Found something you might like while walking on the coast.
Heard blue lobsters are rare, and what do you know we find one laying on the grass.
What do you think?
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Hi @jyn-azris, I just saw this submission. Sorry for the late response!
I most definitely find this interesting!
There is indeed some truth to blue lobsters being rare, but from what I have heard, that mostly concerns American lobsters (Homarus americanus). While I do think this lobster is apart of the genus Homarus, I actually think it might be Homarus gammarus, or the European lobster. Though I do not know your location, based off the tail-shape, blue colour and the white spotting on the side, I believe it to be H. gammarus. I would be even more certain of this, if its underside or belly was lightly coloured, a bit beige or light yellow.
As you might guess from its common name, Homarus gammarus is the European relative of the American lobster. It actually has a naturally blue-shaded colouring. However, most of the times European lobsters are much more darkly coloured, like a dark cyan or even blackish shade. If they have a brighter colour, they also tend to have a lot of white spots on them (from what I have seen).
The tail you found is exceptionally brightly coloured and does not have too many white spots, which I do believe to bit a bit rarer, and is an awesome find!
Here are some observations I could find on iNaturalist similar to yours:
Thank you so much for the submission, it was awesome to look at and research! :DD
Hiya, @jayroyism ! ! I sure do ! Although, there is a chance you might already know about them.
1. There are at least 1.500 species of bats. In June this year, a report has come out documenting the discovery of a 1.500th unique bat species. The new bat species was discovered on Bioko Island in Africa’s Equatorial Guinea, and was named Pipistrellus etula.
If you want to read more about the discovery you can here (although, it is behind a paywall, but maybe you can find a way around it?):
Laura Torrent, Javier Juste, Inazio Garin, Joxerra Aihartza, Desiré L Dalton, Mnqobi Mamba, Iroro Tanshi, Luke L Powell, Sara Padidar, Juan Luis Garcia Mudarra, Leigh Richards, Ara Monadjem, Taxonomic revision of African pipistrelle-like bats with a new species from the West Congolean rainforest, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 204, Issue 2, June 2025, zlaf020, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf020
2. There are species of bat that are immune to scorpion venom. Examples of these are Pallid bats (Antrozous pallidus) and the Desert long-eared bat (Otonycteris hemprichii).
3. The smallest species of bat is the Kitti's hog-nosed bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai). It measures approximately 29 to 33 mm in length and weighs around 2 grams.
4. Different bat species have different diets. Most species are insectivores, frugivores or nectarivores. But they may also be haematophagous, meaning that they feed on blood.
5. There are multiple deities associated with bats. An excellent example of this, is Camazotz, a Mayan deity/spirit whose name means "death-bat", and inhabits the underworld. Camazotz thanks its name to its appearance:
Hiyaa, @bees-with-a-camera ! I have a lot of birds I like, but I don't have one specific favourite species. But these are a few of my favourites :D
I will start with birds I see day to day, or at least frequently.
I love European Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), they are adorable, feral, little menaces. Where I live, there are loads of them. They are will steal your food and harass you, but they can also be very sweet, in my opinion. But to be fair, when I was a kid, there was this baby gull separated from its group near my school and we used the hang out with it and give it food. And it was such a cutie. So I am really biased. Regardless, they have a special place in my heart.
European Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus)
I also love corvids, they are just so cool and intelligent. I adore them. Where I live there are tons of Jackdaws, but you will also see Carrion Crows (Corvus corone) and Eurasian Jays (Garrulus glandarius), which I love ! Everytime I see them, I just freeze on the spot and look at them for minutes or until they fly away, they are amazing !
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Now for a few birds, I do not see anywhere but at the zoo or on the internet : Vultures ! My loves <3 I love them. They are so magestic to me !
I especially love White-Backed Vultures (Gyps africanus) and Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus). Although Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres) are awesome too!
White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)
Sorry for the info-dump (can I call it that? I did not tell you a lot of facts, after all, but I can, if you want me too), but yeah, these are my favourites. Do you have a favourite species of bird ? ?
for me personally I don't have exactly a favorite species, since I know so much about a lot of birds in general. But some fun species I've found around here are
short eared owls! While I've only seen two owls by my house, these ones are still nearbyish (like a 2 hour drive). They have a different hunting style compared to most owls since they hunt in open plains. They nest on the ground and will rebuild the nest on the same nest year after year funnely enough. The image here is when the owl has spotted something and is suddenly dropping to catch it, but they'll also sometimes hover in place for a second before dropping
Golden crowned kinglet!
I don't have much info on them but they're a small flock species, often being spotted with several others! They're also the bane of my mother's existence because every time she tries to photograph them she can't get the yellow streak in focus lol. Both sexes have a yellow streak on their head but the males will also have orange and have it flair out like a crown. Different from goldcrests and Ruby crowned kinglets!
Dark eyed juncos! They're small, they're everywhere, and there's like 14 - 15 subspecies. Where I live we have like three groups, Oregon dark eyed junco (above), slate colored (all one color), and possibly pink sided (like a cross between the first two). They have suprisingly good camouflage and as long as they don't move they look like dead leaves in grass out of the corner of your eye.
Herons! Since Washington is so rainy (western Washington more rainy then eastern) there's a lot of ponds, frogs, and herons, this one is a great blue heron :>
I've also seen green herons around but they always take off the second I get within viewing range :(
tgeres also a fuck ton ducks everywhere, with the most common being mallard, gadwall, ring necked, buffle head, and hooded merganser:)
Wow ! All of these birds are so gorgeous and thank you so much for all the information ! ! And those pictures . . . Absolutely gorgeous ! Especially the last one ! !
Herons are awesome by the way ! Ducks too! Also coots ! !
Here are a Grey Heron and some Eurasian Coots :
The learning information about nature, is so real by the way, I love it !
Yess, their bean toes are ADORABLE ! ! But what a shame, you don't have many photos. Where I live, they are everywhere, it's insane.
Thanks about the photos, by the way ! Your pictures are so good too ! That first one is super impressive, but in my opinion all of your pictures are ! !
Hiyaa, @bees-with-a-camera ! I have a lot of birds I like, but I don't have one specific favourite species. But these are a few of my favourites :D
I will start with birds I see day to day, or at least frequently.
I love European Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), they are adorable, feral, little menaces. Where I live, there are loads of them. They are will steal your food and harass you, but they can also be very sweet, in my opinion. But to be fair, when I was a kid, there was this baby gull separated from its group near my school and we used the hang out with it and give it food. And it was such a cutie. So I am really biased. Regardless, they have a special place in my heart.
European Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus)
I also love corvids, they are just so cool and intelligent. I adore them. Where I live there are tons of Jackdaws, but you will also see Carrion Crows (Corvus corone) and Eurasian Jays (Garrulus glandarius), which I love ! Everytime I see them, I just freeze on the spot and look at them for minutes or until they fly away, they are amazing !
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Now for a few birds, I do not see anywhere but at the zoo or on the internet : Vultures ! My loves <3 I love them. They are so magestic to me !
I especially love White-Backed Vultures (Gyps africanus) and Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus). Although Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres) are awesome too!
White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)
Sorry for the info-dump (can I call it that? I did not tell you a lot of facts, after all, but I can, if you want me too), but yeah, these are my favourites. Do you have a favourite species of bird ? ?
for me personally I don't have exactly a favorite species, since I know so much about a lot of birds in general. But some fun species I've found around here are
short eared owls! While I've only seen two owls by my house, these ones are still nearbyish (like a 2 hour drive). They have a different hunting style compared to most owls since they hunt in open plains. They nest on the ground and will rebuild the nest on the same nest year after year funnely enough. The image here is when the owl has spotted something and is suddenly dropping to catch it, but they'll also sometimes hover in place for a second before dropping
Golden crowned kinglet!
I don't have much info on them but they're a small flock species, often being spotted with several others! They're also the bane of my mother's existence because every time she tries to photograph them she can't get the yellow streak in focus lol. Both sexes have a yellow streak on their head but the males will also have orange and have it flair out like a crown. Different from goldcrests and Ruby crowned kinglets!
Dark eyed juncos! They're small, they're everywhere, and there's like 14 - 15 subspecies. Where I live we have like three groups, Oregon dark eyed junco (above), slate colored (all one color), and possibly pink sided (like a cross between the first two). They have suprisingly good camouflage and as long as they don't move they look like dead leaves in grass out of the corner of your eye.
Herons! Since Washington is so rainy (western Washington more rainy then eastern) there's a lot of ponds, frogs, and herons, this one is a great blue heron :>
I've also seen green herons around but they always take off the second I get within viewing range :(
tgeres also a fuck ton ducks everywhere, with the most common being mallard, gadwall, ring necked, buffle head, and hooded merganser:)
Wow ! All of these birds are so gorgeous and thank you so much for all the information ! ! And those pictures . . . Absolutely gorgeous ! Especially the last one ! !
Herons are awesome by the way ! Ducks too! Also coots ! !
Here are a Grey Heron and some Eurasian Coots :
The learning information about nature, is so real by the way, I love it !
Hiyaa, @bees-with-a-camera ! I have a lot of birds I like, but I don't have one specific favourite species. But these are a few of my favourites :D
I will start with birds I see day to day, or at least frequently.
I love European Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), they are adorable, feral, little menaces. Where I live, there are loads of them. They are will steal your food and harass you, but they can also be very sweet, in my opinion. But to be fair, when I was a kid, there was this baby gull separated from its group near my school and we used the hang out with it and give it food. And it was such a cutie. So I am really biased. Regardless, they have a special place in my heart.
European Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus)
I also love corvids, they are just so cool and intelligent. I adore them. Where I live there are tons of Jackdaws, but you will also see Carrion Crows (Corvus corone) and Eurasian Jays (Garrulus glandarius), which I love ! Everytime I see them, I just freeze on the spot and look at them for minutes or until they fly away, they are amazing !
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Now for a few birds, I do not see anywhere but at the zoo or on the internet : Vultures ! My loves <3 I love them. They are so magestic to me !
I especially love White-Backed Vultures (Gyps africanus) and Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus). Although Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres) are awesome too!
White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)
Sorry for the info-dump (can I call it that? I did not tell you a lot of facts, after all, but I can, if you want me too), but yeah, these are my favourites. Do you have a favourite species of bird ? ?
Hiyaa @jayroyism, it has been forever since talking to you ! ! Eitherway, you get a TREAT (also because I don't know how TRICK works, but whatever) !
I cannnot remember whether you like bats, but here you go anyway 🦇
For you, I have Otonycteris hemprichii or the desert long-eared bat. It is a total badass ! They predate on arachnids and orthopterans (the order including grasshoppers, crickets and locusts). What is most awesome, in my opinion, is that they hunt scorpions ! !
Using echolocation, the bats can detect scorpions as they walk and catch the scorpions, biting their heads off. The bats are often stung in the face with the scorpion's stinger but have no signs of toxicity, suggesting that the bats are immune to the venom.
I hope you enjoyed it :D By the way, both picture remind me of the look my cat gives me when I have to grab him because he tries to steal my food lol. Have a happy November !
Hiyaaa @bastards-utopia, where I am, it is already the 1st of November, so I apologise for the late response. However, I will still participate in 'Trick or Treat' and I have decided to go for TREAT !
For you, I have Neobarrettia spinosa or the greater arid-land katydid. It has many more names, but the spookiest and my personal favourite is the red eyed devil !
The aptly named red eyed devil is indeed a bit of devil, given it is a carnivorous insect which predates on many insects, including other katydids, frogs, small lizards and even a species of bird ! !
Hiyaaa @arachnaloved, where I am, it is already the 1st of November, so I apologise for the late response. Eitherwayy, I will still participate in 'Trick or Treat' and I have decided to go for TREAT !
For you, I have Araneus marmoreus, which is more commonly known as the marbled orbweaver, but might also be called the pumpkin or halloween spider. The spider thanks its association with pumpkins and halloween to the appearence of the female's inflated abdomen which ressembles an orange pumpkin.
Hiyaa, @rosebushstuff, I was not expecting another trick or treater, but it is most definitely welcome.
For you, I also have a TREAT !
This is Zoropsis spinimana, known in German as the Nosferatu-Spinne. The spider thanks its German name to the ''face'' it bears on its cephalothorax, which ressembles Count Orlok or Nosferatu, from the 1922 silent movie ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror''.
By the way, the pictures of the spider, I made myself. I jokingly call it my nightly visitor, because I see it every night. That being said the Nosferatu-Spinne is a nocturnal predator. Also, it does not spin webs.
I hope you enjoyed it :D Have a spooky halloween !
Hiyaa @wandering-aloneo-o, sorry for the SUPER late response (or maybe it feels that way because it is late where I am), I hope you will still see it on Halloween <333
For TRICK OR TREAT, I have decided TREAT ! ! Here are some insects whose name you might associate with Halloween and some fun facts about them 🎃
Black Witch Moth - Ascalapha odorata
Fun fact: this moth's shape can actually be described as "bat-shaped", which I think is really awesome considering the halloween theme we are going with.
Devil's Coach Horse Beetle - Ocypus olens
Fun fact: in British folklore this beetle is thought to be evil because it would have eaten the core of the apple that Eve threw away. But also because they believed Judas, on his way to betray Christ to his enemies, encountered a number of these beetles who pointed their tails in the direction where the Lord had gone.
Dracula Ant - Mystrium camillae
(Also there is another species of ant, Adetomyrma venatrix, who shares this common name, but I still have to do more intensive research on that one. But they are called that because they feed of the blood of their young.)
Fun fact: its mandibles can snap shut at speeds up to 200 mph ! That is insane !
I hope this was interesting to you :D Have a spooky Halloween ! !
Hiya ! I am fairly sure this is a musk beetle, or Aromia moschata. It has that name because it will emit a musky smell when threatened.
I double-checked and the adults of this species do inhabit wetlands (and Poland, it is a Eurasian species), so I think this is your guy, or actually gal.
Because from what I have read, the males' antennae are longer than their bodies, while the females' antennae are about as long as their body. To me it seems to be the latter case, so I think it is a female.
The common issid bug, or Issus coleoptratus, is a common but fascinating planthopper. Unlike most of its family members, it is unable to fly. It is also quite unique because, as nymphs, they have mechanical-like gears on their hind legs.
@dippalodoculus, hiya ! It took like a week, but I finally got the time to finish this info-post. I hope you like it :DD
[UPDATE] One of my mutuals, @bryoinformatics, made me aware of the fact that Picture Insect is an unreliable source and, in fact, uses AI. I used this source under 'Description and Life Cycle' from "The egg...-...and dispersal".
I will not alter this piece to much, however, because I did cross-reference it with some general knowledge on the species. What I will do though, is generalise it a bit more, so there will (hopefully) not be any incorrect details. I will also not remove it from my list of sources, because I did lend some of the structure for my text, and think I should still credit it.
I apologise for spreading any misinformation, and hope that this will be more correct. If I made any more mistakes, please let me know. My intention is to educate, not to spread untruths.
On the Left: Adult Issus coleoptratus. On the Right: Issus coleoptratus Nymph.
Description and Life Cycle
The egg of the common issid bug is often laid in clusters. It's small and oval. The egg stage can last anywhere from days to weeks, depending on environmental conditions.
Upon hatching, the nymphs still lack fully developed wings. As nymphs grow, they molt several times, each instar showing incremental growth in size and wing development.
Emerging as an adult, the common issid bug exhibits fully formed wings and functional reproductive organs. The adult is typically displays a larger colour variation, is larger in size, and has a hardened exoskeleton. Additionally, it has a focus on reproduction and dispersal.
These adults can reach a length of 5.5–7.0 millimetres. Their colouration can vary from light brown and olive to nearly black. The head, including the eyes, is narrower than the pronotum. The forehead is usually dark brown to black in the upper third, with lighter spots. In the lower area, it is greenish, yellowish, or brownish in colour. The leathery wings typically exhibit a large number of dark brown cross-veins, accompanied by a dark brown discal spot. There is also some evidence of banding. Additionally, the common issid bug displays sexual dimorphism. The forewing veins of males and females differ. They are effaced distally in the female, while in males, they are prominent throughout.
These insects are unable to fly, unlike most members of their family.
Gear Structures on Hind Legs
Like all planthoppers, the nymphs of this insect have a small, gear-like structure on the base of each hind leg. These gear-like structures have teeth that intermesh with one another. This keeps the legs synchronized when the insect jumps, and prevents it from spiraling. The insects shed this gear before moulting into adults.
However, what is unique is that, unlike gear-like structures previously found on other animals, these were purely ornamental. This seems to be the first natural design that mechanically functions like our (man-made) geared systems.
Toothed Gears (Magnified Above with an Electron Microscope).
Distribution, Habitat and Diet
This common species can be found from May to mid-October in the western Palearctic realm, in the Near East, and in North Africa.
These insects live on shrubbery and foliage of various woody plants. They can also be found on common deciduous trees and in mixed forests, such as forest edges and parks.
They feed on the phloem, a type of vascular tissue, of different trees. Such as lime trees, oaks, maples, birches, elms, and hazels.
hi, just a heads-up, I'm fairly sure pictureinsect uses AI-generated text, it's a really unreliable app in general that does not cite its information so I would avoid using it as a source. I don't use it but I've warned others about it before, I can dm excerpts from there that tipped me off if you need
Hiya ! Thank you so much for letting me know !
I was not aware of that, but I will avoid it from now on.
I knew it did not cite its sources, but I figured if I cross-referenced some of the information with general knowledge on some species, it could be okay. Also, I was not aware it used AI. That really sucks !
Regardless, I will let my readers know. I will update my post in which I used it as a source, adding that, to where it applies, that the information might not be reliable.
The common issid bug, or Issus coleoptratus, is a common but fascinating planthopper. Unlike most of its family members, it is unable to fly. It is also quite unique because, as nymphs, they have mechanical-like gears on their hind legs.
@dippalodoculus, hiya ! It took like a week, but I finally got the time to finish this info-post. I hope you like it :DD
[UPDATE] One of my mutuals, @bryoinformatics, made me aware of the fact that Picture Insect is an unreliable source and, in fact, uses AI. I used this source under 'Description and Life Cycle' from "The egg...-...and dispersal".
I will not alter this piece to much, however, because I did cross-reference it with some general knowledge on the species. What I will do though, is generalise it a bit more, so there will (hopefully) not be any incorrect details. I will also not remove it from my list of sources, because I did lend some of the structure for my text, and think I should still credit it. I also added the sources, I used to cross-reference (see the second and third source).
I apologise for spreading any misinformation, and hope that this will be more correct. If I made any more mistakes, please let me know. My intention is to educate, not to spread untruths.
On the Left: Adult Issus coleoptratus. On the Right: Issus coleoptratus Nymph.
Description and Life Cycle
The egg of the common issid bug is often laid in clusters. It's small and oval. The egg stage can last anywhere from days to weeks, depending on environmental conditions.
Upon hatching, the nymphs still lack fully developed wings. As nymphs grow, they molt several times, each instar showing incremental growth in size and wing development.
Emerging as an adult, the common issid bug exhibits fully formed wings and functional reproductive organs. The adult is typically displays a larger colour variation, is larger in size, and has a hardened exoskeleton. Additionally, it has a focus on reproduction and dispersal.
These adults can reach a length of 5.5–7.0 millimetres. Their colouration can vary from light brown and olive to nearly black. The head, including the eyes, is narrower than the pronotum. The forehead is usually dark brown to black in the upper third, with lighter spots. In the lower area, it is greenish, yellowish, or brownish in colour. The leathery wings typically exhibit a large number of dark brown cross-veins, accompanied by a dark brown discal spot. There is also some evidence of banding. Additionally, the common issid bug displays sexual dimorphism. The forewing veins of males and females differ. They are effaced distally in the female, while in males, they are prominent throughout.
These insects are unable to fly, unlike most members of their family.
Gear Structures on Hind Legs
Like all planthoppers, the nymphs of this insect have a small, gear-like structure on the base of each hind leg. These gear-like structures have teeth that intermesh with one another. This keeps the legs synchronized when the insect jumps, and prevents it from spiraling. The insects shed this gear before moulting into adults.
However, what is unique is that, unlike gear-like structures previously found on other animals, these were purely ornamental. This seems to be the first natural design that mechanically functions like our (man-made) geared systems.
Toothed Gears (Magnified Above with an Electron Microscope).
Distribution, Habitat and Diet
This common species can be found from May to mid-October in the western Palearctic realm, in the Near East, and in North Africa.
These insects live on shrubbery and foliage of various woody plants. They can also be found on common deciduous trees and in mixed forests, such as forest edges and parks.
They feed on the phloem, a type of vascular tissue, of different trees. Such as lime trees, oaks, maples, birches, elms, and hazels.
