Montague Mantis

just a small bug living in a big bug world! | adventure blog!

[thetravelingmantis]

hello! 👋 my name is montague mantis, thank you for stopping by! i meet many amazing insects on my travels, and some incredible non-insects as well, and this is where i share them with you!

all of my friends can be found under the tag "#montague's friends"!

if you don't like insects, including arachnids, don't be afraid, we won't hurt you! but it may be best for you to fly on!

[definitely-not-several-bugs]

Lets all roll up with mama ❤️

[eren-t22]

Limbo wouldn’t let go of my hand so I had to hold him for 15 mins while he ate 😂

[mantisshrinp]

By Kike Esteras

[scienceambersandfantasy]

Urban Life

Cigarette Butt Mimic Moth

u/spaghettichildren

[sweetomensart]

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

bugs are friends

[xalatath]

Here's a video of Ve'nari eating a cricket (already thoroughly chewed)

Solifuges have crazy chelicerae. They are not venomous, and thus rely on pure force to kill their prey. Here is a gif showing their chewing mechanism.

[dorcushopei]

Uhm woolly chafer beetle pixel art

I like translating color palettes to a value scale

[beausbugbiome]

Hoppers galore in Monteverde, Costa Rica!💚🌿

📸 OM tough tg-7

Uncertain of exact species of all but will the my best! As always, please feel free to correct me.

From left to right, top down:

1. Genus Paromenia

2. Isogonalia sexlineata

3. Graphocephala bivittata

4. Genus Hortensia

5. Genus Barbinolla

6. Tribe Cicadellini

7. Tribe Cicadellini

8. Iphirhina quota

[iikkigai]

flying(?) bug

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Coenodomus Moths: these moths have fuzzy "horns" that grow from the structures at the base of their antennae

Moths of the genus Coenodomus have a very peculiar feature -- each male has a pair of horn-like appendages sprouting from his head. These "horns" are actually soft, pliable structures that are known as scape extensions, because they grow from the scape (i.e. the base) of each antenna.

The scape extensions are covered in long, fuzzy-looking scales, and they're often held in an upright position, with the two "horns" curling together to form a tiny horseshoe/halo over the moth's head.

They can also be folded back toward the body; in some cases, they're even tucked down to the point where they are barely visible.

It's unclear whether or not these "horns" have any adaptive purpose, but some sources argue that they might be used for courtship, camouflage/crypsis, or sexual selection.

There are at least 15 different species of Coenodomus moth, and they can be found in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Bhutan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, and Australia.

Sources & More Info:

Annales Zooligici: A Review of the Genus Coenodomus in China with Descriptions of Four New Species

iNaturalist: Genus Coenodomus

Moths of India: Observation for Coenodomus rubrescens

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Fairy Bees: these tiny bees can measure less than 2mm long, which is smaller than a carpenter bee's eye

Above: two different species of fairy bee

Bees of the genus Perdita, also known as fairy bees, are some of the smallest bees in the world. Their tiny bodies can measure as little as 1.6mm long, which is smaller than the eyes of many bumblebees and carpenter bees.

Above: a fairy bee depicted next to a carpenter bee (genus Xylocopa)

The smallest species in this genus is the mini fairy bee, Perdita minima, which is so small that it's often mistaken for an ant.

Above: Perdita minima standing next to a quarter

As this book explains:

With almost 640 species, most restricted to the southwestern USA and adjacent parts of Mexico, this genus forms a species swarm of mostly very small ground-nesting bees. One of its species, the aptly named Perdita minima, shares the record for being the smallest bee in the world at just 1/16th of an inch (1.6 millimeters) in length. Unsurprisingly, it favors similarly tiny flowers, such as those of the whitemargin sandmat (Chamaesyce albomarginata).

Above: close-ups of Perdita perpallida and Perdita heliotropii

Fairy bees are solitary, meaning that they don't form colonies or live together in hives. Each female builds her own nest by creating a small tunnel in the ground and then stocking it with pollen.

Above: a fairy bee standing on a dime and another one standing on a quarter

This article describes the nesting process in greater detail:

Fairy Bees are “mining” bees, referring to the fact that they are ground nesting bees. The females excavate tunnels in the ground somewhere within a short distance of a food source. They then visit flowers, feeding on nectar and collecting pollen on specialized hairs on their legs known as “scopae.”

The females then deliver these pollen bundles to their subterranean nests as a food source for their larva. The larva hatch, consume the pollen bundle, develop through metamorphosis into adult bees and the cycle continues.

Above: Perdita minima crawling on the antenna of a carpenter bee

Most fairy bees are specialist foragers with very short tongues, so they prefer shallow flowers. They typically fly during the summer and autumn, timing their emergence to coincide with their favorite host plant.

Above: Perdita leotola

Sources & More Info:

Minnesota Native Bees: Fairy Bees

Bees of the World: Genus Perdita

Honey Bee Suite: Perdita minima, the Smallest of the Small (PDF)

Field Guide to the Common Bees of California: Genus Perdita

Local News Pasadena: Photographing a Nearly Microscopic Bee You've Probably Never Noticed

iNaturalist: Fairy Bees

Facebook: The Bees in Your Backyard

[ljsbugblog]

handsome little treehopper resting on some grass. I really love how these photos came out :)

Unknown Treehopper (tribe Terentiini), April '24.

[ieafy]

Pink bugs!!! I have been enjoying Bugs 🪲

[cherrie-bunny]

I'll never be her

[darklight-owl]

People who like mantises but aren't that into entomology are always "orchid mantises" this and "orchid mantises" that. Overrated. Can we talk about Toxodera integrifolia for a minute:

(Image links because as much as it pains me I've never seen one of these beauties irl: 1 2 3)

Like how are these things real. Girl what is that thorax shape. Why are you wearing eyeliner. And the colors? Absolutely fire. This is a 10/10 insect if you ask me.

[snail-creates]

Can tab insects scuttle your way

add them to your inventory?

yes 🤏

no 😞

pet them 🫳

just admire them 🪲

Voting ended onNov 16, 2025