#Cute bugs

[unlikelycliteratureenthusiast]

It's Sid the Cicada's baby photos.. Warms my little buggy heart. No, but seriously... How freaking cool are cicadas? And seeing their life cycle in detail...

Don't mind me i just let my dork out for a minute. (And it's pretty big, the dork, that is. )

An illustration of a Cicada who has just emerged from its pupa and a detailed diagram explaining each step of the process from the 1919 edition of the Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Full text available here.

[lycomorpha]

Good moth friend alert: spotted today, a super-fuzzy pale brindled beauty (I think) on nice lichen. My 1st moth of 2025!

That is all, please go about your evening, thank u.

[dosiadove]

velvet worm

[maggotmuncher0]

💫

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Brenthia Moths: these moths can mimic the appearance and mannerisms of a jumping spider so convincingly that actual jumping spiders will sometimes attempt to court them

The markings, posture, and movements of a Brenthia moth (genus Brenthia, also known as a metalmark moth) all contribute to its disguise; the moths move around in short, jerky motions that mimic the movements of a jumping spider, and their hindwings are covered in black-and-white bands that strongly resemble the tucked-in legs of a salticiid spider, especially when the moth displays its unique wing position. The disguise serves as a defensive strategy, enabling the moth to avoid being preyed upon by actual jumping spiders.

In some cases, that disguise may work a little too well, as jumping spiders may actually mistake the moth for a potential mate and then attempt to engage it in a courtship/mating dance (which must be a pretty awkward and bizarre experience for the moth, tbh).

The resemblance between a Brenthia moth and a jumping spider may not seem terribly convincing to us, as human beings, but as this article explains:

When discussing animals mimicking their predator, it is important to remember that we humans are not the target audience. This means that the imitator may not look too convincing in its mimicry to us, but still manages to trigger a desired response from said predator.

Jumping spiders have also been known to respond to Brenthia moths by exhibiting a territorial display, which is yet another behavior that the spiders generally reserve for other spiders.

This study expands on the adaptive benefits of the moth's disguise:

In controlled trials, Brenthia had higher survival rates than other similarly sized moths in the presence of jumping spiders and jumping spiders responded to Brenthia with territorial displays, indicating that Brenthia were sometimes mistaken for jumping spiders, and not recognized as prey.

The illustration below shows the basic/general resemblance between a Brenthia moth and a jumping spider:

Sources & More Info:

New Scientist: Moth's Disguise is so Good, Spiders Love it Instead of Eating it

Animal Behaviour: Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

Science: This Moth Could Pass for a Spider

PLOS ONE Journal: Metalmark Moths Mimic their Jumping Spider Predators

Gil Wizen: Jumping Spider Mimicry in Brenthia Moths

Moths of North Carolina: Brenthia pavonacella

[the-amethyst-artist]

Very different post of mine but recently I made some old teaching specimens into a art piece for my department!

[milomilesmib]

Hey, don't cry. Little snail, ok?

[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.

[snoozeandstudysounds]

Giant Moths

[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?•

[creepincrawl]

More pics of my pet mantis Daffodil on my miniature, but now she's an adult!

:O that me!

This time she really, really wanted to just climb up high lol. Makes sense because she spends like 90% of her time upside down.

Ma'am, please, the door is not for climbing.

(look at her antennae moving!)

Oh my goodness I can't bring you anywhere Daffodil!! They have printed paper menus you don't have to climb up close to look!!!

I gave her a juicy cricket for her time! Everyone say thank you Daffodil!

:I :o

[maggotmuncher0]

[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