this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2024
528 points (98.5% liked)

Science Memes

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top 23 comments
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[–] [email protected] 77 points 1 month ago

it's funny how the bottom image is still true on its own

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 month ago (6 children)

I am ignorant in this field. If not an insect, what is it? [Serious question]

[–] [email protected] 55 points 1 month ago (1 children)

These are part of their own family of invertebrates.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onychophora

Insects are a specific family that have 6 legs. So a bee or an ant are insects but a spider or a rolls polly is not.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago

Well... The taxonomy of invertebrates is pretty complicated and diverse and there are many huge groups of invertebrates. Velvet worms (Onychophora) seem to be their own thing, so maybe just think of them as another invertebrate group. Like molluscs (snails, mussels, cephalopods), or tardigrades or nematodes, these are all their own groups as well. But obviously this is all much more complicated if you look at it in detail.

Insects are also invertebrates, but are just one group within the arthropods, which also contain e.g. spiders, crustaceans, millipedes. Maybe a good rule would be that there aren't any worms in the insects. And that all insects have six legs. So if something has more legs, it's not an insect.

Hope that helps? The more you dig down into taxonomy, the more interesting it gets!! And insect taxonomy in itself is just so huge and mind-boggling :)

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It's a Pokémon [not a serious answer]

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I can't help with what it is, but I can say why it can't be an insect. All insects have per definition exactly 6 legs.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

But don't insect larvae sometimes look kind of like that

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Yeah. Caterpillars are moth/butterfly larvae, which are insects. I think ant and termite larva are similar (but stumpier).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Mollusk probably (edit: snails and worms are mollusks)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

They constitute their own phylum, Onychophora!

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 month ago (2 children)

cutest insect

I'll bet that when someone touches it they'll die an horrible death.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It does shoot cum ropes out of its face to catch prey

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

its existence is so good, the moment something touches it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FmCAs9HFlA

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago
[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Are we going to talk about its goop?

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 month ago (1 children)

No Gwyneth, we are leaving that off the table of discussion for now.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP GWYNETH!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Bortles? Is that you?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

What about the rosy maple moth?