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Encyrtid parasitoid wasp, Dicarnosis erythrocephala, Encyrtidae, Chalcidoidea

Some species of Encyrtid wasps exhibit a remarkable developmental phenomenon called polyembryony, in which a single egg multiplies clonally in the host and produces large numbers of identical adult wasps. Even more remarkably, some of the larvae are larger than the others and act in a similar way to the soldiers of eusocial insects, attacking any other wasp larvae already in the body of the host, and dying without reproducing (see: biological altruism).

Photographed in Arizona by froggy143

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Short-legged Springtail, Holacanthella paucispinosa, Neanuridae

Photographed in New Zealand by damienbr

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Australian bag moth, Cebysa leucotelus, Psychidae

Found in the southern half of Australia and in New Zealand. 1-5 are females (which are flightless), 6-9 are males, and 10 is a caterpillar in its case made from silk and environmental debris.

Photos 1-3 by bernie-l, 4 by naturewatchwidow, 5 by reiner, 6 by chrismoody, 7-8 by reiner, 9 by triplett, and 10 by johneichler

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Wood Crane Longhorn Beetle, Gerania bosci, Cerambycidae

Found in Southeast Asia. Photo 1 shows a male with elongated appendages (top) and female (bottom).

Photo 1 by erincpow, 2-4 by paul_griffith1, 5-6 by rungsrit, 7 by femketb, 8 by moseschamp, and 9 by jackychiangmai

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periodic reminder that Celyphid flies exist and are one of the most powerful animals on this earth

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Opabinia (Opabinia regalis) another unique arthropod from the Cambrian period, noted for its five eyes and proboscis.

From David Attenbrough’s First Life watch it like right now!

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Chocolate tube slime, Stemonitis sp., a species of plasmodial slime mold, growing on a log at a nature center in Houston, TX, USA.

photograph by Paxon Kale CC

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Submitted by @toastmgoats without comment. Velvet worms are SO SO good, thank you for sharing!

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The Sundarbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world which covers parts of India and Bangladesh by NASA // Saltstraumen Maelstrom, Norway

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Asian dead leaf mantis, Deroplatys trigonodera, Deroplatyidae

Found in Southeast Asia

Photos by Frank Deschandol // Instagram

Shared with permission; do not remove credit or re-post!

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Cuckoo wasp, Chrysis semicincta, Chrysididae

Photographed in France by Frank Deschandol // Instagram

Shared with permission; do not remove credit or re-post!

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It’s that time of year!

Thanks to @thebluehue22 for reminding me this exists :)

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Hey bogleech, if nematodes are so incredibly abundant and such, why are all but the parasitic species so small? Seems like your expect at least one species of free-living nematode to be like, visible? Surely if flatworms can do it, nematodes can?

Being big is basically one of the harder things to evolve for, so if something is successful at a tiny size, it's going to usually stick to that trend! Most arachnids are mites you can barely see and most insects are smaller than grains of rice. Most mammals and reptiles are tiny compared to their prehistory too of course, but it is interesting that there aren't even like "earthworm" sized free-living nematodes I can think of. Maybe it has to do with their body structure. Unlike softer worm-shaped animals, the surface of a nematode is actually an exoskeleton, a single tubular one that's flexible like plastic. Maybe that just isn't efficient for living in soil or water at any larger size, or takes more energy to build, so they can only get really massive when they have the continuous nutrient exposure of a parasitic lifestyle?? I do wish they were huge though because they just look so radical.

Apparently this is a juvenile Golovatchinema!

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HELL YEAH!!! WELCOME CRYPTIC FLATBILL!!! (YES THAT IS ITS NAME!)