Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Insects and Arachnids and the like...

While I'm talking about moths, have a look at the Death's Head Hawkmoth.

800px-Acherontia_lachesis.jpg


There are three species of Death’s Head Hawkmoth, or DHH as I will abbreviate it, but the most well known of them is Acherontia atropos. Two of the species can be found in various regions of the far east while the better studied one can be found in Africa and parts of Europe. It’s a rather big moth with a wing span of 3 to 5 inches.

In case you haven’t caught on, the DHH get’s it’s name from a pattern that more often then not, resembles a human skull. And with such an eerie birth mark, it probably doesn't come as a surprise that the DHH has a significant amount of superstitions tied under it’s belt such as bad luck to the house it flies in. There’s also one more thing that may contribute to it’s ill reputation…

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efyufhtO7VU[/video]

Yeah, it squeaks. But to someone who is less educated and more superstitious, it may come off as more of a shriek. It does this as a response to being irritated or disturbed. It’s rather rare when an insect such as moths or butterflies produce sound, but the world of arthropods is nothing short of spectacular. But despite all this and being a possible minor agriculture pest, the DHH is harmless.
 
Here's a highlight on an insect that I'm sure you're all familiar with, yet at the same time, probably don't actually know a whole lot about it. The Lady Bird Beetle.

ladybug.jpg


The Lady Bird Beetle (Or "Ladybug" for all you wussies out there) often ranges from 8 to 10 mm in length. They are most easily recognized by their red coloring's and black spots. It should be noted that they can also come in shades of yellow and orange as well as different patterns of black markings on their back. Ladybugs can be found world wide in any kind of climate. Rather than migrating to warmer areas when winter approaches, Ladybugs will flock together in cracks, crevices, or anywhere they can find warmth and protection from the elements. Although some of them can be damaging to vegetation, they are incredibly beneficial to humans as they mainly dine on crop damaging creatures such as aphids and scale worms. As for the Ladybug itself, it has very few predators. Ladybug's bright colorations serves to warn potential predators that it is very distasteful. If threatened, they can also secrete a very bad smelling liquid from glands located in their legs. This is known as acid reflexing, and when combined with it's already bad taste, predators such as birds will seldom eat a ladybug twice in their lives.
 
Meet the Happy Face Spider everyone.

tumblr_mmcuswJDJP1r033hao1_500.jpg


Before I continue, no, this is not photo shopped. No, some dude did not paint a Happy Face on him. And yes, mother nature thought it would be hilarious to put a smiley face on a spider. The Happy Face Spider, (or HFS, for now on) is exclusively native to the Hawaiian islands of Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui and of course Hawaii itself. They only grow up to be 5 mm long, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you how you can identify them. They exhibit fairly standard spider behavior. They usually spin their webs on the underside of leaves and wait for an unsuspecting insect to become ensnared in it's trap. It will then proceed to wrap the victim in silk and eat it's innards. The most obvious source of interest is the HFS's peculiar pattern displayed on it's abdomen. Just like a snowflake, no two HFS patterns are alike. Some even lack the markings altogether. As to why these spiders were bestowed upon these curious markings is a bit of a mystery. The most probable solution scientists think is to confuse larger predators, such as birds. The only problem is that a smile isn't something that would usually deter a bird from choosing it as a meal.

My own personal theory, though very unlikely, is that the markings aren't meant to prevent birds from harming them, but human beings instead. A young girl probably wouldn't feel any remorse stepping on a spider that crawled out from under her dresser. But if she were to come across a colorful spider with a goofy looking Happy Face on it, she might actually find it amusing and even want it to stick around.
 
You know....That spider really looks happy. Is that suppose to scare away its prey?
 
DelightfulRevenge said:
You know....That spider really looks happy. Is that suppose to scare away its prey?

I think you mean to ask if it's suppose to scare away predators. You wouldn't want to scare prey away, that's your food. ;)

But yeah, that would be the assumption. But like I mentioned, a happy face isn't the kind of pattern that would deter something like a bird from eating it, so it's bit unclear why it would look like a smiley face. It's very possible that it serves no practical purpose at all.
 
Ooh...Lol. At least you knew what i mean. :p Anyway, thanks for the answering.
 
DelightfulRevenge said:
Ooh...Lol. At least you knew what i mean. :p Anyway, thanks for the answering.

Not at all. Really, I wish I could get a little more feedback on this thread. I enjoying writing my bug highlights, but it's much more satisfying when it doesn't feel like I'm performing in front of an empty audience, so to speak.

Maybe it just has a lot of lurkers who do check back regularly but don't post.
 
How did I not notice this thread until now? I'm not particularly interested in arthropods as a singular area of study, but I consider myself a bit of a zoologist in the broad spectrum of things. I'll have to keep an eye on this thread for a chance to learn! I never knew that there was a blue tarantula and that thing is plain gorgeous.

On the theme of insectoids, I'll just leave this nightmare fuel here for anyone with the blind courage to challenge the feroicious helgramite.​
 
The Dungeon Master said:
How did I not notice this thread until now? I'm not particularly interested in arthropods as a singular area of study, but I consider myself a bit of a zoologist in the broad spectrum of things. I'll have to keep an eye on this thread for a chance to learn! I never knew that there was a blue tarantula and that thing is plain gorgeous.

On the theme of insectoids, I'll just leave this nightmare fuel here for anyone with the blind courage to challenge the feroicious helgramite.​

I'm pleased to hear that. :)
 
Stonetribe is very fluent in the language of Arthropods, also known as Arthropinese. Have some Earwigs.

earwig-ready-to-pinch-pest-cemetery.jpg


Earwigs can be found on almost every continent bar arctic regions and can be identified by a dark coloration and their trademark forceps pincers. Their not the biggest insects, only growing as big as an inch or two. Although they posses wings, they hardly make use of them. earwigs are nocturnal feeders and during the day, they prefer to hide in dark, damp and cool crevices. Most earwigs are scavengers, feeding on decaying organic matter, but some do exhibit predatory behaviors. earwigs are also commonly epizoic, meaning that they live on other animals, most usually a mammal, and feed on various body secretions like sweat or skin/scalp scalp flakes. If threatened, earwigs will produce a foul smelling liquid in conjunction to flashing their rear pincers and attempt to pinch if it is continued to be disturbed. As gruesomely appearing as they are, earwigs pose no threat humans. They do not transmit any diseases and even the bigger species pincers can produce no more than a harmless clamp on you fingers. Even through all it's frightening features, female earwigs are on of the few insects, bar eurosocial kinds like ants and termites, to display maternal care for there young. She will pay close attention to her eggs and keep them warm and well cleaned. She will also viciously defend them against any potential predators. When the time comes for the eggs to hatch, she will assist any nymphs that have trouble getting out of their casing. The nymphs will stay under the watchful eyes of their mother till their second molt. Until then, the mother Earwig will feed her young regurgitated food.

The Earwig got it's name from an urban myth stating that earwigs had the tendency to crawl inside peoples ear and burrow into their brain. However, this is untrue as there is not a single report of an Earwig doing this. An Earwig may rarely crawl inside a humans ear, but will not go far and will soon exit the "cave" as it realizes ears make a poor place to hide during the day.
 
And now for something a little different. Ladies and gentleman, allow me to introduce to you, Black Arachnia, the Broodmother, hailing from the popular online game, Defense of The Ancients 2 (Or Dota 2, as it's more oftenly called)

Broodmother.jpg


Firstly, let me tell you all her official in game lore. And by tell, I mean copy pasta.

For centuries, Black Arachnia the Broodmother lurked in the dark lava tubes beneath the smoldering caldera of Mount Pyrotheos, raising millions of spiderlings in safety before sending them to find prey in the wide world above. In a later age, the Vizier of Greed, Ptholopthales, erected his lodestone ziggurat on the slopes of the dead volcano, knowing that any looters who sought his magnetic wealth must survive the spider-haunted passages. After millennia of maternal peace, Black Arachnia found herself beset by a steady trickle of furfeet and cutpurses, bold knights and noble youths--all of them delicious, certainly, and yet tending to create a less than nurturing environment for her innocent offspring. Tiring of the intrusions, she paid a visit to Ptholopthales; and when he proved unwilling to discuss a compromise, she wrapped the Vizier in silk and set him aside to be the centerpiece of a special birthday feast. Unfortunately, the absence of the Magnetic Ziggurat's master merely emboldened a new generation of intruders. When one of her newborns was trodden underfoot by a clumsy adventurer, she reached the end of her silken rope. Broodmother headed for the surface, declaring her intent to rid the world of each and every possible invader, down to the last Hero if necessary, until she could ensure her nursery might once more be a safe and wholesome environment for her precious spiderspawn.

So let's see... Where do I start? I suppose an optimal place would be that she is a giant, talking spider that I can play as in a video game. Being the bug lover and avid video gamer I am, this is like purchasing some chicken nuggets at the drive through, pulling out exact change from my pocket, and finding out as I enjoy them that there was an additional nugget then meant to be. If you try to think of as many video games that let you be any sort of arthropod, I bet you won't even make it up to five.

Enough about me nerding on about bugs in video games though, and more of me, well, nerding on about a specific bug in a certain video game. As a character I find, Black Arachnia, or Broodmother as she is more often referred to, very interesting and even a bit sympathetic. Firstly, she's at least a thousand years old. I'd bet anyone with that kind of longevity would have seen plenty in their time and no doubt become moderately experienced in a number of things. The thing Broodmother must be experienced the most with though, must be, well, being a mother! A single mother at that. Granted, being a spider mother compared to being a human one probably has quite a few differences, but definitely difficult nonetheless. She's a strong, independent female spider who don't need no male spider.

Apparently though, some wizard (Dota 2 is placed in a fantasy setting, in case you didn't know) decided to build his "lodestone ziggurat" whatever the heck that is, specifically right next to Broodmother's home, thinking that he can use her many children as a means of scaring off whoever wants his "lodestone ziggurat". Broodmother however, isn't entirely happy with this, as I'm sure any good mother wouldn't want complete strangers brandishing large sharp pieces of metal and staffs that shoot fire balls near their children either. So she pays him a visit and tries to level with him, work something out, you know? Turns out he's a mean, stubborn old geezer though. He must of said some pretty nasty things to Brood for her outright turn him into the spider equivalent of a birthday cake. Problem solved, right? Apparently not, as his absence only encourages even more people to barge into her home. She must of been pretty fed up at this point, and when one of her young is actually stepped on by some moron who thinks he's a valiant knight, Broodmother decided it was time to take things into her own pedipalps. (That's the spider equivalent of hands by the way)

She also has another bit of lore, this time in the form of a cosmetic set of items for her to wear. (The items don't effect gameplay, their for apparel purpose only)

Many are the knights and noble youths who have intruded on the hunting grounds of the Broodmother, disturbing her peace with the clatter of armor, their boots setting atwitch her silken web. The intruders are like succulent shelled insects upon whose innards she's gorged, all the while growing curious of the adornments that drape their bodies, until that day when a blacksmith found his way into her web. Armor he promised her, the finest in the land, if only she would set him free. And so a deal was struck, and the blacksmith measured, and toiled, taking as his materials the finest steel to be found among the husked corpses of silk-wrapped knights. When the new armor was finished, the spider kept her promise and set the blacksmith free. Then she watched her brood devour him.

Hmmm. Well okay, maybe Broodmother's morals are a little darker then I might make them out to be. But in her defense, her experience with other humans isn't exactly one that she should be trusting of them. Also, imagine this. You take your children to the park, and their you find someone handing out 100% legit free ice cream and candy, and you tell your kids that they can't have any, without being able to give them any reason whatsoever. Yeah...

Which brings her to the field of combat as we see her in Dota 2. She's hands down my favorite hero to play as. Compared to the rest of the cast, (A total of 101 playable characters, and growing) She's actually considered not as good or viable. But that just makes me want to use her even more. And it's not just because she's a spider and I love all bugs, really. Her play style literally makes me feel like I'm a giant spider! Now this might not entirely make sense, but I'm going to list her abilities and how they're used. I think you guys will get the picture.

Her first skill is called "Spawn Spiderlings" and basically what is does is that she shoots this glob of green stuff at an enemy, and if it kills said enemy or they die shortly there after, they will leave little spider babies in their wake. These "Spiderlings" can be controlled to move and attack other units. Further more, when a enemy unit is killed by or dies shortly after being attacked by a spiderling, they will leave behind a "Spiderite" a slightly weaker version of the spiderling. With this skill, you can quickly amass an army of adorable little spiders to swarm anything that stands in your way!

Her second skill is called "Spin Web" and it's the main thing that makes me feel like I'm literally a spider. If you think she goes all spiderman and binds the bad guys with silk that shoots out like silly string on steroids, your mistaken. No, rather she spins a web on the ground in a moderately large area. Whenever Broodmother, or her children for that matter, stand in this web, they get three bonuses. Firstly, they become invisible from enemy sight. Secondly, they receive a speed boost. And lastly, they are granted with bonus health regeneration. Again, it's mainly because of this skill that I feel like a spider. You wait in your web for enemies to pass by and then ambush them in an area that gives you an advantage!

The third skill "Incapacitating Bite" isn't as flashy as the first two, but it still adds to the overall spider feel. It's passive, meaning it's always in effect. What it does is that whenever she strikes an enemy, their movement speed is slowed and their accuracy is reduced, making them miss their own attacks. This is like the venom spiders use on insects once they are stuck in their web before they start to wrap them up.

Finally, her fourth and ultimate "A dota 2 heroes most powerful skill" is called "Insatiable Hunger". When she activates it, she gains bonus attack damage and lifesteal for a short duration. "Lifesteal" means that when she attacks someone, some of the damage dealt is returned to her as health. It's perfect for when you catch an enemy hero all alone, as any damage they deal to you is almost entirely negated as she chows down on them.
 
I gotta say, I'm terrified of bugs, particularly bees and spiders. I mean, I don't wanna be anywhere near 'em, and I freak out whenever one lands on me. I got in huge trouble in basic training when a bee landed on me in formation and I crashed through half of the division in my freakout-slappy dance. However, despite my phobia, I do find them somewhat fascinating to study from a distance or academically. The whole exoskeleton thing is just plain cool.

Anyways, I'd love to see an entry on either Ironclad Beetles or on the Coconut Crab.
 
Admiral Squish said:
I gotta say, I'm terrified of bugs, particularly bees and spiders. I mean, I don't wanna be anywhere near 'em, and I freak out whenever one lands on me. I got in huge trouble in basic training when a bee landed on me in formation and I crashed through half of the division in my freakout-slappy dance. However, despite my phobia, I do find them somewhat fascinating to study from a distance or academically. The whole exoskeleton thing is just plain cool.

Anyways, I'd love to see an entry on either Ironclad Beetles or on the Coconut Crab.

I think I've done a highlight on Coconut Crabs on a different forum once actually. Let me see if I can find it for you. If so, I can post it here later.
 
So I couldn't find a highlight on the Coconut Crab, But think I might do one later. Have some fireflies to tide you over.

firefly.jpg


Also commonly known as the Lighting Bug, the Firefly isn't a fly at all, but rather a beetle. Fireflies can be found in any non-arctic region of the world, but prefer humid and moisture abundant habitats. Most Firefly adults are assumed to feed on plant pollen and nectar, or eat nothing at all considering their short life spans. A few species of fireflies are carnivorous and exclusively eat other species of Firefly by attracting them through imitating the flashing pattern of a willing mating partner. Firefly larva on the other hand are usually carnivorous and eat small mollusks.

The most distinguishing feature of the Firefly is its ability to great a variety of glows and flashes. This is known as bio-luminescence and they can do this thanks to a substance located in their abdomen called Luciferin. In a nut shell, Luciferin is a heat resistant substance that will light up when exposed to oxygen. All the Firefly need do is take in air, and direct it into the proper organs. As if this isn't interesting enough, Firefly produced light is the most efficient light in the world. This is because 100% of energy emitted is light. A light bulb in comparison, emits 10% of energy as light and the rest as heat. The main reason Fireflies flash around in the first place is to locate a proper suitor for courtship. It also serves as a warning to potential predators that they are distasteful and in some cases, poisonous to a degree

Also this, because I'm a sucker for these kind of songs.

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feLAm3LdN9g[/video]
 
Not only am I an idiot, but I am also tardy. Oh well. First, Water Striders.

water_strider_gerrid_joel.jpg


Water Striders can be found just about anywhere in the world in any freshwater habitat. Marine species of Water Striders also exist, albeit less common. This usually consists of still water ponds and lakes but can also include slow moving streams. The thing that sets these insects apart from others is their almost trademark ability to walk on the surface of water, giving them the nickname "Jesus Bugs". They can easily be identified, aside from walking on water in the first place, by their four long legs spaced evenly throughout the water as well as an additional pair of legs that sport claws that help them manipulate objects.

These unique insects are able to walk on water thanks to a combination of two factors. The first is their long slender legs that have tons of hydrofuge hairs that use water surface tension to the Striders advantage. Each leg boost thousands of hairs per square millimeter. The second is the that they space their legs just so to distribute weight evenly. Their legs may be thin, but are strong as well as flexible. This enables the Water Strider to push backwards with its hind legs and "skate" across the waters surface. Now here's where I drop the bomb.

Water striders are strictly carnivorous predators.

I assume your reaction was something along the lines of "Wait, wait, WHAT!? How could something as cute and whimsical as the Water Strider able to kill and eat any other sort of creature?!" Mine certainly was when I first found this fact out. But yes, instead of being herbivores or at least omnivores, Water Striders are in fact meat eaters. They will prey on any insect that has fallen onto the water surface. Seeing as most other insects can't swim, they can do little to put up a fight against anything that wants to make a meal out of them. Water Striders are easily notified of potential meals due to the inevitable ripples a struggling insect or spider will make. After dashing towards their prey, they will grip them with their claw like forearms (The objects they manipulate that I mentioned above are prey by the way) and stab the victim with a piercing mouth part called a rostrum to suck up the innards. Water striders aren't greedy however, and will share the bounty with any other nearby Striders. Speaking of which, Water Striders are also known to be social creatures, forming packs to easier obtain nutrition or shelter. At other times, specifically the mating season, they can be territorial, making their turf known by sending out certain ripples that other Striders can understand. males will defend their territory as well as their female from other Striders.

And now, Funnel Web Spiders.

funnel-web-spider05.jpg


These spiders are can be found world wide. Their size can be from about as big as a penny up to about 2 inches including leg span. Their most well known for their unique web structures, that are often shaped like into a cone/tunnel fashion. They prefer to construct these dwellings in under logs or rocks and other places that might be a tad cooler and damp. This functions more like a shelter rather then as a trap to catch prey. This is because their silk lacks the sticky attribute of other web dwelling arachnids. But this doesn't mean it won't assist in bringing food to the table though. The web itself will be splayed out on the ground near its entrance. Any insects that tread on this "welcome mat" will cause vibrations that will alert the spider. When a suitable meal is detected, they will rush out to subdue their victim with a venomous bite. Species of funnel web spiders are known for their surprisingly fast speed which can match that of a slow pedestrian walk (I have wikipedia to thank for that little tidbit) They are also a tad renowned for their venom, as it is a bit on the potent side among spiders.
 
I was searching for ways to procrastinate my game design paper and found this old thread. I really liked doing these highlights, so I think I'll throw another for old times sake and the off chance I pique someone's curiosity. Check out the Japanese Giant Spider Crab.

japanese-spider-crab.jpg


As the name implies, these guys can be found in the coasts of the far east from Tokyo Bay to Kagoshima Prefecture. With that out of the way, Let me tell you the thing about these guys. They are the largest known arthropods on this earth. Exactly how large are we talking? Have a look at this.

sea-life-blackpool.jpg


As you can see,these things are massive. Sporting a leg span reaching 3.8 meters (12 ft) from claw to claw and a body that can grow to a size of 16 inches, these guys can make some B horror movie giant spiders weep in shame. They also have an impressive lifespan that can chalk up to a hundred years or more. But despite their formidable size, these 10 legged bug giants are actually quite docile. Aside from the occasional small marine invertebrate, the Japanese Spider Crab is a omnivorous scavenger, eating dead and decaying animal and plant matter. This makes them greatly beneficial assets to the surrounding marine, as they keep it clean and orderly for the rest of the surrounding sea life.

Haven't done that in a long while. Let me know if you have any thoughts or requests. I'd love to hear them and to have a reason to start doing these highlights again.
 
Back
Top Bottom