Moth Of The Day #135

Looking at Pinterest drawing tutorials to make myself angrier and more full of rage

Much has been said about unrealistic female anatomy, but is it not even more bizarre and fucking terrible that <90% of generic male drawing tutorials show some kind of monstrous aftermath of bodybuilding, steroids and extreme dehydration and are like "this is a basic male torso"

1-6 my little bug!!!!!!!!!!! 🐞💛

7-10 my dumbo billy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🐁💕

[Image ID: a photo of a fluffy snow leopard cub, old enough that it’s not helpless but young enough that it’s still reliant on its mother. It’s laying on its back in a pile of rocks, it’s tail laying next to it and its hind legs flopped over its belly. It’s front legs are stretched up over its head in a comic manner. Despite the ridiculous, kind of uncomfortable-looking position its eyes are closed and it is clearly snoozing. /End ID]

A snow leopard cub that fell asleep during playtime by Cloudtail the Snow Leopard

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

The lacewing will spend about 5 days maturing within its cacoon, before it cuts an opening in the top and emerges as a fully-developed adult.

The larvae of the green lacewing (family Chrysopidae) are also known as "aphid lions," due to their skill/appetite when it comes to hunting aphids. They're widely used in agricultural contexts to help eradicate pests, because they are voracious predators that also commonly prey upon caterpillars, leafhoppers, planthoppers, thrips, spiders, mites, and insect eggs.

As it nears the end of its larval stage, a lacewing will spin a small cacoon out of silk and then tuck 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.

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

When a lacewing first emerges from a cacoon, its wings are still compactly folded down against its body; the wings then gradually begin to expand until they have reached their full size, which usually takes about an hour or two.

Fischer's photographs provide an excellent account of this entire process.

Here are just a few other images of the common green lacewing:

Sources & More Info

University of California's Integrated Pest Management Program: The Green Lacewing

Texas A&M's Field Guide to the Insects of Texas: Green Lacewings

Washington State University: Lacewings

Tennessee State University: Fact Sheet on the Green Lacewing (PDF download)

Pacific Pests & Pathogens: Green Lacewings/Biocontrol

Animal of the Day!

Great Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx haastii)

(Photo by Max De Beer)

Conservation Status- Vulnerable

Habitat- Northern South Island of New Zealand

Size (Weight/Length)- 3 kg; 50 cm

Diet- Insects; Worms; Crayfish

Cool Facts- Kiwi’s got the shortest evolutionary stick. The great spotted kiwi is the largest kiwi species. These flightless birds are nocturnal and spend their days sleeping in burrows. Monogamous pairs are aggressive to other kiwi’s and humans alike, attempting to chase them away from burrows. If you thought human pregnancy was difficult, a female great spotted kiwi would laugh in your face. The egg makes up a fourth of a female’s body weight. The female has to survive on fat reserves as she does not eat the entire five month gestation period. As soon as the egg is laid, the male takes over the incubation process. Once the chick hatches, the parents leave it to fend for itself with no regrets. Invasive predators in a mix with habitat destruction have dropped the great spotted kiwi population by 45% in half a century. 

Rating- 13/10 (The fruit was named after the bird.)

it’s crazy how much diversity there can be in one species…these are all pictures of the same bird species (red-tailed hawk)

I love seeing this shot, and it's a lot of fun to replicate!

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just found out about this cute little birdy and i am in love