The Unstartled Steppes of Dream
I am Ashley.
This is my personal blog. If you want just marine biology, go here.
I love the world; I really don't like people.
I balance all this animosity towards the human race with being an almost always kind and gentle being to all creatures.
I'm highly introverted and nature is my primary escape from humanity.
Creepy-crawly-slimy things are my favorites. Dinosaurs are fantastic.
Future marine biologist; presently an amateur entomologist, ichthyologist, artist, biologist, and writer.
Literature, video game, and music connoisseur.
I'm so full of passion for the world that it hurts.
I think a lot, I laugh a lot, I love a lot.
Almost none of the photos are mine and only some of the drawings are mine.
Listen in.
A cicada of the genus Magicicada, which are known for their long life-cycles and 17-year emergence pattern. This year will mark the 17th year in the life-cycle of a large generation (Brood II), meaning the north eastern coast of the US will see swarms of these beauties and be overcome by the cacophony of their mating calls through the late spring and summer. Next summer, the midwest will see the emergence of Brood III. This phenomenon has been affectionately referred to as cicadapocalypse.
Despite being large and ominous-looking, cicadas are entirely harmless. They neither bite nor sting and they aren’t excessively destructive to vegetation or infrastructure.
Photo © Richard Leung
This whitebanded crab spider (Misumenoides formosipes) caught itself a tasty fly meal. Most species of spider crabs choose to live on flowers with which they can easily be camouflaged against so their jobs as predators are that much easier.
Insects from the family Fulgoridae are often collectively referred to as lantern bugs. They belong to the order Hemiptera, which encompasses all true bugs. Fulgorids—especially those from the tropics—are known for their oblong heads. These insects typically rest and feed during the day and fly at night. When Fulgorids lay their eggs, they also exude a frothy secretion which hardens around the eggs to protect them.
A wart-headed bug (Phrictus quinquepartitus) is shown above.
(Source)
Male scorpionflies, belonging to the order Mecoptera (translation: long wings), have long, scorpion-like abdomens. There are nine families and 550 species within the order.
Musca domestica. One of these is currently trapped in my room and annoying the poop out of me.
“Vampire” Parasite Found Entombed in Amber
The first known fossil of a rare bloodsucker called the bat fly has been found in 20-million-year-old amber. What’s more, the ancient bug was host to bat malaria, an even rarer find, according to a new study.
