What If It All Bubbled To Suds

THIS HOSPITAL SUUUUUUCKS !!!!!

i've made a new commission sheet! this one's cooler and more epic... if youre interested just send me a tumblr dm or something of the sort, perhaps hunt me down on a different social media and talk to me there. i'm also on discord if you prefer that. just ask on the aforementioned dms and i am willing to move there.

i would also like to make it clear that i do not accept being paid after my work is finished. i am willing to wait until i finish a sketch but past that i will only continue working when paid upfront.

Be kind, We all have rent to pay, thank you for your time.

ROUND 1: MATCH 19

Researchers have discovered a new species of rove beetle that grows a termite puppet on its back to fool real termites into feeding it. The replica is so precise, it even mirrors the termites’ distinct body segments and has three pairs of pseudo-appendages that resemble antennae and legs.

The new beetle species (Austrospirachtha carrijoi)—found beneath the soil in Australia’s Northern Territory—emulates a termite by enlarging its abdomen, a phenomenon known as physogastry. Evolution has reshaped this body part into a highly realistic replica of a termite (as seen above), head and all, which rides on top of the rest of the beetle’s body. The beetle’s real, much smaller head peeks out from beneath its termite disguise, the authors report this month in the journal Zootaxa. The termite “puppet” may help the beetle evade detection—though termites are blind, they sense one another through touch.

Because A. carrijoi’s mouth parts are tiny, the authors think it begs food from its hosts rather than eating eggs or larvae. Worker termites feed other castes digested food in a process called trophallaxis. This adaptation has obvious advantages to the beetle. Once it is inside the nest, it can relax and spend the rest of its life living off of termite room service.

Words by Richard Pallady

taskline dump plus ewwwwww

Arcyria oerstedii by Gim Siew Tan

Hi I really love your were-kitty snouts, I know you said the nose overlay was personal but I was wondering how you made it/ if you would release it? Thank you for your time!

The overlays were too annoying to deal with for me haha, but I actually made an edit to the preset a while back that solves the issue! It's not perfect but it's a much more catlike shape, and it will work with modded nose colors. I've added the new file to the folder & the old one's still there if anyone needs it for some reason. https://www.simfileshare.net/download/4964215/

Slug caterpillar moth, Perola sericea, Limacodidae

Found in Central and South America

Photos 1-2 by memochipan and 3-5 (with pseudoscorpions catching a ride) by birdernaturalist

one of my favorite things about using inaturalist is how it’s gotten me familiar with even the common, less “impressive” species. especially since spring is rolling around and I’m spending more time outside.

Like, before where I’d just say, “oh look, a butterfly!” now I can say “oh look, a mourning cloak!”

Instead of “a squirrel” it’s “a fox squirrel.” Instead of “a snail” it’s a “garden snail.” Instead of “a rabbit” it’s “a desert cottontail.” Instead of “a ladybug” it’s “an asian lady beetle, which is invasive.” Instead of “a lizard” it’s “a bluebelly, but they’re really called western fence lizards.”

It’s harder to take the little guys for granted when you know their names, y’know?