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a pair of fraternal potter wasps on a common boneset 🌱

this is my submission to the Big Little World: Powerful Pollinators zine being assembled by @h0neymush! they've extended the submission deadline to July 16th and are looking for more submissions!! if that sounds up your alley be sure to check it out 🐝

wake again after rest

Day 5 of my 2024 favorites: That time I took a wrong turn on a hike and lost an hour, but it turned out fine because a Little Yucatán Mantis ran to meet me on the trail and chilled on my boot for awhile as I lost my mind 🥹 I had only seen one other adult, several years ago!

Mantoida maya

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[Image ID: A picture of a bee and a wasp, both labeled. Both are colored yellow and black. Facts are listed about each one in their respective columns.

Bee:

• Cute and fuzzy, like a friend
• Make honey
• Come in pretty colors with different occupations (blue orchard bee, carpenter bee)
• Pollinators!
• Freeloaders who will come build hives in the walls of your house
• Communicate with dancing
• According to all known laws of aviatin, honey bees can fly up to 15 mph
• Like sweet things
• Over 20,000 species--not just honeybees!

Wasp:

• Cool and sleek, like a motorcycle
• Prey on pests
• Come in pretty, iridescent colors (ruby tailed wasp)
• Will try to mooch off your drinks (so check your cans!)
• Pollinators!
• Leave you paper nests that you can sell to collectors
• Communicate with smells
• Like sweet things
• Over 30,000 species--not just [kind I hate]

At the very bottom, in smaller text, is the URL bug-maniac.tumblr.com. /End ID]

NO ANTI-WASP SENTIMENTS ON THIS POST

Introducing the brush-footed butterflies

With 30 species I think I am happy with the diversity represented here and will move on to the next family soon. Which of these is your favorite?

Species pictured (in order of appearance): monarch, queen, gulf fritallary, variegated fritallary, red-spotted purple, zebra longwing, painted lady, American lady, gray buckeye, California patch, bordered patch, Arizona sister, Empress Leila, hackberry emperor, American snout, Polyura dehanii, Texas crescent, tiny checkerspot, mylitta crescent, variable checkerspot, elf, red admiral, mourning cloak, Milbert's tortoiseshell, red-bordered satyr, western red satyr, Anna's 88, malachite, common morpho, and my personal favorite, the blushing phantom

acorn weevil scampering

This is so real

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Stained glass peacock butterfly, stag beetle, and African moon moth by Melanie. Behind the scenes video here!

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JuneBug: Celestial Scarab (Scarabaeus)

mini mining bee yippeee! ^_^

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🌼🍃