#Ant Nest Life

[missedmilemarkers]

[inthecityofgoodabode]

April 2024: The Last Sunday

Trying to imitate the first person view in a video game:

There is a nest in our clematis:

[bogleech]

There do in fact need to be colony building insects that can specifically cause severe pain to creatures of any size because that is how the presence of wasps and their baby siblings, bees and ants, shield swathes of plant life from the destructive activity of macrofauna like us and other mammals. There's even trees that domesticate stinging ants. Forests are healthier wherever there are hornet nests. All of these insects are pollinators too as a bonus, yes also the ants, a pollinator doesn't have to fly :)

[decoartspacefinds]

Excited to share the latest addition to my #etsy shop: Formicarium Farm A Miniature Ecosystem for Ant Enthusiasts, Formicarium Farm Build Your Own Ant Colony Observation Station, Ants Farm  

[obsessivevoidkitten]

UnANTicipated

Male Ant Mimic Spider Hybrid Yandere x Gender Neutral Ant Hybrid Reader CW: Noncon, reader mildly drugged by venom, kidnapping, general yandere behavior, oviposition Word Count: 1.3k (Hope you enjoy the buffet of writing I have been cooking up, feel free to tip and please comment!)

On the post-apocalyptic continent that was once the US, almost everyone was a hybrid of human and animal.

There were still pure humans, but they were exceedingly rare.

It was thought that a virus combined with radiation caused the transformation.

You were an ant-hybrid. Unlike an actual ant, you could leave your colony and survive independently, but why would you wanna leave the colony?

You were a small drone, and the soldier ants kept you safe from many mutated beasts. The foragers brought food, and you worked construction! You made tunnels and expanded rooms.

You had never even been outside. There was no reason for you to leave the safety of the colony, you had no tasks out there.

The colony was massive and always growing. That's why you didn't think twice when you met a new ant that you had never met before.

A fellow builder named Echo.

He must have been new to building because he was not good at it all. Seemed his instincts were all wonky. And there was something about how he looked... he was bigger than many of the soldiers you had encountered.

You figured maybe he had been a soldier and suffered some type of injury. Or maybe he had gotten into trouble and removed from the service!

Oh well, he seemed friendly and was clearly putting forth a lot of effort into building.

You didn't want the foreman to yell at the new addition so you taught him everything you knew and supervised his work carefully.

Echo was such a sweetie. A fine member of the colony! You frequently ate lunch together, and he confirmed that he was a former soldier ant that had suffered internal injury. It was all he could do just to build and remain useful to the colony.

What an inspiration.

You always stared at him in wide-eyed admiration as he told you how he had fought victoriously against frog mutants, giant two-headed serpents, and even a rabid rat-bug.

He told you all about sunshine and the river and trees.

It sounded amazing. But no place for someone like you with all that danger lurking about.

You hung out more and more. You hung out after work, too. You always caught him staring at you. Maybe he had a crush on you? The thought made you pretty happy.

A real life kind hearted hero might actually like me!

You began developing a bit of a crush on him.

But your thoughts of romance were put on hold when the kidnappings began.

Apparently, spider mimic hybrids had snuck their way into the colony. Violating everyone's sense of safety. They had evidently taken ants to do who knows what with them!

Everyone was on high alert.

Thank whatever higher power existed that you had Echo at your side! He went with you everywhere to make sure you were safe.

He even suggested becoming roommates! All because he didn't want anything to happen to you.

There was no reason to refuse! You let him move in immediately.

That night, you went to bed like normal. But you woke up somewhere different. On a bed, but not yours. You were bound by some kind of stringy rope and felt a strong set of arms around you.

"Ah! You're awake! Welcome to our little love nest~"

You instantly recognized the voice as Echo.

"Echo? W-what's going on? I'm scared..."

Echo removed the fibrous material that bound you.

"Sorry, my prize. Had to keep you wrapped up and safe on the way here. It was a long trip, but I made sure you were cozy~"

Your head throbbed as you struggled to make sense of what exactly was going on. You became aware of a sore spot on your neck. You put a hand on it and felt a welt.

"Ah, sorry about that, I had to make sure you were still during the trip. No fussy struggles or crying."

Though by then, you were definitely starting to cry.

"You're upsetting me! Just tell me what's going on!!"

Your voice was trembling.

You tried to sit up but found yourself too weak to do so. Echo stepped in front of you and leaned down to your level.

For the first time, you saw the large man for what he actually was. All four of his eyes were open, his fangs flashing, his antenna actually a small set of limbs growing from his back.

Your antenna twitched furiously as you processed this new information.

He chuckled warmly and pet your antenna, causing an unwilling tingle between your legs.

"Oh, you liked that, didn't you?"

You whimpered as he pet you there some more before finally managing to shout.

"What the fuck do you want with me!?"

"What all us ant mimics want, my prize. A nice mate to stuff full of our eggs~"

You tried to struggle. To scream. But he placed webbing over your mouth before peeling off your clothing and pinning you to the bed.

"Shhh darling, you have such an easy task. Just calm down and take my babies."

He kissed your head to help calm you, though it did nothing to stop your shaking or quell your tears.

"You're so tiny. So perfect. My little trophy."

He took a gob of his thick precum on his fingers and gently massaged it into your entrance. You shuddered and looked at the cock that bobbed below him.

Definitely not an ant. It was huge and reinforced your fear. But you were in good hands. He made sure you were well stretched before proceeding.

Echo repositioned you so that your legs were over his shoulders, he aligned his cock with your hole, and drove deeply into you with a slow and steady movement.

Instantly, your eyes rolled into the back of your head, and you whimpered. He really knew how to wield his tool. Or maybe it had more to do with the fact that he was pumping out pheromones that had your antenna twitching like crazy.

"Those kinds of sounds are much better to hear from you~"

He thrust in and out of you slowly at first, letting you adjust to his size. You made more of those delicious little whimpers he loved so much.

The spider peeled the webbing away from your lips.

"The webbing can come off if you promise to just make those beautiful noises for me~"

He kissed you deeply, tracing your lips with his tongue, trailing kisses down your neck until he was kissing the wound his fangs had left earlier.

"So warm inside~ I just know you'll be a nice snug incubator for my eggs~"

Echo nuzzled against your chest, arms caressing your sides almost greedily as he bred you.

"It was so hard keeping my hands off you before. All those weeks. You have no idea. No idea."

As he spoke he began driving his cock into you a bit more brutally. He just couldn't help himself.

"I didn't lie about those fights I was in. I'm such a strong mate for you, my perfect prize."

His sweaty balls slapped into you with every increasingly fervent thrust. He was desperate to release in you, to claim your insides for himself.

Your incoherent burbling and moans just encouraged him. Auditory evidence that he was the perfect man for you.

He could feel your shuddering around his cock as you came, pulling him quickly over the edge with you.

Echo's cock throbbed and pulsed as he deposited several eggs deep inside you. He pulled out with a loud plop before regarding your belly lovingly.

He kissed it.

You just played with his hair absently, too fucked out to do anything or process what had just happened.

But that was okay, Echo was there to take care of all your needs. Forever.

[crevicedwelling]

here's another ant-mimicking jumping spider that I encountered in Singapore: Myrmaplata plataleoides, the weaver ant mimic.

while females look a great deal like their ant models, males (like this one) have massive, exaggerated fangs used in territorial and mating displays, which complicate the disguise. however, ants routinely carry their dead away from the nest, so it's thought that a male M. plataleoides mimics a worker holding another ant—his jaws even have false "eyes" on the ends!

his mimicry was clearly good enough to fool the ants; none of them seemed to take notice even as he repeatedly doubled back to guard his territory instead of heading further up the tree. although mimicry like this is often sensationalized as something insidious or spooky, Myrmaplata has no intention of eating the ants. rather, the spider hides among them for protection: weavers won't eat nestmates, and other predators know that weaver ants bite, spray acid, and attack in hordes. running with the ants might be risky, but he's always alert, watching their every move with his big eyes. what a life that must be, always living on the margins of a colony of hunters that would devour him, yet also keep him alive without ever knowing it

[dreamsteddie]

They have ants.

They must be new. Eddie's never seen them before.

It feels strange, almost, to see them in such a nice house. Sacraligous. Like people who have homes like theirs are somehow immune to the little insects. Like they know not to bring such a mundane issue to the wealthy.

There were ants at the trailer. Not all the time, Indiana spent more of its year in winter than summer, the little guys slumbering away inside their nests under their plot of land until it became warm.

Eddie's never given them much thought until now. They were just a thing. A small, mildly annoying thing that happened.

He watches as they make their way across the windowsill and down onto the white countertops. They bump heads, trading information back and forth, heedless of Eddie standing right there. They don't care about him, they probably don't even see him, too focused on whatever little morsel they've found to think about whose house they're invading.

The front door opens, clicks shut.

It's only 1:08 in the afternoon. No one should be home yet, but they both are.

"Eddie?"

"We have ants." There are strong arms wrapping around his waist. Warm air tickling his ear.

"Oh, yeah, I guess we do." Steve knows when not to ask. It's why he left the studio. He couldn't listen to Robin ramble and try to pry his feelings out of him right now.

"We've never had ants before. I wonder what they found." He says, voice hollow, eyes blurring as he pushes back the tears.

"Don't know. Probably not worth it, though," Steve says, because he gets it. He always hears what Eddie isn't saying. Even when he's saying a lot already.

They stay like that for a long time, both of them watching the little worker ants crawl along their walls. Steve rocks them back and forth, just a little, as the sun moves slowly through the frame of the kitchen window.

"I thought it was over. I thought they buried it." Eddie finally breaks the silence. Lets himself break the seal and think about it. Lets himself forget the ants and remember the past.

"I did too."

Eddie knows that if he turns on the TV, he'll see it. Headline news. The gruesome death of a kind girl from a nowhere town in Indiana. A manhunt for a 19-year-old boy. A complete lack of supernatural reality or ensuing serial killer coverup.

It had all been destroyed. It was supposed to be destroyed; it was part of the deal. Burn all of the newspapers and the wanted signs and the police reports before they can leave the destroyed borders of Hawkins, rework the story while the town is too busy rebuilding to notice or care.

Give Eddie his life back.

But something survived the purge. Just one little thing, and somebody found it.

Maybe they were looking, maybe they weren't. It doesn't really matter in the end because once one of them finds it, the whole network knows where to look, where to find more.

"How can you get rid of ants, Steve?"

Sigh, clench, release.

"I'm sorry, babe. You can't."

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Mammalia - Pilosa

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our next and last order of xenarthrans is Pilosa, the “anteaters” and “sloths”. Pilosa comprises the families Cyclopedidae (“Silky Anteater”), Myrmecophagidae (“Giant Anteater” and “tamanduas”), Bradypodidae (“three-toed sloths”), and Choloepodidae (“two-toed sloths”).

Pilosa is derived from the Latin word for “hairy”, and refers to these animals’ characteristic bushy, wiry fur. Most living pilosans are arboreal or semi-arboreal (the only exception being the Giant Anteater [Myrmecophaga tridactyla]), with long, strong claws for gripping tree branches, defending from predators, and/or digging up insects. Pilosans have thick necks and forelimbs adapted for gripping, climbing, and/or digging. Their eyesight is poor, but they have a good sense of smell which they use to find food.

Anteaters use a long, sticky tongue to lap up termites, ants, and other insects. As they have no teeth, they press their tongues against the roof of their mouth to smash the insects for swallowing. Their stomachs, similar to a bird's gizzard, have hardened folds to crush food, assisted by ingested sand and soil. They cannot produce stomach acid of their own, but digest using their prey’s own formic acid. Giant Anteaters walk on their front knuckles, similar to gorillas and chimpanzees, to protect their long, sharp claws from scraping on the ground, while tamanduas walk on the sides of their clenched forefeet when walking on the ground.

Two-toed sloths are omnivorous, with a diverse diet of insects, carrion, fruits, leaves, and small lizards. Three-toed sloths, on the other hand, are almost entirely herbivorous. Most living sloths mainly eat the leaves of Cecropia trees. They have made many adaptations for arboreal browsing. Leaves, their main food source, provide very little energy or nutrients, and do not digest easily, so sloths have large, slow-acting, multi-chambered stomachs in which symbiotic bacteria break down the tough leaves. Their digestive process can take a month or more to complete. Sloths are adapted for a life spent entirely in the trees. While they sometimes sit on top of branches, they usually eat, sleep, and even give birth hanging from branches. They sometimes remain hanging from branches even after death. Their limbs are adapted for hanging and grasping, not for supporting their weight, and they have very little muscle mass. Sloths descend about once a week to urinate and defecate on the ground. They cannot walk on the ground, but must drag themselves when needed. However, they are capable of swimming quite well, as are other pilosans.

Pilosans are generally solitary, though females tend to tolerate each other’s presence more than males. They come together only for mating, sometimes spending a courtship period of several days together. They give birth to one baby, once or twice a year (sometimes longer for sloths as their slow movement can make it hard to locate mates). Young pilosans are born with a full coat of fur. The young will ride on the back or belly of its parents until weaned, or are left in a nest or on a branch while the mother forages.

The biogeographic origins of Pilosa are still unclear, but they can be traced back in South America as far as the early Paleogene (about 60 million years ago). Anteaters and sloths diverged around 55 MYA, between the Paleocene and Eocene epochs. Both the Giant Anteater and the Southern Tamandua are well represented in the fossil record of the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene.

Propaganda under the cut:

The Silky Anteater’s (Cyclopes didactylus) (image 4) feet are highly modified for climbing. Its hind feet nearly encircle a branch while clinging, while it has a large third claw on each front foot. It also has a semi-prehensile tail to increase its grip on tree branches.

The Silky Anteater usually dwells in Silk Cotton Trees (genus Ceiba), curled up in a ball sleeping during the day. Because of its resemblance to the fluffy seed pod fibers of these trees, it can use the trees as camouflage and avoid attacks of predators such as hawks and Harpy Eagles (Harpia harpyja).

The largest living pilosan is the Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) (image 1), which is on average 182 to 217 cm (6 to 7 feet) in length, with weights of 27 to 50 kg (60 to 110 lb).

The Giant Anteater is the most terrestrial of the living anteater species. Specialization for life on the ground appears to be a new trait in anteater evolution, an adaptation to the expansion of open savanna habitats in South America, and the abundance of native colonial insects, such as termites, that provided a larger potential food source.

The Giant Anteater has poor eyesight, but a powerful sense of smell: 40 times that of a human.

When Giant Anteaters need to rest, they carve a shallow cavity in the ground. They then sleep with their bushy tail draped over their body like a blanket, both to keep warm and to camouflage from predators. Sometimes, they will sleep splayed out in order to sunbathe.

Male Giant Anteaters are territorial and will challenge each other by approaching and circling each other while uttering a "harrr" noise. This can escalate into chasing and actual fighting. Combat includes wrestling, slashing with the claws, and bellowing.

Giant Anteaters are not typically aggressive, choosing to run from danger. But when they need to fight, they can rear up and use their front claws defensively. The front claws of the Giant Anteater are formidable weapons, capable of potentially killing a jaguar. At least three humans have been killed by defensive Giant Anteaters.

Southern Tamanduas (Tamandua tetradactyla) (see gif above) are used as pest control, specifically for termites and ants, by Indigenous peoples, who sometimes bring the tamanduas into their homes to take care of these insects.

Southern Tamanduas avoid eating ant and beetle species that have strong chemical defenses.

The most famous extinct sloth is the elephant-sized Giant Ground Sloth, Megatherium americanum, but there were a wide diversity of not just smaller ground sloths, but also semi-aquatic sloths like Thalassocnus and large, omnivorous sloths like Mylodon. Today, only the slow-moving, arboreal tree sloths remain, showing that the best way to survive extinction (for a sloth) is to take to the trees, and be as inedible as possible.

The two living groups of tree sloths are from different, distantly related families, and are thought to have evolved their morphology via parallel evolution from separate terrestrial ancestors.

The shaggy coat of sloths has grooved hair that is host to symbiotic green algae which camouflage the animal in the trees and provide it nutrients. The algae also nourish sloth moths, some species of which exist solely on sloths. Sloths benefit from their relationship with moths because the moths are responsible for fertilizing the algae on the sloth.

Sloths are unusual among mammals in not having seven cervical vertebrae. Two-toed sloths have five to seven, while three-toed sloths have eight or nine. (The other mammals not having seven are manatees, with six.)

Sloths can hold their breath underwater for up to 40 minutes. They do this by reducing their already slow metabolism even further and slowing their heart rate to less than a third of normal.

Individual sloths tend to spend the bulk of their time feeding on a single tree. By burying their dung near the trunk of that tree, they also help fertilize it. Their symbiotic moths also lay their eggs in their dung at the base of the tree; the caterpillars eat the dung and then fly up to the sloth as adult moths.

Sloths are victims of animal trafficking where they are sold as exotic pets. However, they make very poor pets, as they have such specialized ecology.

The critically endangered Pygmy Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) is found exclusively on Isla Escudo de Veraguas.

The Maned Sloth (Bradypus torquatus) is one of the only sloths which show any form of sexual dimorphism, with their mane of black hair being larger and darker in males than in females.

The Pale-throated Sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) is occasionally known as the “Ai”, due to its bird-like whistle described as an "ai-ai" sound.

The Southern Maned Sloth (Bradypus crinitus) is described as having a head that looks like a coconut, with its species name crinitus (meaning “hairy”) even being a reference to its coconut-like head.

Female Brown-throated Sloths (Bradypus variegatus) (image 2) are known to emit a loud, shrill scream during the mating season to attract males. Their cry is reported to sound like that of a woman screaming.

Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus) is the largest living sloths species, growing to lengths of approximately 53 to 89 cm (1.9 to 2.9 ft), and weighing approximately 4 to 11 kg (9 to 24 lb).

Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni) (image 3) have actually been seen walking on their palms and soles, rather than dragging themselves across the ground like other sloths.

Sloths are not entirely defenseless, and can slash a predator with their long claws or bite with their sharp canines if threatened.

[sporesgalaxy]

hey I updated the Pierre Document. The document with all the information about which version of events I consider canon to Pierre. the Pierre document where i write down random shit all the time. that document.

posting this as im on the verge of passing out so i dont have time ti regret it yayyyyyyy

•••

Pierra's family are avid travelers, possible for mild-mannered citizens like them due to their home island Old Tool's status as a travel hub and their family history of working in the Marine shipbuilding and sailing industry. Thus, Pierra being taken along on a pleasure cruise with the rest of her family would be an unheard of luxury in most of the world, but it wasn't originally all that big a deal to Pierra.

Things took an unexpected turn after the cruise ship Pierra was on had already crossed the Grand Line (using sea prism stone technology) and entered the East Blue.

Since the East is supposedly the safest of the four blues, the hired Marine guards were lazy in their security measures, drinking and partying to congratulate themselves on crossing the Grand Line without incident.

Therefore the ship's protectors were woefully unprepared when the Buggy Pirates suddenly attacked! The Pirates were on their way to Reverse Mountain, and energized after reuniting with their captain and escaping Marine custody!

The pirate attack happened while Pierra was avoiding her family (and especially her mother) on a quiet part of the ship and quietlt spiralling into despair about how she has no idea what to do with her life. The terrifying pirate attack was almost a welcome distraction.

With no one she knew close at hand to worry about the safety of, Pierra's first instinct was to hide, and she was scared enough to employ the devil fruit powers she swore never to use in order to hide in an impossibly small space! This gambit backfired however, and to Pierra's acute horror, her hiding spot inside a crate of alcohol was taken aboard the Big Top as loot.

Pierra managed to stay hidden as a stowaway on the Bigtop for at least a couple of weeks. Then, the Buggy Pirates met Portugaz D. Ace, who managed to be the first person to notice the giant red centipede sneaking around the ship. Luckily for Pierra (who spur-of-the-moment decided to go by Pierre and "pretend" to be a guy), Ace is nice and believes Pierre when he says that he never meant to cause any trouble. And luckily for the Buggy Pirates, Pierre is down to his very core desperate for approval and has a lot of chitinous helping hands he's delighted to lend as long as you tell him he did a good job.

--------

Tiny Pierra lets ants crawl all over her. She watches them tear apart a dying grasshopper in the garden, piece by piece.

Pierra looks with wonder in her eyes at a rotting fish covered with maggots. At a dead baby bird that fell from its nest too soon. At a bag full of bloody ducks her father shot.

Pierra gets too upset sometimes, and too frightened frequently.

Pierra hides as often as possible.

When Pierra starts getting big, she wishes she was still small. She used to like squeezing into tight spaces; inside a box, under a small desk, under a bed. She doesn't fit anymore. Sometimes she feels like she's stopped fitting anywhere at all.

Pierra sneaks into other people's rooms when she's alone in the house, just to look around without disturbing anything. Just to hear the silence.

Pierra takes food she is not supposed to eat, just to get away with it. Just to test how far she can go without being noticed. Just to be unnoticed and forgotten on purpose, instead of as a reflex.

When Pierra is 16, she goes to the market with her mother. While her mother speaks to someone, Pierra breaks off a tiny piece of the most interesting fruit at the stand. No one notices her do it this time. Pierra chews and swallows the piece of fruit, and it tastes bad, but Pierra is pleased to have learned what it tastes like without permission.

Later that evening, alone in her room, Pierra thinks she is dreaming, or maybe losing her mind. She wonders half-heartedly if the fruit was poisonous and she is dying-- but she doesn't want to disturb anyone if she's wrong again.

So, she does what she always does when she thinks she is losing her mind: distracts herself and waits for it to pass.

It passes, eventually, but this won't be the last time. She learns that it's not madness, but the curse of a Devil. She learns she can't swim anymore. She prays for forgiveness. She tells nobody.

When Pierra gets too upset and admits it her mother a year later, she is begged never to transform again. To hide it forever, for her own safety. Human traffickers could be anywhere, her mother says, and Devil Fruit users fetch a high price. Pierra promises to keep hiding. Pierra wonders if it will be easier now, having someone who understands.

Pierra's mother goes back to acting like nothing ever happened. It doesn't get much easier.

---

"It'll be okay," says Pierra's mother gently, drawing her daughter into her arms. Pierra wraps her arms around her mother as well, because she is supposed to.

"We'll figure this out..." her mother continues, "...we can fix this."

Pierra stares over her mother's shoulder as she feels the last remains of her hope crumble away in silence.

That's it, then. Despite everything, despite so many years of cyclical disappointment and pain... Pierra's mother would not give up on "fixing" her.

She and her mother had been repeating this painful exercise for Pierra's entire life. Over and over, every year, every month, every week, for as long as Pierra could remember.

Pierra is so tired of trying to be fixed. She is tired of trying to be something she isn't. She is tired, so so tired, of letting down people who see something in her.

She had hoped that after such a spectacular failure as this one, her mother might finally give up on fixing her. She had hoped that her mother might start trying to learn how to forgive her, instead.

That hope was gone now.

Now, Pierra can see that her mother will never stop waiting for someone less disappointing to take Pierra's place. Pierra can see that her mother's pity will always be directed at the less disappointing person Pierra is certain she can never be.

Wrapped in her mother's arms, Pierra has never felt more alone.

"We'll figure it out together," her mother adds, squeezing Pierra's shoulders tighter.

----

Humans have to be taught everything. We're very good at learning. It's what we evolved to do.

Some animals have to be taught how to do things. How to hunt, where to go.

But many animals exhibit behaviors that are never taught to them.

Humans have a precious few. Holding our breath underwater, hanging on with our arms.

The less social the animal, the less learning it tends to do.

The more its behavior is ruled by instinct.

-----

Most Observation Haki users learn to tune out the auras of nonaggressive bugs, consciously or unconsciously.

Otherwise, their senses would be overwhelmed by spiritual "noise" from hundreds of tiny auras. The glut of information can make it harder to notice actual threats, and the easiest solution is to ignore typically irrelevant details-- i.e., bugs.

It's something like mentally tuning out the sound of cicadas in a forest when you are listening for a distinctive bird call.

In his centipede form, because of his skittish nature and typical lack of malicious intent paired with centipede instincts from his Zoan abilities, Pierre's aura usually registers as a genuine nonaggressive bug aura. It can therefore go easily overlooked, despite Pierre's large size.

Like if our proverbial birder was listening for bird calls, but Pierre was a bird whose call almost perfectly mimicked a cicada.

It takes a very skilled Observation Haki user and a very sharp mind to take in ALL auras in an area without tuning out small details like harmless bugs. To these sort of people, centipede Pierre can be detected just as well as anything else, and his large size will even cause him to stick out.

In the cicada metaphor, these people are sharp enough to identify any bird calls and count the number of cicadas calling at the same time. And Pierre sounds like a cicada...but not a species of cicada the expert listening recognizes. Thus, Pierre sticks out.

Pierre's attitude can also ruin his bug aura camoflauge. If he is too focused on anything besides his own survival, his aura ceases to be nonthreatening or buglike enough and he will no longer go overlooked.

For bird-Pierre, this would be like accidentally letting out a distinctly bird-ish squawk rather than the mimic-cicada call.

-------

B: [unlocking a chest] This poster better be the best thing since sliced bread or I am completely SCREW--

[Pierre is revealed to be inside the chest. Buggy gawks at him.]

P: I- I know how this looks!

P: But it's not the same as last time!! I'll leave as soon as I--!

B: [snotty, sobbing, frantically grabbing Pierre's shoulders] NO!!!!!! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!!!!

P: !!!! [Pierre is wide-eyed and speechless]

B: [stops sobbing] wait a second.

B: [shaking Pierre by his lapels, angry now] Where the HELL have you been, Chucklehead?!!!

P: [being comically shaken around too much to form a response]

B: I haven't seen you since we got arrested on--!!!

B: [stops shaking Pierre, squints at him] .....OHHHHH.

[Pierre has no idea whats going on, is still being grabbed by the lapels]

B: [angry smile] [lets go of P and crosses arms] I see what happened!!!!

B: [vindictive] The government took back your pardon because they abolished Warlords!

B: [pokes Pierre in the chest] So after two years of thinking you're BETTER than me,

[Pierre's eyes widen]

B: You had no choice but to come crawling back!!! [flicks Pierre's nose] GYAHAHAHAA!!!

B: [patting Pierre's head condescendingly] Don't worry Chucklehead, I won't make you grovel. Much. [mean grin]

P: Wait, what?! [earnest] I-I'm not-- I don't think I'm above you, Buggy!! That would be crazy!!

B: [smug aura cracks slightly] Eh?

P: [sheepish] I'm surprised you even remember my name! A famous pirate like you must meet so many amazing people, I didn't think I'd stick out at all...

[Buggy gets smug again, and a bit flustered]

B: Well, heh heh...

B: [remembers he's mad] Then why'd you ditch me?!!

P: I-I didn't ditch you!

B: Like hell!!! All the Buggy Pirates got pardoned when I became a warlord, but YOU never came back!!

P: Because I'm not a Buggy Pirate?! I was a stowaway!

B: [gawks again, like "are you serious??"]

P: ...you...wanted me to come back??

B: [dodging the question] YOU'RE DODGING THE QUESTION!!!

B: What were you even doing for th last two years that was so much better than ME-- MY CREW!!!!!!

[FLASHBACK PANEL: Pierre on the Snail. He is saying "No, Mom-- I-- I DO want to be here. The science is really interesting, I just--"]

P: ...Well, keheh... [drags hands down face] ...Ugh. Trust me, I did NOT wanna be there.

P: So, when the navy caught the Buggy Pirates, they saw my Devil Fruit power.

P: [before Buggy can ask] I know I told you I've had this since I was a kid, but I never used it before I was with you. It was always this big secret.

P: Anyways, I was really afraid that I'd get in trouble for hiding it, so I told them I got the Devil Fruit on your ship and that I was a hostage.

[Buggy squints at Pierre. It's a good thing Buggy likes him and is exactly as cowardly]

P: They believed it, and I was hoping they would just let me go home, but they really wanted my Zoan powers, so I ended up stuck with the Marines...

[FLASHBACK PANEL: Marine representative says "You've got a unique ability, Ms. Pierra. Opportunities like this shouldn't be wasted! Please, consider our offer, at least--" Pierre interrupts: "I'll do it." He looks terrified and miserable as he says it. What's his problem?]

P: And that's where I've been for...two whole years.

[FLASHBACK PANELS: Pierre thinking "I have to get out of here." "I hate this." "I can't do this anymore." Pierre talking on the snail again, "Yeah, I'll look into research positions." "No, I haven't looked yet." "I've been really busy..." "I just haven't gotten around to it." "I still wanna do something different."]

B: Okay. So how the hell did you end up in my closet???

P: Uh.

P: They sent me with the guys who were supposed to arrest you, actually, but I ditched them.

[FLASHBACK PANEL: Pierre is on a Marine ship looking miserable and indecisive. Suddenly it is chopped in half by Crocodile. Pierre survives by hiding in a barrel & manages to paddle ashore.]

B: And you snuck all the way in here? On an island full of bounty hunters??

P: [manic grin] ...I guess!

P: I'm kind of just trying to not die right now!

P: Thanks for not killing me, by the way! Kehaha!

B: Kill you?? Of COUUURSE not, Pierro-chan!!!

B: [claps Pierre on the back] Why would I kill my own PERSONAL bodyguard!!!

P: ........HUH?

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

For Child of a Wandering Star I'm so curious what kind of research you did for Tyk's people. What kind of arthropods did you reference as a starting point? How did you construct the society?? Will Tyk get a cool sword and adorable animal sidekick to go with her status as chosen one on a journey of destiny???

I was hyperfixated on evolution and reproduction for about fourteen or so years through high school and uni and hymenoptera was a specific fixation of mine for several years, so you might say that the inspiration to fuck around with creative genetics (as well as making Tyk's people bugs, possibly) is inspired by that order. However, Tyk's people aren't based on any given Earth species, and if their style of reproduction is similar to anything on Earth, I've never heard of it. A lot of people have tried to make guesses about her people based on Earth biology -- I've seen people theorise about haplodiploid determination a la hymenoptera, or theories that their government system must somehow be based on having a queen because ants have a queen, and then seen counterarguments that ant queens don't control the nest and that's a reason why Tyk's people wouldn't have queens controlling the nest... all of that's just nonsense. Tyk's people are not based on any specific kind of life on Earth. I designed her people by going "hey wouldn't it be cool is some species reproduced like this" and then designing the sort of people that could evolutionarily result from such a strategy.

I'm sure they do have a lot in common with a lot of Earth species, but this is coincidental. They're not modelled after any specific one.

Tyk's already got an adorable animal sidekick! Her name's Smon!

[hitmewithsomebooks]

@jegulus-microfic Feb 17 - soup

426 words

~

“Sorry, I’m babbling again…” Regulus muttered, trailing off. James smiled at him.

“I like it when you babble. I always learn so much. Like, I never knew that we blink 20 times a minute, or ants don’t have lungs, or that there’s a soup made from bird nests!” James exclaimed, sounding genuinely interested.

Regulus’s brows furrowed, his lips parted slightly in a little ‘o’. James found it rather endearing.

“You mean you… listened to all that stuff? You actually listened to what I was saying?” Regulus questioned, his tone surprised.

“Well o’ course. Who wouldn’t?” James asked, cocking his head to the side rather like a puppy.

“Quite a lot of people, actually. I can tell when they’re spacing out or not paying attention. People think I babble.” Regulus said with a shrug, but James could see that it bothered him.

“Well, clearly they’re just daft.” James sniffed, and Regulus smiled.

“You think?”

“Absolutely!” James assured him, his expression firm. “I could listen to you talk all day.” He added, his face softening into a gentle smile as he gazed at Regulus. The younger boy blinked, turning away to stare at his books, willing away the blush that threatened to stain his cheeks. He cleared his throat.

“I’m sure you’d get bored just like the rest of them soon enough.”

James frowned. 

“I most certainly would not.” He protested, chin raised to show how serious he was. Regulus scoffed.

“You want to put that theory to the test, Potter?” The young Slytherin asked, and James grinned.

“You’re on, Black.”

Over the next few weeks, they met up in the library, every day, and would start talking. Or, in most cases, Regulus would start talking, and James would watch that little spark pop into his eyes as his passion for the topic grew, a content smile on his face as he listened.

Regulus was flabbergasted. This boy, who seemed to have the attention span of a puppy (not to mention the eyes, personality, and charm of a puppy), had his focus on Regulus the entire time he talked. Every single day.

And he looked so happy while he did it. Like he was genuinely taking in and enjoying each and every word. Like he couldn’t wait to hear the next thing out of Regulus’s mouth.

It was incredibly endearing. And intoxicating. Regulus had never found someone who loved to listen to him before, and he didn’t plan on letting this one go.

Luckily for him, James planned on listening to Regulus for the rest of his life.

[unironicallytes]

Another Bosmeri food culture headcanon, this time regarding bugs 🐛🐌🪲

So even though we often assume The Meat Mandate refers to the meat of large mammals and reptiles, I think Pact-Abiding Valenwood Bosmer actually get like 75%-80% of their daily nutritional needs from insects. Hunting for food is a huge thing in Bosmeri life, but excessive hunting of large prey animals could still upset whatever the ecological balance may be in the local area. And that's a thing I think they would be very aware and mindful of. Although there are a ton of large bugs in Valenwood, there are also the normal-sized, non-fantastical ones too, which are abundant enough to replace whatever plant material we generally think of as staples. Thus, foraging could still be a major day-to-day need like in any village. They're looking for things like anthills and termite mounds, beehives and wasp nests, spider dens and silkworm webs, etc etc. I imagine a traditional Bosmer breakfast could consist of eggs and meat sure, but with the above in mind, we can also consider more! Hot porridges made of crushed ants, beetle scuttle, and honey; granola made of crushed snails to top your goatsmilk yogurt; baked grasshoppers as a snack on the go. Delightful!

[transgenderer]

ONE DAY, AS I sat on a field chair in the center of Dauphin Island, the main Gulf of Mexico barrier island of Alabama, I was seized by a reckless impulse. A mound nest of imported fire ants was at my feet, and I was talking about them on camera for a television special, Lord of the Ants. I wondered, as I had many times before, why exactly are these insects called “fire” ants? I had been stung, as have a majority of people who spend much time outdoors within reach of this notorious pest. Usually, however, the attackers are brushed off quickly and the pain is local and temporary.

But I knew these ants can kill you. So, Rule Number One: never sit, stand or fall into a fire ant mound. If you’ve acquired an allergy to the venom, you might suffer the consequences of anaphylactic shock. If you are with a small child who stumbles into a mound, triggering a massive attack, the result also can be life-threatening.

So I had this impulse: with the camera running, a record potentially permanent, why not experience a massive attack— then, of course, end it quickly. I would be able to report definitively why Solenopsis invicta is called a fire ant. Without thinking about it too long, I thrust my left hand (left because I’m right-handed) all the way to my wrist into the center of the mound and held it in place for about five seconds, then pulled it out and brushed off the large number of ants already stinging it.

what the fuck is wrong with e.o. wilson

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Palmetto Tortoise Beetle: the larvae of this species produce long, thin strands of feces that are gradually woven together to form protective "fecal shields" around their bodies

During its larval stage, the Palmetto tortoise beetle (Hemisphaerota cyanea) uses its own feces to create a defensive layer known as a "fecal shield" or "fecal thatch."

As this article explains:

Most remarkable, perhaps, is the fecal “thatch” of Hemisphaerota cyanea. In the larva of this beetle, the feces are emitted in strands, which, as they build up over the course of larval life, form a loose assemblage that totally hides the larva from view.

The construction of the "fecal thatch" begins almost immediately after the larva hatches. Each larva begins to feed within minutes of hatching, and the very first fecal strands emerge from its anal turret just a few minutes later. Subsequent strands are then produced in quick succession, and they begin to accumulate around the larva's body; as each strand emerges, it is made to curve around the larva's left or right side depending on whether the anal turret is flexed to the left or right. The direction of the curve usually alternates from one strand to the next, ensuring that a nest-like structure is formed around the larva's body.

As they emerge, the fecal strands are gathered together and then cemented into place with the help of an anatomical feature known as a caudal fork. Once an individual strand has been extruded to its full length, the anal turret is rotated upward until it comes into contact with the caudal fork, and the larva then pinches off the strand while secreting a droplet of "glue," which effectively cements each fecal strand into place against the caudal fork.

It generally takes about 12 hours for the larva to finish building its very own "fecal shield."

As an adult, the Palmetto tortoise beetle has another unusual defense mechanism: its tarsi (i.e. feet) are each lined with 10,000 tiny adhesive bristles, and when the beetle is attacked, it can press its feet flat against the surface of a leaf and secrete an oil that allows it to adhere to that surface with an enormous amount of strength. The adhesive mechanism is strong enough to resist pulling forces that are up to 60 times greater than the beetle's own weight for a full 2 minutes; it can resist even greater forces (up to 230 times greater than the beetle's own weight) for shorter periods of time.

According to this article from the University of Florida:

Each of the greatly enlarged tarsi is equipped with approximately 10,000 adhesive bristles. Each bristle has two terminal pads. When walking, only a few of the bristles touch the leaf surface. However, when attacked by a predator, the beetle puts all or nearly all of the bristles in contact with the surface and secretes oil onto the pads. With the adhesive force created by the oil between the leaf surface and tarsi, the beetle is able to clamp its hemispherical shell down tightly against the leaf and has been demonstrated to withstand pulling forces of approximately 60 times its own weight for up to two minutes. This time period is sufficient to thwart the efforts of predatory ants attempting to pry the beetle from the leaf. 

Palmetto tortoise beetles are native to the southeastern United States, and they're especially common in Florida (which is why they're also known as Florida tortoise beetles).

Sources & More Info:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Defensive Use of a Fecal Thatch by a Beetle Larva (Hemisphaerota cyanea)

Earth Touch News Network: By the Power of the Poop-Shield: Beetle Defenses of the Faecal Kind

Cornell Chronicle: Fecal Defense: This Beetle Uses 'Overhead Sewer System' to Ward off (most) Predators, Cornell Biologists Discover

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Defense by Foot Adhesion in a Beetle (Hemisphaerota cyanea)

University of Florida: Palmetto Tortoise Beetle

Bug Guide: Hemisphaerota cyanea

[alottiegoingon]

hc!baby steps

sam carpenter x fem!reader

summary: where sam takes care of her pregnant girlfriend

warnings: f!reader but no pronouns used, looots of fluff, established relationship, sam and reader live together, overprotective sam, ghostface!sam hcs at the end, mentions of murders and blood but nothing explicit, not proofread

୨୧ sam could not believe when you told her you were pregnant. for the first five seconds she was worrid about money and not being prepared to be a mom but she couldn't be more excited to start a family with you

୨୧ sam would be so careful to not overwhelm you with her protection and anxiety of keeping you safe all the time. she had learned her lesson with tara

୨୧ so, instead of asking you all the time if you were ok, she would stick to you like glue. it was weird to have an extra shadow following you everywhere but you didn't mind it

୨୧ you and sam decided that moving to a safer apartment in new york would be better for the baby. a better neighbourhood with nice schools around. you thought it would be easy, until sam started being a bit too cautious

୨୧ “this one is perfect. there's plenty of natural light," you look around the fourth apartment you visited in that afternoon, hoping that your girlfriend would approve this one. it was the perfect size too

୨୧ too small, too big, too dark, too smelly, noisy neighbours, too far from work. sam could be pretty demanding

୨୧ “it's great, sure,” judging by her voice, you could tell she had found something new to complain about, “but the windows are too big, it could be dangerous," she nods in disapproval, holding tight to your waist as if you were about to fall from the windows even if they were meters away

୨୧ “the baby is not going to be alone, sam. and we can protect the windows and add some nests or baby proof locks” you suggest but she didn’t seem convinced. she would fight the windows if she could!

୨୧ "right. but what if the baby learns how to open them? or what if the safety net is big enough for our baby to go through it?”

୨୧ "is our baby a genius or the ant-man?" the joke relaxes her just enough so you can see a shy smile growing on her lips. “i’m sorry, i just want us to be safe.”

୨୧ “i know, and i’m very grateful for you,” you hold sam’s face, stroking her cheeks, “but i promise that we are going to be safe. i’m okay, the baby is okay and you’re okay. it’s all good.”

୨୧ “i may be worrying too much again,” she admits, leaning into your touch, finally relaxing

୨୧ “just a little, yeah,” giggling, you draw closer to kiss her

୨୧ sam wouldn’t panic over every single thing that happened, at least not out loud, so it was very easy for her to get anxious about her own feelings

୨୧ trying to not make you anxious as well, she would just swallow all of her worries away and hope for the best but you’d always notice how the look in her eyes changed when she’d get nervous

୨୧ “what’s going on, baby?” you’d often comfort her with reassuring words, tender touches and lots of kisses, making sure that sam knew you were completely fine and always by her side

୨୧ sam would be the perfect partner when shopping for baby itens. she’d be sooo happy to pick some adorable baby clothes or whatever you needed and would even try to find matching clothes for you three

୨୧ no matter how many things you had bought, she’d carry all of it and would beg you to not carry any weight or move an extra muscle

୨୧ “give it to me, love, i’ll do it,” sam grabs the water bottle from your empty hands, fighting for her life to open it and carry all off the at least five bags in her arms while doing so

୨୧ “are you sure? cause you already have a lot of-“

୨୧ “it’s fine. i can do it, don’t worry,” she offers you a comforting smile that lasted about a second before going back to duel with the bottle, cursing it while trying to balance the bags

୨୧ you had the weirdest cravings ever and when going out for dinner once, you asked the waitress if they could bring you tuna and ice cream for dessert and it took a weirded out look coming from the woman for sam to intervene

୨୧ “yes, she asked for ice cream and tuna. do you have any?” and she’s all over her like 😡🙄

୨୧ at the supermarket, you were by the sweets section trying to choose a chocolate you liked for a movie night with sam and you gasped when you found your favorite one for sale

୨୧ you were ready to grab one or two when sam showed up with a different cart so full of it that a few ones were about to fall

୨୧ “oh, god,” you mumble, widen eyes incredulously staring at the mountain of candy

୨୧ “i know right? i’m so glad they have your favorite” 😁😁

୨୧ sam would get some good hours of sleep at first but as the baby’s arrival date was getting closer, she would spend almost the entire night just watching you sleep and making sure you were 100% safe and sound

୨୧ sometimes you’d wake up to sam whispering the most adorable shit ever to your belly and calling herself mommy. you were dying there, trying not to bawl your eyes out, but you pretended to be asleep every time, not wanting to interrupt the moment. eventually you’d fall asleep again to the sound of her voice and gentle touches

if ghostface was out there,

୨୧ sam would be extremely overprotective. no going out alone, no talking to any neighbors, no answering phones or getting too close to windows. doors would always be locked. if she could, she would lock you in a tower just like rapunzel

୨୧ sam had to leave for work but leaving you alone was the worst of her nightmares, so she found a way

୨୧ “don’t you think this is a little too much, sam?” you ask, frowning at your girlfriend as she introduces you to a intimidating strong guy wearing a suit. you could swear that he had a gun hidden in there but wouldn’t be surprised if he actually did, sam protectiveness was no joke

୨୧ that was supposed to be your new bodyguard, who would follow you around everywhere. including the shower you were about to take

୨୧ “don’t worry, gorgeous,” she grins, assuring you. “he’ll stay outside”

if sam was ghostface,

୨୧ she would kill everyone that had been rude to you. literally. even the slightest unusual look or barely rude tone would be a great reason for anyone to make it to her list of names

୨୧ if she was ghostface, that waitress that was surprised by your weird tuna-ice cream order would definitely have a surprise visitor waiting for her at home later

୨୧ while shopping for clothes for yourself, a miracle now that everything was about the baby, a woman refused to let you have the last gorgeous dress of your size, even calling you a bitch when all you did was ask her if you could have it

୨୧ sam was furious and you had to hold her back to avoid the other woman to get beaten up and the police to get called

୨୧ the very next morning, you woke up to the news of the same woman found dead in her apartment, her exact face showing up on your tv

୨୧ "what the…" you immediately get up from the couch as you heard the news, looking back at sam who was at the bathroom taking a shower or something. "sam, come here! i think that woman from yesterday got killed.”

୨୧ "really?” she yells from the bathroom, fingers firmly rubbing the blood out of a small cut she had on her cheek, that would later be covered with makeup.

୨୧ "that's awful,” she quickly walks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body, stopping right next to you. “i mean, i wouldn’t be surprised if her attitude was what got her killed" she casually comments, eyes attached to the television

୨୧ "sam!" you slap her shoulder and she groans in response. "the woman was killed, don't say that."

୨୧ "you’re right, im sorry," she smiles, reaching her free hand towards you and holding your chin to turn your face to hers so she could place a kiss on your forehead. "it’s a shame she can’t use that dress anymore.”

[crevicedwelling]

part 3 of the Lasius associate species: the parasites

rove beetles are the most speciose family of beetles and some of their success can be attributed to the development of complex chemical defenses and weapons. some species, however, have turned their chemical secretions into exploitative disguises.

this little beetle is Ceophyllus monilis (Pselaphinae), and it lives its life inside Lasius ant nests. smelling, and probably feeling (rove beetles usually are long-bodied with short legs—Ceophyllus reverses that) similar to the host ants, it goes unnoticed in the colony and can get up to whatever mischief it wants.

by that, I mean taking the ants’ resources: some pselaphine rove beetles use their chemical disguise to sit in the brood chambers and eat the ants’ eggs and larvae, but others take their manipulation to a greater degree and actually beg for food—which the ants obligingly deposit right in their mouths. their secretions also get the ants to groom them and carry them around, with some species even having a “handle” to make transport easier!

unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find much about how Ceophyllus feeds or how specialized of a myrmecophile it is. it quickly disappeared into the nest after these two photos, what a cool sighting!