why did they call it house of leaves if you can't leaves

graves(bug). they/xe. alterhuman / bugposting sideblog. interacts from @/ghostlights. header by Karekin Goekjian; icon by iNaturalist user macronocturno.

[ghostmandibles]

warning: there's bugs in this blog

more about me under cut.

im vague bugthing + water scavenger beetle + mantidfly. i <3 crawling around and molting and shit. looks at you with my big bug eyes. not therian but a secret third thing (the second thing is also a secret).

i'm also ghostkin and #psychological with it (aka i'm a ghost who doesn't believe in ghosts). that one's not a secret.

i look like this irl 👇

[lacesmilk]

i wasn't socialized enough as a larva

[fertilefloor]

i'm opening up our relationship so bugs can get in

[porcelain-dollbones]

snakes really make you appreciate how gross mammals really are. squamates are very dry and clean

[porcelain-dollbones]

a bird is a kind of reptile that has learned to be yucky.

[crowgunky]

reflection of self

[new-bug-ideas]

You can transition into bugs btw they let you

[generic-internet-name]

talking like point-and-click game narration to the bugs in my room

[generic-internet-name]

you can't get out that way!

[generic-internet-name]

that's not very helpful.

[generic-internet-name]

maybe the open window will help.

[generic-internet-name]

try the open window instead.

[drhoz]

#636 - Hydrophilus sp. - Giant Water Scavenger Beetle

Strange - the photo posted upside down. No real problem, though.

Anyway - Hydrophilids - yet another aquatic insect with an unfortunate propensity to be attracted to artificial lights when they’re flying from pond to pond at night. Note the lovely streamlining and big eyes. The hind legs are fringed with hairs to act as the blade of a paddle. Despite the common name, the larvae are usually carnivores, and the adults can have a wide diet. Some species are pests at fish hatcheries, and others devour mosquito larvae with admirable enthusiasm.

There’s less than ten species known from Australia, but I don’t know which one this is. The Hydrophilidae was recently broken up into multiple families (although given that many of these ‘hydrophilids’ are primarily terrestrial I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner) and Hydrophilus itself into three subgenera.

Baldivis Spud Shed, Perth

[coolbugs]

Found this magnificent beastie hiding under the porch stoop. Thanks to v. belov at bugguide for confirming it’s a giant water scavenger beetle, Hydrophilus ovatus.

It flipped itself upside-down while I was photographing other stuff at the light, and started making a horrible buzzing sound. When I flipped it back over, it quickly scurried off the porch step and went diving into the dirt below.

[horsebeast]

Tropisternus lateralis ssp. nimbatus

[bedupolker]

Velvet ant (Dasymutilla vestita)

Hemilepistus (crenulatus, aphganicus, reaumurii)

Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle (Cicindela albissima)

I think the velvet ant is my favorite, and the only one painted from life. Maybe I should've driven up to utah for the tiger beetles, next time!

All for sale on my Kofi! A little pricier than normal due to the material also if they don't sell they go well with my interior decor.

[onenicebugperday]

Yellow mantidfly, Spaminta minjerribae, Mantispidae

Found on the southeastern coast of Australia

Photo 1 by ddwfauna, 2 by jeannie_bartram, 3 by ronigreer, and 4-6 by tjeales

[arthropod-diagnosis]

Name: Monsieur Cheesburg

Skill: Speedy Buggy Strike

Quote: “Let me tell you, I went to the store yesterday and they were all out of cookies! Unbelievable, is it not?“

(Image by Zleng on Flickr)

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

New mantidfly for me, Dicromantispa interrupta. The biggest mantidfly I have ever seen!

[ketrinadrawsalot]

"Whose Larva Is This?"

A quick guide to figure out what you're looking at when you find something that resembles a worm or a Zerg unit crawling around.

[ihaveaninkling]

I caught a mantidfly,

Phew I didn’t know they could

[soapblock]

Wasps themselves are a very diverse people. Some don't even look like the stereotypical wasp. This diversity has also allowed other bugs to be labeled as wasps, when the only thing they have in common is color.