inconnu, Jack, Jackfish, Jack Dempsey, Japanese eel, Javelin, Jawfish, Jellynose fish, Jewelfish, Jewel tetra, Jewfish, John Dory, Kafue pike, Kahawai, Kaluga, Kanyu, Kelp perch, Kelpfish, Killifish, King of the herrings, Kingfish, King-of-the-salmon, Kissing gourami, Knifefish, Knifejaw, Koi, Kokanee, Kokopu, Kuhli loach, Labyrinth fish, Ladyfish, Lake chub, Lake trout, Lake whitefish, Lampfish, Lamprey, Lanternfish, Largemouth bass, Leaffish, Lefteye flounder, Lemon shark, Lemon sole, Lemon tetra, Lenok, Leopard danio, Lightfish, Limia, Lined sole, Ling, Ling cod, Lionfish, Livebearer, Lizardfish, Loach, Loach catfish, Loach goby, Loach minnow, Longfin, Longfin dragonfish, Longfin escolar, Longfin smelt, Long-finned char, Long-finned pike, Longjaw mudsucker, Longneck eel, Longnose chimaera, Longnose dace, Longnose lancetfish, Longnose sucker, Longnose whiptail catfish, Long-whiskered catfish, Loosejaw, Lost River sucker, Louvar, Loweye catfish, Luderick, Luminous hake, Lumpsucker, Lungfish, Mackerel, Mackerel shark, Madtom, Mahi-mahi, Mahseer, Mail-cheeked fish, Mako shark, Mandarinfish, Masu salmon, Medaka, Medusafish, Megamouth shark, Menhaden, Merluccid hake, Mexican golden trout, Midshipman fish, Milkfish,, Minnow, Minnow of the deep, Modoc sucker, Mojarra, Mola, Monkeyface prickleback, Monkfish, Mooneye, Moonfish, Moorish idol, Mora, Moray eel, Morid cod, Morwong, Moses sole, Mosquitofish, Mouthbrooder, Mozambique tilapia, Mrigal, Mud catfish (Mud cat), Mudfish, Mudminnow, Mud minnow, Mudskipper, Mudsucker, Mullet, Mummichog, Murray cod, Muskellunge, Mustache triggerfish, Mustard eel, Naked-back knifefish, Nase, Needlefish, Neon tetra, New World rivuline, New Zealand smelt, Nibble fish, Noodlefish, North American darter, North American freshwater catfish, North Pacific daggertooth, Northern anchovy, Northern clingfish, Northern lampfish, Northern pike, Northern sea robin, Northern squawfish, Northern stargazer, Notothen, Nurseryfish, Nurse shark, Oarfish, Ocean perch, Ocean sunfish, Oceanic whitetip shark, Oilfish, Oldwife, Old World knifefish, Olive flounder, Opah, Opaleye, Orange roughy, Orangespine unicorn fish, Orangestriped triggerfish, Orbicular batfish, Orbicular velvetfish, Oregon chub, Orfe, Oriental loach, Oscar, Owens pupfish, Pacific albacore, Pacific cod, Pacific hake, Pacific herring, Pacific lamprey, Pacific salmo, Pacific saury, Pacific trout, Pacific viperfish, Paddlefish, Pancake batfish, Panga, Paradise fish, Parasitic catfish, Parore, Parrotfish, Peacock flounder, Peamouth, Pearleye, Pearlfish, Pearl danio, Pearl perch, Pelagic cod, Pelican eel, Pelican gulper, Pencil catfish, Pencilfish, Pencilsmelt, Peppered corydoras, Perch, Peters' elephantnose fish, Pickerel, Pigfish, Pike conger, Pike eel, Pike, Pikeblenny, Pikeperch, Pilchard, Pilot fish, Pineapplefish, Pineconefish, Pink salmon, Píntano, Pipefish, Piranha, Pirarucu, Pirate perch, Plaice, Platy, Platyfish, Pleco, Plownose chimaera, Poacher, Pollock, Pomfret, Pompano dolphinfish, Ponyfish, Popeye catalufa, Porbeagle shark, Porcupinefish, Porgy, Port Jackson shark, Powen, Prickleback, Pricklefish, Prickly shark, Prowfish, Pufferfish, Pumpkinseed, Pupfish, Pygmy sunfish, Queen danio, Queen parrotfish, Queen triggerfish, Quillback, Quillfish, Rabbitfish, Raccoon butterfly fish, Ragfish, Rainbow trout, Rainbowfish, Rasbora, Ratfish, Rattail, Ray, Razorback sucker, Razorfish, Red Grouper, Red salmon, Red snapper, Redfin perch, Redfish, Redhorse sucker, Redlip blenny, Redmouth whalefish, Redtooth triggerfish, Red velvetfish, Red whalefish, Reedfish, Reef triggerfish, Remora, Requiem shark, Ribbon eel, Ribbon sawtail fish, Ribbonfish, Rice eel, Ricefish, Ridgehead, Riffle dace, Righteye flounder, Rio Grande perch, River loach, River shark, River stingray, Rivuline, Roach, Roanoke bass, Rock bass, Rock beauty, Rock cod, Rocket danio, Rockfish, Rockling, Rockweed gunnel, Rohu, Ronquil, Roosterfish, Ropefish, Rough scad, Rough sculpin, Roughy, Roundhead, Round herring, Round stingray, Round whitefish, Rudd, Rudderfish, Ruffe, Russian sturgeon, Sábalo, Sabertooth, Saber-toothed blenny, Sabertooth fish, Sablefish, Sacramento blackfish, Sacramento splittail, Sailfin silverside, Sailfish, Salamanderfish, Salmon, Salmon shark, Sandbar shark, Sandburrower, Sand dab, Sand diver, Sand eel, Sandfish, Sand goby, Sand knifefish, Sand lance, Sandperch, Sandroller, Sand stargazer, Sand tiger, Sand tilefish, Sandbar Shark - Carchathinus plumbeus, Sarcastic fringehead, Sardine, Sargassum fish, Sauger, Saury, Sawfishm, Saw shark, Sawtooth eel, Scabbard fish, Scaly dragonfish, Scat, Scissortail rasbora, Scorpionfish, Sculpin, Scup, Sea bass, Sea bream, Sea catfish, Sea chub, Sea devil, Sea dragon, Sea lamprey, Sea raven, Sea snail, Sea toad, Seahorse, Seamoth, Searobin, Sevan trout, Sergeant major, Shad, Shark, Sharksucker, Sharpnose puffer, Sheatfish, Sheepshead, Sheepshead minnow, Shiner, Shortnose chimaera, Shortnose sucker, Shovelnose sturgeon, Shrimpfish, Siamese fighting fish, Sillago, Silver carp, Silver dollar, Silver dory, Silver hake, Silverside, Silvertip tetra, Sind danio, Sixgill ray, Sixgill shark, Skate, Skilfish, Skipjack tuna, Slender mola, Slender snipe eel, Sleeper, Sleeper shark, Slickhead, Slimehead, Slimy mackerel, Slimy sculpin, Slipmouth, Smalleye squaretail, Smalltooth sawfish, Smelt, Smelt-whiting, Smooth dogfish, Snailfish, Snake eel, Snakehead, Snake mackerel, Snapper, Snipe eel, Snipefish, Snoek, Snook, Snubnose eel, Snubnose parasitic eel, Sockeye salmon, Soldierfish, Sole, South American darter, South American lungfish, Southern Dolly Varden, Southern flounder, Southern hake, Southern sandfish, Southern smelt, Spadefish, Spaghetti eel, Spanish mackerel, Spearfish, Speckled trout, Spiderfish, Spikefish, Spinefoot, Spiny basslet, Spiny dogfish, Spiny dwarf catfish, Spiny eel, Spinyfin, Splitfin, Spookfish, Spotted climbing perch, Spotted danio, Spottail Pinfish - Diplodus holbrooki, Sprat, Springfish, Squarehead catfish, Squaretail, Squawfish, Squeaker, Squirrelfish, Staghorn sculpin, Stargazer, Starry flounder, Steelhead, Stickleback, Stingfish, Stingray, Stonecat, Stonefish, Stoneroller minnow, Stream catfish, Striped bass, Striped burrfish, Sturgeon, Sucker, Suckermouth armored catfish, Summer flounder, Sundaland noodlefish,Sunfish, Surf sardine, Surfperch, Surgeonfish, Swallower, Swamp-eel, Swampfish, Sweeper, Swordfish, Swordtail, Tadpole cod, Tadpole fish, Tailor, Taimen, Tang, Tapetail, Tarpon, Tarwhine, Telescopefish, Temperate bass, Temperate perch, Tenpounder, Tenuis, Tetra, Thorny catfish, Thornfish, Threadfin, Threadfin bream, Thread-tail, Three spot gourami, Threespine stickleback, Three-toothed puffer, Thresher shark, Tidewater goby, Tiger barb, Tigerperch, Tiger shark, Tiger shovelnose catfish, Tilapia, Tilefish, Titan triggerfish, Toadfish, Tommy ruff, Tompot blenny, Tonguefish, Tope, Topminnow, Torpedo, Torrent catfish, Torrent fish, Trahira, Treefish, Trevally, Triggerfish, Triplefin blenny, Triplespine, Tripletail, Tripod fish, Trout, Trout cod, Trout-perch, Trumpeter, Trumpetfish, Trunkfish, Tubeblenny, Tube-eye, Tube-snout, Tubeshoulder, Tui chub, Tuna, Turbot, Two spotted goby, Uaru, Unicorn fish, Upside-down catfish, Vanjaram, Velvet belly lanternshark, Velvet catfish, Velvetfish, Vermillion Snapper - Rhomboplites aurorubens, Vimba, Viperfish, Wahoo, Walking catfish, Wallago, Walleye, Walleye Pollock, Walu, Warmouth, Warty angler, Waryfish, Waspfish, Weasel shark, Weatherfish, Weever, Weeverfish, Wels catfish, Whale catfish, Whalefish, Whale shark, Whiff, Whitebait, White croaker, Whitefish, White marlin, White shark, Whitetip reef shark, Whiting, Wobbegong, Wolf-eel, Wolffish, Wolf-herring, Worm eel, Wormfish, Wrasse, Wrymouth, X-ray fish, Yellowback fusilier, Yellowbanded perch, Yellow bass, Yellowedge grouper (Hyporthodus flavolimbatus), Yellow-edged moray, Yellow-eye mullet, Yellowhead jawfish, Yellowfin croaker, Yellowfin cutthroat trout, Yellowfin grouper, Yellowfin Tuna - Thunnus albacares, Yellowfin pike, Yellowfin surgeonfish, Yellowfin tuna, Yellowmargin triggerfish, Yellow moray, Yellow perch, Yellowtail, Yellowtail amberjack, Yellowtail barracuda, Yellowtail clownfish, Yellowtail horse mackerel, Yellowtail kingfish, Yellowtail snapper, Yellow tang, Yellow weaver, Yellowtail catfish, Zander, Zebra bullhead shark, Zebra danio, Zebrafish, Zebra lionfish, Zebra loach, Zebra oto, Zebra pleco, Zebra shark, Zebra tilapia, Zebra turkeyfish, Ziege, Zingel. Amphibians: Frogs and Toads, Painted frogs, Disc tongued frogs, Fire Belly toads, Litter frogs, European Spadefoot toads, Parsley frogs, Tongueless frogs, Clawed frogs, Mexican Burrowing Toad, American spadefoot toads, Screeching frogs, True toads, Glass Frogs, Poison dart frogs, Ghost frogs, Shovelnose frogs, Tree frogs, Sedge frogs, Southern frogs, Narrow-mouthed frogs, Australian ground frogs, True frogs, Moss frogs, Seychelles frog, Giant Salamanders, Asiatic Salamanders, Mole Salamanders, Pacific giant salamanders, Amphiumas, Lungless salamanders, Mudpuppies and Waterdogs, Torrent salamanders, True salamanders and Newts, Sirens, Common caecilians, Fish caecilians, Beaked caecilians. Reptiles: Turtles, common snapping turtles and alligator snapping turtle, pond turtles and box turtles, tortoises, Asian river turtles and allies, pignose turtles, softshell turtles, river turtles, mud turtles, sea turtles, leatherback turtles, tuataras, scaled reptiles, agamas, chameleons, casquehead lizard, iguanas, Madagascar iguanids, collared and leopard lizards, horned lizards, anoles, wood lizards, Neotropical ground lizards, geckos, legless lizards, blind lizards, spinytail Lizards, plated lizards, spectacled lizards, whiptails and tegus, Lacertids, skinks, night lizards, glass lizards, American legless lizards, knob-scaled lizards, gila monsters, earless Monitor lizards, monitor lizards, worm Lizards, shorthead Worm Lizards, two-legged Worm Lizards, snakes, wart snakes, false coral snakes, dwarf pipe snakes, African burrowing asps, stiletto snakes, boas, anacondas, Old World sand boas, Mauritius snakes, Colubrids, typical snakes, Asian pipe snakes, cobras, coral snakes, mambas, sea snakes, Mexican pythons, pythons, dwarf boas, pipe snakes, shield-tailed snakes, vipers, pitvipers, Fae's viper, night adders, pitvipers, rattlesnakes, true vipers, sunbeam snakes, blind snakes, primitive blind snakes, slender blind snakes, thread snakes, blind snakes, typical blind snakes, Crocodiles, alligators, garials. Aves: Ostrich, rheas, cassowaries and emu, kiwis, elephant birds, upland moas, great moas, lesser moas, Tinamous, Australian brush turkey,megapodes, chachalacas, curassows, and guans, Guineafowl, pheasants and allies, New World quail, pheasants and relatives, mihirungs, screamers, magpie-goose, ducks, geese, and swans, grebes, swimming flamingos, flamingos, pigeons and doves, sandgrouse, mesites, Tawny frogmouth, Nightjars, oilbird, potoos, frogmouths, owlet-nightjars, treeswifts, swifts, hummingbird, cuckoos and relatives, turacos and relatives, bustards, hoatzin, cranes and allies, cranes, limpkin, trumpeters, rails and allies, adzebills, finfoots, flufftails, rails and relatives, thick-knees and allies, thick-knees and relatives, sheathbills, Magellanic plover, plover-like waders, golden plovers, ibisbill, oystercatchers, plovers and lapwings, jacana-like waders, painted snipes, Egyptian plover, jacanas, seedsnipes, plains-wanderer, sandpipers and relatives, buttonquail, gulls and allies, coursers and pratincoles, crab-plover, skuas and jaegers, auks and puffins, gulls, skimmers and terns, sunbittern, tropicbirds, penguins, albatrosses, austral storm petrels, northern storm petrels, petrels and relatives, White stork, storks, frigatebirds, boobies and gannets, darters, cormorants and shags, ibises and spoonbills, hamerkop, shoebill, pelicans, herons and relatives, New World vultures, secretarybird, osprey, hawks, eagles, buzzards, harriers, kites and Old World vultures, barn owls, true owls, mousebirds, cuckooroller, trogons and quetzals, hornbills, hoopoe, woodhoopoes, bee-eater, rollers, ground rollers, todies, motmots, Kingfisher, jacamars, puffbirds, African barbets, Asian barbets, toucans, toucan barbets, American barbets, woodpeckers, honeyguides, seriemas, falcons and relatives, kakapo, kea and kakas, cockatoos, African and American parrots, Australasian parrots, Pesquet's parrot, vasa parrots, Pitta cyanea, Lyrebird, New Zealand wrens, suboscines, Old World suboscines, sapayoa, Calyptomenid broadbills, pittas, broadbills, asities, New World suboscines, bronchophones, manakins, cotingas, sharpbills, royal flycatchers and allies, becards and tityras, spadebills, many-colored rush tyrants, mionectine flycatchers, tyrant flycatchers, tracheophones, crescent-chests, gnateaters, antbirds, antpittas, ground antbirds, ovenbirds, oscines, scrub-birds, lyrebirds, bowerbirds, Australasian treecreepers, Australasian wrens, bristlebirds, gerygones and allies, honeyeaters and relatives, Australasian babblers, logrunners, quail-thrushes and jewel-babblers, cuckoo-shrikes, whitehead and allies, sittellas, wattled ploughbills, whipbirds and quail-thrushes, Australo-Papuan bellbirds, crested shriketits, painted berrypeckers, vireos and relatives, whistlers and relatives, Old World orioles, Boatbills, woodswallows and butcherbirds, mottled berryhunter, ioras, bristlehead, bushshrikes and relatives, wattle-eyes and batises, vangas , fantails, silktail, drongo fantail, drongos, blue-capped ifrits, Australian mudnesters, birds-of-paradise, monarch flycatchers, shrikes, jays and crows, berrypeckers, satinbirds, Australasian robins, stitchbird, wattlebirds, rockfowl, rock-jumpers, rail-babbler, fairy warblers, hyliotas, penduline tits, chickadees and true tits, Nicators, bearded reedling, larks, African warblers, cisticolas and relatives, marsh warblers, pygmy wren-babblers, grass warblers, Malagasy warblers, swallows and martins, bulbuls, leaf warblers, bush warblers , Bushtits, true warblers, parrotbills, fulvettas, white-eyes, babblers and relatives, fulvettas, ground babblers, laughing thrushes, kinglets, spotted wren-babblers, Hawaiian honeyeaters, silky-flycatchers, waxwings, Palmchat, hypocolius, wallcreeper, nuthatches, treecreepers, wrens, gnatcatchers, dippers, thrushes and relatives, flycatchers and relatives, oxpeckers, mockingbirds and thrashers, starlings and mynas , sugarbirds, dapplethroat and allies, flowerpeckers, sunbirds, fairy-bluebirds, leafbirds, olive warbler, accentors, pink-tailed bunting, weavers and relatives, whydahs and indigobirds, weaver finches, Old World sparrows, wagtails and pipits, finches and relatives, longspurs, snow buntings, rosy thrush-tanagers, Old World buntings and New World sparrows, American sparrows, palm-tanager and allies, New World blackbirds and New World orioles, Cuban warblers, wood warblers, cardinals, grosbeaks, and New World buntings, tanagers and relatives. MAMMALS: Rat, Bat, Horse, Standardbred, Throughbred, Saddlebred, Arab, Palomino, Australian stock, Appaloosa, Barb, Lippizaner, Mustang, American Shetland, Falabella, Percheron, Shire, Mule, Bullock, Setter, Oxen, Camel, Tiger, Lion, Hyaenas, Leopard, Bear, Cat, Dog, Sheep, Goat, Cow, Cob, Pig, Chamois, Bulldog, Borzoi, Loris, Longspur, Harvest mouse, Spiny – ant eater, Duck – billed platypus, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Tonkinese, Ragdoll, Margay, Tapir, Seal, Sea lion, Walrus, Dolphin, Bactrian camel, Arabian camel, Bushbaby, Burmese cat, Whale, Porpoise, Aardvark, Ape, Monkey, Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Flying Lemur, Hare, Pika, Macaque, Rabbit, Colobus, Antelope, Caribou, Cattle, Deer, Grizzly bear, Hyrax, Armadillo, Porcupine, Hedgehog, Arctic hare, Mole, Shrew, Beaver, Asian black bear, Polar bear, Sloth bear, Spectacled bear, Mouse, Squirrel, Dugong, Moose, Fallow deer, Reindeer, Red deer, Manatee, Egyptian Mau, Scottish fold, Himalayan, Birman, Red squirrel, Hippopotamus, Weasel, Whale, Wither, Blue whale, Sperm whale, Killer whale, Wallaby, Beluga, Baird’s beaked whale, Grey whale, Bryde’s whale, Pygmy right whale, Southern right whale, Seal, Ape, Indri, Aye – aye, Alaskan Malamute, Dobermann, Beagle, Kinkajou, Afgan Hound, Rough Collie, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Sheepdog, Pointer, Poddle, Weimaraner, Bloodhound, Zebra, Giraffe, Yak, Arctic fox, Polecat, Golden Retriever, Kerry Blue, Prairie dog, Airedale, German spitz, Pekingese, Otter, Shih Tzu, Proboscis monkey, Orang – utan, Red Howler monkey, Spider monkey, Sloth, Koala, Pangolin, Mustelid, Mongoose, Guinea pig, Malayan Porcupine, Naked Mole rat, Capybara, Pallid Gerbil, Brown rat, Somali, Ocicat, Balinese, Bengal, Cymric, Chartreux, Devon Rex, Turkish Angora, Russian Blue, Yellow – necked woodmouse, Hamster, Grey squirrel, Chipmunk, Fox, Blue Longhair, Chinese Pangolin, Blue – cream shorthair, Tortoiseshell and white shorthair, Brown spotted shorthair, Red and white Japanese bobtail, Javanese, Red Persian Longhair, Brown classic tabby maine coon, Lilac angora, Seal point Siamese, Brown and white sphinx, Red classic tabby manx, Vampire bat, Proboscis bat, Franquet’s fruit bat, Bengal Tiger, Horseshoe bat, Noctule bat, Funnel - eared bat, Blue exotic, Foreign lilac oriental shorthair, Boxer, Bay, Cream point colour pointed british shorthair, Abyssinian, Cinnamon silver Cornish rex, Wolverine, Skunk, Human being, Pine marten, Stoat, Chocolate point longhair, Husky, Ant eater, Kangaroo, Gray Mouse Lemur, Musk oxen, Raccoon dogrie, Pasnda, Bouto, Pembroke Welsh corgi, Whippet, Whisker, Indus river dolphin, Franciscana, Sorrel, Finless porpoise, Jerboa, Harbour porpoise, Bottlenose dolphin, Border Collie, Diana Monkey, White – beaked dolphin, Atlantic white – sided dolphin, Bobcat, Alpaca, Aberdeen angus, Lynx, Pacific white – sided dolphin, Rhesus monkey, Irish wolfhound, Baboon, Slivery marmoset, Puma, Ocelot, Norwegian Forest Cat, Basenji, Keeshond, Akita, Samoyed, Briard, Brittaney, Vizsla, Weimaraner, Saluki, Greyhound, Rottweiler, Bullmastiff, Newfoundland, Puli, Bombay, Sphynx, Kangaroo rat, Humpback whale, Red panda, Maltese, Pug, Chihuahua, Papillon, Pomeranian, Schipperke, Aardwolve, Cheetah, Civet, Red – Bellied Lemur, Moustache, Monkey, Yorkshire terrier, German shepherd, Clumber spaniel, Bouvier des Flandres, Belgian sheepdog, Boston terrier, Italian greyhound, Chesapeake Bay retriever, Genet, Musk deer, Bichon fries, Rock Hyrax, Pony, Mink, Mammoth, Mastodon, Giant sloth, Llama, African Elephant, DeBrazza’s Monkey, Siberian Tiger, Hackney Pony, Bonnet Monkey, German wirehaired pointer, Ferret, Jaguar, Dalmatian, Red Bengal Tiger, Badger, Shunk, Skye terrier, Great dane, Grampus, Bandicoot, Wolf, Marmot, Squirrel monkey, Sable, Minke whale, Spectacle porpoise, Opossums, Airedale, Wombat. etc , Ramapithecus, Australopithecus bosei or Paranthropus bosei, Zinjanthopus bosei, Homo – erectus ( Java man, Peking man, Heidelberg man ), Homo – Sapiens ( Neanderthal man, Cro – Magnon man) to the modern humans with their development and structure of their Heart, their contributions to the formation of the modern humans. What is the origin of the heart? In which place the heart is situated? What is the weight of our (modern humans) heart? Can a person live without a heart? What is the function of the heart? How heart pumps blood to the body? What type of circulation takes place in the human heart? How big our human heart is? Why is our (modern humans) heart considered as the most developed in the world? Why does heart stop? What are heart sounds? What are the types of heart sounds? What causes the heart sounds heard with a stethoscope? What is the anatomy of the heart? Why heart is considered an important organ in the body? Why can’t people live if heartbeat stops? Where is heart located in? How many chambers are present in the heart? What is the number of heart beats per minute? What is the amount of blood pumped by heart? How much blood does the human heart pump in a lifetime? And Short notes on heart attack i.e. what is the definition of a heart attack? Why does a heart attack occur? What are the types of the heart attack? What happens if human get a heart attack? What are the symptoms of Heart attack? What are the causes of the Heart attack? What are the risk factors related to the Heart attack? What are the types of risk factors cause the Heart attack? What are the complications of a Heart attack? What types of diagnosis useful in detecting and treating a heart attack? What treatment is needed to treat heart attack patients? What are 5 strategies to be maintained after the heart attack? What to do after recovery from a heart attack? What is cardiac rehabilitation? Why cardiac rehabilitation is needed to heart attack patients? Does cardiac rehabilitation create positive effects? What are a lifestyle and home remedies are to be maintained? What type of coping and support should be given to heart attack patients? What are the immediate measures should be taken when you encounter an emergency of heart attack patient? What signs and symptoms list should be made to consult a doctor? What is a widow maker heart attack? What is the definition of a widowmaker heart attack? What are the symptoms of Widowmaker heart attack? What are the causes of Widowmaker heart attack? What are the risk factors related to Widowmaker heart attack? What are the complications of a widowmaker heart attack? What types of diagnosis useful in detecting and treating a widowmaker heart attack? What treatment is needed to treat heart attack patients? How to make over your lifestyle? What type of measures should be taken to stay away from a heart attack? What are 20 types of foods should be taken to keep your heart healthy? Solutions and answers of above questions, material and topics are included and cleared in this book.'

Flick’s Complete Bug Guide

Hi, all! Do you feel a wave of disappointment whenever you bring Blathers a bug and he spends all his time berating the poor creatures? Want to learn more about the buggy friends you find in Animal Crossing without all the snide remarks?

Look no further– this is Flick’s Complete Bug Guide! Learn about these amazing creatures from the perspective of a true bug fan!

You’re encouraged to visit every time you capture a new bug so you can learn more about it!

This guide is written in the theoretical universe where you can approach Flick during a day he is visiting and there is a dialogue option “Tell me about this!”

Upon being asked to tell you about a bug, Flick would say:

“Oh my gosh! A <name of bug>! I can hardly even gaze upon its sheer beauty and magnificence!”

“Ahem. I-I mean, um … thank you for bringing this to me!”

He would then tell you about the bug, and finish his speech with the following:

“It has been an honor to spend time in the presence of your  <name of bug>. I hope you enjoyed hearing what wisdom I could share about it!”

Now, onward to the bug guide!

Common Butterfly (Pieris rapae)

The Common Butterfly, also known as the Cabbage Butterfly or the White Butterfly, is a widespread species of butterfly with pretty white wings and black spots. A large reason this species has grown so widespread is because its caterpillars love to eat plants in the cabbage family, including kale, broccoli and bok choy, plants that humans grow plenty of. While these caterpillars are considered serious crop pests, it’s interesting to note that these little grubs will move around a lot when feeding, avoiding damaging any single part of the plant too much. This may be to avoid predators from easily spotting the caterpillars, but they also might be trying to share the crops with us! With that in mind, maybe we can learn to share our crops with the butterflies, too.  

Yellow Butterfly (Colias erate)

Ever wonder about a butterfly’s wing? Such delicate, beautiful structures? Well, the scientific name for the family of butterflies and moths is ‘Lepidoptera,’ which means 'scale wing.’ Butterfly wings are coated in thousands of teeny, tiny scales made of chitin. These scales help insulate a butterfly, as well as allow butterfly wings to get their coloration through pigments or iridescence. The scales also allow for a very neat trick– if a butterfly gets captured in a spider’s web, there’s a good chance some of the scales on their wings will detach, allowing the butterfly to slip away. That’s why if you handle a butterfly, sometimes you hands are covered in a fine powdery substance. That powder is some of the butterfly’s scales rubbing off on you. I have to admit, I envy butterfly scales a little. They seem much more beautiful and functional than my own lizardy scales.

Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon)

This vibrant black-and-blue insect is a type of swallowtail butterfly, and lives in tropical rainforests as well as some drier, subtropical environments. Like most butterflies, they feed on flower nectar, but Bluebottles are also commonly seen drinking from mud puddles. This helps them take in salts and minerals from the ground. In search of nutrients, Bluebottles may even occasionally feed from animal droppings or dead animals! Although this may change your image of butterflies as sweet, lovely insects, it’s actually a really smart move for the butterflies. Good things can come even from wastes!

Tiger Butterfly (Papilio machaon)

The Tiger Butterfly is named for its dramatic yellow and black-striped coloration. It’s also sometimes called a Yellow Swallowtail, because of the long tails on its hindwings that resemble the tails of swallows. When Tiger Butterflies are caterpillars, they are covered in brown, white and black spots– ingeniously camouflaged as bird droppings! As the caterpillars get older, their colors change to a lovely green with black and orange markings. They also gain a new defense against predators, called the osmeterium. This is a forked, retractable organ that the caterpillar can inflate when feeling threatened. The osmeterium releases a foul odor, warding off ants and other predatory insects. As you can see, caterpillars have all sorts of tricks to avoid being eaten– which is a good thing, because that means more beautiful butterflies!

Agrias Butterfly(Agrias claudina)

This superb little butterfly is considered one of the most beautiful species to exist, and with its iridescent pink and violet set on a black background, I find it hard to argue. The glorious colors you’re witnessing are thanks to the teeny, tiny scales that coat the butterflies’ wings. Male Agrias Butterflies also have small yellow patches of scales on their hindwings, and these patches are special. They’re actually made of something called androconial scales. These scales help release pheromones for attracting a mate. Butterflies communicate with each other through these pheromones, as well as those colorful, glittering wings. Of course, with such eye-catching looks, these butterflies may gain the unwanted attention of predators, too, but they’re in luck: Agrias Butterflies are incredibly swift and agile fliers. It takes a lot to get ahold of one of these little gems!

Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae)

Oh, wow! You caught a Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing? Those are rare– they’re an endangered species! They live in rainforests, but habitat destruction from oil palm plantations has really damaged their populations. (It didn’t help that a volcano erupted around the 50s, destroying much of their habitat as well.) These days, it’s illegal to trade this species worldwide. Hopefully, with habitat protection and captive breeding programs, the species will make a comeback. It’s a really special species– did you know it’s the largest butterfly in the world? Its wingspan can reach up to 9 inches or larger! The females are the larger of the species, while males are smaller but more brightly colored. They love to fly quite high up, and have few natural predators due to their size. That fact gives me hope! I want to see these birdwings thrive once more.

Emperor Butterfly (Morpho menelaus)

The charismatic Emperor Butterfly– also commonly known as the Blue Morpho– is a wonderful example of iridescence. The shimmering cerulean shades of this species do not come from pigment but instead from wing scales that have a special microstructure, reflecting the light in a special way to produce the color. As the butterfly flies, you get flashes of bright blue, and other times see the dark wing undersides. It makes for quite the dazzling display. This butterfly’s wings don’t only look lovely, but also are able to repel water. As a result, it’s one of the few butterflies that will fly in the rain! Because of its beauty, the Emperor is popular with collectors, but over collection and habitat destruction threatens this species. It’s essential that we protect and preserve nature and its incredible insects, so future generations can enjoy them as well!

Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana)

The regal Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing is the national butterfly of Malaysia, and it’s easy to see why. This butterfly makes for an impressive sight; it has a wingspan over 7 inches long and has shimmering, electric-green and black wings. It dwells on rainforested islands where it feeds from flowers such as orchid trees. Interestingly, the males love to gather at hot mineral springs to sip the water, while the drabber-colored females are seen far less often, living a more mysterious life in the trees. The caterpillars of this species are white and brown, covered in defensive spines called tubercles. These larvae feed on the poisonous leaves of vines, storing the poison in their bodies so they are toxic to predators that try to eat them. Laws have been made to protect this popular species, attempting to limit the trade and export of these butterflies. Unfortunately, people sometimes still try to smuggle this species to sell to collectors. It’s an important reminder that we need to protect and respect these beautiful creatures, and not let collecting get out of hand.

Great Purple Emperor (Sasakia charonda)

The Great Purple Emperor is Japan’s proud national butterfly, due to their refined beauty and their wide distribution across Japan. They are black or brown butterflies speckled in white and yellow, with the males covered in a gorgeous purple sheen. They like to dwell in the upper canopy of trees but will come down to feed, sipping up tree sap and occasionally seeking minerals from animal droppings or animal carcasses. They are quick, strong flyers and are said to look like birds when they fly. The caterpillars of this species are adorable green larvae with a pair of horns that I think makes them look absolutely charming. These caterpillars enjoy the leaves of hackberry trees, and when winter comes, the fellows will turn a brown color and crawl to the ground and hide among the roots and fallen leaves. When spring arrives, they immerge from hiding and continue to feed until they are ready to pupate and become adults in the summer. Then they take flight with their strong wing beats– truly the kings of the summer forest!

Paper Kite Butterfly (Idea leuconoe)

The Paper Kite Butterfly is known for its slow, graceful flight, looking much like a handkerchief drifting in the breeze. With their silvery white wings, decorated in dramatic black stripes and spots, it only adds to the loveliness of the picture. However, it’s important to note this species is not simply beautiful; it’s also highly poisonous. The caterpillars of Paper Kites feed on a number of toxic vines, and store the poisons in their bodies as they eat. This poison remains when they transform into adults, so any birds that happen by and try to eat this butterfly are in for a nasty surprise. The bird usually survives these encounters but learns a valuable lesson– avoid snacking on these elegant creatures!

Peacock Butterfly (Papilio bianor)

The Peacock Butterfly is a type of swallowtail butterfly, which means its hindwings have extensions that look very much like the tails of swallows. These colorful 'tails’ are actually great defensive mechanisms. If a bird tries to attack the Peacock Butterfly, it may focus instead on the eye-catching tail. This may end up with a bird grabbing a chunk of wing, but the butterfly’s vital body parts are still intact, and it can escape. Next time you’re admiring the gorgeous sparkling tails of the Peacock Butterfly, you can appreciate they aren’t simply for show but can also help protect these insects!

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

This particular butterfly is well-known for its epic migrations. Because Monarchs do not tolerate the cold, each year when winter begins to approach, they migrate en masse southward to Mexico, where they overwinter. They do this by taking advantage of air currents and thermals, traveling amazing distances in the process– sometimes up to 3,000 miles! During this migration, when the butterflies are resting, they gather together in large groups to roost on trees, huddled for warmth. A group of migrating monarchs is a truly incredible sight to behold; the air thick with fluttering wings, the trees absolutely covered in bright black and orange. Once winter has passed, the monarchs begin a return migration, but this one is different, as it spans multiple generations. The butterflies that eventually return northward in the spring are the grandchildren of the ones that left in the winter– in fact, it takes 3-4 generations for the monarchs to return to their northern territories again! Their journeys are truly inspiring.

Moth (Order Lepidoptera)

Time for a little lesson! Want to know the difference between butterflies and moths? A lot of people might think the difference is that moths are nocturnal and rather duly-colored, while butterflies are colorful and active during the day. But the truth is, there are actually a lot of daytime-flying moths, and many of those species are extremely colorful! A better way to tell them apart is to look at their antenna; generally, butterfly antenna are thin with 'clubs’ at the end, while moth antenna are fuzzy or feathery and lack clubs. Also, you can look at their wings when they’re at rest: butterflies usually like to hold their wings closed when they rest, while moths usually hold their wings flat. However, these are just rules of thumb, and there are exceptions. Ultimately, they’re both very closely related insects in the order Lepidoptera, and both equally enjoyable creatures.

Madagascan Sunset Moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus)

It is positively euphoric to gaze upon the Madagascan Sunset Moth, with its wide wingspan of 3 to 3 and a half inches, its eye-catching tails, and its glittering kaleidoscopic colors of red, green, blue and black. This day-flying moth species sips nectar and flits about the forests of Madagascar. Their caterpillars, white larvae clad in black spots and stripes, like to feed upon highly toxic shrubs, and then store the poison in their bodies. When they metamorphose into adults, they retain their toxicity, so predators quickly learn to avoid these dazzling insects. This species is considered one of the most beautiful moth or butterfly species in the world, prized among collectors and sometimes used in the making of jewelry. Of course, I feel the best way of appreciating this moth is the same way you appreciate a sunset; just be present for the moment you’re living in. Thank you for sharing this moment with us, Sunset moth.

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas)

What a beautiful creature! The Atlas moth is one of the largest moths in the world. Do you see how its wings are massive compared to its little body? And here, the tips of its wings have these large extensions that look like the head of a snake! When potential predators disturb this moth, it flaps its wings and uses these false snake heads to try and spook animals away. It’s a clever tactic, because the Atlas moth must be careful about conserving its energy– it cannot afford to fly great distances. Why? Because it has no mouth. Adult moths simply never eat and live off of the fat reserves they built up when they were feeding as caterpillars. Like the bloom of a flower, the life of the Atlas Moth does not last long, but our worlds are all the richer for having them in it.

Rice Grasshopper (Oxya japonica)

The Rice Grasshopper is considered by people to be an agricultural pest, because it loves to eat crops, especially rice crops. However, the Rice Grasshopper is also considered by people to be, um … a very tasty snack. I have a sad story about Rice Grasshoppers. I was a pretty young hatchling at the time, and I was playing outside. I had been chasing a grasshopper for over an hour. When I finally captured it, I was so excited and proud! It was a beautiful Rice Grasshopper, probably a female, since it was quite large. I brought it back home to show my father. I … I gave it to him so he could look at it, and . . . he ate it in one gulp… . I cried a long time after that. He hadn’t realized I wanted to keep it. But, um … yeah. We don’t always get along so well. I can’t possibly imagine wanting to eat such beautiful, amazing creatures.

Long Locust (Acrida cinerea)

This fantastic-looking grasshopper has an incredibly long, triangular head, with two long antenna on top. They also have amazingly long hind legs, which they use to bound away from predators. They feed upon various grasses and especially have a taste for rice plants. The females of the Long Locust are much larger than the males, and can often be mistaken as a separate species. In Japan, these grasshoppers are known as Shouryou-batta, or “Spirit Grasshopper.” Because the grasshoppers appear in summer and autumn, around the time of the Bon Festival, and the grasshoppers’ bodies are boat-shaped, they remind people of the boats used during the festival to carry the souls of the departed. Quite an honorable reputation for this little locust!

Grasshopper (Infraorder Acrididea)

Grasshoppers come from a family of insects that have ancient roots, all the way back to the Triassic period. They have been chomping away on grasses and other plants for a very long time! They have powerful hind legs they use to spring into the air in order to evade predators. In the moment they leap, they may also flash their brightly-colored wings to startle their enemies. Since you’ve captured this grasshopper, I’m sure you know how surprisingly far and fast they can jump. Actually, if you and I could jump as well as a grasshopper, we could leap the length of a football field! Grasshoppers are also known for their chirping, which they produce by rubbing their powerful hind legs against their wings. Those impressive legs are thus useful for a variety of purposes. To be honest, our legs are pretty boring in comparison.

Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria)

Locusts are a type of grasshopper that can engage in an absolutely fascinating event: locust swarms. Normally, locusts live a solitary, humble life; green insects that slowly creep about, calmly feeding on grasses and generally avoiding fellow locusts. However, if locust populations start to become too crowded, especially due to high rainfall increasing the food supply, then locusts change rapidly. Their appearances change and they gain bright, colorful markings; also, their behavior switches to being highly gregarious, which means they are drawn to each other in large crowds and they start to act as a single group. They begin to reproduce rapidly and eat voraciously, and will travel over long distances, stripping the land of vegetation. These swarms are sometimes called locust plagues, because they can devastate farmer’s crops and even cause famine! There is some consolation, though … locusts are a good, protein-packed food for people to eat.

Cricket (Family Gryllidae)

The soothing, relaxing song of crickets is produced when crickets rub their textured wings together– this is called stridulation. They sing to attract mates and to mark their territories, and some crickets even have a specific tune they sing after a successful mating. These musical insects are also affected by temperatures; most crickets chirp faster as the temperature increases, and they can be so reliable that if you count the number of chirps, you can estimate the temperature. The language of crickets is actually quite complex and compelling! Crickets hear each other through ears located on their front legs, just below their 'knees.’ Cricket hearing is very sophisticated, actually, and may even rival our own hearing. The next time you hear that gentle chirping in the night, you should stop to really listen to it. Who knows what secrets they could be whispering to you!

Bell Cricket (Homoeogryllus japonicus)

Like most insects, the Bell Cricket has two pairs of wings; the hindwings are membranous and meant for flight, while the front wings are leathery and protective. Bell Crickets make a beautiful chirp by rubbing their front wings together, and many people liken the sound to the chiming of bells. These crickets can change the sound of their songs by vibrating their bodies as they chirp, making the sound of each cricket unique. These lovely musicians are popular pets, traditionally kept in bamboo cages. What’s more, there’s actually a Buddhist temple that raises thousands of Bell Crickets each year, so that people can go there to meditate to the melodious sound of Bell Cricket chirps. It sounds divine to me!

Mole Cricket (Family Gryllotalpidae)

Mole crickets are remarkable little critters, adapted perfectly to a life underground. They use their powerful shovel-like front legs to dig rapidly in the dirt, excavating tunnels in search of food such as roots, grasses and worms. The males will construct horn-shaped tunnels and then chirp inside them, so the tunnels resonate the sound of the chirping. This means while you may never have seen a mole cricket before, you’ve likely heard one without realizing! Mole crickets do occasionally leave the earth, however, and can fly or even swim, if needed. Generally they come to the surface at night, so if you’re particularly lucky, you may get to see one!

Mantis (Order Mantodea)

The mantis is a mighty ambush predator, stalking their prey before seizing them with their spiked, raptorial forelegs, using lightning-speed reflexes. They have huge compound eyes, and their heads can turn 180 degrees as they survey the world for food. They feed upon many insects, and can even take down hummingbirds and rodents! Their hunger will sometimes even extend to eating their own kind; it’s not unheard of for female mantises to consume the heads of the males after mating. This is perhaps not as terrible as it sounds; the male’s sacrifice helps provide nourishment for his future offspring. Still, I must admit, if I am to be reborn as a mantis in the next life, I’d probably prefer to be born a female mantis.

Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus)

This resplendent mantis is perfectly disguised as a white and pink flower, down to the very petal shape itself! The camouflage helps protect it from predators as well as draw in potential prey. The mantis lies in wait among the bushes and flowers for an unsuspecting butterfly or other insect to wander by, and then snatches it up. Such deadly beauty– a clever mistress of blossoms! These mantises are so skilled at disguise, they can even gradually change color to reflect their environment. To be honest, I feel a certain kinship with the orchid mantis’ camouflaging ways. Perhaps someday I will master the art of flower mimicry, just as they have!

Honey Bee (Genus Apis)

The humble honeybee, a hard-working partner of ours for thousands of years. Cave paintings up to 10,000 years old show people eating honey, and beekeeping in clay pots began around 9,000 years ago in Africa. Because of this long-term relationship, we know quite a lot about our buzzing friends. For example, bees communicate with each other through the medium of dance! When a worker bee finds a great patch of flowers and wishes to tell her sisters about it, she returns to the hive and performs a waggle dance. The dance tells the bees the direction of the flower patch and its distance from the hive. As an artist, I can empathize with the bees. Words often pale in comparison with other methods of expression. Truly, the bees are not only diligent workers but brilliant performance artists.

Wasp (Polistes rothneyi)

Wasps! One of the most misunderstood and amazing families of insects to exist! Did you know there are over 30,000 species of wasps? They come in all shapes and sizes, from the fairy wasps that are around the size of an amoeba to the massive asian giant hornets that are almost two inches long. While some are well-known for constructing papery or mud nests and living in hives, many other species are solitary and live in single, tiny burrows. As a whole, wasps tend to be predatory, preying on a wide range of insects, including many species considered harmful to crops. Wasps also dine upon nectar, however, and can be important plant pollinators. It’s difficult to try and summarize the sheer variety and glory of wasps, but know that they play vital roles in the ecosystem and are truly wondrous creatures!

Robust Cicada (Hyalessa maculaticollis)

Aaaah, the sweet, sonorous cicada. Nothing quite says “summer” like the hypnotic sound of cicadas singing. Cicadas are well-known for their loud, rhythmic songs, but how do they make these sounds? The answer is the tymbals– drum-like organs in the abdomen that males flex back and forth. The sound then reverberates throughout the cicada’s abdomen, magnifying the sound. Robust Cicadas in particular are known for their especially loud chirps. I find these musicians to be deeply inspiring, and it’s always a transcending experience to hold witness to one of their performances!

Gaint Cicada (Cryptotympana holsti)

Did you know that cicadas are seen as symbols of rebirth and immortality in Chinese lore? Just as the cicada lives underground for many, many years and then rises, reborn from the dirt, we hope to emulate such glory. Cicadas were also seen as creatures of high status, as they subsist on dew and perch upon their thrones in the treetops. Because of this symbolism, Chinese royalty has borrowed fashion ideas from the great cicada. Even their crowns were decorated with the image of a cicada, eyes shining bright! A fitting homage to this noble bug.

Brown Cicada (Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata)

While most cicadas have transparent wings, the Brown Cicada sports opaque, brown wings, so it’s pretty easy to recognize. Another recognizable trait is their cry, which is often compared to the sound of hot oil sizzling. These bugs are fond of sipping the sap of trees, including fruit trees. As a result, some people consider the Brown Cicada a pest. Hah! Imagine having the audacity to call these little marvels a pest! The cicadas are only doing what comes natural to any of us– eating to survive. I’ll gladly share the fruit trees with my insect brethren for that.

Evening Cicada (Tanna japonensis)

The males of Evening Cicadas sing a mournful song in the mornings, at dusk, or when the weather turns cool or cloudy. Among the many different cicadas, the sorrowful song of the Evening Cicada is possibly my favorite. But why do cicadas sing? Are they expressing some deep-felt sentiment? Actually, yes. They are expressing perhaps one of the most deep-felt sentiments there can be; loneliness. Evening Cicadas, as well as their cicada relatives, are calling for a mate. Males usually pack into rather large groups and call together, creating quite a large collective sound. Females can hear these calls from around a mile away! It’s a nice thought that because of their mournful cries, the Evening Cicadas are able to happily unite with each other.

Walker Cicada (Meimuna opalifera)

While some cicadas are associated with summer, the song of the Walker Cicada traditionally marks the end of summer and the start of autumn. It has a very characteristic cry, which in Japan is heard as “Tsukutsuku … boushi!” However, the song of this species actually differs depending on the region it is in. That’s right– insects have dialects! Speaking of dialects, the Walker Cicada is actually native to China, but it’s believed it hitched a ride on wooden brooms and was imported to Japan. Now it’s widespread in both countries, in addition to Korea and Taiwan. I wonder what a Walker Cicada would sound like with an Australian dialect? Or an Indian one?

Cicada Shell

This is truly a treasure– a perfectly intact cicada shell! These shells are proof of a wondrous transformation that cicadas undergo. You see, it all begins when a female deposits an egg in a little groove on a tree. The young feed on the fluids of the tree for a while before dropping to the ground and digging their way to safety. They then spend years underground, exploring the depths and dining on roots. Eventually, the young rise from the soil, finally seeing daylight once more, and climb the trunk of a tree. There, they shed their skins, emerging as glorious, winged adults! This shell represents their touching life journey. I hope that it might inspire you, as it does for me.

Darner Dragonfly (Anax parthenope)

Dragonflies are one of my favorite species! Did you know dragonflies were some of the very first winged insects to evolve and have been around for millions of years? Ancient dragonflies had wingspans of up to two feet long! The Darner Dragonfly isn’t that large, of course, but it’s still an impressive creature. They’re powerful predators, capturing their prey mid-flight, kind of making them the hawks of the insect world. Their flying skills are fantastic, and they can fly in all directions, hover, and even fly backwards, so they have unparalleled agility. Because they hunt by sight, they also have amazing eyes, among the best in the insect kingdom; they have up to 30,000 lenses in those enormous compound eyes pointing in all directions, and can detect light in color spectrums well beyond what we can see. If you want to have some fun, just sit back and watch the dragonflies hunt for a while!

Red Dragonfly (Sympetrum frequens)

Ever wonder why dragonflies are usually found near water? They love to hunt in these environments, snatching up and devouring midges, mosquitoes, moths and many others. But dragonflies are also fond of ponds and lakes because those are their breeding grounds. You see, dragonfly larvae are aquatic. The female lays her eggs on plants near the water or will skim the surface of the water with her abdomen, dropping eggs into the water. The nymphs that hatch are active, hungry hunters, devouring mosquito larvae, other aquatic insects or worms, and even tadpoles and small fish. The nymphs enjoy their aquatic lifestyle for a long time, up to five years, occasionally climbing onto a reed to shed their old skins and grow, before eventually molting one last time into a winged adult. Because of their reliance on these ecosystems, dragonflies are great indicators of the health of our wetlands!

Banded Dragonfly (Anotogaster sieboldii)

There has been a very wide range of associations with dragonflies among different cultures. European cultures have historically viewed dragonflies in a very negative light; some have called them “devil’s darning needles” and folklore casts them in villainous roles. Fortunately, other cultures view dragonflies in a very positive way. They are celebrated in some Native American crafts and may symbolize pure water or swiftness; in Japan, dragonflies are strong symbols of courage, luck and happiness, as well as signs of autumn’s arrival. Dragonflies have been used in traditional medicine as well as for food, so some cultures simply associate them with a meal. It’s actually really hard to summarize the many different ways people view dragonflies. Personally, I admire dragonflies’ incredible flying and hunting talents, their sheer beauty, and their tenacious spirits. What do dragonflies mean to you?

Damselfly(Ischnura senegalensis)

The Damselfly is a close relative to the dragonfly, but damselflies tend to be smaller, thinner, and hold their wings along their body at rest. You can also tell by looking at their eyes; damselfly eyes are always separated while most dragonfly eyes are touching. Like the dragonfly, damselflies are talented predators, nabbing flies, mosquitoes, moths and others right out of the air or plucking them off of plants. Males display elaborate courtship dances to impress females. If the male is successful, the damselflies will mate in a complex shape called a mating heart or mating wheel– which is the shape their abdomens make when they curl around each other. The female then lays eggs along the stems of underwater plants. The young that hatch live under water, breathing through feathery gills on their abdomens and feeding on aquatic insects, sometimes molting so they can grow larger. When they’re ready, they immerge from the water and cast off their old skin to immerge as graceful, lithe adults. The coloration of dragonflies and damselflies can range from just about every color of the rainbow, and they often shimmer beautifully in the sun. The next time you’re by a pond or marsh, keep an eye out for these quick, flittering gems!

Firefly (Family Lampyridae)

Fireflies are appealing little beetles with an extraordinary ability: a beautiful bioluminescence located on their backsides. The lights that fireflies produce are chemical reactions that take place inside their transparent abdomens. This light is cool to the touch and is yellow-green in color. Fireflies control their luminescence at will, and will flicker their lights in rhythmic patterns that are unique to each species. This helps males and females locate each other for mating. While many fireflies feed on pollen and nectar, some are carnivorous. Sometimes, females of these carnivorous fireflies will use light signals to their advantage, mimicking the patterns of particular firefly species simply to lure them in so they can eat them. These are femme fatale fireflies, so males need to be careful of them– the mesmerizing displays of fireflies can be a complicated language!

Pondskater (Family Gerridae)

This graceful bug skates effortlessly across the surface of the water, a magnificent feat that us silly vertebrates can only dream of. The pondskater’s body is carefully built to transfer their weight perfectly across their long, slender legs, which are lined with hairs that help repel water. The insects will row across the water with their middle legs and steer with their back legs. Their front legs are shorter and have claws, to help them seize insects that have fallen into the water. They pierce their prey with a proboscis to feed– all while staying on the surface of the water! Pondskaters do pretty much everything on top of the water, even mating. They communicate with other pondskaters by creating ripples in the water; some ripple frequencies are threatening signals while others are mating signals. They are truly masters of their craft. I’d prefer to watch the pondskaters’ dances rather than an ice skater any time!

Giant Water Bug (Family Belostomatidae)

The Giant Water Bug is indeed very large– the largest true bug, which can grow to be around four inches long! They have flattened, oval bodies, with oarlike back legs for swimming and raptorial front legs that are designed for seizing prey. They also have tubes on their abdomen that they breathe through, much like a snorkel. Water Bugs stalk and capture a wide variety of prey, including fish, frogs, and insects, and may even grab turtles and snakes! Once they capture something, they inject it with venomous saliva, then wait for their food to digest before sucking up the liquefied remains. Although these bugs are efficient and aggressive predators, they’re also caring parents; in some species, the female will lay her eggs on the back of the male, and the father will carry them about until they hatch! It’s nice to see father insects taking an active role in parenting as well.

Diving Beetle (Family Dytiscidae)

Diving Beetles are sleek, flat beetles that cruise through the water with ease, using their powerful, hairy back legs to paddle.  Although they’re aquatic they still need to breathe air, and actually store air bubbles under their wing cases before diving, breathing the air through tubes in their abdomens. The Diving Beetle is an active predator, hunting a wide variety of prey including insects, tadpoles and fish. The young of Diving Beetles are also carnivorous predators, and are sometimes called Water Tigers. When the larvae are ready, they bury themselves in the mud to pupate, and immerge as adults. Adult Diving Beetles are surprisingly very capable fliers, and will take off at night in search of new watery habitats. They search for the bright reflection of moonlight bouncing off of bodies of water to help guide them. If you ever find Diving Beetles in a small pond or puddle and wonder how they got there, that’s how!

Stink Bug (Family Pentatomidae)

Aww, a Stink Bug! I love these fellahs. Stink Bugs are a great example of true bugs. Technically speaking, a lot of things we call bugs aren’t really bugs. All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs! So what makes a true bug? Well, true bugs like Stink Bugs have beaklike mouthparts called proboscises. They use them to pierce plants (or animals!) and suck up their food. Unlike butterfly or honeybee mouthparts, true bugs can’t roll up their proboscises. True bugs also often produce a pungent defensive spray, like Stink Bugs! People argue over what stink bug spray actually smells like– some say it’s very earthy, others call it woody or oily, and some say it’s bitter and fruity. Although it’s designed to ward off predators, I have to admit I’ve grown quite fond of the smell.

Man-Faced Stink Bug (Catacanthus incarnatus)

The markings of the Man-Faced Stink Bug are bright and colorful, and some people think these markings look like a face. With such an appealing, dramatic appearance, you’d expect these bugs to be popular pets, but actually, people have had a little difficulty raising them in captivity. The challenge is in raising the nymphs. What exactly are nymphs? Well, some insects undergo what’s called complete metamorphosis– for example, butterflies first hatch as caterpillars, then transform into pupae before immerging as adults. Other insects, such as stink bugs, undergo incomplete metamorphosis. Their young are not grubs, but instead are nymphs, which are basically miniature versions of the adults. Our hope is to eventually raise these baby Man-Faced Stink Bugs to full adulthood. If we succeed, we can share the joy of stink bugs with more people!

Ladybug (Family Coccinellidae)

These bright red little beetles actually come in a variety of colors with a variety of spots or stripes. Many cultures consider the ladybug a symbol of good luck, and if one lands upon you, good fortune is sure to find you. Part of the reason they are seen as lucky may be because of their voracious appetites for aphids. You see, aphids are tiny little bugs that love to eat people’s crops, but ladybugs eat aphids by the hundreds and help keep crops safe. Thus, some cultures consider ladybugs to be a divine gift. Next time a ladybug lands upon you, try making a wish. Whether you get the wish or not, you’ll be blessed by the presence of this charming little friend!

Tiger Beetle (Subfamily Cicindelinae)

Tiger Beetles are named because they are powerful predators of the beetle world. But it might be more accurate to call them Cheetah Beetles! The fastest Tiger Beetle can run 5 miles per hour, or 120 body lengths per second. A Cheetah, in comparison, can only run 16 body lengths per second– so when you really think about it, Tiger Beetles are the clear winners. In fact, Tiger Beetles move so fast they have to stop in the middle of running several times to reorient their vision before running again. Even when stopping in the middle of a chase, the beetles have no problem capturing their prey!

Citrus Long-Horned Beetle (Anoplophora chinensis)

The Citrus Long-Horned Beetle has a glossy black body with white spots, and has an impressively long pair of antenna. You’re likely to find it hanging out among the trees, as it’s fond of dining upon the leaves, stems and bark of a wide range of tree species, including citrus and hardwood trees. The females will drill little holes into the bark of a tree to carefully deposit her eggs, one at a time. When the eggs hatch, the larvae will dig into the tree, feeding on the nutritious inner bark. To be truthful, the Citrus Long-Horned Beetle is not very popular among a lot of people, because it’s capable of killing many healthy trees when it feeds and reproduces. Of course, there are natural enemies of these beetles that can help keep populations in check, such as parasites, ants and fungi. Nature does try to keep things in balance!

Violin Beetle (Mormolyce phyllodes)

This elegant beetle has a very narrow neck and head, a wide, flat body and marvelously curved wings, looking very much like a tiny violin. In truth, it is probably not imitating a violin but a brown leaf, which helps it blend in with its environment and avoid predators. Its flat body also helps it slip in between layers of mushrooms and tree bark, where it actively hunts for other insects, especially larvae. If startled, this beetle can release toxic fluid as a defense. This is likely to deter anything that tries to stuff it into their mouths! The Violin Beetle lives in tropical rainforests in Malaysia and other islands, and is threatened by the destruction of its habitat. We must strive to preserve our rainforests so precious creatures such as the Violin Beetle can thrive.

Jewel Beetle (Chrysochroa fulgidissima)

This dazzling little beetle is named after the splendid jewel-like shine to its exoskeleton. This coloration is known as iridescence, and the colors shift depending on how you look at them. Like little drops of sunlight, Jewel Beetles are so prized among people that their shells have been used in jewelry and other crafts. There is also an expression in Japan, tamamushi-iro, that refers to the ever-shifting colors of the Jewel Beetle, and the term can also refer to language that can be interpreted in multiple ways. Personally, I draw a great amount of artistic inspiration from the Jewel Beetle, and from my efforts to capture their ever-changing rainbows of power and vitality!

Rosalia Batesi Beetle (Rosalia batesi)

This enchanting long-horned beetle is a beautiful shade of blue, is covered in black polka dots and sports an impressive pair of antenna that can be almost twice as long as its body. Its entire body is also covered in a velvety, fine hair, including cute little tufts of hair on the antenna. The adults enjoy eating pollen, fruits and sap, while the larvae rely on dead wood for food. While Rosalia Batesi bothers some people because it may feed on crops, many people adore this beetle for its attractive appearance, and it’s commonly featured on stamps and other designs. I think if we all learn to share the land and its bounties, then we can be very happy to share the world with this sprightly spirit of the forest.

Blue Weevil Beetle (Genus Eupholus)

The Blue Weevil Beetle comes in many stunning shades of blue and green, and are so bright and beautiful that some people will use them for jewelry. But beware! These sparkling hues are actually warning signals! The Blue Weevil uses its long beak to bore into leaves, and builds up toxins in its body as it feeds. Anyone who’s hoping to chow down on these effervescent insects will end up getting poisoned. It’s far better to respect and admire the Blue Weevil than to eat it!

Dung Beetle (Familes Geotrupidae, Scarabaeidae)

Dung Beetles come from a number of insect groups, including the earth-boring dung beetles, the scarab beetles, and the small dung beetles. What they all have in common is that they feed upon dung!  This is an incredibly important job, believe it or not. Without dung beetles and other feces-feeding insects, we might be buried up to our necks in animal droppings! The Dung Beetles break down these wastes and return nutrients back to the earth, recycling these materials. Many of them do this by shaping dung into a carefully compacted ball, balancing on top of it, and rolling it away to a safe place so they can feed. Dung Beetles like to roll in straight lines with their balls, and they use the sun and moon to help them navigate– and even the bright stripe of the Milky Way! It’s no wonder many cultures respect and even revere this talented beetle.

Earth-Boring Dung Beetle (Family Geotrupidae)

Like some of their scarab brethren, the Earth-Boring Dung Beetle has a glittering, jewel-like luster to its exoskeleton. This is a very special kind of color! Unlike most colors in the animal kingdom, called pigments, the shells of Earth-Boring Dung Beetles are colored by iridescence, or teeny, tiny structures that bounce light in a particular pattern. The result is stunning to gaze upon! As these beetles spend much time burrowing into the soil, spotting them is truly like finding buried treasure.

Scarab Beetle (Family Scarabaeidae)  

The sacred scarab! Truly, you are fortunate to have come upon one of these little deities. You see, scarab beetles were revered by the ancient Egyptians. When the scarabs rolled balls of dung for their precious young to feast upon, the Egyptians saw them as symbolically pushing the orb of the sun across the sky. In fact, the Egyptian sun God, Ra, was believed to have taken the form of a scarab beetle, named Khepri, and pushed the sun across the sky just like a ball of dung. The Egyptians even placed amulets shaped like scarab beetles over the hearts of mummies to protect them in the afterlife. Scarabs are protectors, bringers of light and of life itself!  

Drone Beetle (Pseudotorynorrhina japonica)

These handsome creatures are a type of scarab beetle, a powerful group of beetles revered by the ancient Egyptians as sacred. The antennae of scarabs are special, and can be folded out gracefully like a fan to better detect odors, or folded back up into a club shape to serve as a weapon! We can only dream of possessing appendages so adaptable and so magnificent in design!

Goliath Beetle (Genus Goliathus)

This mighty beetle is named after the legendary giant Goliath, and it’s easy to see why. This beetle can grow over four inches long, making it one of the largest beetles in the world! It also can weigh over three ounces when it’s a larva, although the adults are only around half that weight. The reason for the difference is because the larvae gorge themselves on decayed leaves, wood and proteins, preparing for their metamorphosis. As adults, they enjoy a lighter diet of tree sap, fruit juices and other sugary substances. To help with foraging, each of this beetle’s legs ends in a pair of hooked claws that are great for climbing and clinging to trees. If one of these beetles happens to attach itself to you with these feet, you’ll need to gently guide them off. If you just grab and pull, the claws might remain attached, and we don’t want their little feetsies to get hurt!

Horned Elephant (Megasoma elephas)

This hefty beast is absolutely gigantic when compared to most beetles– in fact, it’s one of the heaviest beetles in the world. Males have big horns on their heads, which they use mainly to battle with other males for mating privileges. Another feature you might have missed is that their bodies are covered in fine, delicate hairs, making the beetles appear yellow in color. Sometimes, when I’m feeling anxious, I, uh … I pet the Horned Elephant beetles. It’s very soothing. You should try it sometime!

Horned Dynastid (Allomyrina dichotoma)

These proud warriors have heads shaped like a samurai helmet, and make good use of those horns for battle and for digging. While embroiled in territory disputes, a male Dynastid can actually launch its competitor straight into the air! When they aren’t fighting, they can be found calmly hanging out on trees, sipping sap or drinking from ripe fruits. Their young live underground, eat rotting wood, and take a long time to mature– around a year. Then they immerge, as a fresh new batch of warriors of the woods!

Horned Atlas (Chalcosoma atlas)

The Atlas Beetle is named after a titan from Greek Mythology who held up the heavens on his shoulders. The comparison to a Greek God is appropriate, as the Horned Atlas can reach sizes of up to five inches long and can carry hundreds of times its own weight. That makes it one of the strongest animals on the planet, for its size! Personally, it would not surprise me if we found out that a great celestial Atlas Beetle has been holding up the skies all of this time.

Horned Hercules (Dynastes hercules)

The Hercules beetle is named in honor of the roman god Hercules, famed for his great strength and heroic feats. I can think of no greater name for this heroic beetle. The Horned Hercules can carry up to 850 times its own weight, and can grow to be 7 inches in length, making it the longest species of beetle in the whole world. A lot of that length is in its massive horn, which males use to challenge each other to win the affections of female beetles. Once they have mated, these massive beetles produce, as you could guess, massive babies. In fact, the young of Hercules beetles are probably the largest larvae in the world!

Rainbow Stag (Phalacrognathus muelleri)

Oh! My eyes have been blessed, to be allowed to gaze upon the splendor of the Rainbow Stag. This beetle appears to change color depending on the angle you view it, shifting from emerald greens to ruby reds to glittering gold, all with a luscious metallic sheen. This magnificent color fades when the beetle dies, just as a rainbow will fade in the sky. I like to think the Rainbow Stag reminds us of the ephemeral nature of beauty and life, and teaches us to value things while we can.

Golden Stag (Allotopus rosenbergi)

The Golden Stag’s exoskeleton is a breathtaking, metallic gold, making it highly prized by bug lovers and collectors. The shimmering beetles live in tropical jungles at high altitudes, using their short, sturdy mandibles to dig into wood and dine upon tree sap. Collectors have struggled to breed this stag in captivity, as it’s sensitive to temperatures and the young have strict dietary requirements. However, in recent times, there has been more success with captive breeding. Personally, I derive deep joy and satisfaction simply basking in this creature’s presence, regardless of how long it lasts. Come. Let us enjoy this golden moment together.

Cyclommatus Stag (Genus Cyclommatus)

The mandibles of this stag beetle are staggering, often as long as their body. These amazing jaws are used to mine tree sap as well as fight other stag beetles for the right to mate. In fact, males will often throw each other off of trees in their competitions! However, do not be too intimidated by the Cyclommatus Stag; it can be tender as well. They chew through decaying wood to lovingly craft a home for their young. I’ve actually been considering taking inspiration from this stag and adding more rotting wood to my bedroom. I think it would give it a cozy touch.

Miyama Stag (Lucanus maculifemoratus)

This handsome stag has a thick, bumpy exoskeleton and powerful-looking mandibles. However, despite its tough appearance, the Miyama is a gentle beast. In truth, you can easily injure one if you mishandle it, so care should be taken when interacting with this delicate soul. Miyamas are popular with children, and are widespread in their native lands, in both mountainous places as well as plains. Actually, one of my very first friends was a Miyama Stag. They helped me learn the deep and mysterious art of communication with insectkind. Thus, I will always have a soft spot for these gentle giants.

Saw Stag (Prosopocoilus inclinatus)

Saw Stags are popular pets in their homeland, and it’s easy to see why. Those handsome reddish brown shells, those magnificent saw-like mandibles, those curious little eyes, those hook-like claws! As they grow, that pair of jaws grows along with them, gaining more teeth and a larger curve. You needn’t fear, though; this beetle is unlikely to bite you unless you stick your finger directly into its mouth. In fact, when this beetle feels vibrations, it may freeze and feign death as a defense mechanism. They clearly prefer to avoid a fight unless it’s necessary. The Saw Stags that I take care of certainly will never have a reason to fight– I spoil them rotten with all the bananas and beetle jelly they could possibly want!

Giant Stag (Dorcus Hopei Binodulosus)

The Giant Stag is probably the most popular stag to keep as a pet! They’re very large, docile, easy to breed, and live quite long for a stag beetle, up to five years! People also find their mandibles to be very appealing, which have a single tooth on either side. They will rarely use these jaws to bite, unless you go out of your way to bother them. In fact, these are shy beetles, and they will spend a lot of their time just hiding away in holes inside of trees. They will peacefully sip tree saps and fruits, and prefer to be active at night. In the wild, Giant Stag populations have decreased due to over collection, although fortunately people are turning more and more to breeding in order to keep wild populations safe. This serves as an important reminder– bugs need to be treated with care and respect, even when we’re acting out of love!

*Giaraffe Stag

Walking Stick (Order Phasmatodea)

Walking Sticks are excellent examples of the art of camouflage in its purest form. Not only do they mimic twigs and branches, all the way down to the very knots in the wood, but as they walk, they mimic the sway of branches in the breeze. They have truly become one with their environment. I hope to achieve this level of focus in my own life someday, as I surround myself with all that is arthropod.

Walking Leaf (Family Phylliidae)

These incredible insects have taken camouflage to the next level. Their bodies so closely resemble leaves that they include the veins and even nibble-marks on leaves, and they can even fool leaf-eating insects! As they walk, they sway back and forth, imitating a leaf blowing in the breeze. They enjoy munching on leaves, because the Walking Leaf not only disguises itself as leaves, but eats them as well. They are truly immersed in leafhood.

Bagworm (Family Psychidae)

Bagworms are not really worms, but are the caterpillars of a special kind of moth. These charming little larvae construct themselves beautiful 'bags’ made out of silk and bits of things they find in the environment– twigs, leaves, lichens, sand, and even bits of plastic! They wear these protective bags as disguises as they crawl about and feed on leaves or lichens. When they’re ready to pupate, the bags serve as the perfect cocoon! Males will immerge from the case and spread their wings and fly away. Females, however, are a different story. Bagworm females often are wingless, and may spend the rest of their lives inside their childhood casings. Males will visit the females in their bags to breed. Imagine being so attached to your mobile home that you never leave! Considering how artistic some of these bags are, I guess I can’t blame them.

Ant (Family Formicidae)

The extraordinary ant, a species that has existed for millions of years and currently lives in all corners of the globe. These creatures form complex colonies, often made up of hundreds or thousands of individuals, and have a division of labor: worker ants, soldier ants, fertile male drones, and an egg-laying queen ant. It would be erroneous to think of ants in individual terms, as really, individual ants come together to form a super-organism, the ant colony. They always cooperate for the wellbeing of the colony as a whole. Individual ants are marvelously talented in the ways of chemical communication, and they produce all kinds of scents to help communicate with their sisters; signals to signify food, warnings signals for enemies, and so forth. This is how ants are able to act together as a group. With this kind of communal power, ants can accomplish amazing things. They’ve been known to build bridges with their own bodies for their sisters to cross; some species will create and tend to underground fungus gardens; other species will herd and tend to honeydew-producing aphids as if they were tending cattle! Ants teach is something very important– the power of cooperation.

Hermit Crab (Superfamily Paguroidea)

O-oh! It’s a Hermit Crab! These aren’t insects, but they are arthropods. What defines an arthropod is that they are invertebrates with segmented bodies and jointed limbs, as well as a chitinous exoskeleton. That means Hermit Crabs and insects are relatives! And they’re very charming relatives, too. Hermit Crabs have ten legs, inquisitive stalk eyes, and soft bodies protected by a shell. But these crabs don’t grow their own shells! Instead, they borrow empty shells they happens to find, which are often sea snail shells. As this type of crab ages and grows larger, it must find new, larger shells to borrow. Sometimes, when a Hermit Crab is looking for a new shell, and finds one that’s too large, it will sit and wait by the large shell. Other hermit crabs will pass by and join the first, waiting in an orderly line. Then, when a Hermit Crab passes by that is a perfect fit for the shell, all the crabs will quickly exchange shells in sequence! All that shell-trading may be a lot of work, but in the end, it’s worth it for such a cozy home.

Fly (Musca domestica)

Aah, the common house fly. While this species of insect is rarely adored by people, the fly still has plenty of things to admire. This little scavenger plays an important role in breaking down wastes and organic matter, returning them to the earth. But the fly feeds on liquids, so how does it eat feces, carrion and rotting fruits or vegetation? Well, it regurgitates saliva from its stomach, which helps dissolve the food, and then sucks it up! You might also have observed that flies like to wander around a piece of food quite a bit before feeding. They’re likely tasting the food with their feet! This is also why you can often see flies carefully cleaning their feet. They need to stay tidy so their taste and tactile receptors work well. True, the fly can transfer diseases to human food by landing on something contaminated and then landing on human food. Yet there’s no denying they still play an important role in waste disposal– not to mention a vital role in the food web, as they’re food for many, many animals!

Mosquito (Family Culicidae)

Little mosquito, oh how your reputation precedes you. This tiny fly is known for being a blood-sucker, but did you know only the females suck blood? The males feed upon nectar. The females seek a blood meal so they can produce eggs. Female mosquitoes are able to narrow in on a person or animal by detecting body heat and the carbon dioxide of their breath. The mosquito then lands, inserts her long proboscis, and injects saliva into her target to help with blood flow, and feeds until she’s all filled up. The itchy bite that she leaves behind is actually because of the mosquito’s saliva. Now, mosquitoes can transmit some bad diseases when they bite people, there’s no denying. But mosquitoes are also very useful to scientists, who study the germs that can live inside mosquitoes. By studying them, we can learn to better control the diseases that they can cause.

Flea (Order Siphonaptera)

Fleas are teeny, tiny parasites that hunger for a blood meal. They have smooth, flattened bodies that help them move through fur or feathers with ease, hooked claws to help them cling to their hosts, and extremely powerful hind legs for jumping. A flea’s jump is incredible, and they can propel themselves around 200 times their own body length, making them one of the best jumpers in the world. While many flea species are very picky about their hosts, some fleas are generalists and may feed upon a variety of animals. Females will lay their eggs on the skin or the bedding of their host animals, and they will produce hundreds to thousands of eggs in their lifetime. The eggs hatch into little wiggling larvae that feed upon organic matter and their parents’ feces. When they mature into adults and take a blood meal, they can mate and begin the cycle anew. I can understand why people wouldn’t be terribly fond of fleas feeding on them, but luckily for me, fleas don’t care for reptile blood.

Snail (Phylum Mollusca, Class Gastropoda)

Our slithering, slime-coated companions are not actually insects! Instead, snails are mollusks, close relatives of clams, oysters and other shellfish. They have soft, mucous-coated bodies– the underside of the snail is actually one big 'foot’ of sorts that pulses rhythmically to propel the snail forward. The slime that coats a snail helps it glide efficiently along the ground, and also stick to surfaces. Additionally, this slime helps protect snails from a number of hazards, such as harsh sunlight, sharp objects, and even bacteria! I’m actually a little jealous. Being coated in slime has an awful lot of benefits, as it turns out!

Pill Bug (Order Isopoda, family Armadillidiidae)

Oh yes, the Pill Bug is something special! They’re actually not bugs at all but land-dwelling crustaceans– related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. They still retain their fondness for damp environments, so you’ll often see them under rocks or in tree stumps. In these wonderfully wet and dark places, they go about their business, eating decaying plant material and playing a vital role in decomposition and returning nutrients to our great earth. If you try to pick one up, it’s likely to roll into a ball– its plated armor allows it to curl into this protective posture. Wait a little while, and the Pill Bug may stop feeling shy and uncurl again, and you might get the chance to feel its many little legs walking in a gentle rhythm. It kind of tickles!

Wharf Roach(Ligia exotica)

Wharf Roaches are not actually cockroaches– they’re not even insects, but instead are isopods, relatives of crabs and lobsters. They love to wander along rocky coastlines and harbor walls, and scavenge organic debris and algaes, acting as little beach cleaners. You might already be familiar with a close cousin of the Wharf Roach, the Pill Bug. There are some quick and easy ways to tell them apart, though. The Wharf Roach doesn’t roll into a ball, and the Wharf Roach has large, bulging eyes and lovely, long antenna. Another fun fact about Wharf Roaches is that often, the females will carry around their eggs, holding onto them with specialized egg-carrying appendages. If you have appendages custom-made for parental care, you know you’re gonna be good with children!

Centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes)

My multilegged little marcher! The name 'centipede’ means '100 legs,’ but a centipede doesn’t actually have exactly 100 legs. Instead, it has anywhere from 30 to 354 legs, with one pair of legs per body segment. But because they always have an odd number of leg pairs, they never reach 100 exactly. Centipedes also have a pair of modified legs on their heads called forcipules, which inject venom into their prey. Be careful when interacting with centipedes, though! The centipede may bite more than just prey– it can bite anyone that it feels may be threatening them. This bite isn’t usually fatal, just painful, but it does mean you should respect the centipede’s boundaries, as with any creature. While centipedes can be aggressive, they can also be very kind; a large number of centipedes are very attentive mothers, wrapping their bodies around their eggs and remaining until they hatch. That tender, maternal embrace … those baby centipedes are very lucky to grow up so loved!

Spider (Order Araneae)

The bewitching arachnid! With their eight legs and eight eyes, their fang-tipped chelicerae and their wriggling pedipalps, how could you not fall in love? Spiders can produce silk, an amazing substance that’s flexible yet strong, and very versatile– they often use it to weave wondrous webs they wander like wizards, detecting the faintest vibrations when an insect has been captured. Other spiders are ambush predators, and can chase prey down at great speeds. Whatever method a spider chooses, they are truly masters of the hunt.

Scorpion (Order Scorpiones)

Behold, the scorpion! This dapper predator is an arachnid, which means it has eight legs and two body segments. Scorpions also have pinchers for grabbing prey and tails with venomous stingers. Fear not, however! Of the 2,000 or so scorpion species, while all are venomous, only a handful of about 25 or so have venom that is any real danger to humans. Even with those species, if you treat them with care, you should be safe and sound. The truth is, scorpions simply want to go about their lives, roaming around at night and finding insects to eat. They’re excellent hunters, and also excellent eaters! They can eat a great deal in one sitting and store food, so they can survive for long periods without food if needed. Scorpions are also caring parents. The females give live birth, carefully cradle their newborns, and then carry their babies on their backs. It’s honestly adorable.

Tarantula (Family Theraphosidae)

I’m told that a lot of people fear this sublime arachnid, due to its imposing size and its many legs. But tarantulas are actually very gentle, easygoing spiders, overall. While they do have venomous bites, those bites usually aren’t any worse than a bee sting. In fact, you should be more careful about their urticating hairs– that is, itchy hairs on their abdomens that they will fling at predators that frighten them. If you don’t give the tarantula a reason to fear, though, then they will leave you alone too. Actually, quite a few people keep tarantulas as pets. They like to dine upon insects, although they’ll occasionally eat larger things, like frogs, mice and even birds. Tarantulas are very good at sneaking up on their prey because each of their legs are tipped with furry, adorable little paws, which help them climb and sense their prey. Eight little fluffy paws! That’s four times the adorableness that cats and dogs have!

This is a repost on a new blog. The original post was on Aug 13, 2020.

50 and 56 for the dnd character meme?

50. What is their native language? If they know multiple languages, how do they speak/act differently? Native language is Sylvan! She grew up in the Eladrin Courts and only spoke Sylvan for a while. She was taught Elvish and Common as well and mostly uses common now, only using Sylvan to speak with Maur, her bughorse. Her Common is much more colloquial, mainly because she never spoke it around people who expected propriety from her.

56. If your character had wings what would they look like? :))))) there are 4 options for her 4 different seasons: tiger swallowtail for summer, common blue butterfly for winter, green birdwing butterfly for spring and comma butterfly for autumn