#there’s so many cool bugs guys

[bestanimal]

Round 1 - Phylum Arthropoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Arthropoda is a phylum of animals that have segmented bodies, possess a chitin exoskeleton, and have paired segmented appendages. They are colloquially called “bugs” though this is often only used for terrestrial arthropods, and sometimes only used for insects specifically.

After Nematoda, this is the most successful phylum, and it is far more diverse, with up to 10 million species! Arthropods account for 80% of all known living animal species. The three major subphyla include the Chelicerates (sea spiders, horseshoe crabs, arachnids, and the extinct eurypterids and chasmataspidids), the Myriapods (centipedes and millipedes), and the Crustaceans (shrimps, prawns, crabs, lobsters, crayfish, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, opossum shrimps, amphipods, mantis shrimp, entognaths, and insects).

Arthropods are so diverse in fact that it is next to impossible for me to describe a model arthropod. They are important members of marine, freshwater, land, and air ecosystems and are one of only two major animal groups that have adapted to life in dry environments, the others being chordates. All arthropods have an exoskeleton and must molt as they grow, replacing their exoskeleton. Some arthropods go through a metamorphosis in this process. They have brains, a heart, and blood (called hemolymph, though some crustaceans and insects also use hemoglobin). They sense the world through small hairs called setae which are sensitive to vibration, air currents, and even chemicles in the air or water. Pressure sensors function similarly to eardrums. Antennae monitor humidity, moisture, temperature, sound, smell, and/or taste, depending on species. Most arthropods have sophisticated visual systems ranging from simple eyes (ocelli) which orient towards light, to compound eyes consisting of fifteen to several thousand independent ommatidia capable of forming images, detecting fast movement, or even seeing polarized or ultra-violet light. Some arthropods are hermaphroditic, some have more than two sexes, some reproduce by parthenogenesis, some by internal fertilization, some by external, some have complex courtship rituals, some lay eggs, some give live birth, some have prolonged maternal care. The first arthropods are known from the Ediacaran, before the Cambrian era.

Propaganda below the cut:

Insects are the first animals to have achieved flight

The smallest arthropods are the parasitic crustaceans of the class Tantulocarida, some of which are less than 100 micrometres long. The largest arthropod is the Japanese Spider Crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) with a legspan of up to 4 metres (13 ft) long. The heaviest is the American Lobster (Homarus americanus), which can get up to 20 kilograms (44 lb).

Many arthropods are popular pets, including various species of crab, shrimp, isopod, crayfish, mantis shrimp, millipede, centipede, tarantula, true spider, scorpion, amblypygid, vinegaroon, mantis, cockroach, beetle, moth, and ant! Some are even domesticated, including silk moths and honeybees.

Many arthropods are eaten by humans as a delicacy, and farming insects for food is considered more sustainable than farming large chordates. These farmed arthropods are referred to as “minilivestock.”

Arthropods feature in a variety of ways in biomimicry: humans imitating elements of nature. For example, the cooling system of termite mounds has been imitated in architecture, and the internal structure of the dactyl clubs of mantis shrimp have been imitated to create more damage tolerant materials.

Spider venoms are being studied as a less harmful alternative to chemical pesticides, as they are deadly to insects but the great majority are harmless to vertebrates. They have also been studied and could have uses in treating cardiac arrhythmia, muscular dystrophy, glioma, Alzheimer's disease, strokes, and erectile dysfunction.

Shellac is a resin secreted by the female Lac Bug (Kerria lacca) on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze, natural primer, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, odour-blocker, stain, and high-gloss varnish. It was once used in electrical applications as an insulator, and was used to make phonograph and gramophone records until it was replaced by vinyl.

One of the biggest ecosystem services arthropods provide for humans is pollination. Crops where pollinator insects are essential include brazil nuts, cocoa beans, and fruits including kiwi, melons, and pumpkins. Crops where pollinator insects provide 40-90% of pollination include avocados, nuts like cashews and almonds, and fruits like apples, apricots, blueberries, cherries, mangoes, peaches, plums, pears, and raspberries. In crops where pollinators are not essential they still increase production and yield. Important pollinators include bees, flies, wasps, butterflies, and moths.

Many arthropods are sacred to humans. In Ancient Egypt, scarab beetles were used in art, religious ceremonies, and funerary practices, and were represented by the god Khepri. Bees supposedly grew from the tears of the sun god Ra, spilled across the desert sand. The goddess of healing venomous bites and stings, Serket, was depicted as a scorpion. Kalahari Desert's San People tell of a legendary hero, Mantis, who asked a bee to guide him to find the purpose of life. When the bee became weary from their search, he left the mantis on a floating flower, and planted a seed within him before passing from his exhaustion. The first human was born from this seed. In Akan folklore, the cunning trickster figure Anansi/Ananse is depicted as a spider. Western astrology uses the crab constellation, called Cancer, and the scorpion constellation, called Scorpio. Dragonflies symbolize pure water in Navajo tradition. In Anishinaabe culture, dreamcatchers are meant to represent spiderwebs and are used as a protective charm for infants. They originate from the Spider Grandmother, who takes care of the children and the people of the land in many Native American cultures. The Moche people of ancient Peru often depicted spiders and crabs in their art. In an Ancient Greek hymn, Eos, the goddess of the dawn, requests of Zeus to let her lover Tithonus live forever as an immortal. Tithonus became immortal, but not ageless, and eventually became so small, old, and shriveled that he turned into the first cicada. Another hymn sings of the Thriae, a trinity of Aegean bee nymphs. Native Athenians wore golden grasshopper brooches to symbolize that they were of pure, Athenian lineage. In an Ancient Sumerian poem, a fly helps the goddess Inanna when her husband Dumuzid is being chased by galla demons. In Japanese culture, butterflies carry many meanings, from being the souls of humans to symbols of youth to guides into the afterlife. Ancient Romans also believed that butterflies were the souls of the dead. Some of the Nagas of Manipur claim ancestry from a butterfly. Many cultures use the butterfly as a symbol of rebirth. And the list goes on…

cute crab eat a strawbebby:

[scissorcraft]

i really want to make isat friends…

[julykings]

good evening all magical little creatures

[kaiser1ns]

TAKIISHI CHIKA IN CHAPTER 153

[the-daily-spider]

what's your favorite species of:

spider

wasp

butterfly

moth

beetle

(bonus points if u include pics for each one)

AHHH AHH AHH OK OK!! This ask actually made me so excited I couldn’t even think about responding for a few moments cause I was stimming so hard. Oh my god. Ok. Wow this is a tough question.

Starting with spiders!!! Ok I KNOW there’s a lot of super cool/crazy/smart/venomous/absolutely buckwild species out there but my favorite is purely sentimental. It’s Tigrosa Georgicola. I see them everywhere where I live and they’re one of the first species I ever picked up. My phone screen is literally a photo of me holding one.

I’ve got a soft spot for wolf spiders anyways cause they purr and carry their babies on their backs and are just so gorgeous and big and amazing but this one especially is so good. One of the most docile species of spider I’ve handled, and their orange banding against their dark brown bodies is just so gorgeous. They’re literally tortoiseshell, what more could you want? And they get SO BIG it’s always such a delight finding one of these guys I love them so much

Next up wasp. Oh man big question. Lots and lots of good options and I am SO fond of paper wasps and mud daubers but I think if I had to pick a favorite it would be Auplopus carbonarius. They’re an absolutely TINY species of spider wasp that I’ve only had the pleasure of meeting once. Adults only get about 3/8” long. They also make little barrels to store food in!! And are great recyclers with their nests, they often take over old beetle burrows!! That’s so cool they’re like little home renovators. Here’s a pic of me holding one

Alright onto butterfly. This one’s a little harder since I’m not super into butterflies, but man there’s still definitely some really cool ones.

My favorite has gotta be Hamadryas feronia, aka the variable cracker. That entire genus is fucking gorgeous though, so shout out to some of the other species like the red cracker, ringless blue cracker, grey cracker, and the velutina cracker. Seriously just look up cracker butterflies. They’re all gorgeous. They also make a really cool cracking noise!! Look it up!!

Ok ok next! favorite moth. This is a REAL close toss-up between clearwing hummingbird moths and buff-tip moths. Vampire moths were also high up on the list, but I think buff-tip moths have to win. Phalera bucephala to be more specific. They’re just so delightful. Their camouflage is SO GOOD they really do look like such perfect little broken pieces of branch. It’s endlessly endearing. AND their caterpillars are such a pretty yellow color. Everything about these guys just makes me smile

Next is beetle!!! Ok I’m a basic bitch on this one sorry, but trilobite beetles have won my heart. I don’t have a specific favorite species within the genus, they’re all just amazing. It’s also really funny to me how big the difference is between males and females. The females retain their larval form as adults, which is already cool enough for any species, but it’s especially wild seeing how these guys’ larval form looks. There’s nothing about these guys that isn’t amazing to me

[front-facing-pokemon]

[ravenwolfie97]

all pokemon games are good but they are not all equally as good

send post

[small-strong-bookish-butch]

I'm like, super Married™️ now and also so GAY for my BEAUTIFUL SPOUSEY (and platonically gay for my HEARTWARMING FRIENDS and LOVED ONES)

[ian-galagher]

Chapter 03 - RUN!

Length: 11k / total length: 45k

Rating: Explicit

Chapter summary: The boys are heading into a different direction today and Ian earns himself a rather peculiar nickname...

Summary: When Ian lands himself an internship with famous wildlife photographer Mickey Milkovich he can't believe his luck. Spending one month traveling through South Africa with his big hero is a dream come true. The two are off on a wild adventure but there's something mysterious about Mickey who seems to be holding more to his chest than just the tricks of the trade Ian had hoped to learn from him.

Click here to read chapter 03 or here to start from the beginning!

[smallhatlogan]

reading the nausicaa manga has me getting even more sentimental about bugs than usual, just standing under a cherry tree listening to the buzzing of thousands of bees and wasps going "oh my god..you guys are all so beautiful..."

[aroacewxs]

i can slowly feel the yttd brainworms eating up my mind

[stickersgeorg]

Bug pokemon in jars!! Each one is so unique and charming!!!

(stickers by @mamath through their etsy!!)

[vimbry]

I haven't looked at any other game info at all bc I want experiences to be unspoiled, but the curiosity of the radio shoutout got the better of me (which I think is easily missable anyway? that's how I'm justifying myself), and it made me notice, the way evrart is described in the narration vs kim lol. oh harry's like, Into Him into him.

[sidthedragon]

Also I have this- Idk why. But I do. He is 100% Friend shaped.

(I AM SO SORRY IF ANYBODY ELSE ALSO HAS A PHOBIA OF THESE THINGS!!!! I'M NEW TO TUMBLR *sob*) Anyways have a good day! Incredibly sorry for anybody traumatized.

[aro-aizawa]

against my better judgement i did indeed buy the saints row 3 remaster and oh boy i should have expected all the bugs

[humanimalgam]

help i can't stop laughing at this bug he looks exactly like a cartoon demon head!!!! nature is amazing