#asia oriental

[andebretz]

Taipei 101, Taipéi, Taiwán. 🇹🇼

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

The Oriental Blue Clearwing Moth: these moths were regarded as a "lost species" for more than 130 years, until they were finally sighted again in 2013

For more than 130 years, the Oriental blue clearwing moth (Heterosphecia tawonoides) was known only from a single, badly damaged specimen that was collected in Sumatra in 1887. There were no recorded sightings of this species again until 2013, when entomologist Dr. Marta Skowron Volponi unexpectedly found the moths feeding on salt deposits that had accumulated along the riverbanks in Malaysia's lowland rainforest.

These moths were observed by researchers again in 2016 and 2017, and research indicates that the moths are actually bee-mimics, as they mimic the appearance, sound, behavior, and flight patterns of local bees. Their fuzzy, bright blue appearance might seem a little out of place for a bee-mimic, but those features do appear in several different bee species throughout Southeast Asia.

When the moths are in flight, they bear a particularly strong resemblance to the bees of the genus Thyreus (i.e. cuckoo bees, otherwise known as cloak-and-dagger bees), several of which are also bright blue, with banded markings, dark blue wings, fuzzy legs, and smooth, rounded antennae. The physical resemblance is compounded by the acoustic and behavioral mimicry that occurs when the moths are in flight.

Cloak-and-Dagger Bees: the image at the top shows an Indo-Malayan cloak-and-dagger bee (Thyreus novaehollandiae) in a sleeping position, holding itself upright with its mandibles clamped onto a twig, while the image at the bottom shows a Himalayan cloak-and-dagger bee (T. himalayensis) resting in the same position

The moths also engage in "mud-puddling" among the various bees that congregate along the riverbanks; mud-puddling is the process whereby an insect (usually a bee or a butterfly) draws nutrients from the fluids found in puddles, wet sand, decaying plant matter, carrion, animal waste, sweat, tears, and/or blood. According to researchers, the Oriental blue clearwing moth was the only lepidopteran that was seen mud-puddling among the local bees.

Dr. Skowron Volponi commented on the unusual appearance and behavior of these moths:

You think about moths and you envision a grey, hairy insect that is attracted to light. But this species is dramatically different—it is beautiful, shiny blue in sunlight and it comes out during the day; and it is a master of disguise, mimicking bees on multiple levels and even hanging out with them. The Oriental blue clearwing is just two centimeters in size, but there are so many fascinating things about them and so much more we hope to learn.

This species is still incredibly vulnerable, as it faces threats like deforestation, pollution, and climate change. The president of Global Wildlife Conservation, which is an organization that seeks to rediscover "lost species," added:

After learning about this incredible rediscovery, we hope that tourists visiting Taman Negara National Park and picnicking on the riverbanks—the home of these beautiful clearwing moths—will remember to tread lightly and to take their trash out of the park with them. We also recommend that Americans learn about palm oil production, which is one of the primary causes of deforestation in Malaysia.

Sources & More Info:

Phys.org: Bee-Mimicking Clearwing Moth Buzzes Back to Life After 130 Years

Mongabay News: Moth Rediscovered in Malaysia Mimics Appearance and Behavior of Bees to Escape Predators

Journal of Tropical Conservation Science: Lost Species of Bee-Mimicking Clearwing Moth, H. tawonoides, Rediscovered in Peninsular Malaysia's Primary Rainforest

Frontiers in Zoology: Southeast Asian Clearwing Moths Buzz like their Model Bees

Royal Society Publishing: Moving like a Model - mimicry of hymenopteran flight trajectories by clearwing moths of Southeast Asian rainforests

Medium: Rediscovery in a Glint of Blue

re:wild.org: The "Search for Lost Species" Project

[snototter]

An oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) in Baluran National Park, Indonesia

by Oleg Chernyshov

[illustratus]

Bashi-bazouks before a Gateway by Paul Joanowits

Bashi-bazouks were irregulars in the Ottoman army and hailed from lands across the Ottoman empire, from Egypt to the Balkans. The two soldiers converse in an Egyptian setting, the gate topped by Mamluk carvings and flanked by East African 'Grandees' chairs', amalgams of Mamluk, Portuguese, and Indian influence.

[yuchenghong-art]

【Bubble Tea】

I tried to reinterpret the characters I previously designed using a LOFI art style. This time, I chose not to focus on detailed rendering or material expression. I've always wanted to explore a style that I hadn't tried before, especially outside of my usual work.

[m00nb04rd5]

Can I have a moodboard for Kung Fu Peach?

Kung Fu!Peach (Princess Peach Showtime)

[loveisinthebat]

Sleepy Tree Scream

[arkipelagic]

Illustrations by Maud and Miska Petersham from Fil and Filippa: Story of Child Life in the Philippines by John Stuart Thomson, a 1917 children’s novel about life in American colonial era Philippines through the lens of an American visitor. The main characters include siblings Fil and Filippa, their Muslim friend Moro, and the good priest Padre.

[metamatar]

usamerican public library contemporary world history section be like: you can only read about countries we have been at war with and/or intend to invade.

[insiderzx]

Asia ~

[andebretz]

Yokohama. 🇯🇵

[renaissancerecordsrpg]

Mohabbat Maqabara Palace in Junagadh, Gujarat, India

[theartisticendeavor]

Vintage Travel Poster - Fly TWA: The Orient

Art by David Klein

Trans World Airlines (c.1960's)

[snototter]

An Oriental garden lizard (Calotes versicolor) in Thailand

by Eerika Schulz

[illustratus]

The Sultan orders to cut off Aladdin's head by Albert Robida