#moths? some mantids? we can do that

[thereareeyesinsidethetrees]

keep thinking about a possible fic where ford is stung/bitten by that one insect that's apparently so painful the guy putting together the pain scale had to have his friend make the entry on his behalf...

[bloody-peach]

Snake Eyes (Helluva Boss: Striker x F!Reader smut fic)

(gif edit by me)

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Now Playing: Kaleo - Way Down We Go [headphones recommended]

Goodie Bag: flirting, rough sex, vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex (m receiving), deepthroating, masturbation (f), cursing, dirty talk, striptease, vaginal fingering, creampie [let me know if I missed anything].

A/N: Who doesn't wanna fuck Striker? Like, come on. When he pinned Blitzø to the wall in his debut episode, I wanted to be in Blitzø's place so bad. So I decided to make a fic. It's pretty short, but it's still good, trust me. Enjoy!!

Taglist: @omniuravity @pinkhimecat @moths-and-mantids @neonvehk @fatgumsurpremacy-remastered and all Striker simps!

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Your life wasn’t the best at the moment. Your bitter ex put a bounty on your head for no reason, and this forced you to be on the run. You were currently in the Wrath ring, trying to outrun this bounty hunter that’s been on your ass for a while. It wasn’t fair that he was riding on a horse, but you were able to keep a good distance from him. Unfortunately, you didn’t know that he had a lasso on him. You gagged when the lasso wrapped around your neck tight, pulling you back and knocking you onto your ass. You tried to pull the rope off of you, but it was on tight. During your struggle, he walked up to you, looking down with a smirk on his face. His tail flicked in a flourish, making the same sound as a rattlesnake’s tail. “Gotta admit, you can run pretty fast. But not fast enough.” a rough male voice said. “I haven’t lost a catch in my entire life, and I ain’t starting today.” He pulled the lasso up and got you on your knees. You had a good look at him and recognized him immediately. This was Striker, the ruthless bounty hunter who hunted down and almost killed Prince Stolas. You were aware of his track record of bounty hunting, and you knew you were just another paycheck. ‘Fuck, he’s hot,’ you thought to yourself.

He eyed you up and down and said, “Hey, you’re a cute one. Not a bad body on you, either. Maybe I’ll have some fun with ya before I turn ya in.” You weren’t sure how, but this man just flipped your switch and you decided to flirt with him. When he loosened the lasso so you could speak, you smirked and looked at him with flirtatious eyes, saying, “Oh? Have I caught the eye of the famous bounty hunter, Striker?” Striker’s eyes narrowed, momentarily taken aback by your smirk. His grin remained plastered on his face, however, as he leaned in further, his breath brushing your cheek. “Famous, eh?” He repeated, drawing out the word. “Maybe I am, maybe I ain’t,” he chuckled softly, running a hand through his snowy hair. “But there ain’t no doubt that I’m the best around these parts.” He paused, looking you up and down with a predatory gleam in his golden eyes. “And now that I got ya, well...you got a few options.”

“Option one, sweetheart,” He began, gesturing to the lasso around your neck. “We could keep things simple and quick. I turn you in, you’re executed, and I pocket that hefty bounty on your cute little head. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?” He winked, a mischievous smile tugging on his lips. “Or option two, we have ourselves a bit of fun, see how much you enjoy it..or how much I do. And then I decide whether you’re worth keeping around or not. Sound good?” You liked where this was going, so you smile and say, “Personally, I like option two better, wouldn’t you agree? Maybe if we hit it off, we can fake my death and split the bounty. I got quite a bounty on me, so if we split it, we’d be richer than even those Goetias.” Striker’s eyes widened as he smiled, clearly surprised at your words. “Ya reckon? Now there’s an idea,” he said, running a finger along your jawline. “Well, alright. Let’s give ol’ option two a go, see how it feels. But understand something, sweetheart, if I feel like you’re lyin’, tryin’ to trick me, I ain’t above changin’ my mind and sendin’ you straight to yer maker.” As he helped you stand up, Striker adjusted his hat and walked closer to you, looming over you. “Now, don’t think you can run off, darlin. That ain’t an option.” He smirked, his voice low and seductive. “I’m in control here, always. Otherwise, we ain’t got no game here.” You were getting turned on so much the more this went, so you smiled and said, “Well, that’s good, because it wouldn’t be any fun if I was the one in control.” A sinister grin spread across Striker’s face, his eyes flickering with excitement. “That’s more like it,” he growled, grabbing your arm and throwing you onto his horse. Once he got on, he made you wrap your arms around his waist, saying, “Hold on tight now.” With that, you two were off.

It was sunset when he stopped at a hotel and got you two a room. Once he brought you in the room, he pinned you to a wall and gazed down your body, lingering on your chest, before locking back on your eyes. “I bet you taste real sweet, don’t cha?” He murmured, his finger tracing a slow circle on your throat. “Between those legs of yours, you prolly taste like heaven.” He grabbed you and pulled you close to him, his body pressing against yours, the hard lines of muscle evident beneath his clothes. You blushed, but felt so turned on as you said, “Well..only one way to find out.” Striker grinned, his grip tightening on your waist as he pressed his groin against yours. “Oh, I’m gonna,” he growled, his hand sliding down your body and undoing your pants. “Real soon, darlin’. Real soon.” He leaned in, his mouth brushing against your ear as he whispered, “But first, I wanna watch you squirm, feel your body shake with pleasure before I taste every inch of ya.” He broke away, stepping back and fixing his coat. “Strip for me,” He said, his voice deep and commanding. “Slow and sexy, darlin’. Don’t forget, I’m in control here.” He lit a fresh cigar, puffing on it as he watched you undress, his eyes never leaving your body.

You nodded and you started to strip nice and slowly, giving him a bit of a show with a little strip tease. Striker’s eyes widened, his nostrils flaring as he took in the sight before him. Your slow, erotic dance had rendered him speechless, but not for long. He swallowed hard, his fingers drumming on his belt. Soon, you were completely nude, your arousal evident as he noticed your juices dripping down your thigh. “Damn, girl,” He muttered, his voice shaky. “Look at ya, drippin’ an’ ready for me.” He slowly approached, putting his cigar out and throwing it out as he reached for you. He wrapped an arm around you, his hand groping your ass as his other hand brushed against your wet flesh, a low chuckle escaping him. “So fuckin’ beautiful,” he praised, his hand running along the curve of your hips. You let out a series of moans as he started to rub your pussy, his fingers skillfully playing with your folds and clit. Striker couldn’t help but chuckle as he felt how wet and responsive your pussy was beneath his fingers. “Just wait til I’m inside of ya,” he breathed into your ear, his words coming out heavy. “Ain’t nothin’ like havin’ you clench around me, feeling every throb and twitch.” He slid one finger inside you, feeling your walls contract around him. “Fuck, you’re tight.” He pushed in another finger, his cock straining painfully within his pants. “I’m gon’ fuck you so hard, baby. Make you scream my name when I reach that sweet spot.” His hand started moving faster, thrusting in and out of you, rubbing your clit with his thumb. “Feel that, darlin’? Imagine it bein’ me -- my cock poundin’ into ya, fillin’ you up.” Just the thought of his cock stretching your pussy out made you even wetter and made you moan more as he continued fingering you. “Fuck, baby,” Striker swore, his arousal threatening to burst through his jeans. “You ain’t no liar, are ya?” He chuckled darkly. “Your pussy’s so damn greedy for me, already wanting more.” He took his fingers out, watching as they glistened with your essence. You watched as he licked his fingers clean, a sinister look in his eyes when he looked at you, saying, “I was right. Your pussy do taste like heaven.” He cupped your chin, forcing you to look at him. “Tell me, darlin’, do ya wanna feel me inside of you? Then get on your knees and beg for it.” He demanded, his voice thick with lust. “If I’m gonna take ya, you best beg for it properly.”

You nodded and got on your knees, looking up at him and putting on your best puppy-dog eyes as you said, “Please, Daddy..I want your hard cock..give it to me..I need it so badly..please fuck me...I’ll do anything you want..” Striker’s eyes darkened with hunger, his heart pounding in his chest. “That’s my girl,” he praised, reaching for his belt buckle. Unbuckling it, he let his jeans drop, revealing his thick erection standing tall and proud. He smirked, holding his cock and aiming it at your mouth. “Anything I want, huh?” He mused, running a hand through his hair. “Well, since ya asked so nicely, I’ll start easy. Take my cock in yer mouth and suck it like a good girl,” he commanded, his eyes never leaving your face. “Prove how much ya want it.”

You nodded and gently grabbed his cock, stroking it and licking up the shaft. You then kissed the tip of his cock and slid his cock into your mouth, sucking on it as you moaned. Striker hissed, his hand fisting in your hair as you took him into your mouth. “Goddamn, that’s good,” he groaned, his hips jerking involuntarily. “You got some skills with that tongue, that’s for sure.” He tugged your hair, guiding your movements. “Swallow me down, deep throat me,” he grunted, his pace picking up. “Make me feel that warm, wet throat around my dick.” His breathing grew ragged, his hips bucking hard. “Don’t stop, keep going. Show me how much ya need this cock.” You did as he said and took more of his cock in your mouth, feeling it go down your throat and slightly gagging until you were able to relax your throat, making things much easier. Soon, you were able to deepthroat him to the point of your lips touching his hilt. Striker’s eyes rolled back as he tilted his head back, his fingers digging into your scalp. “Fuck, yeah..” he moaned. “Take it all, darlin’, show me how much you love it.” His thrusts became more aggressive, his body trembling. “Keep goin’, make me lose myself in your mouth.” You sucked even more, making sure your tongue massaged his shaft. You reached towards your pussy and you started to touch yourself as you sucked him off, clearly turned on from the experience as your juices dripped onto the hardwood floor. Striker’s eyes narrowed, his breaths coming out harsh and uneven. “You’re gonna make me cum like this, aren’t ya?” He growled, his grip tightening on your hair. “I fucking love a woman who knows what she wants.” He pulled out, his cock glistening with saliva. “But I’m in control here, remember? So, enough of that,” He said hoarsely, grabbing your arm and throwing you onto the bed, soon pushing you down and hovering over you. “Time to get that pretty pussy stretched wide.”

He put his hands on your hips, his eyes locked on your dripping pussy. “Spread your legs wider for me, baby,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Cause I’mma ride ya so hard, mark my words..” You spread your legs wider, your pussy twitching with anticipation. Striker grinned, his eyes gleaming with danger. “Perfect,” he murmured, positioning himself between your legs. “Now, tell me if you want me to be gentle or rough.” He teased, his tip brushing against your entrance. “Your choice, darlin’.” His eyes bore into yours, waiting patiently for your decision. “Remember, you asked for this. Now choose wisely.” You smirked and wrapped your arms around his neck, saying, “That depends, sexy. How do you want it? You’re the one in charge here. I’m just here to take it like a good girl.” Striker’s grin widened, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Damn right you are, darlin’. I’m in control.” He growled, thrusting into you forcefully. “But don’t worry, I’ll give ya a taste of both.” He began with a steady rhythm, his hips grinding against yours. “Like that, huh?” He sighed, his voice tinted with satisfaction. “Worried you wouldn’t be able to handle me, but look at ya takin’ it like a champ.” As he pistoned in and out of you, his pace increased. You were tight, so fucking tight around him. You just lost it as his size stretched you out so good, moaning as he kept thrusting, “Ohhh fuck..yeah..!” Striker’s eyes heated up, his thrusting becoming even wilder. “You love it, eh?” He snarled, gripping your hips tightly. “Takes a real man to stretch ya out like this, don’t it?” He leaned down, whispering in your ear. “But I ain’t done with ya yet.” His grip tightened as he pulled out of you. “I’m gonna fuck you so hard now, got it?” Without waiting for an answer, he slammed into you again, his thrusts erratic and violent. “Like that? Wanna see how far you can take it?” He snarled, his pace unrelenting. “Show me how much you can take!”

Your pleasure had reached its peak, crying out in pure ecstasy, “Ahh..! Ohhh..S..Striker..! Yes..! Harder..! Deeper..!” Striker roared, his thrusts becoming even more savage. “Fuck yeah, that’s it,” he gritted out, his breathing labored. “Ya like that, huh?” He reached down, rubbing your clit roughly. “Don’t hold back, darlin’,” he ordered, his pace not slowing. “Let me hear you scream.” His cock slid in and out of you like lightning, each thrust driving you closer to the edge. “Goddamn, I’m gonna paint your walls with my cum,” he promised, his eyes blazing. “Can’t wait to hear ya scream my name.” “Y-Yes..! Please...fill me up...make me yours...ohh fuck..!” You moved your hips to match his thrusts, intensifying the pleasure for both of you. “Ohhh fuck, your cock feels so good, baby..!” Striker growled, feeling you meet his thrusts. “That’s it, darlin’,” he encouraged, his pace increasing. “Fuck, I ain’t gonna last much longer.” He grabbed the back of your head, pulling you into a passionate kiss. You kissed him back, moaning in his mouth as your tongues did an erotic dance. Striker broke the kiss and looked you in the eye. “Tell me what you want, Y/N,” he demanded, his voice raw with desire. “Do ya want me to fill ya up?” His thrusts became more desperate, his hips slamming into yours with all his might. “Tell me what you need, baby girl.” “I..I need you to fill me...fuck me in all of my holes...fill me up full of your cum until I can’t take any more..use me..break me..!” you cried out. Striker’s eyes flashed, his entire being focused on satisfying your request. “Goddamn, that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” he snarled, his thrusts becoming even more brutal. It’s not too long until he came deep inside you, filling your pussy up to the brim. “Gah, fuck..” he groaned. He quickly pulled out and flipped you onto your stomach, wiping his cockhead on your ass before aligning it with your back door. “Ready for another round, darlin’?” He asked, his voice thick with lust.

With a swift motion, he plunged into your ass, making you gasp. “I’mma fill every hole ya got,” he promised, his thrusts frantic. “Feel every inch of my cock inside ya.” His cock slid in and out of you, fucking you mercilessly. “How’s that, huh?” He panted, his grip tightening on your hips. “Need me to go faster, slower?” You gripped tightly on the bedsheet, your teeth gnashing down on the fabric as you lost your mind even further, moaning as he fucked your ass so good, “Ohh yeah...more..fuck me more...don’t stop..” Striker smiled cruelly, his thrusts becoming even harder. “Atta girl,” he praised. “I ain’t gonna stop until you drain every bit of cum from my cock.” He slapped your ass, hearing you whimper. “Scream for me, Y/N,” he commanded, leaning down to bite your neck. “Let everyone know who you belong to.” “S..Striker...ahh...Striker...I..I belong to you..!!” Striker smirked, biting down on your neck to make sure a mark would be left behind, a sign of ownership. “That’s my girl.” His thrusts grew frenzied, his cock stretching your ass to its limit. “So goddamn tight,” he snarled, his pace ruthless. “I’mma make sure you can’t walk tomorrow.” You soon could feel the knot in your belly starting to wind up and soon, you moan out, cumming hard. Finally, he came inside you again, his orgasm shaking his entire body. He kept thrusting into you, elongating both of your orgasms.

“There ya go, baby,” he chuckled, collapsing beside you. “I hope I filled you up good.” You crawled up to him and laid your head on his chest. “Oh, you did so much more than fill me up, baby...” you said, your voice slightly slurred. Striker chuckled, wrapping an arm around you. “Glad to be of service, sweetheart,” he said, his breath still slightly ragged. “Guess ya liked it rough, huh?” He put his hand on top of your head and nuzzled you, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. “Don’t worry, darlin’,” he whispered, running a hand through your hair. “Next time, I’m gonna be gentler.” He watched you snuggle into him, making him smirk. “Unless you beg for more, of course,” he teased, his eyes twinkling. “But for now, let’s figure out how to pull the wool over that bastard’s eyes and how we’re gonna split that bounty.”

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[cloudyswritings]

Hollow knight bugs & real world species

basically this is just a place for me to dump my thoughts about the species of Hollow knight characters. Let’s start with the easy ones.

Divine & Leg Eater: These two are very obviously a termite king and queen, Divine literally can’t be anything else.

Ogrim: The biggest shitter, dung beetle obvi.

Cornifer & Iselda: Weevils, aka the best bugs. Look at their proboscis’

Mantis lords: Mantids, probably based mostly on the Chinese Giant Mantis specifically.

Flukes: They’re just flukes, disgusting.

Unn: Objectively the best goddess, big slug

Quirrel: So it seems likely to me that Quirrel is a isopod of some sort, most likely an armidilidium species, I think it’s something about his hunched/slightly curled posture and body segmentation.

Radiance: A silkmoth, her wings look to be in proportion with the species and everything else screams silkmoth.

Grimm: it’s a common theory, but his resemblance to a vampire moth is striking.

Mask maker: Bro is very obviously a whip scorpion, the arms are what really seals the deal, but living among other predators with ease(ie deepnest) and twitchy motions are staples of whip scorpions irl.

Cloth: a Cicada nymph, hence her whole burrowing thing and the sounds she makes. Plus this is actually confirmed.

God Tamer: She’s an ant, but not a queen. She’s probably a worker who got separated from the colony. Her antenna are fairly distinctive in Hollownest and are very ant like. Plus she tames other species, something ant colonies effectively do by treating aphids like livestock

Ze’mer: So there’s two equally good guesses for what she is. The first is that she’s a silverfish, this would support her outsiderness given silverfish are a truly strange and primitive branch of bugs. The second possibility is that she’s a glow worm beetle, the adult stage of glow worm. This is also super plausible because of the antenna those beetles have lining up nicely with her fluff and drooping antenna. I think either one is a great interpretation.

now the harder ones.

Sly: So his size is notable, as is his eyes being very visibly compound, that combined with his mobility in the air and the sort of buzzing yoda type sound his voice has makes me think he’s a fly of some sort. Plus it rhymes.

Herrah: she’s most likely a horned baboon tarantula, the colors and size line up with what we see compared to the weavers and devout. Plus the horn on those tarantula line up shapewise fairly well with hers.

Pale King: This man to me has two different possibilities, either he’s a leg less lizard of some sort or more probably he’s some sort of really fucked up crustacean. We know Wyrms molt so that almost certainly rules out option one. My thought is that Wyrms have the same issues lobsters run into where they get bigger with every molt, so their exoskeleton gets heavier, thicker, and harder to break out of. Eventually they die, crushed under their own weight and unable to molt(this is when Wyrms generally abandon their larger form to make kingdoms). Verdict: something terribly cursed.

Bardoon: Bardoon, Bardoon, Bardoon, why must you be so difficult? So at first Bardoon really looks like a silkworm, the color is right, even the face of the two look super similar. But Bardoon is demonstrably longer than a silkworm has any right being, and his little nub/tail that you can hit distinctly resembles the “horn” all hornworms have. Despite that I’m nominally going to say he’s a silkworm until I find better evidence. Verdict: Concerning implications.

Gubs and Grubfather: Parasitic wasps maybe? The charm is called Grubberflys elegy, but their behavior mimics the way some wasps lay eggs inside of hosts so their young can eat their way out. Verdict: wasp things probably.

Tiso: So Tiso and Sharpe both look remarkably similar and from the very, very limited amount we’ve seen from both move similarly. In that vein they both look vaguely like assassin bugs, specifically assassin bug nymphs.

Vessels: Something even more fucked than the Pale King, they’re like mostly plant though I think? Like their masks look like his but are actually made of the White ladys bark/wood and grow constantly, their horns look a lot like her branches too. I imagine that their bodies have the same crustacean exoskeleton thing going on their dad has, so they’re probably incorporating heavy metals into their chitin. In all likelihood their mother being a plant and the light absorption the void displays means they’re photosynthetic in some way, it might explain how they grow too. The dangling bottom parts of the shades also look sorta like roots honestly, this also meshes well with how thorns of agony appears as void tendrils when activated. Verdict: Who tf knows, they’re definitely photosynthetic though.

The Shade Lord: So obviously this big chonker is literally just void, but their form distinctly resembles a dragonfly nymph, with four main arms/legs being used, and a distinctly predatory head shape. Plus we don’t see their bottom half, so I imagine it’s either a mass of roots like their mother, or something vaguely wormy. Verdict: Dragonfly thing

Isma: She is super fucking weird tbh, her head is shaped a lot like Vespas. Obviously however she’s some sort of pant being given the way we find her. My theory here is that she’s actually some other sort of bee, there’s a ton of bees that are solitary species. Based on that I’d say she was a bee— probably a white-banded digger bee— who became a devotee or worshipper of Unn. This may explain how the Pale king was allowed to build in green path. Unn let him build in her land and in return she got a loyal and powerful spy/pair of eyes in the Pale court.

[what-immortal-hand-or-eye]

(holds out mic) Tell me your thoughts on bugs? What ones do you like?

I love bugs!!! Thank you for bug ask 💕🦋🪲

Under a cut for bugs (insects, arachnids, invertebrates, etc), closely interacting with bugs, dead animals/taxidermy

One of my first words was “bug”! I think they’re cool little critters just dootlin along. It’s always so fun to go for a walk and see the different bugs all around me-I live in a pretty buggy place, lol. Since this ask is about bugs and not insects, I’m gonna include arachnids and other bug-adjacent invertebrates.

I live in cicada country, and the summer is never truly begun until I hear them singing in the trees. I think that they’re fascinating from an evolutionary and biological perspective, especially magicicada spetimdecim: the seventeen year cicadas we had a few years ago. They were *so many* of them! And they were so gentle and goofy. I had a bunch of them constantly crash land into my face and hold on for dear life, poor things.

I know that a lot of people get freaked out by them, but I do love spiders. Maybe I got acclimated because years ago my mom bought a taxidermy tarantula and we named him “Boris” and he’s been prominently and lovingly displayed my whole life. I love Boris. Spiders have such a breadth of morphology and species diversity that looking at them is always fascinating, and they become a lot less scary when you realize how shy they are. Like, just the other day I was doing some cleaning and I accidentally shoved my head through an orb weaver web! She was right in the middle of it, too, but she ran off, and I felt bad about ruining her hard work. Also, Madagascar golden orb weaver spider silk clothing! It’s a local fine art that harvests and weaves the naturally gold spider silk to make fabric that looks like the sun.

We’re on a bug planet! It’s mostly bugs! We wouldn’t be able to live without them, and not just the charismatic pollinators like bees and butterflies. Even if bugs scare people or gross them out, I think it’s vital for any kind of environmental awareness to acknowledge this. Like, I’ve lived around enough mosquitos to really dislike them, but I can understand and appreciate their role in nature.

I still get a little freaked when I see a bug very close to me when I wasn’t expecting one. I did bite into a peach the other day and when an earwig popped out to ask me what the hell i was doing to its house I shrieked and chucked it on instinct.

General favorites? I like butterflies because of a specific experience, love bees, spiders, isopods, cicadas, dragonflies, moths, mantids…I just love bugs! Thank you for letting me ramble. I haven’t done a lot of research on them in a while, and now I want to haha!

[aueua]

wow! bugs!

i don’t know how i wound up with ten... i’ll probably end up with more later. anywho i won’t be getting into it too heavily since this is unprompted buut here we go. [letter] classifications determine whether or not they are traveling together with any listed bug/s. i worked backwards and got tired again so . 

[A] obligatory vessel | mess (they/it) initially a klutz, now a decent kiddo.

hello meet their found family. where they’d deliberately lost one of their horns as they were originally a vessel that would never have made it anyways because overthinking-anxiety-pressure and managed to escape... sometime somewhere. met oss first, then uff/claws who were traveling together. now more confident and has several things to signify their growth like a horn (crafted by the other three, moss/bandages/some random tooth(?) they found around or won from a hunt). insists on contact when allowed.

[A] moth | uff (they/them) one of those energetic sorts! you’d think them a bee almost but. no

goes around trying to remember those that can’t be buried (as in, wanting to know another bug as best as they can whether or not that means trying to see their limits in an annoying fashion... generally wanting reactions. even something like refusing to divulge information is notable to them). also just vibing, really! used to wield four nails for defense, lost one fighting oss (long story not really), the other worn down to time. the other two are holstered behind their back! they’re short-nails, kind of like daggers. lantern always hooked on person. rarely in flight, uses scales as part of their respect ritual sometimes.

[A] mosskin | oss or boss (he/him) reanimated by lifeblood. tired guy.

somehow became mess’s father figure, almost. romantic partners with uff. also (short story not really) had been affected by infection, not to the point of losing himself entirely as he did ask them to cut him down, but he was only rendered to a point of lethal unconsciousness where that moth proceeded to do the awkward thing that is “Maybe. If I can simply juste... givvem lifeblood...!” and never stuck around properly enough to see what happened. guy got a new arm out of brambles (thorns retractable) and now can use both nail and shield like some of his kin! still prefers nail ultimately though; it’s what he was used to. (not entirely certain why he’d been stunted before, missing a good bit of his right antennae and a whole left arm...)

[A] mantis warrior | claws (she/her) trying to better her skills, left the village after loss of a friend.

summary: tsundere. felt her friend had fallen due to her inadequacy and had set out to redeem herself in some fashion with lots of guilt on her shoulders (granted common warrior mantids don’t. have shoulders but--) with the intent of refining her skills or simply pitting herself against a traitor and calling it done but. eventually met uff (who named her; actually. uff named everyone in this group) who’d managed to persuade her to Not do that after engaging in a nice spar. that’s the bad gist of that. (her wings had been damaged even before they grew useless, though.)

[B] trapdoor spider | res or mend (she/her) wants to find the ideal sleep/comfort zone.

rend’s more expressive older sister. wanderer on the basis of finding new materials that would be great for sleeping or general wear. very insistent on that, as well as a general partner (not romantic necessarily) for cuddling because she’s taken to the name res from “rest” (and stressed) and oh man would resting be so nice. not normally in one place, often makes things to leave them there even without deconstructing it. has met the individuals listed in group [A]. (fun to see how long it takes for her to make mess settle down. sink into uff’s fluff or oss’s moss. what hammock will get claws to finally lie in.)

[B] trapdoor spider | rend (he/him) a tinkerer, almost.

mend’s more quiet younger brother; he’s the more responsible one. wandering more on wanting to know the taste of other things (albeit they all almost taste the same nowadays, infection and all). makes use of all materials when hunting things. double-ended scythe is fashioned from the claws of a traitor warrior and sinew/Somethings. encountered a lifeseed at one point and used it as bait for his hunts... but eventually grew a certain fondness towards it and would slowly use other substitutes. (he never gives it a name though. that’s when it’d be bad.)

-

the spider duo doesn’t normally travel together; they do their own thing, actually. but their paths always cross and they always enjoy catching up with each other (even if it ends up with rend being more stressed/exhausted to hear the dangers his sister put herself in. also see: different outfits for his tiny companion.)

[C] bedbug | bub (she/they) she, uh. she’s my sona. yeah. only because a friend wanted me to make one.

she exists, somehow, and is a wanderer that’s visiting more so out of curiosity to explore the ruins of hallownest. a very strange sightseeing journey really. tends to admire and doodle down environments often (and... other bugs, if not heavily bastardized). carries around vials of lifeblood and infection as they fascinate her and also suffice as paint/snacks when necessary as it isn’t often she hunts for herself. (thus normally more flat than full, for a bedbug.) yeah good luck trying to stop her for conversation she’s already running away buddy

[D] soul warrior | ver (he/they) unofficially assigned sati’s escort. not the most talkative sort.

it would be a bit awkward to leave fellow scholars alone in their pursuit of research, so... he tagged along sati (with others, of course; they’re not quite sure where their fellow brothers and sisters of the sanctum went though. half lie. he had to fell some of them as they turned infected to a point where attempts to reason would be in vain). easily confused and intrigued. though with own ideas, tends to keep them to self even when encouraged and prefers to speak through nail.

...a citizen (friend) once gave him a tattered ribbon as thanks, and he still has that twisted around the handle of his pin-nail.

[D] soul twister | sati (they/them) accidentally meditated for a bit too long in an area where they began to be, uh. crystallized.

they’d heard that crystals made it easier to focus, once. fantastic. their group was meant to inspect and experiment. didn’t go so hot, of course, but it made the bond between ver and sati far stronger as a result. they usually speak their thoughts aloud without expecting much in reply (though they are always happy to entertain discussions) and is a bit inquisitive. also skeptical.

with regard to spells and abilities, they’ve taken a more... laser-y, variant. where if they channeled soul or a bit of their will, they can fire some out of either their eye or palms. there’s a bit more but. i am lazy so i am moving on.

-

the timeline of them departing from the sanctum was before the experiments carried out to any drastic extent (and they only learned of what happened quite... later, much later, when they found things and simply just. didn’t.)

anywho; they are together but neither of them are open about it, not because they’re ashamed or anything as they’ll say so if someone asks, but it’s just. not in their personal languages to do that. that’s why if you squint, the name they have when paired together is veritas where ”truth is mighty and will prevail” (or just simply truth in general).

the attached image has old/initial concepts but you get the point ^^

[E] snail shaman | fule (they/any) has a “kufufufu” laugh.

frequently seen at colosseum. just a friend, simply! they used to travel alongside a much tinier snail, but that one managed to make a mound somewhere so that was that (and sometimes they visit! y’know, as one does). at first they’d been drawn to all the amounts of soul, but then they found the whole concept of “fool” and “glory” amusing enough to serve as a different reason for staying. well. that, and practicing spells.

they’re a pretty capable shaman and sacrifices power most of the times in order to increase spell-casting speed. any damage they sustain they can usually heal off afterwards (though hey, there’s a spring, but even that makes them unfathomably sleepy). their variation of a shield is more of a ward/to deter others from running through it. when all things are said and done though, they did fashion their staff to be applicable as a spear, so... fun times ahead. their former name may have been pira (from spiral). they just. picked up the name “fule” because it sounded close enough to “fool.”

personality-wise, they take amusement in lots of things. it’s a mystery as to what they’re actually like ‘cause. who knows. not me! all armor-pieces are detachable, and the visor is retractable. shell took its traits the longer they’d stayed.

thaat’s it. i’m not going to proof, ‘cause it’d be easier for me to just do that in a document if i ever decided to expand on them properly. you can ask me about them if you want but i’d immediately implode so LOL thanks for reading! <3

[transmogrified-in-the-void]

Okay I saw in your bio " ask me about my Hollow Knight dnd campaign" and I was just wondering how that process of converting things something that worked with DnD worked?

Like that's super unique and cool world and I can see how lots of things work just fine like Classes n stuff translate perfectly well. But idk just trying to imagine gameifying that world is like beyond me atm.

Sorry if this is a bit broad I dont wanna ask for a essay or anything (tho I'd take one 👀 I'm very intrigued)

Oh yeah!!! This was honestly so much fun to do and while I could do an essay I won't because 90% of it would be enemies

So the biggest part of it was converting the Hollow Knight enemies into D&D Enemies with basic stat blocks, figuring out attacks and damage, that sort of thing. I actually have almost every enemy (I'm still working on fine tuning a few bosses, doing dream bosses, and actually making PK and Dreamer fights). I would give out the stat blocks, but it's a 101 page document so that's a little much

The other thing is race to bug changes, which I actually will put below the cut, and those were actually pretty fun to make, and some of them have special additions. Like flying speeds, the ability to walk up walls, jumping speeds, etc etc.

There's also three different new damages that are based off of things in HK that don't exactly equate to dnd damage: spirit damage (damage from crystals), nightmare damage (related to radiant damage but from grimm), and void damage (damage from the void/void creatures).

Oh! And a few new mechanics that appeared/were premade, like tieflings with a chaotic or evil alignment slowly becoming a vessel (this is a little more complicated, but GOD is it fun!!!), a grimm version of the dream nail called the nightmare nail, possession of deities and gods, sleeping and rolling wisdom checks to not get infected, etc.

There's probably more to come, it's something that we add as cool things appear and are added. like spare the dying killing infected creatures! or crystals being worth insane amounts of gold because sly is the sole capitalist.

Aarakocra → Butterfly

Aasimar → White Moth

Changeling → Stick Bug

Dragonborn → Spider

Dwarf → Leaf-Cutter Ant

Drow → Traitor Mantis

Elf → Praying Mantis

Gnome → Weevil

Half-Elf → Mantid

Half-Orc → Cricket

Halfling → June bugs

Human → Fly

Orc → Cockroach

Tiefling → Rose Wasp

Leonin → Antlion

Goliath → Stink Bug

Bugbear → Water Bug

Firbolg → Shield Bug

Goblin → Aphid

Hobgoblin → Bark Aphid

Constructs → Kingsmold

[flame-shadow]

What was that about Deepnest society and Beasts?

(You are giving the writer in me an absolute feast.)

oh boy. -rubs hands together- okay. warning that almost all of this is headcanon with, at best, vague inspiration taken from what i remember of in-game lore. once i made a beast character and had to figure out her backstory, i did a lot of thinking about things. here are some of the things [under the cut because it gets rambly]

Alrighty, let’s start with “beast” being a general term for anything native to the Deepnest. It refers to those who live in communities (one such community being the Distant Village which surely had a different name to the Beasts) and those who were more unruly (these would be the “wild” ones like dirtcarvers and garpedes and such). But assume for the rest of this post that when I say Beast (capital B), i mean the sentient ones. The beasts (lower case b) are wild and don’t have a society so much as instinctive interactions and such. The exception is the nosk species, but that’s a later thing. And if I forget in this post, remind me later.

Anyway.

Hardiness and ferocity and cunning are favored traits in the hunters and warriors. But they’re not the only valuable traits a Beast can have! To live in a dangerous place like the Deepnest, it’s important to have a strong, cohesive community. There are the hunters who bring food, and the warriors who defend the villages (because there are more than one village. c’mon. the game only takes place in a 2D space and deepnest is HUGE), but there also need to be builders and carers and healers and so on, each with their own traits that help the village. Community is very important - working together, taking care of each other, watching out for signs of infiltration via things digging in or someone acting odd. Even before the infection would’ve been an issue, the Beasts would’ve had to watch out for signs of a nosk trying to sneak its way in. 

Depending on where in the Deepnest a village was, who lived there and what materials the homes were made of varied. A village nearer the Gardens could have access to leaves and vines for building and crafting as well as thorns for weapons. That village could also have glowing mushrooms growing around the chamber as the main sources of light. A village deeper down might be more reliant on silk for building material. Maybe that chamber is usually dark as the bioluminescent things don’t thrive that far down (maybe the void is close enough that it consumes some of the light too), but these Beasts have captured/stolen some lumaflies which they keep in covered lanterns for when they need light. Building materials like planks and wood beams would be of limited use since the twisting maze of tunnels would limit how long anything could be while being transported, and you can only shorten a pole so many times before it becomes useless for the intended purpose.

Among the hunters and warriors, some would aim to be beast tamers. The example I like to use is a warrior-in-training sneaking into a garpede nest and taking an egg. They raise the baby garpede and hunt for it and care for it and ideally it bonds to that warrior, and they can train it to be useful in hunting or defending the village or, assuming it gets big enough and is still controllable, it can be used to deter another rampaging garpede. But, of course, a garpede can’t be easily stopped once it starts going, so if the warrior loses control of the armored beast, it could do A Lot of damage to the village before it’s felled or driven away. It’s a risk that the whole village takes.

An export of the Deepnest is spidersilk! That’s a game-established thing. You can see spools of it in the hidden station, and so so many spools in the weaver’s den. Spidersilk paper was used for recording things. Unfortunately, the ‘rain’ that eventually started to fall in the City ruined most of the spidersilk paper records. It’s mostly the tablets that remain. But... irl we see webs out in the rain with water drops beaded along the threads, so maybe it’s actually whatever ink was used on the silk that was ruined by the rain.

I also think Beasts with a skill in weaving (and I’m including both Weavers the species and weavers the other Beasts who can weave silk. like regular spiders) could contribute to the exports. Weaving clothes and decorations and such. I have no foundation for this, but what if all of the pale court’s robes were actually spidersilk? Pale and shiny. And remember, there were spools of the stuff in the hidden station, right next to where the white palace used to be. Although, I imagine the silk could also be dyed for selling to the more regular bugs of Hallownest. Fancy silks for the upper class bugs who wanted to show off.

Weavers specifically could weave spells. Seals and glyphs and such, using their silk as the conduit. 

When the Wyrm came along, the balance of power shifted. The Beasts didn’t have a god for PK to take issue with, but the Beasts themselves likely didn’t care for a new powerful entity staking his claim so close to the Deepnest. Ancient Basin is right next-door, after all. I actually think the Basin used to be part of the Deepnest but PK fought to claim that space. (I wonder if he picked that place to be near the entrance to the Abyss or if that was pure coincidence that he’d take advantage of later?)

I should probably address the general relationships of the denizens of deepnest with those in the bordering territories, huh? Let’s go back to before Hallownest was a thing, before the Wyrm came and gave mind to the pillbugs and beetles and such in the area.

-The Moth Tribe occupied the area in and around what would later be known as the Resting Grounds. No conflict with Beasts, too far away.

-The Hive kept to itself with the exception of expanding, which it was successful at, but it didn’t get greedy. The bees and the beasts likely had scuffles and encounters, but generally, they left each other alone, being evenly matched between power and numbers.

-The fungal folk... so what if some mushrooms get eaten. They share a mind and losing some of a body sometimes isn’t a huge deal.

-idk where the Flukes are in all this, but probably beasts hunt them sometimes. No attempt to gain the flukes’ territory (whatever it was before the Waterways were a thing).

-The Mosskin Tribe occupied what would eventually become the Queen’s Gardens. Maybe thorns were tended around and over all the entrances to the Deepnest that they could find. Sure, some beasts still came through, but it would be a decent deterrent.

-The Mantis Tribe. Ancient rivalry. The territory line shifted over the years, giving and taking, each side honing their skills to attack and defend against the other. The beasts had variety and strength and numbers on their side, but the mantids had skill and speed and discipline. When it came to a Beast warrior fighting a mantis warrior, they were more evenly matched.

Curious bugs that wander into the Deepnest are eaten. Some bugs are lured. We see multiple regular pillbugs in the nosk den. Also, there were plenty of infected ones/corpse creepers elsewhere in the Deepnest, so bugs came in, but didn’t come out. Tasty snacks.

The Beasts might’ve done some trading with the Hallownest bugs, but those bugs were not welcome in Beast territory. It was perilous to deal with Beasts and their home. (hmm.. Deepnest is the Australia of Hallownest)

Okay, I can feel my braincells disappearing, so this is where I’ll leave this. Have another cookie for reading all this.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Nyctibius

Common Potoo by Gmmv1980, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Etymology: Night Feeder

First Described By: Vieillot, 1816

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Strisores, Caprimulgiformes, Nyctibiidae

Referred Species: N. bracteatus (Rufous Potoo), N. grandis (Great Potoo), N. aethereus (Long-Tailed Potoo), N. leucopterus (White-Winged Potoo), N. maculosus (Andean Potoo), N. griseus (Common Potoo), N. jamaicensis (Northern Potoo)

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: From 12,000 years ago through today, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Potoos are known from Central and South America, around the Equator 

Physical Description: Potoos are some of the weirdest birds alive today, looking about as ridiculous and muppet-like as any bird can really look. I’m honestly not sure if there is another living dinosaur that looks more like a muppet - and, of course, we don’t know if any extinct dinosaurs could have taken home the gold. The only probable and possible contender is the Frogmouth, which may just be the slightest amount more muppet-like, but it’s a close contest. They have distinctive faces, that are more feather than underlying tissue - their beaks stick out a bit, with a small hooked beak at the end. They have a large mouth, covered in fluff. Their eyes have a general sunken in appearance, which makes them look very large compared to the rest of the face. Their heads are very large compared to the rest of their bodies, and they have long bodies with short wings and long, fluffy tails. So, when they stand up, they look… well, they look like a stump, or a log standing up. They can then make themselves skinnier, which makes their eyes stand out compared to the rest of their bodies… which gives them the general appearance of a completely ridiculous animal. They can range in size from 21 to 58 centimeters, and range in color from reddish brown, to more orange brown, to more grey in color. This genus is not sexually dimorphic, though some species have variants in color. 

By Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Diet: Potoos eat a lot of insects - from beetles to moths, to mantids, ants, termites, cicadas, leafhoppers, and grasshoppers. 

Rufous Potoo by Eric Gropp, CC BY 2.0 

Behavior: Potoos will hunt by standing extremely still on their perches - often, again, making themselves to look like a continuous log - and waiting for food to appear. Since they’re nocturnal, they are easily missed by the insects, as they blend into the background around them. Then, when they spot the prey, they launch forward, jutting forward to catch the insects and swallow them. Some species are more clumsy in this endeavor than others, though some are able to make leaps over several meters in order to grab the food they desire. They then return to the same post, returning to their previous log-like stillness as they wait for more food to appear. They’ll look around for the food by turning their heads rapidly from side to side - weirdly like owls, though they are not closely related to them at all. These perches can be only one meter off the ground, or up to 19 meters, depending on the forest around the potoo in question. 

Common Potoo by the American Bird Conservancy 

Potoos aren’t the most musical or birds, but they are loud - they make harsh, guttural “bwa-bwa-bwa” calls, similar to laughing or wailing. They can also make drawn out, descending rasps, that are… somewhat more musical at least. They tend to make their sounds mostly at dusk, right before dawn, and also on moonlit nights - so when it is Dark, but not too dark. These sounds, of course, do vary from species to species. There are some courtship calls, including descended calls made by females during the mating ritual, but they aren’t a major feature of these events. So, instead of picturing the great wolves as your moonlight singers, remember: the Potoos can and WILL be making these weird urts, laughs, and whistles, every time the moon is full and out in the sky. Potoos do not migrate, but they do appear to move sporadically in response to season changes and mating territory disturbances. 

Long-Tailed Potoo by Lee R. Berger, CC BY-SA 3.0 

As for nesting, Potoos are not… fantastic at the prospect, because of their tiny legs and weird, weird beaks. This makes them not great at both sitting on the nest and feeding the chicks. Still, they do it anyway, and clearly well enough since they aren’t endangered with extinction. They are monogamous, with both parents working together to incubate the egg and raise the chick, and they don’t build a nest - instead, the egg is laid in a depression on the branch, usually on top of a rotting stump. The male incubates the egg during the day, while the female will do so with the male at night. The chick is hidden almost entirely through camouflage. They hatch about a month later, and then stay in the nest for two more months, being protected by the parents and fed by them as well. They look… like clumps of fungus. Hiding underneath the log of their parents. The parents will defend themselves and the nest with mobbing behavior, crowding a predator and dive bombing it, and also calling at it loudly. In short, these birds are a Giant, Giant mess of Chaos. 

White-Winged Potoo by Mark Sutton 

Ecosystem: Potoos are known primarily from rainforests, and can be found at any level of the forest - some Potoos are known from the understorey, some from the middle, and some from the canopy - it really depends. They’re also found in very swampy forests, depending on the species and the habitats in question. They tend to stick to where there are easily accessible sources of water, regardless, especially rivers and lakes in the jungle. They stick to the deep interior of the forest, not venturing to forest edges much unless driven to by necessity. Some species are also found in mountain forest habitats. They have few natural predators after reaching adult size, though the young are hunted upon by monkeys and falcons. 

Andean Potoo by Isirvio, CC BY-SA 2.0 

Other: Potoos are a part of the Stirsorians, a group of WEIRD BIRDS that are adapted for a variety of extremely unique ecological niches, usually depending on their flight style. Close relatives of the Potoo include the Frogmouth, Nightjars, Oilbirds, Swifts, and Hummingbirds, among others. Potoos are highly adapted for their nocturnal lifestyle, adapted to blend in with their forested surroundings above all else. None are threatened with extinction at this time, though of course some species are rarer than others, and all are vulnerable to climate change and extensive habitat destruction in the American Rainforests. They are also quite uncommon birds, which of course affects their vulnerability as well. 

Northern Potoo by Dominic Sherony, CC BY-SA 2.0 

Species Differences: The different species of Potoo vary mainly on size, coloration, habitat, and location. The Rufous Potoo is one of the most notable, being very red in color and also the smallest species; it is known from northern Amazonia, in the middle and lower storeys of the forest. Great Potoos are the heaviest species, and greyish to yellowish brown; they are found in the canopy of Amazonia. The Long-Tailed Potoo is the longest species, and is a darker brown; it is found in lowland forest in Amazonia. The White-Winged Potoo has - you guessed it - white wings, and is small in size; it is found in the canopy of lowland Amazonia rainforest. The Andean Potoo is very dark and Extremely Muppety, and is found in mountain forests in the Andes Mountains. The Common Potoo is the most middle brown of them all and very middle in size, so the Averagest Potoo of them All; it is found in wet open woodland, usually at forest edges and the canopy, throughout Northern South America. The Northern Potoo is similar to the Common Potoo but usually larger, and it is also found in forest edges, but in Central America and the Carribean.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017.  

Cohn-Haft, M. (2019). Andean Potoo (Nyctibius maculosus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Cohn-Haft, M. (2019). Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Cohn-Haft, M. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.  

Cohn-Haft, M. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Long-tailed Potoo (Nyctibius aethereus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Cohn-Haft, M. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Northern Potoo (Nyctibius jamaicensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Cohn-Haft, M. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Rufous Potoo (Nyctibius bracteatus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Cohn-Haft, M. (2019). White-winged Potoo (Nyctibius leucopterus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

[asgardian--angels]

Providing for Pollinators - my Syracuse Wildlife Garden

Hi everyone! Maybe you know me, I am a grad student with a B.S. in Wildlife & Conservation Biology and I study native bees. I am in New York for grad school and my landlady (I live in her personal home with one other PhD student) has agreed to let me turn part of her yard into pollinator habitat. I discussed this prospect a month ago here. On Memorial Day I got to work and finally planted everything!

I thought I would use this opportunity to share my ongoing experience and educate others about the importance and the feasibility of creating pollinator and wildlife habitat in your yard. Please, consider doing even just a little bit to help the natural world this year or in the future. Hopefully the information and resources I provide will be of use.

I will update this post throughout the season as the plants grow and bloom!

This first installment lays out the principles of habitat gardening and thus is pretty lengthy. Part 2 will talk about the plants I chose and include photos of the newly planted garden!

Wildlife habitat in the urban and suburban sphere is crucial going forward in the fight to save our planet from going belly-up. We think of ‘big ag’ as the enemies, and while that’s true, habitat destruction and fragmentation due to development has had just as large an impact, and we are all accountable. Pristine, untouched lawns, silent without birdsong or the buzzing of bees, has somehow become the ideal and a symbol of status and accomplishment (yet another way that western mindset of ‘man vs nature’ rears its ugly head). Few realize the harm that has done, and we’re at the tipping point now. But while we can’t overthrow Monsanto overnight, we can control our own little patch of earth. Reconnect the land, that’s the goal. You’ll find yourself reconnected to it too, in the process. And once you see the amount of thriving life you can support, you’ll never go back to that old turfgrass prison. Creating habitat is its own source of pride, especially knowing you will influence and inspire others to do the same. 

There are infinite ways one could construct habitat on their property. It will obviously depend on time, money, desired use of yard (do you have kids? or barbecues? leave some grass), town ordinances, etc. I could have easily ripped up every ounce of turfgrass in the yard, but it’s best to start simple, especially when it’s someone else’s land! I have about a quarter acre to work with - which doesn’t seem like a lot until you realize just how many plants you could fit in there! More so, a quarter acre of habitat where there wasn’t any before sure makes a difference to the wildlife, especially bees, who often nest only a few meters from their host plants and will only travel as far as they need to for food.

Here’s an overview of the ‘before’:

Basically, what we’ve got is a lot of turfgrass and some exotic ornamentals, with a few native trees scattered about at the boundary between the neighbor’s house. Existing plants were hydrangeas, hostas, hellebores, and vinca. I didn’t even know what vinca was (I am rather out of the loop with ornamental plants) so I looked it up, as it seemed very aggressive and had formed a dense mat over much of the ground along the borders of the property. Lo and behold, it is considered invasive in many places, yet it’s sold at pretty much every nursery. It has purple flowers that attract virtually no pollinators, and my landlady loves the darn thing so much she wants it to spread to cover the entire yard if possible. I’ve tried to steer her away from that... a big problem though, was that she did not have any idea what plants were in her yard. Apparently the landscapers did not tell her what they were planting, nor did she seek out the information herself, so I identified them all for her. Maybe it’s just me, but I could never rest not knowing what plants someone put into my ground that I’d have to live with for the next few decades. There’s a huge border of stones at the front of the house, apparently to stop flooding. Let it just be known that stones are pretty dang bad for wildlife habitat, as they do nothing but cover the ground and prevent things from growing. She wanted more stones, I steered her away from that also.

Principles of Habitat Gardening

Insects are good. Insects are what you want. Insects form the foundation of the food web for whatever animals you want to support. This means changing your mindset to see leaf damage as beneficial, something that traditional gardening has drilled into our heads as wrong and ugly. Songbirds rely on caterpillars to raise chicks, and pollinators help plants create fruit, seeds, and nuts, which countless animals rely on. Predatory insects like wasps, mantids, and many true bugs keep populations in check so no plants are ever eaten to fatal levels. 

NATIVE PLANTS. How do you attract insects? You plant the things they eat, and that certainly isn’t ornamentals from Eurasia. Insects have long co-evolutionary relationships with specific plants, attuning their tolerance to certain plant defensive compounds. Most butterfly and moth caterpillars eat only a small range of plants, and over half of our bees in North America collect pollen from only one group of plants. These are specialists, and they form a crucial part of biodiversity that’s often left out when habitat is lost and urban sprawl leaves ornamental plants that only a few hardy troopers (the generalists) will tolerate. Native plants are not ~in~ when it comes to gardening though, and it is difficult to find them being sold unless you know where your local native nurseries are. Demanding these plants has slowly begun to change the market, and now some can be found as seeds in places like Home Depot or Lowe’s. Recent studies have shown that songbird nests can fail in suburban areas with a lack of native plants, due to low abundances of insects. If you want birds, once again, provide insects! 

Native plants are easier to grow and care for than exotics, because they are adapted to your region, its seasons and climate and precipitation. That’s less manicuring, fertilizing, and pesticide-spraying on your part.

Remember what all animals need - food/water, shelter, and a place to raise young. Providing only one of these things doesn’t do a whole lot of good, as they may stay for a little while but not forever, and you’re not actually creating habitat.

Coarse woody debris - aka logs, stumps, snags, and brush piles - are very useful to wildlife, as sources of food (they host many insects), shelter, and nesting sites (a LOT of birds nest in tree holes and excavated cavities, as well as mammals). Leaving these ‘eyesores’ is doing a lot of good, as well as not raking your leaves (or at least keeping them in a pile) and allowing dead perennial stems to persist through the winter and spring. Bees will be nesting and hibernating inside them!! See? Less work for you, with a hefty payoff.

Diversify as much as you can, in every way you can. Bloom color, bloom time, plant family, leaf texture, growth habit. It will maximize the species you can host in one space. 

The goal of creating habitat in your yard is bigger than just inviting pollinators and birds. It’s restoring connectivity to the landscape. Fragmentation of habitat has massive negative effects on wildlife, from mammals and amphibians who need to cross highways and go through yards to get to the next woodlot to the ‘edge effects’ of habitat islands surrounded by parking lots, loud noise, and urban predators. The more people create habitat, the more we ‘plug’ our land back into the larger landscape and help support wildlife at a much bigger scale.

Research, research, research! You need to find what plants are right for your state and region, your soil type and sun levels, and many other specifics only you know. Luckily, there’s plenty of information and books out there to help you (I will recommend some further down).

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, NO MATTER HOW SMALL. You could own one acre or ten, or maybe just a windowsill or patio garden. Put out a bee hotel. Keep natives in pots (that’s what I do at home). Spread the word (that’s a biggie). You are always able to help.

So, for my situation, we have silty loam soil (you can find yours here), mostly full sun with areas of part-sun and shade. A big problem I had to plan around was the deer, who come through the neighborhood regularly and try to eat the hostas and hydrangeas. Many ornamentals are marketed as ‘deer-resistant’ but a lot of native plants are as well. It has to do mainly with leaf chemistry and texture which equates to some level of palatability. Of course, if they’re very hungry, deer will even eat pine needles. My landlady tasked me with creating habitat that was low maintenance. She is older in age and does not have the time or means to be manicuring everything. Apart from the deer resistance, my landlady also wanted a new groundcover that would thrive in full sun unlike the vinca, because her goal is less lawn to mow. I have a vendetta against the vinca now so I’ve vowed to do all I can do diversify the groundcover. There are many butterflies and moths that rely on various weedy or groundcover plants as caterpillar food (especially violets!). With these criteria, I set out to find a list of plants native to New York available near me for sale that would create a wonderfully diverse wildlife and pollinator garden. 

Luckily, central New York has ample resources for this purpose. I utilized the Habitat Gardening in Central New York network heavily, as they have an annual complete buying guide for all native plants in the region being sold by participating nurseries. Audubon, Cornell Habitat Network, Cooperative Extension, Xerces Society, and many others also have information to help. If you’d like a bit of introductory and insightful reading, check this out. Native plants can be bought online as seeds or root stock as well, from places like Prairie Moon Nursery, which caters to the eastern U.S. There are many websites with information on specific plant growing needs, like the Missouri Botanical Garden site. 

But wait, there’s more! Don’t forget about our best friend, books! Scientists have been working really hard to gather information and publish it for the public and in the last decade or so a really good handful of books about native landscaping, pollinators, and ecology have come out to aid the everyday person in creating habitat! I want to offer a list of some of my top picks, whether you just want to learn more about the topic or use it as a planning tool, these are pretty readily available at major bookstores. 

Books on Pollinators, Ecology, and Native Gardening

#1 - MY ALL TIME FAVORITE!! MY GOSPEL!! Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy (an esteemed professor at U of Delaware, I almost was his grad student). This gorgeous full-color book was the basis for a lot of what we have now and played a major role in introducing the public to the concept of native landscaping. It brought together concepts about the importance of insects, especially herbivorous ones, for birds and wildlife, why and how to support them, the reason we need native plants and why invasives are so harmful, and has a lot of resources and beautiful photos as well. You know how Christopher Lee would read Lord of the Rings every year? Yeah that’s me with this book. Everyone should own this.

#2 - The Bees in your Backyard by Joseph Wilson and Olivia Messinger Carril. This is the single best, most informative, well laid-out, usable bee book out there. Stunning portraits of every genus of bee in North America, with a section on their life history and a section (for us scientists!) on how to identify them under the microscope, thus it’s for all audiences. A significant portion of the book is devoted to the ecology and conservation of bees and how to create pollinator habitat. 

#3 - Pollinators of Native Plants by Heather Holm. The book I’d write if it hadn’t already been written, this comprehensive book brings together an incredible amount of information and photos in a user-friendly format. It goes through wildflowers of the eastern U.S. from prairies to woods and wetlands, painting an in-depth picture of their ecological relationships with pollinators. Each plant has a profile about its life history and growing requirements, and the many pollinators that utilize it either as a nectar source or a host plant. Incredibly useful when planning habitat, and it has a huge section with a mind-blowing amount of charts and visuals to help you pinpoint exactly the plants right for your site and needs. 

#4 - Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees by Thor Hanson. A brand new book that I fell in love with as soon as I started reading it. Not a field guide; a book of science, conservation, and personal experiences told beautifully and full of passion. My favorite work of bee non-fiction! It is incredibly inspiring. It focuses on native bees, not honeybees (none of this work for pollinator gardens is really for honeybees, and there’s plenty of books out there on them if you’re more interested in that). Native bees are poorly known by the public, and this book endeavors to give us a glimpse into their world, from the evolutionary story that begins millions of years ago to the millions of alkali bees that have found a home on one Washington farm. You will come away wanting to start your new garden tomorrow. 

#5 - Summer World by Bernd Heinrich. Well, ANYTHING by Bernd Heinrich. He’s a renowned scientist and naturalist from New England who has a heck of a lot of books documenting his observations and discoveries about the natural world over the decades, as well as the challenges it faces in today’s human world. This is one of my favorites. I’ve met him and I am constantly inspired and often brought to tears by his words. He weaves tales of science, history, and his own life together to match that of Thoreau or Frost and offer us insights into nature that we so often pass by in our hurried lives. Other books include Winter World, One Wild Bird at a Time, Life Everlasting: The Animal Way of Death, and The Homing Instinct. 

#6 - Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. A groundbreaking classic that follows the principles of E.O.Wilson (one of the fathers of our field!!), that all human beings need nature to be healthy both physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and that we have an intrinsic connection to nature and a drive to have it in our lives. Our separation from it in the modern era has come at great cost to ourselves and the planet. This book sets the stage for serious research and justification for why children need to have contact with nature at an early age, how it affects our whole lives and morals as adults, and how it ultimately decides the fate of our world when those children grow up to either want to save the earth or contribute to its destruction. A fundamental and frankly, earth-shattering read. I read it when I was in high school, and it is so so important to the work I do now. Don’t get all ‘hurr durr Thomas Edison was a witch’ on me. You know we have a problem, and I see it every time a two year old is watching an ipad instead of what’s outside around them. 

I hope these resources were helpful. If I think of more, I’ll add them in future installments. Thank you for reading, and I hope you will join me in tracking this garden through the year! I’m so excited :D

[iamthekaijuking]

Legendary Mothra Biological Analysis

I’m basing this analysis on the Mothra figures, so they may not be accurate. Also I’m not an expert on arthropods (or an actual expert on anything because I’m only 17).

Mothra’s monarch file doesn’t state much besides her bioluminescence and part of the natural order. So this will mostly be about her morphology. But let’s start with her power first.

Mothra’s thorax can emit beta waves (electricity from the brain) that can activate bioluminescent patterns oh her wings. Insects have ganglia across their bodies, and the largest are in their thorax. Ganglia are kind of like second brains that help process and transmit information. So Mothra’s ganglia can transmit powerful signals to her wings that can activate specialized cells that can generate luminescence. I’m not sure how she can refine it into a ‘god ray’ but maybe the scales on her wings act as mirrors that can direct the light.

Now onto her morphology.

Mothra’s larval form is different from the little toilet log we all know and love. Her larval form is decked out in heavy chitinous plating. She has a short abdomen (for a caterpillar, which normally have abdomens that take up most of their body) with only six pseudopods. Most of her body is actually taken up by her thorax, which also stands upright. Now I can’t really tell if she has six legs or eight in her larval form. They could just be another pair of pseudopods, but if those are legs then that’s incredibly unusual, because Mothra is explicitly stated in her file to be a lepidopteran. AKA a moth (butterflies also are lepidopterans but they’re a family of derived moths so they technically count) and thus an insect. Insects only have six legs (although technically antennae and some mouthparts are derived from legs) so if Mothra’s larvae has eight legs then that’s incredibly unusual. Maybe her kind have a weird mutation where one of the leg pairs were duplicated in their larval form? Or maybe it’s exclusive to this specific Mothra and is not natural for her kind.

Again though, they could be pseudopods.

Now for her imago form.

Starting off with her head we can already see that her anatomy is ever so subtlety weird. Mothra has eyelids. No I’m serious, you can see them move during the close-up of her very menacing face during the trailer. But, if Mothra's limbs are all scythes that have no cleaning fuzz then I guess that's a necessary adaptation for cleaning her eyes. Something that big moving that fast is going to accidentally get some creatures splattered on her eyes. Mothra’s mouth is also equally weird. She seems to only have one pair of palps and her labium and labrum are either vestigial or completely absent (the bottom palps are attached to the labium so that probably explains why they’re not present). Her mandibles aren’t visible so it seems like her maxilla have taken up the job. The top palps are attached to the maxilla so that’s how I could tell they were her maxilla.

This is completely different from any other moth, because the only mouthparts present for them are their maxilla and its palps. But the maxilla of moths are also fused to form a tongue (there’s also moths with no mouths in their imago phase).

Next is her limbs.

Mothra definitely has six legs in her imago form, but her first four pairs of legs all end in very large and menacing raptorial appendages. It’s worth noting that only extremely carnivorous insects ever evolve raptorial appendages. Her first four limbs appear to only have three segments. I’m only seeing the coxa, femur, and tibia. So I guess her species have completely lost their tarsus, which are crucial for walking. Mantids, for example, may have seem like their claws only have three parts, but even they have a tarsus as well, because they can’t walk on their claws or they’ll get worn down and dull. So Mothra’s species either spends little to no time on the ground at all, or they only walk on their hind legs. Speaking of hind legs, it seems like hers do have a tarsus. Unusually though, while her first four legs are attached to her thorax, it seems like her legs are attached to her abdomen... or so it seems. We can see something very similar in beetles, where it seems like the hind legs are attached to the abdomen, but they’re really attached to the very back of the thorax. So it only looks like their hind legs are attached to their abdomen. And while it looks like there’s a very clear divide between Mothra’s thorax and abdomen, that’s really just a part of her thorax that’s pinched. Some Hymenopterans like ants also have a pinched thorax as well. It also looks there’s parts of here exoskeleton that look more like plated armor or scales that an actual exoskeleton, so she might have both an exoskeleton and bits of an endoskeleton. But then again, I could be reading the blurry pictures of the figurines wrong.

As for her placement in the tree of life, it seems like her kind evolved from very primitive moths, and diverged from the rest of the lepidopteran order before their maxilla fused into a tongue.

Now, I want to go back to her arms and mouth again. Past Mothra incarnations have had small mouths and stubby little legs (that oddly ended in three claws despite all arthropods only having two), but the legendary incarnation is different.

She has raptorial limbs, and a very big and threatening mouth.

This is not the cute and adorable Mothra we know.

This Mothra is a predator, and not just any kind of predator.

We see her diving from the sky with her raptorial claws outstretched and ready to stab in the trailers. You know what other kind of predator dive bombs it’s prey and strikes it with such devastating speed?

Peregrine Falcons.

Mothra is the peregrine falcon of the kaiju world and she will dive bomb and impale any threat to the balance of nature on her claws... and then she will eat it.

[tser]

hey, i was just wondering- is it actually okay to release chinese mantids in your garden? i know it's legal, but i've heard they kill monarchs, hummingbirds, and bees, and that really scares me. i don't want to hurt anything, i just kinda wanted to hatch an ootheca

This is a tricky and controversial subject. I can only speak to how it applies to mainland United States (introduced species have massively more impact on islands).

First, Chinese mantids were originally accidentally introduced to the United States -- all the way back in 1896. They were not purposefully released for biological control; their usefulness as pest control was noticed and commercialized later. They have been established as a naturalized species (that is different than invasive) for over a hundred and twenty years. They will not go extinct in the US even if we stop releasing them, though some populations might die out where the population was adventive (not self-sustaining) rather than naturalized. Their populations are especially strong and self-sustaining in California and eastern US.

Oothecae sold for gardeners are collected from the wild in the US. They are not captive bred in large quantities. That means these Chinese mantises would have been born in the wild if they weren’t collected to be released into the wild. The difference is that they are hatched somewhere else; and usually somewhere not exactly ideal. (The exception is if you purchase from a private breeder; this is far less common, as even most bug sellers sell wild-collected oothecae.)

Usually, gardens and yards are not great habitats for Chinese mantids, and a very low percentage survives. Chinese mantids do best in dense grassland or scrubby type environments, with a variety of plants that bloom at different times, thus attracting a variety of prey animals through their lives. Vegetable gardens and landscaped yards just don’t provide this, so out of hundreds released into a suburban vegetable garden, backyard, or a cleared rural habitat, only a handful of those babies will find enough to eat (and some will probably eat each other). They often leave, looking for greener pastures, as well.

While this is sad, it also means that releases don’t actually cause a big population boom of Chinese mantids, unless the habitat is ideal for them, in which case there is probably already a large population living there. That means that the environmental impact of releasing mantids is potentionally not as significant.

It would be very, very difficult to eradicate the Chinese mantis from the United States, even with concentrated effort.

Mantids are carnivorous -- primarily insectivorous -- so by nature they definitely will kill things; there is no way to keep them (or release them) without some “hurt” resulting from that. Mostly it will be small insects and other invertebrates.

Yes, a Chinese mantis might eat a bird. So will native mantids -- and so will large mantids all over the world. It’s not their main diet and relatively rare for most species, including Chinese mantids. The Audubon Society notes that they are overall beneficial (without specifying species) and we should not vilify them just because they do what nature designed them to do.

I think any increase in occurrence is more likely a result of humans feeding hummingbirds than releasing mantids into the wild. Many recorded instances I know of involved hummingbird feeders, where the mantids were likely attracted to the bees and wasps visiting the feeders and just happened to snag a hummer. Feeding birds is also controversial and tricky as a subject, as feeders can cause all kinds of health and population problems for birds. There are a few photos I’ve seen of mantids grabbing hummingbirds from garden flowers as well. As a note, because of feeders and flower gardens, many hummingbird ranges have expanded beyond their historic natural range, and hummingbirds also eat small and baby mantids.

I’ve seen sensationalist articles such as “New research documents that mantises worldwide are eating small birds; in the US, invasive mantis species are devouring hummingbirds." True, but deceptively worded. The research referenced is a single review of only 147 cases of mantids eating birds -- worldwide. And, as I mentioned, almost all of those recorded in the US were visiting artificial hummingbird food sources. However none of these articles, or the research paper, had anything negative to say about non-native garden plants, or feeding birds. They immediately jumped on the predator as the villain. 

Likely, the mantids are occupying the feeder because in general, landscaped yards are difficult places to find food. 

Chinese mantises will definitely eat monarchs if they have a chance -- as will native species of mantis.  

But the real threat to monarchs is the eradication of milkweed, habitat loss, and climate change.  Unfortunately, many people buy milkweed plants for their gardens thinking they will help monarchs, when they are actually buying the wrong species of milkweed and causing more damage to monarch populations; if you choose to plant milkweed for monarch butterflies, make sure you are getting the native species, and proper host plant.

If you plant native milkweed for monarchs, do not release mantids near it, to reduce monarch predation.

Chinese mantids do not single out these species. They eat what flies or skitters by, and that they’re able to catch. The babies eat things like aphids and ants, while the adults will eat things like moths and wasps. Some of these will be what we consider pest insects and some will be what we consider beneficial insects. Remember that “pest” is just when a human decides they don’t want it there at that time, and is very arbitrary and will vary from situation to situation, as well. 

The USDA classifies some mantids as “plant pests”, which is why they are illegal, and yet classifies naturalized species like Chinese mantids as “beneficial insects”. Earthworms are considered beneficial invertebrates, widely introduced to gardens, and yet they are causing many issues in native habitats where they are invasive, through much of the US. 

It is more complicated when you consider that what’s beneficial to agriculture isn’t necessarily beneficial to the native ecosystem and vice versa, meaning different people are going to have different opinions on what non-indigenous animals are invasive and what ones are naturalized but not invasive.

Do Chinese mantids have a significant negative impact on the populations of monarchs, other butterflies, or hummingbirds? Probably not, even at the level they’re established in the United States now.  Mantids, even with artificial population density management, generally have weak negative effects on insect population density for most taxa. One study found that Chinese mantids most negatively impact true bugs and flies on a local level, but it is unlikely they are causing a major impact on the species overall.

Another concern might be that a captive hatched Chinese mantis might carry diseases to the wild population of Chinese and other mantises. However, after many decades of raising and releasing them in the US, there’s no evidence this happens to any significant degree.

The most prominent negative effect of Chinese mantids that I know of, both their naturalized populations and released populations, is that they compete with native mantis species. Many native mantises occupy the same types of habitat as Chinese mantids, and hunt the same prey. In many cases, Chinese mantids (and other released and naturalized non-native mantids like the European mantis) out-compete native mantids. They grow larger, consume more prey, and elbow out the smaller native mantids (and sometimes just consume them). 

I do not know the extent of this impact, or how well it’s been studied. Many entomologists and other bug enthusiasts I know have no moral objection to releasing mantids, regardless of this problem. However, it’s enough to make me hesitate!

If a person only releases a single wild-collected oothecae of mantis nymphs a year, choosing not to do so is likely not going to impact Chinese mantis populations to any significant degree -- native or wild. Even if a thousand people learn of potential negative impact of releasing mantids and don’t, it’s not going to make a dent. However, it may increase local density of Chinese mantids, thus increasing competition for any native mantids.

There are also other options for raising mantids.

One is to keep a single mantis of a native or naturalized species (which is legal). Many bug breeders hatch the oothecae, separate and sell the babies, meaning you won’t have more than a hundred babies to deal with.  Single European or Chinese mantids are pretty easy to find for sale; native mantids are more difficult. 

Another is to find a native mantis oothecae and hatch that and release all the babies. 

As gruesome as it sounds, you can hatch a Chinese mantis oothecae in an enclosure and allow the babies to reduce their own population until you have a number you can comfortably keep, then separate them into their own habitats. This has its own personal moral (and personal comfort) issues, of course. 

Whether it is moral to release Chinese mantids is something every person will have to decide for themselves!

[mrenvs3000]

Looking for the little things

Some of my most memorable and interesting moments in nature, were things I found by chance. I spend a lot of my time outdoors, both for leisure and for work, and I am constantly amazed by the things I discover. For this blog post I decided to show pictures and videos from times that nature snuck up on me and gave me a surprise. I want to show you the little gifts that nature has to offer if you decide to look.

           Working as a groundskeeper in a cemetery, people assume my days are sad and dreary, but in reality, they are full of life! Working outside from spring to early fall I am constantly exposed to the new species that come with different weather, as well as watch animals behave and grow up. The cemetery provides plenty of opportunities for bird watching, with red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures being frequent flyers in the area, but it also allowed for the intimate observation of geese, ducks, and robins. One of my favourite activities to do when I have a few spare moments, is to look inside the birdhouse we have. This birdhouse has been so great because it has a latch to look inside.  Due to this latch, I was able to see the chickadees that call it home lay eggs, hatch into babies, and eventually fly away. Even after the birds have left, I still find surprises in their newly vacant home, now I get to watch as caterpillars congregate, molt, and turn into moths. I have looked for a similar bird house for myself ever since, because of the amazing observations you can make through it.

The upper three photos are the three stages I was able to observe of the chickadees over the season. Photos are all taken by me. 

This is either a duck or goose egg I found buried in the parking lot gardens at the cemetery. Photo taken by me

The cemetery also allowed me to see tree frogs for the first time. They loved to hang out in the cool water barrels used for watering peoples flowers at the graves. I loved driving through the cemetery and seeing their little grey and green faces peeking out at me. These tree frogs are often found near areas with permanent water sources, and although there are two ponds on the land, I believe they use these water barrels as their go to water source. If you look hard enough up a tree or between the branches of a juniper bush, you may spot some of our sticky friends.  Not only were these frogs my “friends” (I like to believe) but I also had a lovely bird that followed me all day to swoop down and snatch the bugs I disturbed from the grass.

These are two frogs I have named “Damsel and Danger”, the blue surrounding them is the barrels we often found them in. Photo is taken by me.

This is my bird friend that would follow me around the cemetery. Photo taken by me.

Something I have always felt honoured to find is a praying mantis. To me praying mantids are like the beast of the insect world, savage and hardcore. I was so happy to have one land in front of me while mowing at the cemetery as well as to find a female eating the deceased male she had just mated with. Female mantids conduct something called “Sexual cannibalism”, in which after mating the female will eat the head or body parts of the male. This does not occur 100% of the time, but rather less the 28% of the time. This means that this particular mantis I found was either hungry or in a bad mood. The benefit of a female doing this is in the nutrients that the female acquires and give to her eggs when it’s time to lay.

Here you can see the living female praying mantis and a headless male that she is chowing down on. Photo taken by me.

Another cemetery discovery was a honeybee swarm I discovered at the back of the property. Many people assume any insect with a stinger is dangerous (especially my boss who was terrified to hear about my discovery) but honey bees are actually quite mild. Honeybee swarms are a natural process for a colony, as one colony grows too large some must diverge and form a second colony. These swarms can end up in so many places, an attic, a barbeque, or a hollow tree. A hollow tree is where I found this swarms, and had branches poking at my face as I kept in close for a peak.

This is the honeybee swarm I discovered! Photo taken by me.

The cemetery I work at is so dangerous for a girl like me. There are so many microecosystems and animals. One of my go to places to creep around is the pond. The pond has so many aquatic insects, from backswimmers to giant water bugs. One of my favourite things to discover are the dragon fly nymphs. Dragonflies can spend up to four years in their nymph stage, during which they are wreaking havoc amongst the pond community. By this I mean they are eating everything with their quick extending lower jaws that snap out and grab their prey, ranging from other insects to frogs and fish.

Here you can see an adult dragonfly drying its wings after molting from its nymph stage. Photo taken by me.

I could go on about my outdoor treasure for ever and ever, while compiling photos for this post I ended up with nearly two hundred photos I wanted to share. I hope that this post has made you realize how many things you can find on a typical day, you just need to keep an open mind!

I would love for people to share their discoveries or memorable moments of things they found when out and about outdoors!

 This photo is a challenge for the readers! Are you able to find the tree frog in this image? Photo taken by me.

(If you would like to read up on any of the animals I mentioned, feel free to check out these sources!)

Fullingim, Photograph by Sharon. “It's Praying Mantis Mating Season: Here's What You Need To Know.” National Geographic, National Geographic, 7 Sept. 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/09/praying-mantis-mating-cannibalism-birds-bite-facts-news/.

“Gray Treefrog: Reptiles & Amphibians in Ontario.” Ontario Nature, Ontario Nature, 7 Feb. 2020, ontarionature.org/programs/citizen-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/gray-treefrog/.

Lewis Donald Lewis Professor, Donald. “Honey Bee Swarms Are Common but Not Dangerous.” Honey Bee Swarms Are Common but Not Dangerous | Horticulture and Home Pest News, Iowa State University, 9 June 2017, hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2012/5-16/swarms.html.

“Life Cycle of a Dragonfly.” Sciencing, Leaf Green Media, 2 Mar. 2019, sciencing.com/life-cycle-dragonfly-5398237.html.

[bloody-peach]

Straight to Video (Hazbin Hotel: StaticMoth x F!Reader smut fic)

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Now Playing: Get You Closer, Traumfrau, Government Hooker (d00nik remix) [slowed], She's My Collar (slowed and reverb) [PLEASE listen to any or all of these while reading this, with headphones preferably, you will thank me later]

Goodie bag: threesome (m x f x m), sex tape, voyeurism, masturbation (male), exhibitionism, girl on girl, foreplay, lingerie, oral sex (giving & receiving, M & F), vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, colored cum, flavored cum, double penetration, Spanish pet names, hypnosis kink, bondage, bukkake, creampie, Jacob's Ladder, ahegao [let me know if i missed anything!]

A/N: Hey! I fixed the fic! Enjoy! Have some links for visuals:

Your lingerie outfit (same set-up, but the color is a red/blue combo): X

The set: X

Lily: X

Nadia: X

Taglist: @omniuravity @fatgumsurpremacy-remastered @moths-and-mantids @neonvehk @pinkhimecat and other StaticMoth fans!

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“Hey, who was that bitch that writes for me?” Valentino asked. He was laying on the couch in Vox's office, bored out of his mind. “Which one?” Vox asked, at his desk, working though time slots for shows on his station. Valentino gestured with his hand, a cigarette between his fingers as he spoke, “You know, the one we hired who wore that cute pink dress.” Vox instantly recognized the image. “Y/N?” he asked. Val leaned his head back over the arm rest to look at Vox. “Yeah, that one. What’s she up to? Tell her to come over, maybe we can have some fun with her.” Vox sighed as he called her up from the main screen on his desk.

Valentino was always talking about her, even though he couldn’t even remember her name. They met her when she applied for a writing job at Vox’s studio. He looked over her writing and determined that it was more suited for Valentino’s business. To be fair, by how her body looked, she seemed more suited to be in front of the camera instead of behind the scenes. He couldn’t deny imagining what a cock would look like between those breasts or deep in her ass, and how cute she’d look with cum covering her face and how her mouth would look wrapped around a cock. No wonder Val immediately accepted her application. But then again, her scripts were pretty good too. The scenarios she could come up with and the detailed descriptions of the setting, plot, and characters were truly a godsend for Val. Vox also couldn’t deny that he found Y/N adorable, the way she flustered when she spoke to him, and how she always dressed in the cutest outfits. There were times where she was shy, but there were also times where she could be sassy, witty, and straight to the point, a side that Vox loved. And even then, he could tell from the look in her eyes that there was another side of her, a whole other woman just begging to be let out.

Maybe this was the time.

You were working on scripts at home when you heard a call coming from the TV. You had your TV set up so you could get video calls from anyone whenever you were needed, and it was very convenient since you always left your phone somewhere you could never remember. You set your laptop down and answered the call, smiling when you saw Vox and Val’s faces. “Hey, what’s up? Wait, lemme guess. You want me to work on another script?” Vox chuckled, saying, “Oh, Y/N. You know how to get to the point. I love that about you.” Valentino rolled his eyes, taking a sip from a glass of red wine that a servant brought to him. Vox continued, “We need you to come in for a special project. Valentino here has an idea for a new adult film series, and we need someone with your skills to write it.” He gestured to Valentino. “What do you think?” he asked the moth man. Valentino smiled, saying, “Yes, we need you to do the writing, but also…you’ll be the star of the show.” He crossed his arms as he continued. “I want everyone to know your face, pastelito. You are quite the sight to look at, after all.” Vox chuckled, shaking his head. Vox focused back on Y/N, assuring her, “As usual, Valentino has some great ideas, Y/N. It’s going to be a huge hit. Honestly, I don’t blame him for wanting you to be the star. I still remember when I interviewed you on my show, and you’re a natural in front of the camera. With your writing skills, this will be a smash hit all across Hell. What do you say?”

You were left blushing, flattered that they thought you were good enough for one of Valentino’s films. Just the thought of performing in front of so many people, admiring you and your body. Your flustered state was noticeable in your voice as you smiled and answered, “Oh my…well, sure, I don’t mind. When should I head on over?” Valentino perked up, clapping his hands together. “That’s the spirit, mi reina! You’re the best, Y/N!” He grinned, then gave Vox a victorious look. Vox nodded, a small smile on his face. “Excellent! Could you be here tomorrow morning? We have a few concepts to go over, and we want to hit the ground running.” Vox hesitated for a moment then chuckled nervously, saying, “Oh, and we may need to do a, uh, ‘casting call’ of sorts. To find the perfect co-star. Valentino has some…specific ideas about who he wants.” Valentino leaned back, sipping his wine. He added, “And if you could wear something…revealing? It’ll help us visualize. I want this to be the best it can be. We’ll have Velvette call you sometime today so you two can work out an outfit.” He batted his eyes, taking another drag of his cigarette. The smoke formed a perfect heart, which he blew towards Y/N, encircling her face when it hit their screen. You blushed red, secretly getting aroused at the idea. “Sure thing. Just tell me what to do when I get there and I’ll do it. See you then, love you!”

Vox watched as Y/N hung up the call, a smile growing on his face. He turned to Val, saying, “She loves it when you tell her what to do. Fuck, that’s adorable.” Valentino chuckled, shaking his head then saying, “Of course, mi amor. You know I can't resist the obedient type.” Valentino took another sip of his wine, swirling it around in the glass. “She’s going to be perfect for this role. I can already see the box covers,” Valentino said, already lost in thought. That was when there was a call coming from the screen. It was Y/N again. When it was answered, her face was flushed and she was so shy, avoiding eye contact. “Um…yeah…I have an idea for a costar, or costars. Do you think maybe..you and Val would be willing to join me? I’d be totally down for that, but if you guys don’t want that, it’s okay. Just an idea.”

Vox’s screen froze for a moment, his eyes wide, his screen glitching to his BSOD for a millisecond. He looked at Valentino, who was equally surprised. They didn’t have to trick you, you were asking for it. The moth demon gave a sly grin as he said, “Well, now that’s an interesting idea.” He took another drag of his cigarette and blew another heart, but then put a full heart on the inside, both more elaborate. “We’d be honored, Y/N. Honestly, I was hoping you’d ask that,” Valentino purred. The look in his eyes showed that he was already undressing her in his mind. Vox cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. “O-Of course, Y/N. We’ll do whatever it takes to make this the best it can be. Remember, any other ideas you have, let us know,” he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. You smiled, happy that your request was accepted. “Perfect! I’m so happy you agree! I’m down for any scenario you want. The only other thing I request is no hitting or choking. Abuse porn is not my thing. I’ll leave you to it, see ya tomorrow. Bye!” you said. The last thing you did before hanging up was blow a kiss to the both of them.

Vox couldn’t help but feel a slight blush appear on his cheeks. Valentino, however, pouted a bit. “How disappointing. I was really looking forward to a good slap or two.” He sighed and took a sip of his wine. Vox turned to Valentino and said, “Hey, she’s already willing to let us fuck her and she’ll do whatever we tell her. I think her request is reasonable enough.” Val shrugged, accepting defeat. Vox stretched his arms and said, “Ah man, I am so looking forward to tomorrow.” Valentino chuckled and took one last drag of his cigarette, blowing a heart and then an arrow, shooting through the heart. “Me too..”

The next morning, you headed over to the studio, excited while also aroused. You wore a long but stylish coat to hide the outfit you were wearing underneath. You reached the main room and knocked on the door before entering it, seeing Vox browsing through his tablet while Valentino was pacing back and forth, a cigarette in his mouth. “Hey, I’m here!” you cheerfully announced. The sound of your voice caused the boys to turn and smile, Valentino reaching you first. “Ah, perfect timing, Y/N!” He said, taking a drag of the cigarette, the reddish-pink smoke drifting around you like a snake coiling around its prey. Vox quickly finished his work on the tablet, before putting it away and walking up to you with a smile on his face. “Morning, darling. Let’s get started, shall we?” he said as he gestured towards the bed. Valentino flicked his cigarette into an ashtray, making a tiny heart shape with the ash. “Hold it, Voxy. I think Y/N needs to show us what she’s going to wear for the shoot,” he said. He then leaned close to you, saying in a seductive voice, “What do you have for us, sweetheart?” You blushed, but you cleared your throat and said, “Well..Velvette helped me with this one..I had it custom made yesterday.” The men sat in their respective chairs as you took off the coat and revealed what you were wearing: a very revealing lingerie set, colored in red and blue, with small bows covering your nipples and with matching crotchless panties, a bow on the front of them. The lingerie left very little to the imagination, due to the lack of fabric.

The instance they saw it, they had different reactions. Valentino's eyes widened in surprise and desire as he leaned forward in his chair, while Vox had an almost bodily reaction, his body tensing up and him having to grip the armrest tightly to keep him from cumming in his pants. You blushed from being so exposed, but felt so turned on as well. Valentino was the one to break the silence, standing up, gently grabbing your chin, and purring as his accent became more pronounced, “Oh, mi hermosa princesa .. You truly look like an angel fallen from heaven. What a divine blessing..” He turned to his boyfriend, saying, “What do you think, Voxy?” Vox’s eyes roamed hungrily over your body, taking in every curve and contour. You truly did look like a fallen angel, a beauty rejected by God and gifted to them personally. He gulped and tried to recover from the shock as he wiped the drool from his mouth. “That’s…quite the ensemble you have there. Very fitting for our project,” he admitted, swallowing thickly. He let out a deep breath, feeling his cock throb in his pants and a chill go up his spine as he let out a shaky breath. He then stood up from his chair, walking over to you. “Come on. Let’s see how you’ll look in our film.” His hand reached out, gently guiding you towards the bed. Valentino followed suit, his eyes never leaving your body as he walked with them. “Yes, show us how you move in that thing. I know you’re just itching to have our hands on you,” he growled, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

You looked at the set up, seeing the cameras aimed at the bed. The bed was large enough for five people, the black and red silk bedding reflecting in the harsh spotlights. The black curtains behind it absorbed the lights from the spotlight, leaving the bed and anything on it in the foreground. You could feel the plush carpeting under your feet, soft to the touch. You got on the bed and laid on your back, your arms over your head to show off your entire body. The men could see that you were already a bit aroused, some of your juices lightly soaking the edges of the crotchless section of your panties, making your pussy glisten under the lights. Valentino’s eyes widened at the sight of your arousal, his wings twitching in excitement. He took a step closer, inhaling deeply. “Oh, Peachy, you’re so wet for us. It’s intoxicating,” he said, his voice thick with lust. Vox cleared his throat, trying to maintain his composure, or whatever was left of it. “I see we’ve made an impression on you already. That’s a good sign,” Vox said, his gaze never leaving your body.

Vox grabbed a camera and looked through the viewfinder, almost drooling at the sight. “Now, let’s try a few different positions to see which one suits the scene best.” He walked around the bed, examining you from different angles. “Spread your legs a bit more, darling. We need to see how the lighting hits you,” Vox said. You nodded and spread your legs, showing that from the lack of fabric on the panties, your pussy was shaven completely smooth. Your pussy lips started to twitch slightly, your arousal growing by the minute. Vox moved the camera towards her face and she became shy, having to turn her face away as your face flushed. Valentino’s eyes narrowed as he smiled, his wings twitching again. “Oh, Y/N, eres hermosa. I can’t wait to touch you and make you scream my name,” he whispered into her ear, his voice filled with desire. Vox noticed your smooth pussy and he couldn’t help but lick his lips as he smiled. “That’s perfect, darling. Now, let’s see how you look from above,” he said, climbing onto the bed and positioning himself above you, camera still in hand. He noticed you avoiding the camera, and a spark of concern flickered in his mind. He moved the camera aside and asked in a slightly concerned voice, “You okay, Y/N?” You opened your eyes and said, “Yeah…I’m just..a bit shy…since it’s you guys.” Vox smiled warmly, “You look so cute, all flushed and embarrassed.” Valentino smiled as he agreed with his lover, “She is, and she’s all ours, mi amor.” She may have looked cute, but they couldn’t film a porno if their star couldn’t even face the camera. Luckily, Vox knew what to do in moments like these. Sometimes, the girls would need a boost of confidence to help them through filming, so Vox would come in and use his hypnosis to help them out. It wasn’t as intense as his usual hypnosis, anyone under it was still aware afterwards. They just felt more ready for any situation, including having sex in front of a camera. Today would be no different. Vox gently cupped your cheek and turned you to face him, saying softly, “Hey, hey, look at me.” You opened your eyes and looked at him. Vox activated his hypnotic eye and smiled, saying, “You can handle this, right?” You felt something influencing your thoughts, your shyness slowly start to fade away. You felt a boost of confidence deep in your mind and you were able to look at him more straight forward. “Yeah,” you said, your voice a bit more confident. “I can handle it..” Vox smiled, saying, “That’s the spirit, darling. I have no doubt you’ll do great in this project.” He then leaned in and kissed you, his lips brushing against yours. His tongue slid into your mouth, tasting your desire.

Vox broke the kiss, saying, “Now, don’t worry, babe. We may be in charge here, but we’ll take good care of you.” Valentino smirked, watching them. “It’s true, sweetheart,” Val chimed in. “We’ll make sure you enjoy every single moment of it.” Valentino took a drag of a cigarette he lit and blew it towards your way, the scent easing you into a more calm state. Vox got off the bed and backed away to stand next to Valentino, sitting the camera back on its tripod. “Oh, this movie will get everyone talking…now, let’s begin,” Valentino said. With that, he snapped his fingers and summoned two of his girls to come forward, women you recognized from the studio. They were both the same height, one was blonde with crystal blue eyes and the other a redhead with emerald green eyes. Both were of similar build, slim build with large and round breasts, wearing cute lingerie. “Y/N, you remember Lily and Nadia? I know how much you like them, so I brought them in to help us with the production. I’m sure you won’t mind playing with them for our film,” Val spoke, a chuckle in his voice as he recalled the look of awe on your face on that day. The girls had silk ropes in their hands and they gently took your hands and wrists, tying them to the bedposts, leaving only enough slack for you to move your arms slightly. ‘Must be part of the script,’ you thought. Valentino smiled and said, “Perfect! Go ahead, ladies. She’s all yours.” With a flip of a switch, Vox turned on the cameras and the girls got to work. The girls got on the bed, their hands trailing down your body, teasingly rubbing your nipples and caressing your stomach. “You look so cute, Y/N,” Nadia murmured, her breath hot against your ear. Lily leaned in, her lips brushing against your neck, whispering, “I bet you taste amazing.”

You could feel the girls’ hands roaming all over your body, their fingers and palms brushing along your sensitive areas, all of it causing a moan to escape your lips. Valentino walked up to the side of the bed, his hand cupping your cheek to turn you towards him. “That’s a good girl,” he purred, his Spanish accent thickening. “Now, let’s see how you react to this.” He leaned in, his lips brushing against yours in a hungry kiss. His tongue forced its way into your mouth, tangling with yours in a hot and sensual dance, a drop of pink saliva dripping down your chin. Meanwhile, Vox stood behind the camera, watching everything unfold, a smirk across his face. One of the girls, Nadia, trailed her tongue down your stomach, leaving a trail of saliva on your skin. Once Nadia got between your legs, she cooed, “Aww, even your pussy is cute.” With that, Nadia proceed to eat you out, which caused you to break the kiss to moan and arch your back in pleasure. Valentino grinned, admiring your reaction to Nadia’s skills. “That’s it, baby,” he purred. “Let go and enjoy yourself.”

Meanwhile, Lily moved up to your breasts, sucking on one nipple while her free hand tweaked and pinched the other. “You taste so good,” she murmured, her breath hot against your sensitive flesh. As you moaned from the pleasure you were receiving, you saw Valentino take his clothes off and show his hard cock. You marveled at the sight, admiring its thickness and its lavender hue that faded to a bright pink towards the head. He walked closer and took hold of your head with one hand while barely brushing the tip of his cock on your lips. You could already taste his pre-cum smeared on your lips, the taste of sour watermelon on your tongue igniting your hunger. When Valentino pulled back to test your need, he smiled as he saw you stick your tongue out just enough to barely touch the tip as you licked at the pre-cum. “Such an eager little thing… Now, open your mouth for me, mi dulce ,” Valentino said in a low and seductive voice. Valentino then brought his cock closer to you, opening your mouth as instructed, and watched as it slid so easily inside. He could feel you immediately starting to suck it, causing him to groan, a pleasurable chill going up his spine. “God, you're good, baby… Go on… Go on and take it..” he said, his voice soft with desire. “I can’t wait to fuck you..”

Vox watched, kicking his pants aside. “She’s incredible,” he said, stroking his own hard cock. “I knew she’d be perfect for this project.” The girls continued to tease and pleasure you, Nadia eating you out and fingering you. Your moans mixed with Valentino’s groans, filling the room with the sounds of your pleasure. “You’re gonna make us cum so hard, I can already tell,” Valentino said, his hips moving slowly. You sucked hungrily on his cock as you moaned from the girls’ actions. Vox walked closer to get a good look, admiring the view as he kept stroking his cock. He licked his lips, his eyes never leaving the scene in front of him. “She’s so into it,” he groaned out, his hand moving faster. “I better get to join in soon, it’s really getting hard to resist.”

Valentino thrust into your mouth, his hips moving in time with Nadia’s fingers as they pumped inside you. “That’s it, baby,” he growled. “Take it all in.” The girls continued their ministrations, their hands and tongues keeping the pleasure flowing. “Oh, she’s really getting off to this. Look how wet she is,” Nadia said as she moved her head out of the way and spread your soaked pussy, showing it to the camera. “I can’t wait to see her cum,” Nadia said before she continued her duties. Your moans filled the room, your body arching with pleasure as you took Valentino deeper into your throat and Nadia flicked your clit with her tongue. Every sound and movement was captured by the cameras, destined to be immortalized on film.

Valentino groaned, his hips moving faster. “Fuuuuck..” he said, his voice thick with lust. “I’m not gonna last much longer.” Vox felt that same sentiment, his hand moving faster on his cock. Your orgasm was like a tidal wave, your body shaking with pleasure. Your muffled moans echoed through the room, the vibrations sending Valentino in a frenzy, his hips jerking uncontrollably as he came. Vox came at the same time, his cum landing on your belly and breasts. You swallowed all of Valentino’s cum greedily, not missing a drop. When he finally pulled out, a few shots of Valentino’s cum landed on your face and breasts, mixing with Vox’s in the process.

Vox looked at the aftermath of Valentino’s fun with you, the man’s cock glistening with your saliva and his pink-colored cum. “Damn, Val,” he said, his voice showing he was impressed. “You really outdone yourself this time.” Valentino smirked and chuckled, “Thank you, mi amor. But I think it’s your turn with our little princesa .” Val snapped his fingers, signaling Lily and Nadia to leave. Once the two girls left, Vox walked to the foot of the bed, grabbing your legs and pulling them up straight as he held your ankles, a devilish smirk on his face as his cock rested on your mound. “I can’t wait to see how you take this,” Vox said, his voice dripping with lust. You felt a mix of desire and slight concern as you saw Vox’s cock. It looked even bigger than Valentino’s, his cock a deep black, but with an electric blue color towards the head, along with a Jacob’s Ladder down the underside of the shaft, which was brushing along your clit. “T..That’s so big..h..how will it even fit..?” you asked, but your hips were already trying to get his cock inside you. Vox’s screen flickered with anticipation as he watched your failed attempts, finding you adorable. He smiled, his eyes filled with desire. “Don’t worry, baby girl,” he said, his voice low and seductive. “I’ll make sure you enjoy it.”

He positioned his cock to prod against your pussy and he slowly pushed into you, his cock stretching you in the most pleasurable way. “Oh, fuck..You’re so tight,” he groaned, his hips moving slowly at first. Valentino watched from the sidelines, letting the two take the spotlight for a bit. “She’s amazing, isn’t she? She’s taking our cocks like a pro. And here we were, making her write shit while she was ripe for the picking.” Val purred. You moaned, your body adjusting to the invasion. Your hips moved in time with Vox’s, your face contorted in desire. “That’s it, baby,” Vox said, his pace picking up as he went deeper. “Let’s see how much more you can take.” You moaned at each thrust, “Ahh…ohh..mm…Vox…f…feels so good..ohh…aahh..” You could feel the Jacob’s Ladder rubbing along your walls, stimulating you with a mix of pleasure and pain. Vox gripped your hips and groaned as his hips moved faster. “You’re so fucking tight, babe,” he said, his voice a mix of breaths and moans. “Ahh…I could fuck you all day,” Vox said as his head tilted back.

Valentino watched, his cock hard in his hand. “This is perfect,” he said, his eyes never leaving the scene. “She’s enjoying every second of it.” The two men’s cum was still on your body, an erotic masterpiece captured forever on film as it dripped down your body. Your beauty was enhanced by the state you were in - bound and fucked, you were nothing short of breathtaking. Valentino got up and undid your wrists, setting you free. This caused you to use one of your hands to stroke Val’s cock and your other hand to help spread your pussy open so Vox could get deeper. “Ahh.. Ohh… Mmmm..” you moaned. Valentino smirked, chuckling then saying as he groped your breast, “Good girl. You sure know how to make us feel good, don’t you?” Vox groaned as he pulled you into his arms and held you as he fell to his knees on the bed, his hips moving faster, “Gahh…fuck…I don’t think I’ll be able to last much longer..” Val was surprised to hear this. “Really? Already? But you just started,” the moth man said, his eyebrows raised. Vox looked at his boyfriend and said, “It’s just too good, man.” Val smirked, now curious on how your pussy would feel around his own cock.

It wasn’t too long until you cried out, “Ahh..! V..Vox..! D..Don’t stop! I..I’m gonna cum! Please..cum in me! I..I need it..!” Vox groaned, the head of his cock hitting your cervix. “Oh, you’re gonna get it, baby,” he said. “I’m gonna fill you up.” Your moans were muffled as you buried your face in Vox’s neck. Your nails dug into his back, your hips moving in time with his. “Yeah..fuck me harder..almost there,” you cried. “She’s so fucking hot. I’m fucking her next,” Val said as he reached his orgasm, his cum landing on the ground. Vox’s orgasm hit, his cock pulsating inside you. He filled you up to the point of leaking onto the bed, his electric blue cum coating and dripping from your pussy. As yourr bodies relaxed and Vox let you fall onto the bed, he pulled his cock out of you and let out a few more shots of cum on your belly. You saw this and were curious on the taste, so you wiped some off with your finger and brought it to your lips, licking your finger clean. You smiled, tasting sour blue raspberry, which complemented Val’s cum deliciously. Vox looked at you with a satisfied smile on his face and his eyes half-closed in bliss, saying, “You’re perfect, baby girl..” You smiled at Vox before noticing Val walking up to you, his shadow casting over you and his wings unfurled in arousal. “My turn,” he said with a smirk. “You’ll definitely love what I got in mind with you..”

Val picked you up and sat on the bed, his back against the headboard and you in his lap, your back resting on his chest. He let his cock rest against your blue and pink stained belly and your hips were still moving slightly, trying to get as much pleasure as possible. It was obvious that you had reached the point in your arousal where the slightest touch on your pussy and clit would send electric shocks throughout your body, and the men were acutely aware of this. You tilted your head up to look at Val, begging, “Hurry up..please…give it to me..” Valentino chuckled, his eyes sparkling with lust. “Slow down, mi querida. I want to savor this moment,” he said, his voice soft. He reached down and grabbed your breasts, playing with your nipples. This caused you to whimper and moan softly. “So sensitive,” he growled with lust. “Now can you spread your legs for me, mi dulce ?” He leaned to your ear and whispered, “Be a good girl and let me claim what’s mine,” which caused a chill to go down your spine. You tried to spread your legs, but they were already starting to grow weak from the strong orgasms, so you could barely do so. Valentino and Vox chuckled at how cute you looked as you tried your hardest. “Here, let Papi help you,” Val said as he let his second pair of hands spread your legs and hold them open. Valentino positioned his cock to rub against your entrance, teasing you. “You ready for me, princesa? ” he asked, his voice low and seductive. You tried to move your hips to get him inside you, but he held a strong grip on your legs. “Yes..please…I need it..” You begged, your voice laced with need and desire. Valentino thrust into you until he reached the hilt, his cock stretching you out. “Fuck yeah, baby,” he groaned. “Take it.”

Val proceeded to thrust into you, his cock hitting your g-spot just right. “You’re so tight, so perfect,” Val growled. Your head tilted back as you cried out in pleasure, “Ahhh..ohh..! Yes..! So…good..!” Valentino grinned, his eyes wild with desire. “I knew you’d love it,” he said, his hips moving faster. “You’re so good at taking my cock.” Your moans filled the room, your body shaking with pleasure. Your face was composed of a blissful smile and eyes that showed that you were in pure ecstasy. You looked perfect, completely taken by pleasure. Vox watched through the camera, making sure to zoom in on your face and slowly cascading down your body to the action. “This is going to be a hit,” he said, his eyes never leaving the scene. Valentino’s pace increased, his thrusts becoming more aggressive. “Oh fuck, I’m close,” he said softly. “Now you get to feel my cum fill you, mi reina. ” When he said that, your orgasm rocked your body, causing you to arch your entire body, crying out in pleasure. “Gahh..! V…Val..! Don’t stop..!” He didn’t. He filled you with his cum, the pink color mixing with the blue creating a soft purple color oozing out of you.

Once your orgasms left, Vox got back on the bed and you could see that his cock was ready to go again. That’s when you got an idea and you lifted your head to look at Val, asking, “Um..Val..? Could you..please..fuck my ass? I wanna know what it feels like to take two at once.” Valentino smirked devilishly and chuckled, his arms wrapping around you. “Okay, baby,” he said. “Since you’ve been a good girl.” He pulled out, his cock coated in a mix of his, Vox’s, and your cum. “I’ll be gentle, I promise,” he said. With that, he entered your ass, his cock stretching you in a new way. As you gasped from the sensation then let out a pleasured sigh, Vox positioned himself, his cock throbbing with anticipation. “This is going to be amazing, I can already feel it,” The techno man said. Vox thrust into your pussy, his cock hitting you deep. The sensation of being filled in both holes caused you to cry out as you moved your hips, “Y-Yes..! More..!” Val let out a groan as he bit his bottom lip, moving his hips and thrusting into you. “Oh, fuck…you’re so fucking tight..” Vox’s pace increased, his thrusts matching Val’s intensity. “You’re taking us so well,” he panted, his eyes never leaving the sight of his cock inside you. “You’re so fucking addictive..” Your eyes started to roll back in pleasure, your breasts bouncing, your face a picture of pure bliss as you smiled wide and stuck your tongue out. “Oh yeah…fuck me like that,” you cried. They continued to fuck you, their cocks hitting all the right spots. Valentino’s cock rubbed against your insides, and Vox’s cock slammed against your g-spot. You could feel your orgasm building, getting closer with each powerful thrust. “Ohhhh fuck..! I..It’s so good..! I..I can barely think..!” Valentino chuckled, saying, “Oh, you’re going to cum for us, baby. I can feel it.” Vox started to chase his orgasm, his thrusts increasing. “Oh yeah..you’re so close, baby.” Your body shook, your orgasm hitting you like a freight train, your moans turned into screams. “Oh fuck..! I..I’m cumming!!” At the same time, Valentino and Vox filled both of your holes to the point of flooding and dripping onto the bed.

Once you all relaxed, Vox gently lifted your head and kissed you deeply. You returned the kiss, your tongue dancing with his. Vox soon broke the kiss, saying, “That was great,” he said, his breath hot against your lips. “You’re amazing, Y/N.” Valentino smiled and leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear. “Now let’s get you cleaned up. You’re completely covered in our cum.” You looked at Val, a chuckle in your voice as you spoke with playful sarcasm, “Gosh, I wonder why..” Valentino laughed and carefully pulled out of you, Vox following suit. “You’re such a perfect slut for us, Y/N,” Val said as he stood up. You blushed, your face filled with both embarrassment and pride. “Now, look alive, sunshine. We have cameras in the showers too, remember?” Val said as he grabbed your chin and tilted your head to look at him. You nodded, your body still buzzing from pleasure. You followed them to the showers, your mind already thinking about the next scene.

~~~♡♡♡~~~

[crowfonder]

OH MY GOD YOU ALSO LIKE BUGS??? THEYRE MY FAVORITE THING HOLD ON

Here we have the Madagascan Moon Moth, and a Lily moth! Very different, but very beautiful!!

The Lily moth is a type of owlet moth, living mainly around Lily plants. You can find them in Sri Lanka, India, and possibly Indonesia! The adults feed on fruit, nectar, and sap!

The Yellow one is the Madagascan! Otherwise known as the Comet Moth! The babies only feed on fresh eucalyptus- the adults do not eat, and only live 4-5 days, unfortunately. They can grow to be eight inches long!! Fun fact, one of their defensive behaviors could possibly cause an allergic reaction 😅

These lovely fellows are spiny flower mantids!

They have spines on their underbelly as the name suggests- but they're also called bullseye mantises cuz of that fancy eyespot! They eat mostly flying insects, and they can get 4-5 inches big!

Here's a rainbow Stag and a Sheild bug!

Stag beetles are known for those huge, antler like jaws! However, Rainbow stags are alot smaller than your average Stag. But they make up for it with coloration!

And the shield bug? He's a type of stinkbug native to Australia. It eats alot of native plants, and some even describe it as smelling like cilantro 😅

He does martial arts

Ohh. Ohh my god he do martial arts ,,.,, ohughgv...,

If we are speaking of bugs this is one of my favorite little critters

This is the hickory horned devil and they're my favorite along side the luna moth and the rosy maple moth :]

Luna moths actually have no mouths ! They evolved only to reproduce and sadly die within a week. They're very beautiful. Rosy maple moths, in their larval form (aka when they're caterpillars) have been known to, in very dense populations, completely defoliate entire maple trees! Rosy maple moths also do not have mouths, and live only to reproduce as well. :]

I also really like Atlas moths and Queen Alexandra's Birdwings as well! They're very large bugs, An Atlas moth's wingspan can reach up to 9 inches in length, making them among the biggest bugs on the planet! The female Birdwing's wingspan has been known to get up to 9 to 11 inches as well!

The Venezuela Poodle Moth is really interesting too!! The first photo of them was taken in 2009 by Kyrgyzstani zoologist Dr. Arthur Anker! They look like little faries if you ask me.

The largest Moth that exists in Australia is actually known as the Hercules Moth! It has a wingspan reaching up to 11 inches, and the males can be distinguished by how long and slim the tails on their wings are! These are also the species type to live only to reproduce, but unlike their siblings, they can live for up to 10 to 14 days! Here's what they look like both in their adult form and larval stage. I think the larval stage is pretty neat, blue is a very rare color to see naturally in nature!

[inaturalist]

(Bonus!) Observation of the Week, 9/26/17

A pair of juvenile conehead mantids, beautifully photographed in France by imalipusram, is our Observation of the Week!

Sometimes an observation is cool not because the organism it depicts is uncommon or out of range - sometimes it’s a common animal, but one that is seen in a new light. Regardless of its “official” taxon, each observation on iNaturalist is also an observation of a human, and we all see and photograph nature differently - like the photograph at the top of this post, which depicts not the standard colors and surface details of the insects, but captures their shape (that head!) and behavior in a unique way. The diversity of iNaturalist users and their perspectives is pretty awesome.

Jeremie Lapeze (@imalipusram) grew up on a farm in the south of France, among “omnipresent” nature, and has been interested in wildlife since he was a young boy, when he raised mantids and crickets with his brother. The conehead mantis (Empusa penata), he says “has been my favorite insect for a long time. It's a common species of southern France. Common, but it's difficult to find because it a specialist in mimicry, and for many people this species is invisible.”

Jeremie recalls the evening when he took the photo for this observation:

I went in the field to find insects, and this evening the light was especially beautiful with the sunset and the cloudy sky. I found a lot of Empusa pennata, as usual, in my favorite place (a field close to my house). And I started a shooting session of these two specimens. The crazy thing was, on the other side, a rainbow shone in the sky! I shot some photos with the rainbow in the background, but the result didn’t satisfy me [see below], because there was a stain on my lens and the photos weren’t very good. But the shot with backlighting was really nice, and one of the twenty photos was better because one of the conehead mantid tried to “play-leg” with the other.

Conehead mantids range throughout southern Europe, but as Jeremie says they have very effective camouflage and are not often seen. As his photo shows, not only does the “cone” on its head break up its body shape, the protrusions from its abdomen do as well. Combined with a very “shaky” locomotion, it is a master ambush predator. Other unique aspects of this species is its use of pheromones rather than vision as a key method for finding mates, and the fact that its life cycle starts in late summer/autumn and finishes in the spring. “It's one of the only species of insect you can find during winter,” says Jeremie.

While only twenty-two years of age, Jeremie (above, with a young Empusa pennata on his hat) has already completed two entomological internships, with Société Entomologique Antilles Guyane and Museo Entomologico de Leon, in in French Guiana and Nicaragua, respectively. He continues his study of the neotropics and at the moment he is on the island of Guadaloupe where he and the others on the island recently endured Hurricane Maria (which is why this blog post is a bit late). He stresses iNaturalist’s value as a place to share observations and to connect with other passionate naturalists. “It's important for the sciences to share,” he says “to improve knowledge about nature and to protect it!”

- by Tony Iwane

(Note that because Jeremie’s first language is not English, I did clean up some of his quotes for clarity.)

- Jeremie’s got some more great photos on his Flickr page, check them out!

- Because conehead mantids use pheremones to find their mates, males have large, feathery, moth-like antenna - like this one! 

- The New York Times has a good list of ways you can help islands that have been devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

[flame-shadow]

Thoughts on areas like the Soul Sanctum, Deepnest, or the Mantis's area?

(My brain doesn't wish to cooperate with the name)

you’re going to get all three because two of those areas are faves of mine and the last one has one of my fave boss fights :3c

[i don’t have the wiki pulled up or anything so obligatory disclaimer that i might misremember some things. also, im gonna throw all of this under the cut because this is going to be more of a stream of consciousness than an actually coherent thing]

SOUL SANCTUM

let’s just get this out of the way first - love love love love love the music holy shit. it’s not something i’d listen to when i want to chill out, but oooohhhhh those organs. and when the whispers are in there too?? and “Mage Under Glass” with the laughter??? yesss

Anyway. In general, I’m a sucker for unethical laboratories in stories and games. There’s so much potential for fucked up and creative ideas within canon and in the fan characters/interpretations (I’m looking at you, Fraught. i love you, you fucked up spider <3). 

How do you get soul? you harvest it. and you get on the king’s bad side in the process of course. and the watcher’s too, im sure. lurien’s like, ‘hey wtf those bugs are citizens under my watch. stop it’ and ‘well fuck you, im gonna point my telescope right into your office window, you soul bastard. i can read all the notes on your fucked up experiments now. whatcha gonna do now?’

How unethical were the experiments before the radiance’s insidious presence became a factor? Even if the Sanctum started as a safe place of learning, I think it wouldn’t have taken long for at least some of the bugs to start doing questionable things. Not everyone needs a moth to nudge them to cross the ethics line. But when the soul master changed course, set the scholars to study immortality, what did they focus on? improving the body so it won’t slow and cease its function as time passes? prolonging the stability of the mind so age doesn’t corrupt memories or cognition? focusing on a bug’s own soul to do something that way? any combination of this could fuck up the stability of the mind and/or body of the subjects. That’s where we get the mistakes/follies, right? too much soul for some that cause melting pretty quickly. for others that don’t have a negative reaction right away, maybe a dependency on soul is built up and must be maintained to stave off negative effects of withdrawal, then of course there’s a shortage. you can’t harvest bodies forever. maybe the souls of the infected bugs aren’t viable, maybe the infection taints them, spreads the infection to whatever bug absorbs it. there are options here.

There’s also the soul warriors. They have dream dialogue where they say something about not remembering how they have these moves or how to fight or something like that, right? so what if those bugs had souls of trained fighters like city sentries implanted in them? they suddenly have new instincts for situations that they themselves didn’t experience or train for. i kinda get neuromod vibes from this concept (from the game Prey). 

Also, the parallels between the soul master and the pale king are neat. they both have corpse pits. they both think they’re hot shit (and to be fair, they are both powerful even if they’re in different leagues). the radiance directly fucks with both of them. neither of them admit defeat in their final dream nail dialogue. (iirc, arty-cakes has made a similar observation about the parallels, but i noticed this long before they made their post. still, it’s a good observation)

uhhh okay i’ll stop there for the Sanctum

-

DEEPNEST

...skitter skitter skitter skitter...

i feel so sorry for anyone who has arachnophobia and couldn’t enjoy the game because of this area. that sucks. this is one of my fave areas specifically because of the skitters and clicks and snaps and wibbly music/sound effects that occasionally made my skin crawl. 

im a fan of spiders and centipedes, and deepnest delivered! 

i have a lot of headcanon stuff for deepnest society and beasts that has little to do with the game or established lore, so i’ll leave that for another time. But for more game-related stuff, let’s see...

i think nosks and corpse creepers and grub mimics, if not different life stages of the same species, are at least related. like how wild cats and cheetahs and panthers are related but not the same. nosks have the most developed shape shifting capabilities, and they have a sort of pocket dimension that they can fold their body into so they can fit into smaller disguises (how else do you explain how large the infected nosk actually is compared to the much smaller knight that it ran around as to lure the player in? magical dimension powers is what i’ve decided)

the weaver’s den showed much more development of architecture. more metal and arches and stuff. i can’t recall to what extent the basic shapes and materials reflect parts of hallownest, but i think that place was a more recent development compared to the rest of the Beasts’ infrastructure.

PK reeeaaallllyyyyy wanted to get a tram all the way across deepnest, didn’t he? we get one tram to the eastern edge which conveniently takes riders to the ancient basin below where most of hallownest’s citizens are. but then the failed tramway that heads for the distant village. could it have been one of the lesser conditions of herrah’s and pk’s agreement? but herrah would be asleep so she wouldn’t need the tram to visit the palace or have hornet visit her. but why else would a tram be intended to cross to there? idk that one doesn’t make much sense to me. maybe i’m forgetting a detail, but whatever.

deepnest is a horrible maze that i will continue to get lost in.

[bonus - okay i’ll share this:  one of the made-up swears i use for my beast character is “writhing mass” in reference to the skittering, scuttling pit of writhing things found as an area hazard in lieu of acid. like “bloody hell” or something haha. also it’s just fun to say.]

-

MANTIS VILLAGE

Alas, i don’t spend a whole lot of time in this area. I think the mantids are cool and honorable, and i apologize for my weaverlings attacking friendly mantids, but sometimes a little deepnest should be allowed to cause mayhem in the mantis village, okay?

mantis lords/sisters of battle are great boss fights. the choreography and smoothness and reflexes and aaaahhhh yeah

i seriously wonder what’s up with all the giant spikes though. like. not even deepnest has giga-spikes like that. ......actually. i wonder if those spikes are there in case the beasts overrun the village. they’d certainly be painful obstacles to beasts trying to climb out of the village and into the fungal wastes.

I think it would’ve been cool if there had been some bit of dialogue or a lore tablet that hinted at the mantis traitors. i know there’s the broken throne, but i didn’t notice that; it was pointed out to me after i’d already played once or twice through the game. don’t get me wrong- it’s a cool little thing to look back on and be like ‘i see what you did there’. environmental storytelling or whatever. but i’d like a little more anyway.

i wonder how the fungal folk feel about the mantids. i imagine they occupy their own sections of the fungal wastes and just mutually don’t bother each other. i wonder how diplomacy would work between a mantis of individual mind and a mushroom of shared consciousness? they make a nice contrast in a sharp and cutting/soft and bludgeoning way as well as a swift and silent/energetic and noisy way with how they attack and stuff.

okay that’s it. thanks for asking! if you read all of that, have a cookie