one of these days i need to sit down with the butterfly + spider symbolism from tri98 and write a thing about spiders and silk moths — beings that are both capable of producing silk — and the inherent tragedy of the domestic silk moth (bombyx mori) + dependent plants

Alien

highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:43 PM Well, how is everyone else's evening treating them so far? Also, how is the picture, the audio? Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:44 PM Not too horribly. Audio is good, picture seems fairly good. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:44 PM That's something. There we go. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:46 PM Perfect. I think a little horror is a good compliment to today. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:47 PM Agreed. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:47 PM You yourself are doing well? highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:47 PM Never peachier. You? Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:48 PM As well as can be expected. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:48 PM I think we're all in the same boat. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:48 PM So it seems.

How fortunate that we can traverse space without the horrible space garments. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:51 PM In the comfort of knowing organic parasites want nothing to do with us. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:52 PM Though it might be interesting to encounter one, one day. Just to see how they react to a species they cannot eat nor inhabit. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:54 PM You just know there's someone out there who'd leap at the chance to keep a few as pets. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:55 PM I feel as though I know several Soundwaves who would deeply enjoy keeping them. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:56 PM Soundwaves are to xenomorphs as variants of me are to automobiles. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:57 PM There are worse things to enjoy, I suppose. They take up less room than Shockwave's drillers. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:57 PM Better personalities, too. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:57 PM Indeed... highglossfinish — Yesterday at 9:58 PM I always forget how slowly this movie begins. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 9:59 PM Yes, quite a bit more scene setting than the subsequent ones. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:01 PM Yes, we certainly are in space. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:01 PM Their drop ship is pretty delicate if they cannot land in a wind without getting a hull breech. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:02 PM Isn't it though? Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:04 PM Ah yes, their very futuristic readouts that make absolutely no sense at all. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:05 PM I love human notions of how space works. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:08 PM It's remarkably silly. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:09 PM "Let's walk heedlessly onto it." Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:09 PM Even without knowing that the ship is full of parasites, they should probably know better than to go in there. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:10 PM Always better to err on the side of caution and avoid ships surrounded by dramatic music and ominous mist. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:11 PM 'I don't know what it is, let's all crawl right in'. If they could have, the humans would have crawled right into the wreck of the Nemesis, I wager. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:12 PM And stood around gaping, slack-jawed. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:13 PM Poking at the dead. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:14 PM "Mangled corpses, warning signals? Let's not leave!" Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:15 PM No, they surely must investigate further! Curiousity never comes back to bite humans. Oh yes. Touch it. No one could have seen that coming. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:18 PM Shock. Shock. Aghast. There's no better time to take risks and indulge curiosities than the nakedness of space, with a damaged ship. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:19 PM The only one with sense. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:20 PM "We could all die." "That probably won't happen." Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:21 PM They are not even trying to prevent catching every weird alien disease there might be. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:22 PM They're doing everything shy of licking it. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:23 PM If only this could have been prevented. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:25 PM If only, if only. If only there were some interval where someone might have made a different choice. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:27 PM Alas, there was nothing else that could have been done. They had to crawl into the derelict ship, and play with the room full of obviously dangerous eggs, and then break quarantine procedure. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:28 PM "Oh well, too late to pop him out the airlock now." "Also too late to freeze him. Quarantine him. Really, anything that might contain whatever's coming next." Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:29 PM No no, they have to leave him out. Unattended. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:30 PM Unrestrained, obviously incubating something. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:31 PM Leave the door open while you look, that's always good form. No chance a creature could escape further into the ship. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:31 PM Might want to take all your guns and weapons and throw them into the waste disposal units, just for good measure. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:32 PM Because he knows so much about it, to know it's dead now. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:33 PM "Let's hover with our faces directly over it." Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:34 PM I would be entirely unsurprised if they decided to lick it. For 'science'. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:34 PM Concurred. A very sensible suggestion, better to ignore it for the second time. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:37 PM If they don't ignore it, then more bad things cannot happen. And who wants that? Sure, let him cough on you. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:38 PM Cough on you, breathe on you, share food with you. Why not let him spit in your mouths just to see what will happen? Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:39 PM And why not freeze him? From the perspective of the company who wants the xenomorph, it would be much neater if they froze him with the embryo, rather than lose the whole ship and payload, and still fail to get their prize. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:39 PM Listen I'm not subjecting myself to what would surely give me nightmares, but I need y'all to know that from where I sit it looks like you're discussing last year. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:40 PM We very well could be. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:40 PM ....or. at least. Where I am. I certainly hope you're not bothered with similar problems wherever you are. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:41 PM Of all the issues I am plagued with, fortunately respiratory viruses are not one of them. Or hostile aliens, as the case may be. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:42 PM None of the problems that plague organic chests. From viruses to this. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:42 PM Should we question why they have a cattle prod aboard their mining hauler? Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:50 PM ...Huh. I wonder if they're endangered. They certainly seem good at endangering jsjgjjsf Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:51 PM There was still a whole host of eggs back on the original ship. So, likely not endangered at this point. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:52 PM Oh! There are eggs that don't need a host? Ohhhhhh wait Are the hosts like Incubators basically highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:52 PM Exactly. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:52 PM Yes, precisely. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:52 PM Makes sense ....oh ew, now I'm thinking of that very specific wasp I had managed to block from my memory. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:53 PM Egg hatches facehugger that impregnates host that incubates tiny alien. That bursts out of chest. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:54 PM If I recall correctly, the shape of the host does influence the shape of the final creature. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:54 PM Okay, so is the facehugger, like, a separate living organism? Something in the egg that has only the purpose to leap, lay eggs, and die? Is that the baby parasite's true mother? It can't be, it was inside an egg with the baby... remind me not to become a xenobiologist, my head would explode. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:55 PM In a philosophical sense, maybe, but for all practical purposes the true mother is the creature that laid the eggs. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:56 PM I am still extremely baffled by the existence of this terrible turducken of eat-your-insides. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:56 PM Organic biology is messy like that. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:56 PM They can tell the difference between a host that's resisting and one that isn't. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:57 PM Wh-- how do you resist THAT?? Do you mean the facehugger part, or the growing baby highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:57 PM Facehugger. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:57 PM Oh well yeah you can resist that Do they leave if you try to pull it off? highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:57 PM You can certainly try. No, they tighten their tails around the host's neck and if you try to cut them, they spray acidic blood every which way. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:58 PM They do not abandon an attempt at a host unless slain. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 10:58 PM And they're very strong. And fast. And if you manage to take out one, there's usually an entire room full of backup eggs. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 10:59 PM Well That's Gross. What does it matter if they can tell the difference between a resistant host and a (placid? dead?) one? Only that they won't spray things or tighten, or does it effect how they reproduce? ...I can see why most of them died tbh. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 10:59 PM They need the host alive. Otherwise it makes a poor incubator. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:00 PM So it's definitely a warmth thing then? Why exactly could they not just find somewhere warm that ISN'T a person Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:00 PM They do seem to have a preference for mammals as hosts... But the embryo is taking nutrients from the host body, as well as heat. A warm, moist room would not suffice. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:01 PM Ohhh... like... like an egg sac highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:01 PM The egg sac in this case is a live organic. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:02 PM As a live organic, I feel the only appropriate response to that is   :( Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:02 PM Such is the nature of parasites. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:03 PM Fair Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:03 PM And you are unlikely to encounter this variety. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:03 PM Now I just need to avoid every variety in my vicinity, thank you very much highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:03 PM You don't have to worry about scraplets. It all balances out in the end. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:04 PM Ok GOOD POINT I can't imagine if termites liked to eat people. uggghh Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:04 PM In the interest of not traumatizing you, I will not elaborate on the many common parasitic species humans do encounter. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:05 PM We're all made of something someone eats. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:05 PM I'm aware of several and have had nightmares about nonexistent ones. That's mostly why I'm not actually watching this movie. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:05 PM And in the end, Unicron may get us all, metal or meat. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:06 PM Time to hang that on a wall at the newbuild complex. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:06 PM That's true... it's just that I might prefer to be eaten from the outside than the inside, if I had to choose... maybe. Which would be quicker? Do i really want to know? I'm sure there are ghost stories scarier than the passage of time and encroaching entropy. Maybe. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:08 PM It is usually the size of who is doing the eating that determines quickness, rather than the direction they eat you from. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:08 PM If I could get philosophical, most stories about immediate personal danger are more frightening to me, because then there's still things left to do, y'know? I'm leaving things behind if I go! If we're all going via Unicron, at least I know I made it as far as I could. Ahh, good point, good point. Though numbers do come into account. I've heard things about ants. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:10 PM ... Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:11 PM Waste of fuel and oxygen they cannot afford to spare. As for ants, much like scraplets, they are too small to efficiently eat you. Which is why it is unpleasant. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:12 PM It's the venom, too... highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:12 PM At least scraplets in large numbers do the job quickly. No more than a few blindingly excruciating seconds. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:12 PM Ants would not. Thankfully they don't take on humans much. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:14 PM What little I have seen of scraplets, they did not do a quick enough job on a decently armored mech. If given the choice, I would prefer something quicker. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:14 PM Understandable Hey how bad are the humans onscreen screwing up? Or are they mostly dead by now Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:15 PM There are only three left, one is looking for a cat, and the other two are making enough racket to attract any predator on the ship. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:16 PM Oh, I've heard about the cat! Glad it didn't get facehugged highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:16 PM It's the survivors of scraplet attacks that keep me up at night. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:17 PM ... Yes, just stand there while it menaces you. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:17 PM Lot of standing still and letting things happen in this movie. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:17 PM .....I get the feeling they're, ah. Not all there. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:18 PM Well, now they are there... and there, and over there... highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:18 PM Hah! Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:18 PM I want to laugh but I feel like that would be mean of me:laughing: Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:18 PM Ah, but it is fun to be mean. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:19 PM Well, whatever floats your goat *boat Please don't float any goats Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:20 PM I will not make a habit of it. And of course the cat is unafraid of it. Their ship is just the worst. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:23 PM If the creature didn't get it, something else would have. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:26 PM One minute for pre-flight systems checks... That would be pushing it. If only their space ships did not include so much tubing, the creatures would not be able to so easily hide. Pity she would immediately be suspected of murdering everyone on board, and blowing the main ship to cover her actions. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:38 PM And the company would be only too eager to push this narrative. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:38 PM Of course! Now then, what horror of gaming do you have in mind? How every automobile drive goes. highglossfinish — Yesterday at 11:44 PM Every automobile drive worth having. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:47 PM Glorious. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:50 PM I tried joining-- is the sound skippy/staticky to you, or is that on my end? I believe Discord calls on my phone have given me trouble before, so I have a hunch it's on my end. Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:52 PM The sound is fine for me. Sharpwing — Yesterday at 11:52 PM ...and now I have almost no sound at all oh no:joy: Ah, well. I tried. It was fun to be here in text form, anyway :blush: Starscreamapillar — Yesterday at 11:55 PM Mammal liquid... Jazz blend... Oh dear. I cannot have a stroke.. but I feel like these commercials are what having a stroke is like. highglossfinish — Today at 12:00 AM It certainly is a feeling. Of some description. And that's all I've got for tonight. Starscreamapillar — Today at 12:01 AM Thank you for the high quality entertainment Knock Out. I always enjoy the nonsense and Bad Decisions you choose to stream. highglossfinish — Today at 12:01 AM And you always make them enjoyable/bearable! Starscreamapillar — Today at 12:02 AM Until next time, farewell! highglossfinish — Today at 12:02 AM Farewell and good night! Sharpwing — Today at 12:04 AM Goodnight! I hope the future treats you both gently♡ highglossfinish — Today at 12:04 AM Here's to that.

The World of Revolution : Akarian Biology

Despite being humanoid in nature, the Akarian people still have distinctly non-human forms. Visually and mechanically, the species is distinct. This post will delve into the basics of four subcategories of Akarian biology, ranging from simple appearance to bodily functions. There’s also a special bonus section about reproductive biology (gender and sexuality included), mostly because I couldn’t fit it anywhere else.

Exterior

Interior

Senses

Life Span

Bonus: Biology as in... Reproduction

Link to WIP page in the notes.

Post body and taglist below the cut. (Ask to join!)

Exterior

In terms of basic shape, Akarians look like humans. But number and placement of limbs is where the similarities end. Akarian visual distinctions are as follows.

Skin. Akarians have thick green skin visually reminiscent of scales. Upon touching one, however, one realizes that you cannot get beneath or between their skin-patches. Rather, the ridged, bumpy nature of the patches offers protection to vulnerable areas and allows the wounds that do occur to heal faster. Additionally, Akarians do not bruise.

Hair. Akarians do not have hair anywhere on their bodies.

Head. Akarians have an almost oblong head shape, made more apparent by their lack of hair. The back of their head is noticeably higher than the front.

Eyes. Akarians have wide-set, narrow eyes with a slight brow ridge over top and partially around the outside that serves the same purpose as human eyelashes. Their eyelids work much the same way, and their Inherited Coloring tends to be brown, green, gold, or orange.

Nose and ears. Akarians to not have visible noses or ears, but rather subtle slits between skin-patches.

Mouth. Akarians don’t really have visible lips, although their mouths are set in the same general place as a human’s. Their teeth are all blunt, and they grow more as they need to.

Nails. Akarian nails are similar in shape to a cat’s claws. They tend to keep them cut and filed for civility’s sake, although pregnant parents are known to grow theirs out for the duration of their pregnancy.

Build. Even the broadest Akarians look thin by human standards; the thinnest look almost unhealthy. All Akarians are flat-chested and nippleless, as well. (Didn’t know where else to put that.)

Height. A grown Akarian tends to be anywhere from 5′ 5″ to 5′ 9″. They are rarely outside of this range in either direction.

Interior

For the most part, the Akarian body runs in a comparable way to the human body. The differences that exist are relatively minor.

Blood. As a result of their patched skin, an Akarian’s blood runs further below the surface. Their blood is technically red like a human’s, but much darker in color - almost black. Akarian blood is also thicker, so they don’t usually bleed as copiously as humans do when injured. They also have a naturally higher blood pressure.

Metabolism. Akarians have a slower metabolism and smaller appetite than humans. They’re also hardier, affected by fewer alcohols and poisons. They typically don’t get food poisoning, either.

Senses

Akarians have the same basic senses as humans.

Sight. Akarians have superior sight. Their dwellings tend to be dimmer than what humans would prefer as a result.

Smell and taste. With a less-sensitive digestive system, Akarians have never needed sensitive senses of smell or taste.

Hearing. Akarians hear about as well as humans.

Touch. Due to their thicker skin, Akarians are less sensitive to touch than humans are. You could poke one repeatedly and they wouldn’t even notice.

Life Span

Akarians follow the same patterns as humans as they grow, simply on a different timeframe.

Pre-birth. Akarian children are carried for eleven months during which time they store nutrients.

Infant (0 to 14 months). Akarian children are born larger than human children and with their first set of teeth in place. They don’t eat for two to three months, instead metabolizing the nutrients they gained before they were born. After than point, they eat fruits only once or twice a week for the first fourteen months of their lives, otherwise subsisting on water. They are born with gray eyes that have not yet taken on their Inherited Coloring. Additionally, their skin-patches are not yet their optimal thickness, meaning that they’re susceptible to injury.

Toddler (14 months to 4 years). At this point in their lives, Akarian children begin to eat on a more “adult” basis, metabolism having stabilized. This is also the range in which they learn to walk and talk, both skills which are picked up with relative ease. Their skin-patches will continue to thicken through this period.

Child (4 years to 8 years). Skin-patches finish thickening. Typically, after this point, parents cease monitoring the child quite so frequently, as there is less of a chance for injury.

Adolescent (8 years to 9-14 years). This stage varies in length. Culturally, this is the period of time in which children begin considering their role in society. Once their eyes change from gray to their Inherited Coloring, they are considered to be out of this stage and in their teens regardless of their actual age. The average Akarian experiences their Changing at age eleven.

Teen (9-14 years to 17-23 years). Heralded by the Changing of the Eyes, youth in this stage are considered independent. In accordance with Akarian law, they are permitted to start building their own future in regard to their role in the Tapestry. Teens are adults culturally, but not biologically.

Adult (17-23 years to 100 years). Already an adult by law, Akarians are adults by nature once they reach sexual maturity, which can occur at any point in the given lower range.

Elder (100 years to death). Before they are are one hundred, Akarians lose the ability to reproduce as their energy goes elsewhere. Culturally, they are expected to have done what they wanted to do by this point, although there’s nothing stopping them from staying active, as they remain relatively strong until the last couple months before they die (barring any illnesses). Typically, Akarians live to anywhere between 115 and 135 years.

Bonus: Biology as in... Reproduction

The equipment. All Akarians equipped to carry children, although only some of them are capable of impregnating others. However, an Akarian cannot impregnate another Akarian while they themselves are pregnant, as once a child is conceived, both systems basically go on shut down so that their body can focus on the child.

Gender. Akarian language carries no gender distinctions other than honorifics denoting those who are carrying or have carried a child. Akarian clothing and customs are genderless, as well. It is only due to living alongside humans for so long that many Akarians choose different pronouns for themselves. (In other words, even with human influence and imposition of gender, gender is always chosen by the individual, who can also choose to spurn it entirely.)

Sexuality. Usually a moot point considering their genderless heritage, although some adopted labels when they began using human gender classifications.

Pregnancy. Akarian pregnancies last approximately eleven months. They are also incapable of carrying multiples.  Also, Akarians do not produce milk for their young.

Human-Akarian compatibility. Erm... Well... Suffice it to say that even if they’re not reproductively compatible, they’re sexually compatible.

taglist // @contes-de-rheio - @flytheplane-maddie - @superduperdoublebubblediscoqueen

[CLOSED SPECIES]

I would like to officially introduce a creature species I've made. They arent really new since I've had them for years and posted them several times on a couple different blogs, but they were originally just one, not really a species, but I love them and i just wanted to expand on them and what they were, so here we go.

Please read under the cut for full info on budbugs.

BUDBUG is the species name, named after the original, Pillbug.

(this is Pillbug^)

Pillbug was the only of their kind, created in a lab for testing purposes, and not good ones. They were practically tortured, cut open countless times, experimented on, ect. They were made to be docile and obedient, no aggressiveness at all, to the point of almost being just a living stuffed animal.

Pillbug is quiet, and pretty much completely incapable of choosing to do anything. They will wait for someone to tell them to do something, sitting in the same spot till they starve to death. Think of the sims with free will option turned off. This is specifically Pillbug, the first and original, and does not apply to the whole species. All budbugs come from Pillbugs DNA, so, in a way, Pillbug is the mother/father to all of the others.

now onto the species:

BUDBUGS

Scientific name:Vitula mollisparva

CLOSED species

Lifespan: unknown. Oldest living budbug is 36 (human) years old.

Average height: on all fours:around 1 foot. Standing: 2 feet(bitty versions also available)

Average weight:15 pounds

Sex: Budbugs are a genderless species, and cannot reproduce. if you adopt one, you can choose any pronouns youd like to call them, they don’t care.

DIET: they can pretty much eat anything. Their diet is whatever is offered to them or available, including things like bark. They have no specific needs, but  there was a recorded overall preference of fruit and sweet things. Sweet milk is the number one way to attract them. It seems to be their absolute favorite, warm or cold. They have some semi-sharp molar like teeth in the back of their mouth that they use for crushing/chewing harder materials.

YOUNG: a hatchling(called pups) will not have vision, or be able to walk. they have feeling and scent to go on, much like a puppy. they have slight hearing that comes through to them as muffled sound. they are bottle fed milk like substance and sugar water(or a mix of both) for 3-4 months. 

since budbugs dont have the ability to reproduce, nor a gender, there is no mother to nurse them and is done by bottle. there is the possibility of an adult budbug attempting to nurse young, but it’s unlikely theyll produce milk in time before the young starves.(we of course have the ability to make ‘nursemaid’ parents, bottle feeding the hatchlings until their milk comes in from stimulation((e.g pups attempting to nurse on them for prolonged times))

 It's best to feed them mushy like food up to 6 or 7 months old. eyes open around 2-3 weeks old, along with better hearing. they start walking shortly after, 4-6 weeks. they will follow after people or animals in a fashion similar to ducklings, seeking a bigger ‘parental’ figure to protect them and make small chirp noises.

PLANT GROWTH:

Typically has any type of plant matter growing on their head, sometimes it can trail down their back and tail or even have random patches of plant matter elsewhere. the plants that grow on them are a part of them, for instance- cutting off a flower will cause a pinkish blood drop to emerge. They don’t seem to feel the pain of cut flowers/plant matter, nor does it need to be bandaged or treated, its fairly similar to regular plants in that aspect. [note:please do NOT use a mower or weedeater on your budbug]

The plants that grow on them are similar to regular plants, but often are more 'sturdy' and a little tougher to break/cut. This can vary somewhat by the individual, some will have more fragile type plant matter that easily comes off, others may have plant matter that is thicker, rooted and more connected to them. Usually youll know depending on plant type, thicker looking stems and such are most likely more rooted and a part of them and we highly recommended not trying to pull any plant matter out/off of them.

 its best to let the plant naturally die/fall off, and typically the plant doesnt overgrow to a point of causing difficulty to the budbug.

BEHAVIOR:

a common site is seeing the budbug grooming itself; licking like a cat and patting or somewhat 'pulling' on leaves or whatever plant matter they have, to shed the dead leaves, ect. If left with water, they might bathe themself, somewhat like a hamster or cat, except they dip their arms in the water instead of licking them.(if water is available)

They have horn-like nubs on their head covered in fur/felt, the horns stop growing at a certain point and then remain that way for life. Their horns have no use other than for hatching out of an egg at birth. Its extremely rare for them to be aggressive toward anything, including others of their species. They’re very sharing, and around their own kind, they will often groom each other, make soft calls, and sleep in piles. 

The few aggressive ones only did some mild growl like sounds and avoid the others, most of which stopped within an hour and joined in the regular activities.

There have been no cases of any attacks or biting, whether to their own species or other animals/people.

Meeting other species, they wont typically make the same call noises as they do to each other, but will still act friendly and try to sit next to or sleep with, and  even try to groom them.

They’re quiet, almost mute. They can make soft call noises and various other light toned sounds, they cant bark/moo, and even in distress or extreme pain, they typically only make soft whine noises or stay silent. they also make rumbling like sounds similar to a purr. They have a very high pain tolerance, some people might even claim they cant feel pain, but trust me, they do.

heres some similar noises they can make(budbugs sound a bit more soft though, kind of like cooing? if that makes sense) 

[1][2][3][4]

urgent call/trying to get attention(rare)

young/baby chirps

distress/pain call(rare)

Their arms are flipper like, though still usable as paws if needed, they prefer walking upright. their eyesight differs greatly, some excellent, some poor.  If you don’t like things staring at you, this isnt the pet for you. They are very observant, watching others is probably like tv to them. smell is their best sensory, along with hearing. their fur type can vary from otter-like(waterproof) to very fine silky soft fur and many others.

Personality:

trusting, obedient, friendly, happy, quiet, patient. They will spend the majority of their time observing their surroundings or others.(some are 'lazier' than others, falling asleep instead)

Intelligence:

varies. They can learn a lot, but they typically have low functioning free will and require commands or encouragement to act on things.

As an example, we set a waterer that works similar to a fountain, needing a button to be pressed to release water for drinking. The creature sees us operate it and with mild encouragement, will press the button and drink. We leave them alone for days,  and while they know how to operate the device, they do not, simply waiting.

It took several days of being completely alone before they finally activated the water by pressing the button. By their straightforward action, we could tell they knew how to operate it and it wasn't an accident. This test was ran on several others, all similar reactions. On average, only 3 out of 10 would react sooner, within 24 hours, 5 took about 3-5 days before reacting, and 2  passed out from dehydration and had to be taken to medical. (test was ran on 5 groups of 10)

Many other tests provide similar information: they typically wait for something to encourage or command them to act, even on simple survival such as food and water. If it isnt offered to them, they seem to get confused and wait for an offering, even if theyre next to a stream.

 In some tests conducted, when in groups, they will follow suit after others, even of different species. e.g, one walks to a stream to drink, they follow suit to drink as well. It’s possible this is a faulty instinct of survival, watching others to drink or eat something to make sure its safe for themself, the faulty part being that even once they know a source is safe, they’ll still often wait for encouragement to engage.

 thankfully, about 74% of them will get over this faulty instinct over time and regular encouragement towards a water/food spot. moving their dish or having a non-regular feeding area can cause this faulty instinct to return or worsen. it’s recommend to have a designated water and feeding spot set up for them to help them overcome that behavior.

other than that, they are extremely adept at learning commands and copying (to the best of their ability). they learn tricks incredibly easily. (e.g, roll over, sit, fetch, ect)

again, this is a CLOSED species. you do not have permission to make one of these without my consent. below are permissions if you get one- RETURNS: If you decide you do not want your budbug anymore, you can message me and I’ll take it back, either keeping it or putting it back up for adoption.  but i can not and will not refund you. Which should be obvious, but just in case, i’m stating it here. PERMISSIONS: -you have complete permission to draw/write/ect of them. harm/violence/gore is allowed. I dont mind gore or sad angst stories, so whatever you want to do with them once bought, you can. However, you do not have permission to include them in anything sexual. if they’re just being the pet that watches their owners do it, like how cats sometimes do, then that’s fine. But absolutely no fucking the budbugs or other sexual activities with them. -You do not have permission to resell them or sell merchandise with them on it.

This post will be updated as needed if anything changes to their species info. Last update: 10/18/2018 

So I’ve been thinking about the broccoli boys and what might happen to them now that the Divine Tree arc has ended and I came up with something.

What if they don’t actually disappear into space, but adapt to and hide around Seasoning City as cryptid creatures? Like, what brought them to life in the first place was the amount of energy generated by others’ belief and faith in the tree itself, and with everyone forgetting that the tree existed in the end, that energy is gone, but would it really all burn off at once? These guys are just plants, and have no free will of their own, whatever purpose or desires they wish to fulfill were all based on Ekubou’s strong will to become a god at the time. If Ekubou is able to fully detach himself from the plant, they’ll lose that will. But I think they’ll still have some of that energy left inside them that allows them to keep “living”.

The goal of anything living is to survive. Therefore, these boys’ll have to adapt to wherever they choose to inhabit, which most likely would be around the same area where the ghost family live in chapter 58. This is when I get a bit creative, and where I prove this idea to be nothing but me having fun since it’s so far out there:

They live until all of their energy is used up, which can differ greatly depending on where they settle and how much is put out and taken in. They use the daytime to take it in, rooting into the ground and pulling themselves under it, but leaving a little sprout out of their heads to feed off of the sun (like how I drew above). If they tend to be more active, they’ll use up more energy and will either perish, or have to take in more.

[Warning this is kinda gross, also as drawn above]

Seeing other animals around them inspires actions and habits. For example, they don’t need to eat, but can do so if they want. Their mouths are too small to eat or chew animals, so they’ll often shoot out a sort of “make-shift” proboscis (I took inspiration from the ribbon worm) to suck the life out of them. Despite having this quality, they’re not a threat to people. Not only are they afraid of them, they are much weaker than most humans.

Here are some other things I’ve thought of:

♡ Due to the city’s memory loss, few people have seen these boys, earning its “cryptid” status

♡ “How do I know if this thing is feeding off of my crops??” Craters or holes in the ground you don’t remember digging, especially stubborn weeds, or small animal carcasses making regular appearances, your neighbors cat going missing,,

♡ They’re usually quiet, but can talk to each other by making clicking noises

♡ “It was dark but I thought I saw a school boy on my lawn,,”

♡ Very slender, but they’re generally around 5′6

♡ Fast boys

♡ Regenerating their limbs if they lost them during the arc takes a lot off of their lifespan

♡ They can outlive humans, but will eventually die out; they cannot reproduce

Again, I’m not trying to make some theory, I know it’s flawed, but it’s fun to think about. Feel free to add to this list!

Do Aphrodisiacs Really Make You Sexually Aroused?

By Athena Nassar

You are sitting on a picnic blanket with your lover. You feed her strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, because you think she enjoys them. Or maybe you are hoping that she will embody the spirit of Persephone and swallow them like pomegranate seeds. Either way, she is sitting in front of you with strawberry juice dripping down her chin onto her floral dress. She calls you to taste her, and her spaghetti strap tastes like the cherry stem at the bottom of an Old-Fashioned, but what are your intentions? She might sleep with you in a few hours, but will it be because of the chocolate strawberries that you so purposely fed her earlier that day? According to a recent study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, the chocolate itself certainly doesn’t have enough phenylethylamine to make her jump your bones. Although it may feel as if you are closer to the Promised Land of unclothed women after a few cocktails, aphrodisiacs do not actually play a hand in his/her sexual arousal, and here’s why.

The movie 9½ Weeks, also known as the genesis of all S&M movies, lays out this utopia solely comprised of food and sex. In a scene that occupies a fat ten minutes of the film, Mickey Rourke feeds Kim Basinger an assortment of foods that I never knew could taste good together. The camera is zoomed in on Basinger’s mouth while she consumes a jalapeño pepper followed by a maraschino cherry. Just when I think things couldn’t get any worse, she downs a diced egg before the jello has the chance to get all the way down her throat. To top it all off, Mickey Rourke rubs honey on her breasts, and I just know that can’t be comfortable. Besides Kim Basinger being all too compliant, there is a critical misconception that this scene perpetuates. The visual of Basinger eating a variety of condiments while blindfolded suggests that she is being stimulated by the food itself, but Bettina Pause, a psychologist at Heinrich Heine University, claims that “a lot of our communication is influenced by chemosignals.” Considering the fact that humans have a pheromone nerve running from the nose into the brain, Basinger was most likely drawn to Rourke’s individual odorprint rather than his odd selection of petit fours. According to Pause, the aroma that emanates off of breastfeeding women encourages other women without infants to reproduce.

Now, I’m not arguing that aphrodisiacs don’t bring us any pleasure at all, just not the kind of pleasure that might first come to mind. The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation confirms that the scent of banana nut bread has the power to arouse women more intensely than any regular old banana, so there must be some truth to this aphrodisiac claim after all. My guess is that this boost of sexual arousal is due to the nutmeg, especially since the scent is amplified in the process of baking the banana nut bread. According to The National Center for Biotechnology Information, herbs and spices such as red ginseng and saffron are the only scientifically proven aphrodisiacs. Surely there is a certain satisfaction that we feel when we bite into a succulent piece of watermelon, but does this trigger some sort of sexual longing or are we just content with the fact that we fulfilled a strictly nonsexual craving? As humans that need food to survive, it would make sense to say that our brains feel pleasure when our stomachs are full. A study by The Journal of Neuroscience seems to agree with this assumption, concluding that “eating prompts the brain to release feel good hormones known as endorphins.” Of course, overstimulation of these endorphins can lead to obesity, or in other words, too much of a good thing is ultimately a bad thing. Although some sugar-filled foods generate more pleasure than others, this is not to be confused with a titillating sensation.

If I were to ask Google about the sexual enhancements of any food, the internet would surely find a way to muster together numerous articles about how that food makes you better in bed, so where do we draw the line? Does every food magically make you better in bed? What do we classify as aphrodisiacs? In the middle ages, people determined whether a food was an aphrodisiac or not based on the doctrine of signatures. Coined by German philosopher Jakob Böhme, the doctrine of signatures is defined as “the belief that natural objects that look like a part of the body can cure diseases that would arise there.” Similarly, foods that resembled human sex organs such as oysters, asparagus, and sea cucumbers were thought to heighten passion. Foods that were warm or moist such as chili peppers or curry were thought to provoke a similar feeling. Of course, we know that this theory is drastically wrong, and many classic pieces of literature have been written on the basis of this flawed ideology to further the belief that consuming oysters will contribute to vaginal wetness. In Bradley C. Bennett’s essay “Doctrine of Signatures: An Explanation of Medicinal Plant Discovery or Dissemination of Knowledge?” Bennett advises us to not try to cure a heart disease with a heart-shaped leaf, because there happens to be 2,584 leaves with the same exact shape. In my opinion, we shouldn't try to cure heartbreak with erotic food either.

The romance novel Like Water for Chocolate illustrates a new Mexican recipe for every month. Although her true love Pedro asks for her hand in marriage, Tita, the youngest of three girls, cannot marry, because she is forced to care for her aging mother. In the month of December, the heartbroken Tita makes chiles in walnut sauce for her niece’s wedding. Upon ingesting these chiles, the guests cannot resist the urge to make “mad passionate love wherever they happen to end up… some under the bridge between Piedras Negras and Eagle Pass… the more conservative, in their cars, hastily pulled over to the side of the road” (Esquivel 242). Tita, overwhelmed with lust, grabs Pedro’s hand, and they both go into a dark room. The room is so saturated in passion that it drives the doves, the pigs, and the chickens to flee the ranch. Tita is described as “experiencing a climax so intense that her closed eyes glowed, and a brilliant tunnel appears before her,” and suddenly, she opens her eyes to Pedro lying beside her, dead (Esquivel 243). Although Like Water for Chocolate depicts two lovers who die naked in each other's arms from the effects of a single chile smothered in walnut sauce, the United States Food and Drug Administration does not recognize any chemical in particular as a natural aphrodisiac. For these results, you would certainly need an abnormally large dose of sildenafil, also referred to as viagra.

In fact, one of the most popular aphrodisiacs, the Spanish fly, causes a very non-sexual reaction if it is consumed. Cantharidin, a chemical which is secreted by blister beetles, can cause a rash to form on the urethra, as well as a painful erection that can potentially last for several hours known as priapism. In extreme circumstances, ingesting this so-called aphrodisiac can even lead to death. Although chiles and diluted pomegranates won’t influence your libido, they are definitely a safer option than any version of the Spanish fly, whether it be emulsified, powdered, filtered, or so on. Marketing companies continue to advertise the Spanish fly as a love potion, either not knowing or not caring that it causes an allergic reaction. The Spanish fly is advertised on Amazon as “the number one aphrodisiac” in a bottle labeled “LOVE SEXPLOSION” with the price of $99.99, and that is not including shipping. Around fifty percent of the reviews say something along the lines of “did not work at all,” “not what I was hoping for,” or “will return later.” The customers were unsatisfied with the results to say the least, but when they are purchasing products that look like the image on your right, who is really to blame?

When you think about it, it isn’t that difficult to believe that aphrodisiacs are completely buried in mythology. After all, aphrodisiacs did earn their name from the goddess Aphrodite who emerged from the stomach of a large scallop shell, hence seafood being rumored as a sexual stimulant. Oysters, among other shellfish, are considered to be a natural aphrodisiac due to their supply of zinc and amino acids. According to Michael Krychman, a gynecologist at the Southern California Center for Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine, “there is a very large placebo effect” that occurs in the experience of eating oysters. Sex is laced in the action of slurping something gooey down your throat, and often times, the experience itself can produce adrenaline. Oysters do contain zinc which increases testosterone levels and male sperm count, but the quantity of sperm produced by the testes has absolutely nothing to do with attraction. Barry R. Komisaruk, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University, presents an interesting question: “Could oysters possibly satisfy sexual deprivation?” The answer is most likely no, unless you happen to have a wet and messy fetishism or any other fetish pertaining to food.

Food and its correlation to sex is a major component of many films and works of literature, and the bible is no different. In the story of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman are unashamed of their nakedness until a serpent tempts Eve into eating an apple from the tree of knowledge. This depiction of the forbidden fruit as a temptation results in a further sexualization of these fruits beyond the biblical meaning. Circling back to Komisaruk’s question of sexual deprivation, do we only yearn for things that we are deprived of? If the bible had placed sloppy joes instead of apples in the Garden of Eden, would we sexualize that too?

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Laura Esquivel for writing Like Water for Chocolate.

Works Cited

9½ Weeks. Directed by Adrian Lyne, performances by Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1986.

Ansari, Shahid (et al). “Exploring Scientifically Proven Herbal Aphrodisiacs.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/

Ault, Alicia. “Are Oysters an Aphrodisiac?” Smithsonian, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/are-oysters-aphrodisiac-180962148/

Bennett, B.C. “Doctrine of Signatures: An explanation of medicinal plant discovery or Dissemination of knowledge?” Economic Botany, Vol. 61, 246–255 (2007).

Böhme, Jakob. The Signature of All Things. Giles Calvert, 1651.

Dallas, Mary. “Eating Feeds ‘Feel Good’ Hormones in the Brain.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20170831/eating-feeds-feel-good-hormones-in-the-brain

Eplett, Layla. “When Sparks Fly: Aphrodisiacs and the Fruit Fly.” Scientific American, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/when-sparks-fly-aphrodisiacs-and-the-fruit-fly/

Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. Doubleday, 1989.

Hadhazy, Adam. “Do Pheromones Play a Role in Our Sex Lives?” Scientific American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pheromones-sex-lives/

Like Water for Chocolate. Directed by Alfonso Arau, performances by Lumi Cavazos and Marco Leonardi, Miramax, 1992.

“LOVE SEXPLOSION Spanish Fly.” Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Fly-1-Natural-Aphrodisiac/dp/B073NPY7VF. Accessed 31 March 2020.  

O’Connor, Anahad. “The Claim: Chocolate Is An Aphrodisiac.” The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/health/18real.html

Puri, Ravi, and Raman Puri. Natural Aphrodisiacs: Myth or Reality. Xlibris Corporation, 2011.

Rupp, Rebecca. “Sex and the Celery: Ancient Greeks Get Busy With Help From Veggies.” National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/food/the-plate/2014/05/20/sex-celery-ancient-greeks-get-busy-help-veggie/

Sage, Jessie. “Forget sexy-time foods, the best aphrodisiacs come from the real relationship work.” Pittsburgh City Paper, https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/forget-sexy-time-foods-the-best-aphrodisiacs-come-from-the-real-relationship-work/Content?oid=16090770

Shaw, Gina. “Aphrodisiac Foods: Real or Placebo Effect?” Berkeley Wellness, https://www.berkeleywellness.com/self-care/sexual-health/article/aphrodisiac-foods-real-or-placebo-effect

Te, Faith. Eggplant No. 2, Philippine Islands.

Magee, Elaine. “Aphrodisiacs: Fact or Fiction?” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/sex/features/aphrodisiacs-fact-or-fiction#1

Malmed, Alexandra. “Love Potions: A Brief History of Aphrodisiacs.” Vogue, https://www.vogue.com/article/what-foods-are-aphrodisiacs-history

Never Eat The ‘Clean’ Part Of Moldy Bread It’s not safe to eat bread or fruit contaminated with mold, even if you cut away the moldy parts. When mold reproduces, it spreads throughout your food, hiding in places you can't see. And while many species of mold are harmless, others can make you very sick. It's just not worth the risk. ------------------------------------------------------ Science Insider tells you all you need to know about science: space, medicine, biotech, physiology, and more. Subscribe to our channel and visit us at: https://ift.tt/MtaBut Science Insider on Facebook: https://ift.tt/2GXINWc Science Insider on Instagram: https://ift.tt/2vxs3eN Business Insider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/businessinsider Tech Insider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/techinsider ------------------------------------------------------ Following is a transcript of the video: Narrator: We've all been there. The loaf of bread you bought a couple weeks ago is starting to grow mold and you're wondering "Maybe I can just cut the part where I can see the mold and eat the clean part." It turns out, even though you cannot see it, your whole loaf of bread could be teaming with fungus. Following is a transcript of the video. You're all ready to make the sandwich of your dreams. Turkey, tomato, and swiss on a bed of romaine lettuce sandwiched between two slices of sourdough. Classic. Oh no, what's this? Mold? But look, good new. The mold's only on part of the bread. So, I can just cut that away and be fine, right? There's no such thing as a "clean" part of moldy bread. That's because mold is a fungus, like mushrooms. The caps on the surface are easy enough to spot. But there's a vast network of subterranean "roots" called hyphae that you can't see. So let's take another look at that bread of yours. Ugh, disgusting! Maybe you can just grab another piece from the same loaf. Well, that's not such a great idea, either. Because by the time mold sprouts its fuzzy head, what you're really seeing is the reproductive part of the mold called sporangiums. Each sporangium releases tens of thousands of spores. So, even though you can't see it, that entire loaf could be teeming with fungus. But it seems like such a waste to just throw it out. After all, you eat mold on purpose all the time, like the mold that goes into making cheese, soy sauce, and even life-saving antibiotics, like penicillin. Eating a little bit on your bread can't be that bad, right? Ultimately, it's a gamble. Just like eating a wild mushroom, many are fine. But some can be deadly. Mold is the same way. There are thousands of different species of mold — many of which are harmless to humans. But since so many types can sprout up on food it's nearly impossible to know if what you're eating is safe. Cladosporium, for example, can sometimes trigger allergies but is generally harmless. Whereas other molds, like Penicillium crustosum, produce harmful poisons called mycotoxins. An elderly couple in 2005, for example, was admitted to the hospital after eating a can of soup contaminated with this kind of mold. They had severe muscle tremors but eventually recovered. But other molds, like Rhizopus stolonifer, can have permanent effects. And you might recognize this mold since it commonly grows on bread: blue-green, with black splotches, and super fuzzy. In rare cases, it can prompt a deadly infection called Zygomycosis, which causes your blood to clot and can, ultimately, starve your cells of oxygen to the point that they die. And it's not like bacteria where a little heat will eliminate the threat because high temperatures won't break down the mycotoxins. And since you have no clue which one you're about to put in your mouth, ask yourself: Is it really worth the risk?

Never Eat The ‘Clean’ Part Of Moldy Bread

It’s not safe to eat bread or fruit contaminated with mold, even if you cut away the moldy parts. When mold reproduces, it spreads throughout your food, hiding in places you can't see. And while many species of mold are harmless, others can make you very sick. It's just not worth the risk.

Following is a transcript of the video:

Narrator: We've all been there. The loaf of bread you bought a couple weeks ago is starting to grow mold and you're wondering "Maybe I can just cut the part where I can see the mold and eat the clean part." It turns out, even though you cannot see it, your whole loaf of bread could be teaming with fungus. Following is a transcript of the video.

You're all ready to make the sandwich of your dreams. Turkey, tomato, and swiss on a bed of romaine lettuce sandwiched between two slices of sourdough. Classic.

Oh no, what's this? Mold? But look, good new. The mold's only on part of the bread. So, I can just cut that away and be fine, right?

There's no such thing as a "clean" part of moldy bread. That's because mold is a fungus, like mushrooms. The caps on the surface are easy enough to spot. But there's a vast network of subterranean "roots" called hyphae that you can't see.

So let's take another look at that bread of yours. Ugh, disgusting!

Maybe you can just grab another piece from the same loaf. Well, that's not such a great idea, either. Because by the time mold sprouts its fuzzy head, what you're really seeing is the reproductive part of the mold called sporangiums. Each sporangium releases tens of thousands of spores.

So, even though you can't see it, that entire loaf could be teeming with fungus.

But it seems like such a waste to just throw it out. After all, you eat mold on purpose all the time, like the mold that goes into making cheese, soy sauce, and even life-saving antibiotics, like penicillin. Eating a little bit on your bread can't be that bad, right?

Ultimately, it's a gamble. Just like eating a wild mushroom, many are fine. But some can be deadly.

Mold is the same way. There are thousands of different species of mold — many of which are harmless to humans. But since so many types can sprout up on food it's nearly impossible to know if what you're eating is safe.

Cladosporium, for example, can sometimes trigger allergies but is generally harmless. Whereas other molds, like Penicillium crustosum, produce harmful poisons called mycotoxins. An elderly couple in 2005, for example, was admitted to the hospital after eating a can of soup contaminated with this kind of mold. They had severe muscle tremors but eventually recovered.

But other molds, like Rhizopus stolonifer, can have permanent effects. And you might recognize this mold since it commonly grows on bread: blue-green, with black splotches, and super fuzzy. In rare cases, it can prompt a deadly infection called Zygomycosis, which causes your blood to clot and can, ultimately, starve your cells of oxygen to the point that they die.

And it's not like bacteria where a little heat will eliminate the threat because high temperatures won't break down the mycotoxins. And since you have no clue which one you're about to put in your mouth, ask yourself: Is it really worth the risk?

New Post has been published on Biology Dictionary

New Post has been published on https://biologydictionary.net/metamorphosis/

Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis Definition

Metamorphosis is a process by which animals undergo extreme, rapid physical changes some time after birth. The result of metamorphosis may be change to the organism’s entire body plan, such as a change in the animal’s number of legs, its means of eating, or its means of breathing.

In species that use metamorphosis, metamorphosis is also typically required for sexual maturity. Pre-metamorphic members of these species are typically unable to mate or reproduce.

Commonly known examples of metamorphosis include the process undergone by most insects, and the transformation of tadpoles into frogs. The diagram below shows the stages of this change, wherein the small fish-like tadpoles transform into what seems a completely different animal:

Animals that you may not know undergo metamorphosis include fish, mollusks, and many other types of sea creatures which are related to insects, mollusks, or fish. Lobsters, for example, which are closely related to insects, do undergo metamorphosis as part of their life cycle.

Metamorphosis is a remarkable process. The speed and extent of cell growth and differentiation is astonishing. In most species, such rapid growth and such sweeping changes to cell type only happen during embryonic development. Indeed, some scientists believe that the process of metamorphosis involves a sort of re-activating of genes that allow animal cells to change from one cell type to another.

The changes leading to metamorphosis are triggered by hormones, which the animal’s body releases as the right conditions for metamorphosis approach. In some animals a hormone cascade follows, with the trigger hormone causing the release of several other hormones that act on different parts of the animal’s body.

The hormones cause drastic changes to the functioning of cells, and even behavioral changes such as the caterpillar spinning its cocoon.

The effects of hormones on metamorphosis can be studied by artificially administering these hormones to pre-metamorphic animals. Tadpoles, for example, can be triggered to begin losing their tails and growing limbs early by the addition of thyroid hormones to their water supply. Unfortunately this has a detrimental effect on the animal’s health.

Function of Metamorphosis

Scientists remain uncertain why metamorphosis evolved. For the animals of today, its purpose is obvious: if metamorphosis did not occur, tadpoles could not become frogs and larvae could not become full-grown adults capable of reproduction. Without reproductively mature members, these species would quickly die off.

But why would these species evolve to need this extra step in the first place? Why not just hatch full-grown butterflies or frogs from eggs?

At least some metamorphosing species did not start out that way: the earliest insects basically did hatch as full-grown adults. But a few hundred million years ago, some species stumbled upon the trick of metamorphosis. It was apparently wildly successful; it is thought that almost two-thirds of species alive today use metamorphosis to accomplish large changes between their adult and juvenile forms.

The benefit of metamorphosis may lie in its ability to reduce competition. Pre-metamorphic animals typically consume completely different resources from their adult forms. Tadpoles live in water, eating algae and plants. Frogs live on land, breathing air and eating insects. Caterpillars eat leaves; butterflies live off of nectar. Etc..

This effectively prevents older members of the species from competing with younger members. This may lead more members of the species to successfully reach sexual maturity, without the risk of being out-competed by older members of their species.

Types of Metamorphosis

Complete Metamorphosis

In complete metamorphosis, a larva completely changes its body plan to become an adult. The most famous example is that of the butterfly, which starts out as a worm-like, leaf-eating caterpillar and transforms into a flying, nectar-drinking creature with an exoskeleton.

Organisms that undergo complete metamorphosis are called “holometabolous,” from the Greek words “holo” for “complete” or “whole,” “meta” for “change,” and the noun “bole” for “to throw.” “Holometabolous,” then, means “completely changing,” or “wholly changing.”

This transformation is so swift and complete that the caterpillar must spin a cocoon and lie dormant for weeks while its body undergoes these radical changes.

Other animals which transform from a worm-like larval stage into an animal that looks completely different include beetles, flies, moths, ants, and bees.

Some scientists believe that the larval stage of complete metamorphosis may have evolved from insects which hatched from their eggs without developing properly. Some of these embryos may have survived long enough to find food in the outside world; and this may have ended up giving them an advantage, as they would be able to feed longer and gain more strength than their peers before metamorphosing into the adult stage.

Incomplete Metamorphosis

In incomplete metamorphosis, only some parts of the animal’s body change during metamorphosis. Animals that only partially change their bodies as they mature are called “hemimetabolous,” from the Greek words “hemi” for “half,” “meta,” for “change,” and the verb “bole” for “to throw.”

“Hemimetabolous,” then, is a word meaning “half-changing.”

Cockroaches, grasshoppers, and dragonflies, for example, hatch from eggs looking a lot like their adult selves. They do acquire wings and functioning reproductive organs as they grow, but they do not completely remake their bodies like their completely metamorphosing cousins do.

Examples of Metamorphosis

Butterflies

Many of us may have witnessed the process of metamorphosis first hand, by raising caterpillars into butterflies in school. The idea of a worm-like caterpillar wrapping itself in a cocoon for weeks and then emerging as a beautiful butterfly is certainly strange. But the obvious changes of appearance, such as the growth of wings, don’t do justice to just how strange this process is.

In the cocoon, caterpillars don’t simply gain legs, wings, and an exoskeleton. They also grow new eyes, lose their leaf-eating mouth parts and replace them with nectar-sucking proboscises, and gain mature reproductive organs.

To accomplish this drastic change, a metamorphosing caterpillar basically digests itself.

A great deal of energy and raw materials are required to turn a caterpillar into a butterfly. So to make it possible, caterpillars release enzymes that dissolve most of their bodies! Indeed, the hard shell of the cocoon is required not just to protect the metamorphosing insect from attack: it is required to keep its liquefying body bound together, lest it ooze away!

Not all of the caterpillar’s cells are dissolved by these enzymes. Special tissues called imaginal discs survive – and they use the soup that used to be the rest of the caterpillar’s body for nutrition. By consuming the proteins, vitamins, and minerals – everything you need to build a butterfly – these imaginal discs are able to grow incredibly quickly, developing into the butterfly’s mature body parts.

The new body has almost nothing in common with the old body. It has new legs, new sensory organs, a new exoskeleton, a new reproductive system. Even its digestive system does not work the same way, since it must now digest nectar instead of leaves. That’s all in addition to the beautiful wings.

This radical change allows butterflies to complete their life cycle very efficiently, with no competition between adult butterflies and caterpillars for food.

Many other insects pass through a similar process. They hatch as worm-like larva, eventually encase themselves in hard pupas, and emerge as adults with legs, exoskeletons, and other features that have little in common with the larva they once were. Bees, beetles, ants, and flies all use this strategy.

Frogs

The metamorphosis of a tadpole into a frog is a little less violent than that of a caterpillar into a butterfly, but the processes share some important common features.

Tadpoles do not dissolve their bodies into mush; but they do “digest” them in a less spectacular way. Using the process of apoptosis – or “programmed cell death” – the tadpoles “order” the cells they don’t need anymore to shred their DNA and die. The dead cells are then cannibalized for energy and raw materials to make other cells.

The cells of their tails are broken down and used to make their developing legs; a similar process happens with the gills, which disappear as the tadpole begins to develop air-breathing lungs.

One interesting thing to note is that tadpole metamorphosis and insect metamorphosis likely developed separately; the common ancestor of insects and amphibians diverged long ago, and the ancestors of modern insects are not thought to have used metamorphosis. When the same phenomenon evolves twice in radically different organisms, that’s a sure sign that it is a useful adaptation!

Fish

Some species of fish undergo metamorphoses similar to those of the tadpole. Though those changes are not so dramatic, they can result in changes in the fish’s food source, its body plan, and where it’s able to live. Just like the more drastic forms of evolution, this may function to prevent adults from competing with juveniles for food.

The salmon, for example, is a freshwater fish in its juvenile form. After undergoing a partial metamorphosis, it becomes a saltwater fish.

When thinking about this process it is important to keep in mind that all organisms must regulate their salt/water balance. This is why humans can’t drink seawater without dying: the salt would overwhelm our cellular chemistry, and our cells would not function properly. In just the same way, freshwater fish typically cannot live in saltwater. To become saltwater fish, then, salmon must develop new organs and cellular mechanisms to cope with the salt water.

That’s why salmon must perform their annual migration upstream; adult salmon live in the ocean, but their eggs must hatch in fresh water in order for the juveniles to survive. That means that adult salmon must leave their homes in the ocean for freshwater rivers, and swim as far upstream as possible before laying their eggs!

Flounders, bizarrely, undergo a metamorphosis in which one of their eyes and nostrils move from one side of the head to the other. As juveniles, flounder look much like most fish: they swim vertical relative to the current, with one eye and one nostril on each side of their bladelike body. This body type allows them to swim fast like most other species of fish.

But in adulthood, flounder are flat fish which camouflage themselves by swimming on their bellies, pressed against the sea bed. To accomplish this lifestyle change, juvenile flounder essentially flip over on their sides and make one side of their body into their belly. Through cellular changes, the eye and nostril from the belly side actually migrate to join the other eye and nostril on what is now the “top” side of the fish.

Evolution sure has some creative ways of doing things!

Quiz

1. Why do scientists think that insects evolved metamorphosis? A. Prior to evolving metamorphosis, insects lived their whole lives as worm-like larvae. The advantages to growing wings are obvious. B. An accident in embryonic development may have led to some insects hatching from their eggs before they had taken on adult form; this may have allowed them to spend more time growing without competing with adult members of their species. C. By preventing adults from competing with juveniles for food and other resources, metamorphosis may result in more members of the species surviving to sexual maturity. D. B & C

Answer to Question #1

D is correct. B and C are both correct. Answer A is incorrect; before metamorphosis, insects actually lived their whole lives in their adult form, not their larval form!

2. Is a butterfly holometabolous, or hemimetabolous? A. Hemimetabolous B. Holometabolous C. Both D. Neither

Answer to Question #2

B is correct. “Holometabolous” comes from the Greek word “holo,” for “whole” or “complete” and “meta” for “change.” Butterflies certainly do undergo a complete change during metamorphosis!

3. What can we say based on the fact that both insects and frogs undergo metamorphosis? A. All species originally underwent metamorphosis, but the ability was lost by some. B. Frogs and insects must have evolved from a common ancestor that underwent metamorphosis. C. Metamorphosis must have evolved twice independently, since it appeared in insects long after their lineage split off from that of frogs. D. None of the above.

Answer to Question #3

C is correct. Fossil records show us that ancient insects did not undergo metamorphosis; the ability must have been “learned” by the species a few hundred million years ago. Frogs appear to have developed metamorphosis independently, making this an example of convergent evolution.

References

Jabr, F. (n.d.). How Did Insect Metamorphosis Evolve? Retrieved July 02, 2017, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/insect-metamorphosis-evolution/

Gilbert, S. F. (1991). Developmental biology. New York: Plenum Press.

Science, C. (n.d.). How hormones control metamorphosis in frogs and toads. Retrieved July 02, 2017, from https://carnegiescience.edu/projects/how-hormones-control-metamorphosis-frogs-and-toads

Jabr, F. (n.d.). How Does a Caterpillar Turn into a Butterfly? Retrieved July 02, 2017, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/caterpillar-butterfly-metamorphosis-explainer/

Laudet, V. (2011). The Origins and Evolution of Vertebrate Metamorphosis. Current Biology, 21(18). doi:10.1016/j.cub.2011.07.030