I like bugs

posts about bugs. what did you expect

[bug-posting]

I should probably make an intro post...

Hi! I'm Webby, the only guy who runs this blog :3 I like bugs, and am able to identify almost any sent my way, so if you want a bug ID-ed, just drop a pic of it in my ask box !!

it/its

information about tagging system below!

Abandoned webs - me saying stupid shit

Intricate webs - informational posts

Bug Identification - identifying a bug based off an image

Not a Bug - posts/reblogs that do not include pictures of bugs

Bug Posting - posts/reblogs that contain pictures of bugs

explanation of other tags

specific tag - a tag that is the insects exact species (e.g. tan jumping spider)

kinda generalised tag - a tag that still the species/breed of insect, but not the overall one (e.g. jumping spider)

generalised tag - a tag that is the general animal, or insect. (e.g. spider)

[fernshawart]

I keep seeing this picture and similar ones and it keeps giving me thoughts. Yeah I do agree with the message ! And these animals are hated by many peoole !! But let's be honest. These are still fairly conventionally cute. They're big eyed fluffy affectionate pretty intelligent mammals and birds. So today, I'm offering y'all my own version.

BE NICE TO ALL ANIMALS. INCLUDING THE ONES WHO DON'T LIKE BEING PET. INCLUDING THE ONES THAT AREN'T FLUFFY. INCLUDING THE ONES YOU FIND UGLY. Be nice to the weird ass critters too >:)

[elliotisnthuman]

'it/its pronouns is dehumanizing!'

meanwhile the average it/its user:

[bug-posting]

I found a non squished dead moth holy fucj

[hawkpartys]

[mens-rights-activia]

So I typed in ‘black history moth’ instead of ‘black history month’ and discovered this gem

Happy Black History Moth everybody

[humblegrub]

mark your calendars...

display at my local library!!

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Yellowjacket-Mimicking Moth: this is just a harmless moth that mimics the appearance and behavior of a yellowjacket/wasp; its disguise is so convincing that it can even fool actual wasps

This species (Myrmecopsis polistes) may be one of the most impressive wasp-mimics in the world. The moth's narrow waist, teardrop-shaped abdomen, black-and-yellow patterning, transparent wings, smooth appearance, and folded wing position all mimic the features of a wasp. Unlike an actual wasp, however, it does not have any mandibles or biting/chewing mouthparts, because it's equipped with a proboscis instead, and it has noticeably "feathery" antennae.

There are many moths that use hymenopteran mimicry (the mimicry of bees, wasps, yellowjackets, hornets, and/or bumblebees, in particular) as a way to deter predators, and those mimics are often incredibly convincing. Myrmecopsis polistes is one of the best examples, but there are several other moths that have also mastered this form of mimicry.

Above: Pseudosphex laticincta, another moth species that mimics a yellowjacket

These disguises often involve more than just a physical resemblance; in many cases, the moths also engage in behavioral and/or acoustic mimicry, meaning that they can mimic the sounds and behaviors of their hymenopteran models. In some cases, the resemblance is so convincing that it even fools actual wasps/yellowjackets.

Above: Pseudosphex laticincta

Such a detailed and intricate disguise is unusual even among mimics. Researchers believe that it developed partly as a way for the moth to trick actual wasps into treating it like one of their own. Wasps frequently prey upon moths, but they are innately non-aggressive toward their own fellow nest-mates, which are identified by sight -- so if the moth can convincingly impersonate one of those nest-mates, then it can avoid being eaten by wasps.

Above: Pseudosphex laticincta

I gave an overview of the moths that mimic bees, wasps, yellowjackets, hornets, and bumblebees in one of my previous posts, but I felt that these two species (Myrmecopsis polistes and Pseudosphex laticincta) deserved to have their own dedicated post, because these are two of the most convincing mimics I have ever seen.

Above: Pseudosphex sp.

I think that moths in general are probably the most talented mimics in the natural world. They have so many intricate, unique disguises, and they often combine visual, behavioral, and acoustic forms of mimicry in order to produce an uncanny resemblance.

Several of these incredible mimics have already been featured on my blog: moths that mimic jumping spiders, a moth that mimics a broken birch twig, a moth caterpillar that can mimic a snake, a moth that disguises itself as two flies feeding on a pile of bird droppings, a moth that mimics a dried-up leaf, a moth that can mimic a cuckoo bee, and a moth that mimics the leaves of a poplar tree.

Moths are just so much more interesting than people generally realize.

Sources & More Info:

Journal of Ecology and Evolution: A Hypothesis to Explain Accuracy of Wasp Resemblances

Entomology Today: In Enemy Garb: A New Explanation for Wasp Mimicry

iNaturalist: Myrmecopsis polistes and Pseudosphex laticincta

Transactions of the Entomological Society of London: A Few Observations on Mimicry

[i-am-inside-your-bones]

I LOVE BUGS

Reblog if you want a BUG in your inbox with or without the scientific name and a fun fact

[bug-posting]

blinks at rapidly

[herpsandbirds]

Wasp-mimic Moth (Tyrictaca sp.), family Sesiidae, Malaysia

photographs by Timmy Wong

[alpheiamoth]

Oh to be her….

[bug-posting]

holy shit

[bug-posting]

i am the only one allowed to choose if a critter is a bug or not btw

[bug-posting]

everyone loves thistle mantises

[literally-lurantis]

I am the only bug at this function

[new-bug-ideas]

My christmas tree doesnt have any green on it this year brcause my many, many bugs ate all the pines

[new-bug-ideas]

Bug at the venue,,,, sitting in the corner being shaken violently because the sound waves are bigger than she is,,,,

[bug-posting]

im a lesboy thanks bye

[bug-posting]

I FUCKING LOVE THISLE MANTISES

LOOK