Ildarotyrannus's Lair

I'm Ildar Gismatullin and I do paleoart!

[dilong]

It’s been a hot minute since I posted art so here’s this weird parrot I drew:)

Based on a recent publication about Sinopterus and the color of its integument and head crest, the feathers being a dark iridescent with greens, blues, and purples throughout. The crest being horizontally striped and with magenta pigments, the soft tissue elements around the eye and coloration on the chin are speculative. It is such a striking and unique animal and further cements my love for pterosaurs.

[roman-yevseyev]

Some representatives of the superfamily Anteosauroidea from the order Dinocephalia.

Некоторые представители надсемейства антеозавроидов (Anteosauroidea) из отряда диноцефалов (Dinocephalia).

[etcstims]

little snakes sips | source

[herpsandbirds]

American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus), parents and chicks, family Haematopodidae, order Charadriiformes, FL, USA

photographs by William Steele

[knuppitalism-with-ue]

Result from the Tiaojishan Formation stream, or rather Yanliao biota stream. This incredible assemblage was on my mind from the very start of doing these pieces, not just because it has tons of fascinating critters but because a big portion of the vertebrates here appear...

to have been at least partially arboreal. Tons of small pterosaurs, feathered dinosaurs, mammals and even a few lizard show adaptations for living in the canopy. With weirdos like Yi or at least two lineages of gliding mammals. Few formations offer a glimpse into this world...

that is usually omitted from the fossil record. The outcrops of the Tiaojishan Formation and the rest of the Yanliao biota are known from Northern China, especially Liaoning but also Hebei and Inner Mongolia. These incredibly well preserved fossils were preserved in lakes in...

which fine volcanic ash quickly covered up carcasses. The surrounding forests have been assumed to be subtropical for a while but a new publication actually even compares them with tropical moist montane forests. The flora was dominated not by conifers but Bennettitales which...

made up more than 30% of the flora. These plants, that were probably close to angiosperms, had flower like organs and give this forest a little more color. Besides that we have ginkgos, ferns and other gymnosperms. But the true diversity lies with the inverts...

Over 700 species have been described so far (here only a selection), often with color preservation articulated bodies. We also have bizarre leaf mimics, giant fleas and the largest mesozoic spider, Mongolarachne. When it comes to the vertebrates an interesting aspect is the very small fish...

assemblage, with two lampreys and one or two ray-finned fishes. Instead a large diversity of salamanders filled many aquatic niches and a docodont with beaver tail joined them too. On land, small dinosaurs and mammals can be found. So far missing are any really large animals probably due to a taphonomic bias for small animals to be preserved more easily. The vertebrate size chart is a collaboration between me and Discord member Avery, who also did the inverts. Plants where assembled by JW.

Full size can be seen here: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1X_ypdI4M00FkkVSr6lKImNEZzS-BCjK2

[herpsandbirds]

Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus), family Ariolimacidae, Redwoods National Park, northern CA, USA

* This individual was about 6 1/2 inches long 

Photographs by Paxon Kale CC

[herpsandbirds]

Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), family Iguanidae, Borrego Springs County Park, Borrego Springs, CA, USA

photograph by Danny Cain

[herpsandbirds]

Greater Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa), family Tytonidae, order Strigiformes, Australia

Photographs by Ben Williams

[herpsandbirds]

Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus), 2 males having an intense discussion, family Icteridae, order Passeriformes, Mesa, AZ, USA

photograph by Dave Lehneman

[echinoderm-of-the-day]

Today’s echinoderm is Pseudocolochirus axiologus,commonly known as the Australian sea apple.

Image source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/316190240

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Common Green Lacewings: these tiny insects build loosely-woven cocoons that measure just 3-6mm (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch) in diameter

Each lacewing spends about 5 days maturing inside its cacoon, and then it cuts an opening in the top and emerges as a fully-developed adult.

Above: a common green lacewing emerging from its cocoon

Green lacewing larvae (genus Chrysopidae) are also known as "aphid lions," because they're voracious predators that often feed on aphids. They've also been known to prey upon caterpillars, leafhoppers, planthoppers, thrips, spiders, mites, and insect eggs, which is why they're widely used to help eradicate pests in agricultural contexts.

Once the lacewing nears the end of its larval stage, it builds a small cacoon out of silk and then tucks itself inside, allowing the pupal phase to begin. Its tiny green body is often partially visible through the thin, loosely-woven walls of the cacoon.

Above: a lacewing developing within its cocoon

These breathtaking photos of a lacewing climbing out of its cacoon were taken by a Danish photographer named Frederik Leck Fischer.

Above: the lacewing preparing to emerge

When the insect initially emerges, its wings and antennae are still compactly folded down against its body, and the wings have a dark, shriveled appearance that makes them almost unrecognizable.

Above: the fully-developed lacewing waiting for its wings to expand

The wings then gradually expand until they have reached their full size, which usually takes about an hour or two.

Above: the same lacewing just a few hours later

Fischer's photographs provide a stunning account of the entire process.

Above: close-up of a common green lacewing

This is a rewritten version of a post that I originally published three years ago.

Sources & More Info:

iNaturalist: Common Green Lacewing

University of California: Family Chrysopidae

Texas A&M: The Green Lacewing

Washington State University: Lacewings

Tennessee State University: Insect Predators: Green Lacewings (PDF)

Pacific Pests and Pathogens: Green Lacewings

[herpsandbirds]

Robust Assfish (Bassozetus robustus), family Ophidiidae, order Ophidiiformes, found in the deep ocean in tropical and temperate parts of the world

photograph by Alan Jamieson

[knuppitalism-with-ue]

This weekend we started a new series on #Paleostream!

Pocket Prehistory is a project in which I draw small extinct critters as museum specimens, life sized, on post card formats.

I only do adults so don't expect a T. rex fetus or something ;)

We plan to sell these as postcards on Dinocon in Birmingham this year.

[fivetrench]

*Whimpers*

[onenicebugperday]

This is the jumping spider Neobrettus tibialis photographed in Indonesia by wildsumatra on iNaturalist.

Dorsal view by the same photographer:

And from the side:

[midnightmurdershow]

Planet Earth (2006) Season 01 Episode 11 “Ocean Deep” Directed by Alastair Fothergill

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Frother Moths: when these moths feel threatened, they secrete a frothy yellow substance that is noxious and distasteful to predators

Above: Amerila astreus with two large globs of defensive froth

Moths of the genus Amerila are often described as frother moths, because they're able to secrete a frothy, foul-tasting substance that helps to deter predators. The fluid is produced by the prothoracic glands, which are located near the base of each wing (just behind the moth's head) and a distinctive "sizzling" or "hissing" sound is emitted as the frothy substance bubbles out.

Above: Amerila astreus

As this article explains:

If molested, resting adults produce quantities of a frothy, orange fluid from their prothoracic glands, accompanied by a sizzling sound. The froth not only has an aversive odor to humans but also contains PAs (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) which are taste-repelling.

Above: a frother moth producing its defensive secretion

The adult moths of this genus are pharmacophagous, which means that they acquire the chemicals that are used to create their defensive froth by ingesting plants that contain toxic or noxious compounds; those chemicals are then sequestered within the moth's own body, where they are repurposed and transformed into a frothy secretion.

Above: genus Amerila

Frother moths also use aposematic markings to signal their toxicity and/or unpalatability. Their legs, thorax, and abdomen are all decorated with reddish-pink markings, and they have large black spots that stand out against their mostly-white bodies.

Above: Amerila crokeri and Amerila rubripes

The genus Amerila contains dozens of species, and they are all known to have this defense mechanism. They are widely distributed throughout many different parts of the world; depending on the species, they may be found in the Himalayas, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, Australia, or Africa.

Above: Amerila crokeri

Several other moths from the subfamily Arctiinae can produce a similar defensive secretion when threatened, but the color, consistency, and composition of the substance differs greatly from one species to the next.

Sources & More Info:

iNaturalist: Genus Amerila

Metamorphosis Australia: Australian Arctiid Moths

Australian Lepidoptera: Amerila crokeri

Metamorphosis Australia: Weird and Wonderful Moths

Entomo Brasilis: Defensive Froth in Arctiidae Species in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil (PDF)

Moths of Australia: Adult Adaptations for Survival

Neotropical Entomology: A Fieldwork-Oriented Review and Guide to PA-Pharmacophagy

[dilong]

Going to keep posting some older art here so I can rebuild a bit of an art gallery, this time a portrait of Dearc sgiathanach. This one I managed to complete in around 24 hours, I need to work on completing work in a short amount of time and this was a good exercise.