love letters to the small, uncharismatic, and creepy!

send your love letters to any organisms (bug or not) that are small, overlooked, demonized, or similar!!!

[love-letters-to-bugs]

Dear humans,

Hello! So I saw this post by @foxsnails asking for people to send love letters to bugs! Unfortunately, it is now closed. But I wanted to make a more permanent and general version of this!

While bugs are the focus of this, I also accept love letters to any invertebrates as well as other small organisms that people often hate. Especially bacteria. If you have some bacteria love send it over!

I will figure out the rules more clearly later, but right now the only rules are be respectful, of other organisms (so no saying that butterflies suck to explain why you like moths. We are here to lift up critters) be respectful to humanity as well, no misanthropy or ecofascism. Humans are not a disease ruining the world, we are a part of it.

I think it would be cute to start each letter with a little "dear [organism]" but that's just a suggestion. You can put whatever in the letter as long as its respectful. Talk about an experience with a bug, talk about a bug you were scared of, or are scared of, with compassion and curiosity. Tell the bugs about your life. Talk to a specific species you are worried about. Get creative!

posts mention human-based harm to bugs will be tagged #bug harm

Please submit posts with your loveletter, though you can also send them through asks if you prefer. Also feel free to talk to me about bugs/ask questions! I don't bite, I only pierce and suck!

Excited to see your responses, and remember that I love you,

-the bugs

[mercuryascended]

inaturalist is so fun because you'll post a picture of a roly-poly to show people the little critters you meet during the day and a user called "johnny-loves-roly-polys" will point out you posted something like a skrunkly big armadillo roly-poly 3000. and johnny is very right.

[heedra]

if you learn to love bugs with all your heart the world will feel half as hostile and a thousand times as big

[heedra]

Theres a sentiment I'm noticing in the tags that I'd like to address. I dont think learning to love bugs with all your heart means forcing yourself out of discomfort you have with them overnight. It's about observing a different sort of being going about its life and deliberately trying to reframe your observations through a sense of wonder and delight. It's about cultivating a positive interest and curiosity for their ecology and behaviors. It's especially about trying to uncouple the value we find in them from how 'convenient' they are to us; to face head on the part of us that wants to assign moral evil to another organism who just happens to live life in a way that is not harmonius with ours. You can love insects in this way and still recognize your own health and safety needs. We are animals living side by side within a biosphere. This is how it is, sometimes.

I think this is important to cultivate because, if you are alive at all, you are coming into conflict with countless other people and things that dont owe you an apology for their existance and needs. If you are alive at all, you are encountering countless other people and things that harmful bias and personal discomfort have made repulsive to you. This is about bugs, but its also about way more than bugs.

[invertebrates]

It's hard to explain to the uninitiated that you can just go for a walk just about anywhere with a bit of green (and sometimes even in the heart of a city) and find like a dozen neat little unique guys if you're patient and observant.

People get really into bird watching but here's a secret: bugs are WAY easier to find than birds and they let you get a lot closer.

Try to approach the world with wonder and curiosity rather than fear and revulsion. Bugs are a great place to start.

[jupiterswasphouse]

My journey to loving bugs started from a position of being terrified of many of them, then came a spark of interest, but it wasn't some big moment of clarity that made me instantly love them. It was curiosity, then searches, then wiki dives, then careful distant observation, then close up observation and even handling, slowly cultivating that spark of interest gently into the great appreciation I have for them today.

Learn to love nature, cultivate your understanding, I fully encourage you to get out there. You can absolutely do so at your own pace, learning takes time! Your patience will be rewarded.

[ricefriedshrimp]

Bugs is cutes

[patinoiree]

hammerhead worm

[havingapoemwithyou]

love for other things by Tom Hennen

[love-letters-to-bugs]

Earwigs of all shapes n sizes, all backgrounds/ecosystems, and all types and sub-types out there, i love you so much. I love how much adoration you feel for your nymphs, i love the way your little bodies are structured: your wonderful pincers and impressive wings, the beautiful tints that grace your every surface. I bought brown and yellow sweater because it reminds me of you, I have bought and received multiple earwig themed objects, i have a book, i made an extensive list of all of the species that have been discovered, and a compilation of any picture i can find of you guys. For fuck's sake, i made an earwig calander for this year! AND a phone charm along with getting a tshirt printed and a bag!

I love how curious you are, i love how you eat and drink, how adorable you are when startled, i love you wigs.... I love you so much ............ My beautiful, beautiful wigs..... Never stop wigging and being your wonderful selves.......

!!!! 👂 !!!!!

[love-letters-to-bugs]

dear mine (and all other’s) skin microbiome,

you are billions, upon trillions of hard working little guys. you are always with me, even though i never see you. i think it’s beautiful that a wretched creature like me is the foundation of an entire microscopic universe. everyday i remember to be kind to myself, because i want to be kind to you - my little unseen land of unimaginable wonders.

i love you my mites, my bacteria, my fungi. all of that which makes up the skin microbiota.

because of you, we are never alone 🦠 ♡

(also hello hello i think this is one of the most lovely ideas for a blog i have ever come across)

!!! 🦠 ♡ ❤️‍🔥 ♡ 🦠

(hello, thank you! it is a very exciting blog to run!)

[bugthingsdaily]

Today's bug thing is this paper mache monarch caterpillar!

[love-letters-to-bugs]

dear earwigs

I know you sometimes pinch, but, otherwise, you truly are harmless; I'm so sorry people find you so frightening. I've held you several times, and never once been hurt, I wish people knew how harmless you really are.

I wish people could empathize, and relate, to your surprisingly maternal behavior for a non-social insect, or admire your gorgeous, fan-like hidden wings.

You truly do deserve more. I will forever try to help clear your name.

Thank you for existing, earwigs. I wish you many lovely piles of wet leaves and tasty bugs to eat.

!!!! 👂 👩‍🦰 ❤️ ❤️

[love-letters-to-bugs]

Dear flies,

While I understand why people are grossed out by you, you too deserve kindness. I hope you get to fly freely in a world where people guide you out of their houses, instead of hurting you. You are important. And even though I'm still grossed out, I still love you like I love every other bug. And I will always save you. You too deserve to live, for you're only following your instincts. I love you. I love you.

!!! 🪰 💞

[love-letters-to-bugs]

dear mosquitoes,

i don’t think people really take time to understand you, and that’s sad.

people just assume you’re this evil, horrible animal that exists only to cause suffering that serves no purpose, and not just.. an innocent bug that happened to commit the blameless crime of being annoying. Or carrying a disease. Things you have no control over.

You’re pollinators! You’ve been important in both medical fields and for things like drones, and people brush aside what fascinating and awesome animals you are for ‘ annoying, loud and drinks my blood ‘, because they don’t really want to be proven wrong !!!

i am doing my part but i can only try to hard to educate people. hopefully you being my favourite animal is enough to show my adoration of you little guys <3 peace and love on planet earth for mosquitoes forever and ever ok?

!!! 💖 🦟 💖

[sweetomensart]

https://www.instagram.com/sweet.omens/

bugs are friends

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Endangered species come in all shapes and sizes; one often overlooked species is the Ryukyu rabbit tick. This species is endemic to only one island off the coast of southern Japan, and is one of the rarest parasites in the world. Adults feed exclusively on the equally rare and endangered amami rabbit, whose population has been in decline due to the introduction of mongoose and feral dogs on the island. Because of its rarity, the Ryukyu rabbit tick has become something of a flagship species for endangered 'uncharismatic fauna', as an example that you don't need to be cute and cuddly to be worth saving!

(Image: A Ryukyu rabbit tick (Haemaphysalis pentalagi) by Takamasa Nemoto)

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Important!

[love-letters-to-bugs]

dear spiders

i'm sorry for hating you in my youth. i'm sorry for complaining about you and seeing you as a pest. i'm sorry for my cruelty, i should've known better.

now i am older. i know more than i did as a child. i believe i am kinder. i value your lives more than i ever have, and see the complexity of your worlds. i feel less fear.

your species have been on earth longer than my species have. hopefully, we survive together until the end of the earth.

i am sorry, and i am so grateful for your presence. i am so lucky to share a world with you.

!!! 🕷 💖

[love-letters-to-bugs]

Dear bugs,

I love you~~

I can't put all of my appreciation and admiration for you into words, so hopefully saying "I love you~~" is enough.

!!! ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎

[love-letters-to-bugs]

dear millipedes

I really appreciate how you look like very long rolly pollies, and I love the way your little legs and antennae move. you scare me when I do not expect to see you there, but I appreciate you a lot. thank you for eating debris and making the world cleaner and the soil healthier so more flowers can grow and the bees and butterflies can get some nectar. I love you.

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