#elm leaf beetle

[onenicebugperday]

@sol-paredes submitted: Any clue what this friend might be? Found in spain

Yeah! An elm leaf beetle :)

[artastic-friend]

Oh yeah!! Nearly forgot! But more bugs I saw today!^^

Some sort of beetle larva:

I believe it might be an Elm leaf beetle??

And a shield bug! (Also known as a stink bug)

Such a silly billy!

Some species from the Brochymena genus I believe

When I released it I made sure I put it somewhere that it would be nice and camouflaged😁 (there were plants right next to this dw I didn't just put it on a sidewalk or anything)

If you squint you can barely see em!! :D

[bytesizeambs]

Elm Calligrapha Beetle | Calligrapha scalaris #shorts #beetle #bytesizeambs #calligraphascalaris

This cute little Elm Calligrapha Beetle landed on my husband's shoulder while we were out on a small hike.

[wharfjetty]

She elm on my leaf until I beetle

[deathtek]

7/22/22

Seen these around plenty, but this is the first one I've photographed. These beetles are pretty variable and typically have black spots of varying sizes, this is the first I've seen with no spots at all.

[cryptidclaw]

Cryptidclaw's WC Prefixes List!

Yall said you were interested in seeing it so here it is! 

This is a collection of mostly Flora, Fauna, Rocks, and other such things that can be found in Britain since that’s where the books take place! 

I also have other Prefixes that have to do with pelt colors and patterns as well!

Here’s a link to the doc if you dont want to expand a 650 word list on your Tumblr feed lol! the doc is also in my drive linked in my pined post!

below is the actual list! If there are any names you think I should add plz tell me!

EDIT: I will update the doc with new names as I come up with them or have them suggested to me, but I wont update the list on this post! Plz visit my doc for a more updated version!

Animals

Mammal

Badger

Bat

Bear

Beaver

Bison

Boar

Buck

Calf

Cow

Deer

Elk

Fawn

Ferret

Fox

Goat

Hare

Horse

Lamb

Lynx

Marten

Mole

Mouse

Otter

Rabbit

Rat

Seal

Sheep

Shrew

Squirrel

Stoat

Vole

Weasel

Wolf

Wolverine

Amphibians

Frog

Newt

Toad

Reptiles

Scale

Adder

Lizard

Snake

Turtle

Shell

Birds

Bird

Down

Feather

Albatross

Bittern

Buzzard

Chaffinch

Chick

Chicken

Coot

Cormorant

Corvid

Crane

Crow

Curlew

Dove

Duck

Dunlin

Eagle

Egret

Falcon

Finch

Gannet

Goose

Grouse

Gull

Hawk

Hen

Heron

Ibis

Jackdaw

Jay

Kestrel

Kite

Lark

Magpie

Mallard

Merlin

Mockingbird

Murrelet

Nightingale

Osprey

Owl

Partridge

Pelican

Peregrine

Petrel

Pheasant

Pigeon

Plover

Puffin

Quail

Raven

Robin

Rook

Rooster

Ruff

Shrike

Snipe

Sparrow

Starling

Stork

Swallow

Swan

Swift

Tern

Thrasher

Thrush

Vulture

Warbler

Whimbrel

Wren

Freshwater Fish 

Fish

Bass

Bream 

Carp

Dace

Eel

Lamprey

Loach

Minnow

Perch

Pike

Rudd

Salmon

Sterlet

Tench

Trout

Roach

Saltwater fish and other Sea creatures (would cats be able to find some of these? Probably not, I don't care tho)

Alge

Barnacle

Bass (Saltwater version)

Bream (Saltwater version)

Brill

Clam

Cod

Crab

Dolphin

Eel (Saltwater version)

Flounder

Garfish

Halibut

Kelp

Lobster

Mackerel

Mollusk

Orca

Prawn

Ray

Seal

Shark

Shrimp

Starfish

Sting

Urchin

Whale

Insects and Arachnids

Honey

Insect

Web

Ant

Bee

Beetle

Bug

Butterfly

Caterpillar

Cricket

Damselfly

Dragonfly

Fly

Grasshopper

Grub

Hornet

Maggot

Moth

Spider

Wasp

Worm

Trees

Acorn

Bark

Branch

Forest

Hollow

Log

Root

Stump

Timber

Tree

Twig

Wood

Alder

Apple

Ash

Aspen

Beech

Birch

Cedar

Cherry

Chestnut

Cypress

Elm

Fir

Hawthorn

Hazel

Hemlock

Linden

Maple

Oak

Pear

Poplar

Rowan

Redwood

Spruce

Willow

Yew

Flowers, Shrubs and Other plants

Berry

Blossom

Briar

Field

Flower

Leaf

Meadow

Needle

Petal

Shrub

Stem

Thicket

Thorn

Vine

Anemone 

Apricot

Barley 

Bellflower

Bluebell

Borage

Bracken

Bramble

Briar

Burnet

Buttercup

Campion

Chamomile

Chanterelle

Chicory

Clover

Cornflower

Daffodil

Daisy

Dandelion

Dogwood

Fallow

Fennel

Fern

Flax

Foxglove

Furze

Garlic

Ginger

Gorse

Grass

Hay

Heather

Holly

Honeysuckle

Hop

Hyacinth

Iris

Ivy

Juniper

Lavender

Lichen

Lilac

Lilly

Mallow

Marigold

Mint

Mistletoe

Moss

Moss

Mushroom

Nettle

Nightshade

Oat

Olive

Orchid

Parsley

Periwinkle

Pine

Poppy

Primrose

Privet

Raspberry

Reed

Reedmace

Rose

Rush

Rye

Saffron

Sage

Sedge

Seed

Snowdrop

Spindle

Strawberry

Tangerine

Tansy

Teasel

Thistle

Thrift

Thyme

Violet

Weed

Wheat

Woodruff

Yarrow

Rocks and earth

Agate

Amber

Amethyst

Arch

Basalt

Bounder

Cave

Chalk

Coal

Copper

Dirt

Dust

Flint

Garnet

Gold

Granite

Hill

Iron

Jagged

Jet

Mountain

Mud

Peak

Pebble

Pinnacle

Pit

Quartz

Ridge

Rock

Rubble

Ruby

Rust(y)

Sand

Sapphire

Sediment

Silt

Silver

Slate

Soil

Spire

Stone

Trench

Zircon

Water Formations

Bay

Cove

Creek

Delta

Lake

Marsh

Ocean

Pool

Puddle

River

Sea

Water

Weather and such

Autumn

Avalanche

Balmy

Blaze

Blizzard

Breeze

Burnt

Chill

Cinder

Cloud

Cold

Dew

Drift

Drizzle

Drought

Dry

Ember

Fall

Fire

Flame

Flood

Fog

Freeze

Frost

Frozen

Gale

Gust

Hail

Ice

Icicle

Lightening

Mist

Muggy

Rain 

Scorch

Singe

Sky

Sleet

Sloe

Smoke

Snow

Snowflake

Soot

Sorrel

Spark

Spring

Steam

Storm

Summer

Sun

Thunder

Water

Wave

Wet

Wind

Winter

Celestial??

Comet

Dawn

Dusk

Evening 

Midnight

Moon

Morning

Night

Noon

Twilight

Cat Features, Traits, and Misc. 

Azure

Beige

Big

Black

Blonde

Blotch(ed)

Blue

Bounce

Bright 

Brindle

Broken

Bronze

Brown

Bumble

Burgundy

Call

Carmine

Claw

Cobalt

Cream

Crimson

Cry

Curl(y)

Dapple

Dark

Dot(ted)

Dusky

Ebony

Echo

Fallen

Fleck(ed)

Fluffy

Freckle

Ginger

Golden

Gray

Green

Heavy

Kink

Knot(ted)

Light

Little

Lost

Loud

Marbled

Mew

Milk

Mottle

Mumble

Ochre

Odd

One

Orange

Pale

Patch(ed)

Pounce 

Prickle

Ragged

Red

Ripple

Rough

Rugged

Russet

Scarlet

Shade

Shaggy

Sharp

Shimmer

Shining

Small

Smudge

Soft

Song

Speckle

Spike

Splash

Spot(ted)

Streak

Stripe(d)

Strong

Stump(y)

Sweet

Tall

Talon

Tangle

Tatter(ed)

Tawny

Tiny

Tough

Tumble

Twist

Violet

Whisker

Whisper

White

Wild

Wooly

Yellow

[mousetoe-wc]

I Got bored one time awhile ago and made a list of every prefix plus some into organised sections so I thought I might as well share.

All the ones that aren’t cannon to warriors, yet at lest are bold

Describing names

Colours: red, russet, copper, golden, amber, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink, white, gray, black, ebony, dark, pale, silver, brown, tawny, fallow

Pattern, Texture + Size: spot/ted, dapple, speckle, freckle, brindle, patch, mottle, ragged, tangle, kink, bristle, fuzzy, curl/y, wooly, soft, sleek, little, tiny, small, slight, short, tall, long, big, heavy, crooked, broken, half, stumpy, shred, torn, jagged

Actions + Character: flip, pounce, bounce, jump, hop, crouch, down, low, drift, flail, strike, running, fidget, mumble, whistle, snap, sneeze, shiver/ing, shining, flutter, fallen, lost, rush, fleet, quick, shy, sweet, brave, loud, quiet, wild, hope, wish,

Other: claw, whisker, dead, odd, one, spike, fringe, echo, song, hallow, haven

Elements

Time + Weather: day, night, dusk, dawn, morning, sky, sun/ny, moon, storm, lightning, thunder, cloud/y, mist/y, fog, snow, blizzard, ice, frost, dew, drizzle, rain, clear, wind, breeze, gale, shadow, shade, bright, light,

Earth/Water/Fire names: stone, rock, boulder, slate, flint, pebble, gravel, sand/y, dust, mud/dy, meadow, hill, rubble, river, ripple, whorl, float, rapid, shimmer, lake, swamp, marsh, wave, wet, bubbling, splash, puddle, pool, creek, fire, flame, flicker, flash, blaze, scorch, ember, spark, ash, soot, cinder, smoke

Plants

Trees: alder, aspen, birch, beech, cedar, cypress, pine, elm, willow, oak, larch, maple, bay, rowan, timber, bark, log, wood, twig, acorn, cone, seed, spire

Berry/Nut/Fruit/Herb: juniper, elder, sloe, holly, yew, mistle, bramble, hickory, hazel, chestnut, nut, apple, cherry, cranberry, olive, pear, plum, peach, chive, mint, fennel, sage, basil, mallow, parsley

Flowers: aster, poppy, primrose, rose, bluebell, marigold, tansy, pansy, briar, cherry, daisy, dandelion, daffodil, tulip, violet, lily, myrtle, thrift, yarrow, heather, lavender, blossom, bloom, flower, petal

Other: leaf, frond, fern, bracken, sorrel, hay, rye, oat, wheat, cotton, reed, pod, cinnamon, milkweed, grass, clover, weed, stem, sedge, gorse, furze, flax, nettle, thistle, ivy, moss, lichen, bush, vine, root, thorn, prickle, nectar

Animals

Mammals: mouse, rat, mole, vole, shrew, squirrel, hedgehog, bat, rabbit, hare, ferret, weasel, stoat, mink, marten, otter, hog, wolf, hound, fox, vixen, badger, deer, doe, stag, fawn, sheep, cow, pig, lion, tiger, leopard, lynx, milk

Birds: robin, jay, cardinal, thrush, sparrow, swallow, shrike, starling, rook, swift, dove, pigeon, crow, raven, duck, goose, heron, wren, finch, swan, stork, quail, gull, lark, owl, eagle, hawk, kestrel, buzzard, kite, hoot, feather, bird, egg, talon

Fish, Reptiles + Amphibians: pike, perch, pollack, trout, tench, cod, carp, bass, bream, eel, minnow, fin, snake, adder, lizard, turtle, frog, toad, newt

Bug type Names: bug, lady or ladybug, moth, spider, ant, snail, slug, beetle, bee, wasp, dragon or dragonfly, bumble, worm, maggot, cricket, fly, midge, web, honey

Skyclan + Warriorclan: Bella, Billy, Big, Harry, Harvey, Snook, Ebony, Monkey

[jasonlowder]

Larger Elm Leaf Beetle

[warrior-names]

Prefixes/Suffixes for ThunderClan Cats

Words from things that can't be found in North America or Europe aren't included; this list is made based on ThunderClan territory, culture, & prey.

95+ prefixes and 30+ suffixes under the cut!

Prefixes

A

Acorn-

Adder-

Alder-

Apple-

Ash-

Aspen-

B

Badger-

Bark-

Bay-

Bear-

Beaver-

Bee-

Beech-

Beetle-

Berry-

Birch-

Bird-

Bracken-

Bramble-

Branch-

Bug-

Bumble-

Bumblebee-

Butterfly-

C

Cardinal-

Cedar-

Cherry-

Chestnut-

Chipmunk-

Crow-

Cuckoo-

Cypress-

D

Deer-

Doe-

Dogwood-

E

Elk-

Elm-

F

Fawn-

Feather-

Fir-

Fox-

Frog-

G

Gum-

H

Hawk-

Hedgehog-

Hemlock-

Hickory-

Holly-

Honey-

J

Juneberry-

Juniper-

L

Larch-

Laurel-

Leaf-

Linden-

Lizard-

Locust-

M

Magpie-

Maple-

Mouse-

Mulberry-

Myrtle-

N

Nectar-

Nettle-

Nut-

Nutmeg-

O

Oak-

Olive-

Owl-

P

Palm-

Pecan-

Pine-

Poplar-

R

Raccoon-

Raven-

Robin-

Root-

Rowan-

S

Sequoia-

Shrew-

Snake-

Spruce-

Squirrel-

Stag-

Sweetgum-

Sycamore-

T

Toad-

Tree-

V

Vole-

W

Walnut-

Weasel-

Willow-

Worm-

Y

Yarrow-

Yew-

Suffixes

A

apple

B

bark

berry

bird

branch

C

claw

F

fall

feather

flash

flight

flower

flutter

H

heart

L

leaf

leap

light

M

moth

R

root

rumble

S

step

strike

stripe

T

tail

thorn

W

wing

[zuzsenpai]

Zuzu (and friends)'s Bug-ventures!

This is the first in a series of posts with photos taken by my friend @cosmo-does-art! They worked in a nature reserve over the summer in the Southeastern US and sent me some stunning photos. I was thrilled to see these and I'm even more thrilled to share them, because there are SO MANY bugs in this set that I'll probably never see IRL. Anyway... on to the ID attempts!

It's a flat-backed millipede, possibly Sigmoria aberrans or Sigmoria latior

Eastern eyed click beetle (Alaus oculatus). I've seen other click beetles before but never the famous one with cartoon eyes. They make a noise like those little metal hair barrettes. You know the ones?

A larger elm leaf beetle (Monocesta coryli). Extremely cute!!!! I think I've seen the small variety of elm leaf beetle before.

An Eastern buck moth caterpillar (Hemileuca maia). This is might be most venomous bug I've ever posted a picture of?

I have around 60 photos from Cosmo, so I'm going to spread them out between some of my own posts for a while. Anyway, thank you SO MUCH Cosmo for sharing these with me so I can identify them!

[onenicebugperday]

@flecks-of-stardust submitted: some lovely bugs spotted on my campus today! there were also some wasps, but unfortunately i didn’t get pictures of them. i’m especially enthralled by the bee and the fly-looking fella; ids for all of them would be nice if you’re willing, but i’m most interested in those two. all of these bugs were found within an hour of each other in [removed] (please remove location)!

i didn’t notice the torn wing on the fly looking fella initially :’) it was a bit sluggish too when i went to move it off the side walk, but such is the life of a bug i suppose.

Indeed such is bug life! In general flies don't live particularly long. The first fella looks like a western carpenter bee, and the next is a bee-mimic robber fly. The pretty yellow beetle is an elm leaf beetle and the grasshopper I couldn't say offhand!

[1minnim]

silly thing

Larger Elm Leaf Beetle

WV, USA

[supersilverneos]

botanical / fruit themed neopronouns.

🌹 rose/roses/roseself

🌹 wilt/wilts/wiltself

🌹 petal/petals/petalself

🌹 leaf/leafs/leafself

🌹 berry/berrys/berryself

🌹 bloss/blossom/bloss’s/blossoms/blossomself

🌹 blossom/blossoms/blossomself

🌹 sprout/sprouts/sproutself

🌹 gar/garden/gars/gardens/gardenself

🌹 garden/gardens/gardenself

🌹 bloom/blooms/bloomself

🌹 tulip/tulips/tulipself

🌹 carnation/carnations/carnationself

🌹 mulch/mulchs/mulchself

🌹 dirt/dirts/dirtself

🌹 soil/soils/soilself

🌹 worm/worms/wormself

🌹 beetle/beetles/beetleself

🌹 cherry/cherrys/cherryself

🌹 water/melon/waters/melons/melonself

🌹 melon/melons/melonself

🌹 fruit/fruits/fruitself

🌹 juice/juices/juiceself

🌹 plant/plants/plantself

🌹 apple/apples/appleself

🌹 pear/pears/pearself

🌹 cactus/cactus’s/cactuself

🌹 nectar/nectars/nectarself

🌹 pollen/pollens/pollenself

🌹 sakura/sakuras/sakuraself

🌹 lav/lavs/lavself

🌹 lav/lavender/lavs/lavenders/lavenderself

🌹 clover/clovers/cloverself

🌹 bouquet/bouquets/bouquetself

🌹 spring/springs/springself

🌹 sun/flower/suns/flowers/sunflowerself

🌹 flo/flower/flos/flowers/flowerself

🌹 camellia/camellias/camelliaself

🌹 bam/boo/bams/boos/bambooself

🌹 lush/lushs/lushself

🌹 forest/forests/forestself

🌹 stem/stems/stemself

🌹 herb/herbs/herbself

🌹 lemon/lemons/lemonself

🌹 lime/limes/limeself

🌹 pine/pines/pineself

🌹 willow/willows/willowself

🌹 elm/elms/elmself

🌹 maple/maples/mapleself

🌹 oak/oaks/oakself

🌹 cedar/cedars/cedarself

🌹 moss/moss’s/mosself

🌹 mold/molds/moldself

🌹 kiwi/kiwis/kiwiself

🌹 grape/grapes/grapeself

🌹 vine/vines/vineself

🌹 fresh/freshs/freshself

🌹 peach/peachs/peachself

🌹 mango/mangos/mangoself

🌹 seed/seeds/seedself

🌹 lotus/lotus’s/lotsuself

🌹 daisy/daisys/daisyself

🌹 hyacinth/hyacinths/hyacinthself

🌹 mush/room/mushs/rooms/mushroomself

[honoringthor]

Hel correspondences

Most of this is upg.

Plants🌱 (most are associated w/death and memory.)

🌹 flowers

White flowers, Lilacs , Roses (esp dark red/crimson, black, dried white), Forget-me-not, Poet daffodil (narcissus poeticus), Fairy bells, mullien, Waterlily, arum lily, big leaf periwinkle, viola, zinnia, snakeroot, Bluebonnet, carnations (pink, purple) mandrake, henbane, anemone, asphodel,

🌿 herbs

Rosemary, thyme, tobacco,

🌲 trees/shrubs

Cypress, Yew, Beech, elder, elm, apple trees, willow, blackthorn, evergreens, oleander, hydragea

Colors

🖤 maroon, 💙, 🤍 ♥️

🪨 stones

Onyx, smokey quartz, quartz, fossils, jet, vulcanite, amethyst, apache tears, carnelian, turquoise,

Animals.🐶🐍

Dogs 🐶 flies, carrion beetles 🪲, vultures, butterflies butterfly 🦋, corvids 🐦‍⬛, snakes 🐍, scavengers,

Other stuff

Mourning jewelry, grave markers, things you inherited, mushrooms, fall leaves, ....

Offerings.

visit/care for cemeteries, pay respects to the dead, playlist, poetry, skulls/bones, food, water, wine, tea, coffee, make art, learn about death traditions (if you're in the right headspace) , things you find comfort in, doing something you've always wanted too, self care, learn about history, tell/read ghost stories, a place of on your alter if you have one, whatever feels right,

👻☠️🖤💀🍂🍄

What do you associate with Hel?

🍄💀🖤

[healerelowen]

Hello Hello! So, I was listening to Maggot Belly by awfultune and I was thinking about my little bug OCs. Then I thought, what would characters in Inscryption be if they were bugs? So now I have compiled a list of every character that I could possibly think of along with some research to further fit the characters. I hope you all enjoy and have a good rest of your day/night!

TW: Reference of Bugs/Spiders (just in case)

Scrybes:

P03: Morpho Butterfly

Grimora: Yellow Spotted Stink Bug

Leshy: Elm leaf beetle

Magnificus: Giant Silk Luna Moth

NPCs:

The Factory:

The Dredger: Water strider

The Inspector: Carolina mantis

The Melter: Bronze orange bug

The Forest:

The Prospector: Phidippus Otiosus Jumping spider

The Angler: Roly-Poly

The Trapper/The Trader: Leaf-footed Bug

The Crypt:

Kaycee Hobbs(Ghoul): Ground beetle

Royal Dominguez: Fruit fly

Sawyer Patel: Cicada 

The Tower:

Pike Mage: European Firebug  

Goobert: Geometer emerald moth

Lonely Wizard: Firefly

Uberbots:

The Archivist: Thistle mantis

The Photographer: Polyphemus moth

The Unfinished Boss: Cabbage white butterfly

G0lly: Blue bottle butterfly

Others:

The Woodcarver: Bark beetle

Rebecca: Dragonfly

The Bone Lord: White Spider

Kaycee Hobbs: House Cricket

Luke Carder: Seven-spot ladybird

[ambiguouspuzuma]

Destination

We walked the paths within the paths - me, Caerin, Ensal, and the rest of the younger boys. I led them clambering over wheel-rut trenches, peppered with the slightly less colossal marks of foxes and deer, and those in turn frosted with the silvery trails of glistening slugs and iridescent snails - paths within paths within paths, and our own footprints now added to their storied local history.

"I wish that we could fly," Caerin remarked.

"When we get there, perhaps one of the ladies will give you a spin," I told him, with a ruffle of his mossy hair. "But we do have to get there first."

That was no easy task. Tonight, on this final stretch of our journey, those paths had led us through an old giants' carriage-way; paved with hoofprints and fallen leaves, verged with snowdrop and forget-me-not - and our migration had us weave our own trail through its vast and changing landscape.

It was always a perilous voyage. For travellers of our size, a fallen acorn was an obstacle to skirt around, a rove beetle a mighty foe to face or flee. Such was the lot of a faerie: born into world of towering elms and majestic stags, but also of wildflower forests and rainwater seas - our lives spent gathering seeds the size of fists, and stalked by monstrous stoats a thousand hands in height.

Well, it was the lot of the menfolk, in any case. The female of the species could actually fly, borne skyward on glimmering damselfly wings, and nested in family groups up in the canopy - not for them this trudge through the composting undergrowth; the drudgery of leaf-litter and rotting wood; the last dredges of the season's fruits, found dead and half-buried for our desperate evening meals.

I imagined they could pluck those berries from the branches where they grew, fresh and ripe and full of life. I only imagined that they looked the same way. None of us had seen a woman since we were mere larvae, left to form a band and fend for ourselves, but the older men we'd met had told us stories of their beauty, their grace, their radiance.

Most of all, we knew how to find them. Now that we had come of age, more or less, we could make the pilgrimage to the glade of romance, just as our fathers and grandfathers had done before us. There would be a night of feasting and dancing, of berry-wine and merry song, and we would have the chance to make a courtship of our own. A tale that we might one day pass on to our own sons, so that they could be prepared to make the journey for themselves.

Of course, the glade roved from year to year, chosen anew by each generation. We would need to find our own path, seeking them out, but with the help of breadcrumbs sprinkled on the way; not all trails were left upon the earth, and we also followed the perfumes on the breeze, the trace of pheromones on every flower to host one of our kin, and the distant glow of faerie-lights that framed the evening gloom.

"It would be neat if we could phosphoresce, too," Ensal joined in. "How is it that they got all the gifts?"

"So that we can appreciate them all the more," I told him. "To make it worth this trek to find them. If what I've heard is true, just wait until it comes your turn to dance - you won't have time for envy, then. Just something more like worship."

The forest floor deepened in shadow, and our way ahead grew clearer. The lights hovered just above our horizon, which was usually only as far as the next mound of fallen leaves; coaxing us on, promising us life behind their drifts, a beauty that was worth any ascent. They glistened on the slug trails that seemed to grow larger as we approached, covering much of the undergrowth with their silver threads, as if trying to ruin our arrival. It would be a job attracting a mate with slimy toes.

"I can see the lights in the distance." Caerin, true to his desire to fly, had hauled himself to the top of a toadstool for a better view. "They're all clustered together."

"We must be getting close," I said, and reached over to help him down.

The snail trails were wider here, glistening around the toadstood's base. I had to plant my feet in the gaps between the swathes of slime, now less of a trail than a surrounding for the paths that formed amongst them. Silver lines criss-crossed the ground ahead of us, like so many constellations come to life, and we would need to pick out careful steps to find the leaf mulch underneath.

Caerin was not so lucky. As soon as I had brought him down - taking care to place him somewhere dry, the first of many stepping stones I was already mapping out - he rushed onwards through the chaos. I called to him, but not in time, so keen was he to see those twinkling lights up close. Barely able to contain my own excitement, I couldn't blame him if he was hypnotised - but we had not made careful progress all this way just to abandon caution at the end.

"Give me your hand," I called, and this time he heeded my words. For the second time in moments, I reached out and locked onto his arm - but he would not move. Both of our efforts combined, heaving one way or stepping over the trail to try the other, were of no effect. The slime was even more viscous than I'd though: it was as if I was pulling on the whole thread at once, the entire way ahead vibrating with our efforts.

"Ensal, take my other arm," I said, aware of a hovering behind me. If we all pulled together, surely the world itself would budge.

He did not reply, but I felt his arms around my ribcage, stronger than I could imagine, lifted bodily as I fought to keep hold of Caerin. But the trapped boy was fighting to let go, and I could not mistake the shadow of fear in his eyes. I was turned away - the last thing that I saw, raised higher still, was our destination. The faerie lights ahead, all clustered together, wrapped in the funnel of a web.