#Cute bugs

[mckitterick]

that's a stuffy toy

Godman's Sarota Metalmark (Sarota myrtea), family Riodinidae, Costa Rica

photograph by José Alberto Cubero Guevara

[thegorgonist]

A cute little stag beetle and rhinoceros beetle facing off-or maybe just catching up about all the sights they've seen? Vintage-looking fall colors round out this new skull print with silver foil details like a little beetle, moths, dust motes.

Up in my shop!

[naturalist-journal]

[maggotmuncher0]

💫

[futurebird]

Wasps so tiny you will question everything.

Imagine being so teeny tiny that you are an endoparasite on *leafhoppers* Leafhoppers are already in the "so small they go unnoticed" category, and you're just a little pest on a minuscule thing.

Of course the group that's most likely to choose this life? The wasps Wasps are some of the smallest insects. There are "fairy flies" that are parasites of the eggs of certain insects.

They are so small that air is "thick" to them and their wings have feathered edges are are oar shaped.

Some fairly flies are so tiny that their neurons are cells without nuclei. They got rid of them to save space. They can still think though... presumably the tiniest little thoughts.

Photo by Alexey Polilov, 2012

They lay their eggs inside of the eggs of 1-2mm long crop pests.

And... read the article to see what the males are like... they are even smaller somehow, but it's ... disturbing.

[goatguyeddy]

Never saying yes to a marriage proposal, unless it’s like this

[cozy-britt]

Cute Caterpillar 🐛

Just a cute little chunky caterpillar I illustrated. I’m working on creating a Patreon, and this is the image for the Cozy Caterpillar tier.

[lycomorpha]

Please enjoy this magical small emerald moth friend who visited me last year. I'm looking forward to mothing season starting again soon! 🦋💚

May your year be filled with all the soft beautiful moths you need to get through it, including this one.

[ms-scarletwings]

Never thought I would see a fly rocking a double mohawk before

Not exactly sure what this beaut is, but Strauzia genus was about as satisfactory as I did narrow it down.

[www-grayson-com]

Weevil appreciation

Noticed everyone gives love to moths, but not enough love to silly weevils

Interact with this post or the post linked above to show your love and support to these silly weevils

Weevils of all different textures, sizes and shapes!!! They’re awesome, silly, cute, and ughhhh yes!!

What’s your favorite weevil?•

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

The Camouflaged Looper: these caterpillars fashion their own camouflage by collecting flower petals/vegetation and using silk to "glue" the pieces onto their bodies

Often referred to as "camouflaged loopers," the caterpillars are the larvae of the wavy-lined emerald moth (Synchlora aerata).

Camouflaged loopers deploy a unique form of self-defense -- they snip off tiny pieces of the flowers upon which they feed, then use bits of silk to attach the vegetation to their backs. This provides them with a kind of camouflage, enabling them to blend in with the plants that they eat.

Some of them create little tufts that run along their backs, while others fashion a thicker camouflage that covers their backs completely. In some cases, the camouflaged loopers will even build much larger bundles that surround their entire bodies.

Their range includes most of North America (from southern Canada down through Texas) and they can feed upon an enormous variety of plants, so the disguises that these caterpillars build can come in countless colors, shapes, and sizes, incorporating many different flowers and other plants.

And this is what the fully-developed moth looks like:

Sources & More Info:

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy: Wavy-Lined Emerald, Master of Disguise

Maryland Biodiversity Project: Wavy-Lined Emerald Moth (Synchlora aerata)

The Caterpillar Lab: Camouflaged Looper

University of Alberta Museums: Synchlora aerata

Missouri Department of Conservation: Wavy-Lined Emerald

Nebraskaland Magazine: The Amazing Camouflaged Looper

Lake County Forest Preserves: Camouflage Revealed

[creative-chaos-apparently]

I made a little friend last night

[naturalist-journal]

[creepincrawl]

This is probably the best thing I've ever done

Ma'am. Excuse me ma'am you can't stand on the counter.

Bonus Daffodil cleaning her leggy!!

[maggotmuncher0]

I'm a goliath beetle girl