quinacridone

Main photo by Nicky Bay

Scolopendra are a large species of centipede, both in number (around 100 different types), and often just large in body size

They are found in warm temperate regions, and in the tropics. The largest discovered (so far) can exceed 30 cm (12 in)

All Scolopendra are active preditors and are venemous, capable of delivering a painful (and in one reported case fatal) bite to humans via their forcipules (These are not fangs or other mouth parts, but modified legs on their first body segment)

'Scolopendra subspinipes' by Lilian Alizert

The venom of certain Scolopendra species were found to contain compounds such as serotonin, haemolytic phospholipase, a cardiotoxic protein, and a cytolysin

They feed primarily on other insects and invertebrates, some of the larger varieties have been observed preying on frogs, tarantulas, lizards, birds, snakes, rodents, and even bats!

Two southeast Asian species, S. cataracta and S. paradoxa, as well as S. alcyona from the Ryukyu Islands, are amphibious, as these species can travel underwater by swimming or walking

They have been discovered in the fossil records. Scolopendra proavita was found in Baltic amber from the Eocene of Poland. Other fossil species S. morsitans have been found Pliocene-aged rocks in South Africa

According to this article, these are the largest giant centipedes found (so far).....

Scolopendra alternans, commonly known as the Haitian giant centipede, Caribbean giant centipede, and Florida Keys centipede, and are around 17-19 cm on length

Photo by Sylvain Coulon

Scolopendra alternans is found in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Venezuela the Bahamas, Hispaniola, the Antilles, the British Virgin Islands, and Florida. They have also been reported as far north as Georgia

Next is.....

Scolopendra viridicornis is a species of centipede in the family Scolopendridae which can be found within the Amazon rainforest, the type locality being in Brazil. Due to the geographic distribution of this species it is known as the Amazonian giant centipede

Photo by Scolomorph

Scolopendra viridicornis is quite quick to flee when disturbed by a predator, running away with impressive speed. If pursued the centipede will raise its terminal legs in an attempt to draw any attack to its hind end. When a predator touches these raised limbs the centipede will use them to grip its aggressor and spin around to deliver a venomous bite. The centipede will then continue to flee until it finds safety.

In northeast Brazil, S. viridicornis is used in regional folk medicine as an analgesic. The species possesses a peptide in its body known as lacrain which exhibits strong antimicrobial effects against Gram-negative bacteria

Next up is Scolopendra hardwickei, the Indian tiger centipede

It is a pigmented species, with exceptionally bright and contrasting coloration, alternating dark orange and deep black segments, with dark orange legs

Photo by Martin

This species is common in the south of the Indian peninsula and it is rarely found on the islands of Sumatra and Nicobar

The bite of S. hardwickei can cause swelling and drowsiness

And finally, Scolopendra polymorpha which can grow up to 18 cm

Scolopendra polymorpha, the common desert centipede, tiger centipede, banded desert centipede, or Sonoran Desert centipede, is a centipede species found in western North America and the Hawaiian Islands

Photo by Alice Abela

S. polymorpha is indigenous to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico, north to the Pacific coast.[3][4] It inhabits dry grasslands, forest, and desert; in these habitats, the centipedes generally take up residence under rocks, though they have been observed creating burrows in suitable environments and inside rotting logs. Scolopendra polymorpha as found in the Tonto Forest near Payson, Arizona

Scolopendra polymorpha is indigenous to the deserts of western North America; in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in the United States, and in Sonora and Chihuahua in northern Mexico. They primarily seek shelter during the day in moist, cool areas such as under desert rocks

The venom of Scolopendra polymorpha has been found to be medically relevant.....against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two bacteria that are the leading causes of nosocomial infections..... [And] activity against Escherichia coli, which can cause food poisoning, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections

Sources here and good old wikipedia, here, here, here, here, and here

Part 2 to follow!

edit Part 2 here

'Eastern Screech-Owl' by Michael Loyd

Getting some sun. Appeared here one day and I have never seen this owl since.

'Please Do Not Disturb' by Harold Feiertag

Short-eared owl feeling the breeze...

'Sleepy Quartet' by Irtiza Bukhari

Title photo by Mike Locke

There are over 70 species of wētā in New Zealand

There are eleven species of giant wētā, most of which are larger than other wētā, despite the latter also being large by insect standards

The name wētā comes from the Maori word wētāpunga, or “God of Ugly Things” .The genus name, Deinacrida, means “Terrible Grasshopper.”

The giant wētā’s close relatives include the Carnivorous Tusked Wētā, the Tree Wētā, and the Cave Wētā

Giant wētā are endemic to New Zealand and all but one species are protected by law because they are considered at risk of extinction

New Zealand Giant Weta by Ricky Wilson

The largest species of Giant Wētā is the Little Barrier Island giant wētā, also known as the wētāpunga. One example reported in 2011 weighed 71 g (2.50 oz)

[Deinacrida mahoenui] is endemic to the area of Mahoenui, New Zealand, and the world population for some time was restricted to a single patch of introduced gorse on farmland.

Deinacrida mahoenui [MAHOENUI GIANT WETA] by Zoomology

Large species can be up to 10 cm (4 in), not inclusive of legs and antennae, with body mass usually no more than 35 g (1.2 oz). One gravid captive female reached a mass of about 70 g (2.47 oz), making it one of the heaviest insects in the world and heavier than a sparrow. This is, however, abnormal, as this individual was unmated and retained an abnormal number of eggs

Many giant wētā species are alpine specialists. Five species are only found at high elevation in South Island. The scree wētā D. connectens lives about 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level [8] and freezes solid when temperatures drop below −5 °C (23 °F)

Deinacrida connectens

Fossils found from the Triassic period 190 million years ago show striking similarities to the wētā that inhabit New Zealand today

Handsome Devil!

Giant Weta - Maori "God Of Ugly Things" by Owen Calder

Sources Giant Wētā, Deinacrida mahoenui, Deinacrida connectens, and Mental Floss

Title photo 'Bombyx Mori' by Sonja Hahn

The most obvious invertebrate that has been utilised by humans is the Domestic Silk Moth, which over time has become unable to reproduce in the wild now dependent on human intervention. The moths have also lost their pigmentation and the ability of functional flight

Eggs take around 14 days to hatch and they eat continuously, favouring White Mulberry Leaves

Photo 'Bombyx mori caterpillar (Silkworm)' by Simone Lucchesi

After they have molted 4 times their bodies become slightly yellow and tighten, it is then they start to spin their silken cocoon. The cocoon is made from raw silk and is approximately 300-900m in length. If it is allowed to continue it's life cycle it will make a hole in the cocoon and emerge as an adult moth (this in turn results in the continuous silk thread to be broken into many smaller length strands)

Unfortunately for most moths their life cycle is abruptly concluded by immersion of their cocoon in boiling water. This kills the pupa, and also helps in unravel ling the silk thread. Often the silkworm is eaten

Photo 'Vietnam - Hoi An - Silkworm Cocoon Reeling' by Manfred Sommer

So, you now have your fancy silk threads, but they need a bit of colour...how about some fancy dye? And the fanciest has to be- Tyrion Purple

This dye comes from the mucus secretion of several predatory sea snails found in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, namely- Bolinus brandaris, Hexaplex trunculus, Stramonita haemastoma, and less commonly Bolinus cornutus

The dye was colour fast, and was a highly prized luxury commodity used by The Romans in ceremonial robes and the Emperors.

It was not just The Romans who coveted the dye, recently large quantities of Murex shells were discovered in Crete suggesting the ancient Minoans were harvesting and extracting Imperial Purple much earlier

The production of the dye ceased with the Sack of Constantinople in 1204, with the Byzantine Emperor or remaining Latin rulers lacking the substantial finances to continue

Image via wikipedia

Now that Tyrion Purple is out of the question, why not have a nice deep red instead?

Cochineal is a scale insect (Dactylopius coccus) which lives in tropical and subtropical South America through North America. It feeds on the fleshy pads of The Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia). To deter predators it produces carminic acid, around 17-24% of the dried insects weight, which is used to make carmine dye

Photo 'Cochineal' by Alison Taylor

The cochineals are harvested at around 90 days from the cacti which are grown in special farms, and the resulting dye can yield shades of red such as crimson and scarlet

Photo by mirth_matter

Kermes is another red dye which again comes from the dead bodies of female scale insects, Kermes vermilio, native to the Mediterranean region. The insects are parasites and feed on the sap of the host plant, the Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera) and the Palestine oak (Quercus calliprinos).

Photo via wikipedia

If Red is a bit too loud, how about a brown/red courtesy of The Lac Beetle?

Kerria lacca produces both a dye and a wax via it's resinous secretions. The eggs of the Lac are introduced to trees by farmers in order to colonize and feed on them and subsequently coat the branches in resin which is then harvested as 'sticklac'. The branches and insects are harvested, crushed and sieved to remove impurities. This 'seedlac' is then processed into shellac or dye

Lac tubes via wikipedia

Lac Beetle

Sources Bombyx mori, Tyrian Purple, Cochineal, Kermes, Lac

Also of interest is Sea Silk

an extremely fine, rare, and valuable fabric that is made from the long silky filaments or byssus secreted by a gland in the foot of pen shells (in particular Pinna nobilis). The byssus is used by the clam to attach itself to the sea bed

Photo via wikipedia

Sea silk was produced in the Mediterranean region from the large marine bivalve mollusc Pinna nobilis until early in the 20th century. The animal, whose shell is sometimes almost a metre long, adheres itself pointed end down to rocks in the intertidal zone using a tuft of very strong thin fibres. These byssi or filaments (which can be six centimetres long) are spun and, when treated with lemon juice, turn a golden colour, which never fade.....The cloth produced from these filaments can be woven even more finely than silk, and is extremely light and warm; it was said that a pair of women's gloves made from the fabric could fit into half a walnut shell and a pair of stockings in a snuffbox. The cloth attracts clothes moths, the larvae of which will eat it....Pinna nobilis is also sometimes gathered for its edible flesh and occasional pearls of fair quality.

Post image 'Bobbit-Worm' by Hendra Tan

Their name comes from the John and Lorena Bobbit Case

They live tropical and subtropic bodies of water in the Indo-Pacific. They've been discovered in Bali, New Guinea, the Philippines, Australia, Fiji, and Indonesia!

They can reproduce asexually via segmentation!

They can live between 3-5 years and grow on average 3 feet long, although one was discovered at 10 feet long!

Photo by Ken Traub

The fossil record shows they've been around for 20 million years!

They like to build mucus lined burrows on the sea floor from where they ambush their prey!

Photo by eunice khoo

Despite having a pair of small eyes they use their antennae to detect prey as they are virtually blind!

Peters' Monocle Bream tropical fish have been observed 'mobbing' Bobbit Worms by directing sharp jets of water at them in order to deter their attacks!

Bobbit Worms can decimate aquariums. They can arrive as small worms hidden in rocks and corals and can remain undetected for quite some time. Don Arndts heroic battle against a Bobbit Worm is the stuff of legends. His foe was a wily adversary despite the many attempts to poison and kill it, including glue and crushed glass hidden in baited shrimp! TLDR version here

Their jaws are wider than their bodies are retractable and open like scissors!

Their bodies are covered in tiny bristles which grip, and help it to explode out of it's burrow while hunting!

Now give the little fella a kiss!

(photo by Pauline Walsh Jacobsen)

edit- most info from here and I forgot to credit the last image

'Great Horned Owl' by Ron Taube

'..Guardami negli occhi..' by silvano fabris

'owl 15abw' by Phil Newell

Owl on stump, from a card on my desk dated 2010, must do more proccessing!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/11022800

Always a delight to spot colourful waxcaps and even better to capture underside shots. Where possible, I prefer not to pick them and use my Pentax point and shoot, pressed down into the substrate, but sometimes this is not possible.

Found on flickr

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/11041783

Found on ArtStation

This didn't get much love when I posted it in printmaking, but I think it looks cool......

Dinosaurs and linoprint, fuck yeah!!

edit spelling