It is groundh̶o̶g̶ beetle day and my prediction is... no chance of the little guys emerging from hibernation any time soon, at least here where the high is -8°C :D
Ground beetles like this golden beetle (Carabus auratus) are predators, both as larvae and as adults. Native to Europe, golden ground beetles have been important for their ability to prey on the invasive Colorado potato beetle.
For this last day of #GoblinWeek, I have what are probably the most important goblinsects of all time: Dung beetles. Because I skipped yesterday (fuck ICE), I'm giving you two different drawings, plus a picture from my old yard!
All dung beetles are in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea, but represent several different families. They serve many vital ecological functions, including waste disposal and sanitation, nutrient recycling, and seed dispersal. Adults bury waste in the soil to create nests for their brood, which eat the poop, breaking down the nutrients to recycle back into the soil. By removing the waste from the surface, they are crucial for preventing disease spread, and while forming the dung balls they move around any undigested seeds located in the waste.
Today for #GoblinWeek - don't let appearances fool you, this fluffy little guy is a moose botfly (Cephenemyia ulrichii). Females incubate their eggs internally, then squirt the hatched larvae into a moose's nose (or, rarely, a human's eye). The larvae bury themselves in the flesh, growing fat on moose meat before getting sneezed out into the soil where they pupate.
Hmm... The termite mimic creature I shared yesterday for #GoblinWeek was not popular ... Can't imagine why. To make it up to you I have two creatures today, each named "goblin."
Goblin spiders (family Oonopidae) are tiny little guys with somewhere between 0 and 6 eyes, depending on the species. They are frequently found in fossilized amber.
Goblin roaches (Paratemnopteryx couloniana) seem to have been named that by the people who raise them as feeder insects. Like most feeder bugs, they're pretty easy going and cannot fly, though they might get a little jumpy.
#InsectArt #InvertArt #SpiderArt #spider #watercolor #SciArt
#GoblinWeek There are lots of trickster bugs out there, but this one is one of the strangest. A blowfly larva (Rhyncomya sp) has evolved to mimic termites in appearance, chemical profile, and even behavior to fully socially integrate within the nests. The long papillae imitate termite antennae, allowing for communication with multiple individuals at once. They release pheromones that are indistinguishable from the termites' scent and even partake in grooming activities. They grow fat on termite labor before pupating and flying away.
Of course, the whole thing is backwards - what looks like red eyes on its face is actually breathing holes on its butt!
Oh no, it's #GoblinWeek! To celebrate I like sharing some of the more goblin-y insects out there. Here are two paintings I did last year.
Junk bugs are the larvae of the pretty and delicate green lacewings (family Chrysopidae). They are known for collecting debris and the dead bodies of their victims on their backs.
The gum leaf skeletonizer (Uraba lugens) is the caterpillar of a small brown moth. As it grows and sheds old exoskeletons, it keeps the old head caps, wearing them like a silly hat.
I started regretting taking on this endeavor sometime around the third spiky leg, but these guys are just so cool! The golden egg bug, Phyllomorpha laciniata, is named for the golden eggs it lays on the backs of its friends. Both the males and females carry eggs, protecting them with their completely unappetizing looking spines.
Happy #WeevilWednesday! I've painted a Haselblattroller, aka hazel leaf roller, Apoderus coryli. As the name suggests, they roll leaves from hazel trees into protective tubes for their larvae.
Entomorphic Vision.
#ArtDigital #SurrealArt #OccultArt #EsotericVibes #SymbolicArt #DarkArt #Mysticism #InsectArt #VisionaryArt #AI #AiArt #DigitalArt #CreativeExpression #BlackAndWhiteArt #Midjourney
I painted this wasp solely because of its scientific name - Astata boops. I didn't even do a particularly good job of it, but it doesn't matter, because... Astata boops.
These solitary wasps are predators of shield bug larvae, which they paralyze then stuff into underground cells where they lay their eggs.
This painting is a female; males are about 98% eyes.
⭐️JANUARY SALE⭐️
The Madagascan moon moth is also known as the comet moth.
My original drawing is on sale, reduced to just £22.50
https://folksy.com/find/item/8530242
#FediGiftShop #ScottishArtist #MastoArt #CreativeToots
#Moth #MadagascarMoonMoth #InsectArt #OriginalArt #Drawing #Painting #Artwork #TraditionalArtist #ArtFromScotland #GiftIdeas #ArtShop #ShopIndy #SupportSmallBusiness #Sale #Bargain #Clearance
⭐️JANUARY SALE⭐️
Cabbage white butterflies on yellow flowers. Shop early for Valentines or Mother's day.
Now only £22.50 for this original artwork.
https://folksy.com/find/item/8530325
#FediGiftShop #ScottishArtist #MastoArt #CreativeToots
#Butterflies #InsectArt #OriginalArt #Drawing #Painting #Artwork #TraditionalArtist #ArtFromScotland #GiftIdeas #ArtShop #ShopIndy #SupportSmallBusiness #Sale #Bargain #Clearance
I claim to like bee butts, but not nearly as much as this guy - Stylops melittae is a twisted wing fly, also known as a Fächerflügler, a parasite of Andrena sand bees. This painting is of a male - females retain their pupal form and live most of their lives within their host, who survives the ordeal, albeit greatly subdued. The female's head partially sticks out from between the bee's abdominal segments, releasing a pheromone that attracts males. The larvae hatch inside the female's body, where they consume their mother from within before emerging through the head. The still living host bee then scatters the mobile larvae around flowers, where they can be picked up by unwitting foragers.
This is actually the second version I did of this piece, for a story project I have been working on for a few years now
I felt I couldn't get the right greens from the pallette of the first one
Gouache on Oxford watercolor paper
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Where's your nose, friend? For #WeevilWednesday I have a broad-nosed weevil, Phyllobius arborator. The Germans call weevils "Rüsselkäfer," which translates literally to "trunk beetles." A Grünrüssler would be a green trunk guy, I guess.
A weevil's mouthparts sit at the end of its nose, or rostrum. Broad-nosed weevils in the subfamily Entiminae have notable scarring on their mandibles, from where they lose their sharp poky teeth (deciduous processes) shortly after emerging as adults.
This lady wins the award for coolest common name - Riesen-Blutbiene, or giant blood bee (Sphecodes albilabris). Despite its name it is not out for blood, unless you happen to be the larva of a Colletes bee. As kleptoparasites, females lay their eggs in other bees' nests, killing their hosts to make room for the new larvae.
Gouache in my sketchbook
#kons_spons #konstrukto_spons #gouache #sketchbook #insectart #art #MastoArt
For Christmas my spouse got me even more German field guides! So many new friends to paint!
This green-eyed fellow is a Salz-Buntbiene (Camptopoeum friesei). They dig semi-communal nests in salty, alkaline sands and specialize in collecting oils from thistles.
