#tropical-looking moth

[legitedigiulia]

IT’s A TIGER (moth)

Scarlet Tiger moth at the Mumbles, Gower - Wales UK

june 2022 https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/scarlet-tiger

#tiger moth #scarlet tiger #beautiful butterfly #tropical-looking moth #Mumbles #gower peninsula #Gower #walesadventure #Wales #holiday in Wales #summer holiday #uk holiday #beautiful coast #uk nature #uk butterfly and moth #colorful nature #colorful #original photography

[magnesiumxp]

hi tumblr! today i bestow upon u moths i found outside my house

Red-Waisted Florella Moth/Syngamia florella [?]

tropical sod webworm moth/Herpetogramma phaeopteralis [?]

#moths #photos #i looked like an idiot crouching o nthe ground projably 😭 #red waisted florella moth #tropical sod webworm #giggle

[ljsbugblog]

probably one of the nicest looking moths I've found yet, Joseph's Coat Moth! I'm back from a trip to the northern tropics, and the wildlife did not disappoint.

Joseph's Coat Moth (Agarista agricola).

#sorry for my absence! #i have some incredible creatures to share to make up for it though #ljsbugblog #bugblr #entomology #insects #lepidoptera #moths #noctuoidea #owlet moths #agaristinae #forester moths #agarista #agarista agricola #Joseph's coat moth

[bethanythebogwitch]

It's October and I want to talk about something creepy, so this Wet Beast Wednesday is about the lancetfish. These things look like what would happen if a fish became a vampire. Lancetfish are the only members of their family, Alepisauridae and consist of two species: The longnose lancetfish Apleisaurus ferox and the shortnose lancetfish Apleisaurus brevirostris. While they are often caught as bycatch, there is still a lot we don't know about them.

(image: a lancetfish held by an angler. Its body is long, skinny, and silvery. Its dorsal fin extends down most of its back and is supported by a series of long, thin spines. Its head is pointed and the moth is very wide. It has a large, green eye. The tail is out of frame)

Lancetfish are long and skinny fish capable of reaching up to 2.08 meters (6.8 ft). Their dorsal fins are especially notable, stretching down most of their backs and being spiny, resulting in one common name for them being the "handsaw fish". The fin likely gives stability when the fish swims fast and can fold down. The fin is situated in a groove so when it folds down, the top of the fish is smooth and reduces drag. Lancetfish are also one of the relatively few fish to have an adipose fin. The mouth is large and opens very wide. It has long, skinny teeth that point backwards and are adapted to hold onto struggling prey. Their bodies have no scales, only smooth skin with pores for the lateral line. The name "Alepisaurus" means "scaleless lizard", a reference to their body shape and lack of scales. The stomach can expand to hold a very large volume. Lancetfish lack swim bladders and are simultaneous hermaphrodites, posessing male and female gonads at the same time. They show some anatomical differences from other hermaphroditic fish, including testicles that are independent from the ovaries.

(image: a lancetfish held by a child on a boat. More detain can be seen on the dorsal fin, which includes four spines that grow long past the webbing. The tail ends in a forked fin.

Lancetfish are found worldwide except for arctic regions and are more common in temperate to tropical waters, but have been found as far north as Greenland. They are found in the mesopelagic (twilight) and bathypelagic (midnight) zones, but sometimes swim closer to the surface and can be found at a huge variety of depths. They are unusually large for fish that live in those areas. They are generally believed to be solitary, but may gather together to mate. They may also be migratory, as they have been reported seasonally appearing and disappearing in some locations. Lancetfish do also travel to colder waters if food is scarce. They are predators with extremely wide diets that include fish, cephalopods, tunicates, and crustaceans. They are also notoriously cannibalistic, as lancetfish show up in the stomachs of other lancetfish very frequently. There have even beec cases of scientists finding a lancetfish inside of a lancetfish inside of a lancetfish. They are so well known for cannibalism that they are often named "cannibal fish". Lancetfish are likely ambush predators. Their muscles are gelatinous, which is unsuitable for chases but does work for sudden bursts of speed. They most likely hang motionless in the water, waiting for prey to pass. How lancetfish reproduce is unknown, but they are probably broadcast spawners.

(image: a lancetfish in its natural habitat. It is suspended vertically in the water, with the head pointing up. Its dorsal fin is folded back)

One interesting feature of lancetfish is how slow their digestion is. Lancetfish are often found with undigested or partially digested food in their stomachs. One hypothesis is that They digest food slowly wile living a low-energy lifestyle to make the energy gained from each meal last as long as possible. Another is that the stomach acts like storage and will only begin digestion if the fish is low on energy. This provides an interesting avenue of research. Lancetfish caught as bycatch or that was up on beaches can be dissected to investigate their stomach contents, which are so much more pristine than those of other species. This means each lancetfish acts as a net, containing tons of specimens that give us a good (if biased) look at the bathypelagic food web and local biodiversity. Scientists are starting to find a lot of plastic in lancetfish stomachs. It is hypothesized that some of this plastic may be ingested by prey who practice daily vertical migration bringing tiny pieces of plastic down into deeper waters where they are ingested by larger predators. Some plastic pieces found may be too large to be explained by this method alone, such as a fragment of a black plastic bag around the same size as a hand towel found in one lancetfish. This is part of growing evidence that shows plastic pollution is not just a problem for the surface as was previously though, but exists throughout the water column.

I told you, its a vampire fish (image: a close-up of a lancetfish head. Its mouth is open, showing the teeth. They are long, skinny, and sharp. Most are short, but a few on the top and bottom are much larger than the others)

Lancetfish are not commercially caught as there is no market for them. Their gelatinous meat is considered unappetizing, though it is also said to taste sweet. They are considered pests in longline fishing industries for taking bait intended for other species. The amount of lancetfish bycatch is increasing, possibly indicating population growth due to overfishing of their competition and prey. Known predators of lancetfish include tuna, cod, opah, salmon sharks, and sea lions. Because of how deep they live, not much is known about any conservation needs

(image: a juvenile lancetfih. Its body is green and translucent and much shorter than that of the adult. The head has the same shape as the adult. The dorsal fin is much smaller and less distinct. The body is curved at the spine and the internal organs are visible through the skin)

#wet beast wednesday #lancetfish #lancet fish #fish #fishblr #marine biology #biology #zoology #ecology #animal facts #pictures #long boi

[luvfy0dor]

“High Tide Came and Brought You in ♡⁠˖” BSD x GN!Reader ੈ✩‧₊˚

╰┈➤ Chuuya Nakahara, Nikolai Gogol

Warnings; minimal cursing, perhaps ooc

Description; BSD men taking their partner on an aquarium date!

A/n; I haven't really gotten inspiration for the ask I was working on, so I hope this suffices for now 3: this post

Chuuya Nakahara ♡

ೃ⁀➷

It was no mystery that Chuuya loved to take you out on exquisite dates- he felt that the two of you deserved to relax and enjoy a day or night out every now and again. He liked to bring you places where you've never been and give you experiences that you don't get every day, even if it's not fancy. If you asked, he would bring you to The Cheesecake Factory (because apparently it's not fancy enough for some people.) He just cares that you get a good experience and you both leave happy.

Today he wanted to bring you to an aquarium. You dressed yourself appropriately and joined him in the car, where he smiled and leaned over the center console to give you a kiss. You happily returned it with your hand on his cheek before pulling away and returning to your seated position. "Do you think they'll let us pet the stingrays?" You asked, pulling down the sun visor and opening the mirror to briefly look at yourself. "Probably." He replied, backing out of the parking space and driving off into the road. "It'd be real cool if they did." You nodded in agreement.

"Aren't they slimy?" You asked while watching other cars out the window. "I guess we'll find out." You laughed softly and filled your mind with thoughts of the fish to hype yourself up. Aside from the stingray, you wanted to walk through the tunnel that was built through one of the tanks. Watching the sharks and other aquatic animals swimming in front of you was cool, but overhead? That was even cooler. The aquarium wasn't far, so it didn't surprise you when your thoughts were cut short by the car turning into the large parking lot. Chuuya searched through the columns of cars while the both of you searched for a space. You found one and pointed it out to him before the both of you got out of the car and started towards the aquarium. He held your hand while while you walked through the parking lot and while standing in line.

"Look at this, darlin', they got a whole section just for jellyfish." He says, pointing to a paragraph in the pamphlet as the last person in front of them finished paying. He handed it to you and stepped forward, pulling out his wallet to get tickets for the both of you. While he did that, you took interest in the photos on the paper, your eyes scanning over the pretty tanks decorated with corals and rocks. Your attention was redirected to him when he tapped your shoulder. "Come on." He nodded his head towards the entrance and grabbed your hand. You smiled and walked with him, immediately pleased by the soft lighting filled with blues and other cool tones. Straight ahead of the two of you is a large tank filled with tropical fish and your eyes widened in astonishment. "This is amazing, Chuuya!" You enthusiastically said, hyped up about all the wonderful creatures sitting before your eyes. He smiled with his hand on your lower back as you walked closer, getting a better look at it.

"It's real cool. What should we go to first? The jellyfish? You looked pretty excited about that." He lightly teases while standing at your side. "Yeah, that's a good idea." You find a nearby directory, find the jellyfish section, and start your trip there, Chuuya in tow. "Jellyfish are so pretty. Did you know that pissing on a jellyfish sting doesn't help." You say and he nods. "I did know that." You roll your eyes. "Atleast pretend you didn't. Oh, look! There it is!" You say, spotting the glow of the jellyfish tanks in the otherwise dark area. You're like a moth to a flame as your pace quickens, stopping right infront of the dwarf lions mane jellyfish. "They're so pretty." You state, holding Chuuyas hand tightly. He smiles and takes the chance to plant a kiss on your cheek. "You're quite a beauty yourself, y'know?" You nod, your eyes wandering to the other jellyfish tanks. "I do, you'd never let me forget." You say with a grin. He smiles with you and lets you lead him around the large aquarium. "Good." His arm falls around your waist and holds you close while you tell him about the animals. The smile on your face made him feel butterflies as you turned to face him.

"Oh my gosh, they got seahorses over here too! Look how cute he is." You say, peering through the small circle of glass. He bent down ever so slightly to look with you and smiled. "You really think that's cute?" He scrunches his nose. "A little." You step back and turn to face him, watching his expression return to his regular one. "Whatever you say, doll. Wanna go see some other animals?" You hum in approval of the idea. "Yeah." And with that, the two of you were off to tour the rest of the aquarium with excitement and fascination in the variety of animals. Chuuya bought you some food afterwards, eating with you while standing in the parking lot and laughing together. You had made another memory with Chuuya, and every new one made your heart swell. You just loved him so much, and he loved you too, which made the aquarium trip all the more special. Even if you had never cared about sea life before, the fact that Chuuya would explore the topic with you was what mattered most.

Nikolai Gogol ♡

ೃ⁀➷

Going on an aquarium date with Nikolai was your idea, highly inspired by a bunch of couple tiktoks that were filmed with the large tanks and beautiful animals in the background. When you pitched the idea to him, he seemed pretty hyped. He had a bit of an odd infatuation with fish- whenever he was out on a boat he would look for the dead ones floating on the top of the water and pointed them out excitedly when he spotted them. He still did that too this day, but he seemed just as satisfied to see the living ones swim around in gorgeously decorated tanks.

So, hand in hand, the two of you walked to the nearby aquarium. It kind of surprised you that you'd never thought to have this date with him before because of the close proximity, but it no longer mattered. His hair was tied back in its usual braid and his right eye was uncovered, exposing the pretty color to you and anyone who caught a glance. He looked as handsome as ever while he yapped to you about the various pet fish he had during childhood. You happily listened, never dismissing him disinterestedly. He talked just as much with his free hand as his mouth most of the way there, showing his expressive personality. The chatter between the two of you died down when you stepped up to the window to pay the entry fee, and he stood beside you while staring at various pieces of decor.

"Do they have food here?" He asked as the lady behind the counter swiped your credit card. "Probably, I don't see why they wouldn't." He hummed in agreement. "Yeah." He was silent when the lady returned your card to you. He didn't let go of your hand until you entered the aquarium and he instead opted to put his arm around your shoulders. "Do you think the restaurant serves fish? I'm kinda craving flounder..." He whispered in your ear just as you stared at the first large fish tank. You rolled your eyes and pushed him off of you. "I don't wanna talk about eating them right now, especially not in front of them!" You said, pointing at the fish through the glass. A small smile peeked through your expression of exaggerated disgust and he gave a knowing grin back, just chuckling and looking down at his feet. "You don't think they look tasty in the slightest?" He says, walking closer to you and putting his hand on the small of your back. "Not one bit." You affirm, standing your ground.

"Tsk tsk tsk...whatever you say, babe." He teases. "What other animals do they got here?" He asks you, to which you shrug. "I dunno, I didn't take a pamphlet. We'll have to figure it out, I guess." You looked around for a directory only to be met with decor and wall art of other purposes. You hum while looking around, pulling him along. You both stop to see every new animal that enters your vision, both pairs of eyes lighting up at the sight of the fauna. "Aren't they all so pretty, Kolya?" You murmur. He agrees and averts his attention to a man standing in the center of the aquarium. He double takes before patting your shoulder and pointing. "Oh my god, he's got a crocodile!" He whispered to you, turning you in said direction. Your jaw dropped and you immediately walked closer. "Oh my gosh, can I pet it?" You ask the trained professional. He laughs and nods, holding the baby croc out for you to touch.

You run your fingers across it's scaly skin and feel your heart beat faster in your chest. You knew it wasn't dangerous, but it felt thrilling. Nikolai watched you and followed suit, running his hand along the animal, too. "We should get one some day." He says glancing at you. "Well, they're not really recommended as household pets, as a matter of fact I'm not sure it's legal..." he hesitates and Nikolai shrugs. "Damn, that's a shame, huh, dove?" He asks, turned to you with his iconic, sly, smile. You nodded along once again. "Yeah, surely."

He shrugs again and grabs your hand. "It's alright, we'll have other animals some day." He beams. "Let's go pet some stingrays now, yeah?" And with that, the two of you were headed to the petting tank. The rest of the day was well spent by seeing and petting sea creatures with your boyfriend, enjoying the usual shenanigans that was destined to occur when the two of you were together. You decided to call it a day after getting some food inside the aquarium, which did have seafood, much to Nikolais pleasure. You walked down the stairs of the entry way, your arm around Nikolais waist. You couldn't help but feel exhausted after the day you had, but it's okay, your boyfriend would help you relax!

"Oh, sweet cheeks, I got you a souvenir while we were in there." He says, his smile from ear to ear. You hadn't seen him buy anything at all, or even look in the direction of the gift shop, so you immediately knew that the gift wasn't going to be ethically sourced. He reached into his portal and pulled out the crocodile he said he wanted as a pet earlier. You immediately freaked out and pointed to the portal. "Oh my god, Kolya, put that back right now! You're gonna get arrested, oh my god!" You stressed, your eyebrows knitted together. He just chuckled and put the animal back. "I'm just kidding, don't worry. The actual souvenir is these." He closed the portal and pulled some small, glass turtles out of his pockets. "They reminded me of you, and I know you like your little trinkets." He said, handing one of them to you. "And they're matching, I thought you'd like them." He says, pressing a kiss to the side of your head. Your heart thumped in your chest and you nodded vigorously. "Aw, thank you, Kolya. I love them so much." The smile on your face was enormous. Anything from Nikolai was always spontaneous yet thoughtful. You pulled his face down quickly to give him a peck on the lips, eliciting a quiet hum and grin from your lover. His hand rested on your cheek, even as you pulled away. "I love YOU so much." He says with a slightly scrunched nose. You flash your teeth when you smile, running a hand through his bangs. "I love you too, Nikolai."

A/n; me when I post 💔🙏 BUT ANYWAYS HI midterm season is OVER so that means new quarter and all my late assignments don't matter so I don't gotta stress over them. ANDANDAND swim season is over, I have one more practice so I'll have SOOOO much more free time. It's kinda bittersweet, though. I really like swimming but it's alright I guesssss 3:

#bungo stray dogs #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd x reader #bsd fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #bsd fyodor #fyodor x reader #bungō stray dogs #bungou stray dogs nikolai #nikolai bsd #nikolai fluff #bsd nikolai #nikolai x reader #nikolai gogol #nikolai gogol x reader #gogol bsd #bungo stray dogs chuuya #chuuya x reader #bsd chuuya #bungou stray dogs chuuya #chuuya nakahara #chuuya x gn reader #chuuya x y/n #chuuya x you #bsd chuuya nakahara #bsd x gn reader #bsd fluff #chuuya nakahara x reader

[brutus-the-skulldog]

Saturniidae Moth caterpillar

(giant silkworm moth)

LOOK AT EM PLS AHHHHH

This is the Saturniidae Moth caterpillar!! When I first showed it to my friends I found out (from my source) that it can also be called a shaman caterpillar! This little guy lives in the tropics and molts four times before being ready to pupate! Its species within the family Saturniidae and subfamily Saturnii*nae* are symbolism for the Roman God Saturn! While most Saturniidae moths aren't dangerous, a few within the genus Lonomia possess deadly venom.

#look at this #bugblr #:3 #this is what happens when autism:3 #caterpillar #OH MY GOODNESS LOOK AT IT #moths #silk moth

[ravenmichaelisstuff]

I think A LOT about Soap trying to give back the childhood Ghost lost. (Part 7)

"Better late than never" part 7

Prompt from @cthulhusstepmom <3

Soap and Gaz were sent on a supply run, with lists of things people wanted or were running low on. For Soap, it was nice to get off the base for a little bit and breathe some civilian air even if technically still on the job. Gaz on the other hand was grumpy the whole way to the store, bitching about skipping his training for this.

When they got to the store they decided to split the lists between themselves, so searching for the unnecessary specific things could go faster. Soap got Konig’s list but Garrick also made him take Ghost’s.

“Last time I got him the wrong kind of tea and I swear he is  been drilling a hole in my head with his eyes ever since.” He explained, pushing the list into Soap’s hands. “You probably have it memorized with the frequency you make him his tea.”

Soap chuckled. “Yeah… Yorkshire Gold Black Tea, one and a half teaspoons of sugar, and you are not supposed to take out the tea bag. That dafty’s tea looks like it’s coffee, probably tastes like it too.” He recited not even looking at the list. Gaz looked at him with a knowing smirk. “And God was it a challenge to figure out how he likes it, whenever I asked him he would just ignore me. I had to figure it out myself through trial and error.”

“You are obsessed.”

“I just care about my friends.”

Gaz crossed his arms. “Yeah? What’s my favorite snack?”

“Resees.” Soap mimicked Gaz’s stance.

Gaz softened- Soap did remember.

“And Price likes green onion Lay’s because he is basic, Konig likes chocolate with raisins- which is just ‘ew’, Ghost likes skittles but specifically the tropical ones and if you want to test me I also know Rudy’s and Alejandro’s.” Soap smiled. “I pay attention.”

And that made Gaz feel bad for daunting the Scot, how could he when he was the most fucking caring person on the planet.

“Yeah, ok. Now I know. Won’t doubt you anymore.”

Soap punched him lightly in the chest and walked away to start their shopping.

********

He took care of his things first, then Kónigs. When it came to Ghost he looked at the list and grimaced. There were only two things on the list: tea and cigs. And Soap knew that the lieutenant was missing a whole lot more.

So yeah- Soap grabbed him the tea and the cigarettes but also whole grain bread because he saw him making sandwiches with a toast bread in the morning, which he knew he hated. He got him some good ham because the one always available at the base didn’t even stand next to real meat. He got him some baby carrots since Ghost enjoyed them and then Skittles. If Ghost makes him pay for all of that from his pocket- that’s ok. If Ghost doesn’t know how to ask for things, Soap will figure it out on his own and pay for it in the process.

Soap was heading for the checkout when he saw it- the last one on the shelf, a pure black plushie of a moth man. He went to touch it and- oh, it was so soft that he hugged it immediately. He had to get it. He snatched it and went to pay for everything, Taking the opportunity that Gaz was still searching for things he hid the plushie on the bottom of Ghost’s bag.

*****

When they got back on base Soap and Gaz went their separate ways to deliver the groceries. When he went to open Ghost’s door they were locked- weird. He usually left them open. He knocked and was met with silence.

“Ghost it’s me! Soap!” 

“Our lone wolf went on a mission.”

Price showed up in the corridor and explained, patting Soap on the shoulder when passing.

“Alone?” Soap was already annoyed, he will have a talk with his officer about his way to frequent solo missions.

“You know him, son. Just leave the bag under his doors, no one here hates life enough to take it from here.”

Soap sighed and left the bag.

******

Ghost was exhausted when he came back, it was the middle of the night and all he wanted was to smoke a cig and go lie down. So when he reached his room his already pulsing migraine got even worse. He asked for two things, but under his door was a bag filled to the brim with things. They had to confuse the bags. He took it anyway with an exasperated huff.

He entered his room and tossed the bag on his desk. He stripped down from his gear and got into some comfy, worn-down sweats. 

Everything was fucking killing him, he was sore all over and all he could think of were things he could do better on the mission, everything that he fucked up. He wished he had the balls to go to Soap’s room right now, the sheer presence of the energetic man would calm his screaming mind. But he was a coward, so all he could so is smoke.

Now even that wasn’t available.

He looked at the paper bag on his desk- maybe there were some cigs there. Whoever’s this is, won't mind if one goes missing. Ghost looked inside the bag and was surprised to find his favorite tea and cigs right on top. His brows scrunched in confusion, but then he remembered who got sent on the supply run- Johnny. 

“He really can not just do what I ask for, huh?” He muttered to himself and sat at his desk wanting to check out the contents of the bag, cigarettes forgotten. He couldn't help but smile to himself when he saw skittles- he would never ask for them but of course, Soap knew him better than that.

Ghost went to fish out the baby carrots he noticed, but his hand brushed something soft. He got goosebumps at the unexpected texture. He grabbed it. A very nice, fluffy plushie stared right back at him. ‘A bomb?’ passed his mind but he quickly squashed that thought. It wouldn’t be unusual for Soap to put explosives in weird places, but Ghost believed that he would never threaten him with one of his creations.

He hesitantly caressed the weirdly shaped plushie, he would even say it could look quite disturbing to some people. But for him, the plush’s red eyes were quite amusing. The fur was soft and pleasant to touch, which was new because usually, that kind of fabric made his skin crawl. 

Ghost looked around the room like somehow there were supposed to be people looking at him, judging him. But the only person judging him looked at him from the mirror, Ghost judged Simon for what he was about to do, for his stupid childish desires. Ghost would ignore the plushie, toss it away or give it back to Soap but the plush was for Simon and he knew it. Simon hugged the plush creature.

And ‘oh’ it smelled faintly like Johnny- gunpowder, his grandma's ‘healing’ herbal tincture, and the stupid fucking AXE deodorant. Johnny.

Ghost got into his bed, plushie hugged flush to his chest, nose buried in its fur. He slept peacefully that night.

REALLY enjoyed writing this, hope you all like it all the same <3 I love reading your thoughts on those! I am afraid that in some time the updates will slow down as my winter break will come to end and I will have to focus on my A-levels, but I will try to stay consistent <3 Sorry.

#ghost x soap #soapghost #soap mctavish #soap cod #simon riley #ghost cod #ghostsoap #simon ghost riley #ghost #ghoap #soap x ghost #ghostsoap fluff #ghostsoap fanfic #cod soap #john soap mactavish #soap mw2 #ghost has feelings #autistic simon ghost riley #author is dislexic #soft ghost #soft soap #soft simon riley #caring soap #bltn soapghost fic

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Why We Need to Care About Insects

Originally posted on my website at https://rebeccalexa.com/why-we-need-to-care-about-insects/

Some months back a study was released that demonstrates just how damaging climate change is to insects, particularly those in tropical areas. Warming temperatures cause insects to die from overheating and dehydration, kills off their food sources, and lowers their fertility rates to dangerous levels. Moreover, changes in climate affect insect phenology, the timing of when they hatch, migrate, breed, and so forth.

And because insects are so small, they’re often disproportionately affected by many of these problems. As ectotherms, they rely on the air around them to regulate their body temperatures; their small mass means they lose heat faster than larger animals, and can be overloaded with heat much more quickly. Tropical insects are especially at risk from major fluctuations in temperature because they are adapted to a relatively narrow temperature range.

Gray spruce looper moth (Caripeta divisata)

But the problem goes far beyond the tropics, and we are in the middle of an insect apocalypse. This problem often flies under the radar of those who are not already aware of invertebrate conservation. While a few insects, such as monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) and domestic honey bees (Apis mellifera), find themselves in the press on a regular basis, most species don’t have large fan clubs. Some of my favorite insects include the white-tipped ctenucha moth (Ctenucha rubroscapus), the velvet snail-eating beetle (Scaphinotus velutinus), and the black-tailed bumblebee (Bombus melanopygus), none of which are insects you’re likely to find making the headlines.

To be fair, there are a lot of insect species out there, so it would be hard to feature every single one individually. But we already face the problem that many people simply just don’t see why we need to worry about fewer bugs around. Last year I wrote an article about how search engines tend to produce exterminator sites at the top of results for various insects, and while some of that is no doubt due to advertising-oriented algorithms, they do reflect a widespread demand for extermination services that isn’t matched by more positive attention to these little animals.

Much has been said among entomologists, ecologists, and other professionals about why we need to be concerned about the drastic drop in the numbers of many insect species, and I’ve written about it as well. I could reiterate what would happen if we lost our pollinators (and also how to save them!) or the crucial role insect detritivores play in reducing diseases and keeping the food web cycling along. And I am still a champion for mosquitoes and other unpopular insects.

Green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris)

But these things always bear repeating. It may be that nine out of every ten organisms on this planet is an insect. Insects play an incredible number of ecological roles, from ecosystem engineers to pollinators to food sources and much more. Without them, ecosystems around the planet would collapse entirely.

I could certainly take the self-interested route and emphasize that fully one-third of our food relies on insects and other pollinators. I might also point out that insect detritivores help nourish the soil needed for everything from food crops to timber. While terrestrial insects and other arthropods only make up about a fifth of the amount of global biomass as their marine counterparts, they still represent a natural sink that holds about 200 million tons of carbon at any given time.

But our anthropocentric worldview rarely considers the intrinsic value of insects simply for existing. We’re constantly weighing and measuring their worth based on our biases and values. We divide them into “good” or “bad” insects: good insects are those that do things we like, like pollination or looking pretty, while bad insects are the ones that chew on our homes and plants or which bite or sting us when threatened or seeking food. For a lot of people, any insect beyond maybe a butterfly is a reason to say “Ewww, gross!” I’ve even seen this widespread among self-professed nature lovers, whether they have a true entemophobia or not, though there may be an evolutionary reason for this seemingly disproportionate reaction.

So consider this yet another attempt to change opinions about insects. I can’t cure entemophobia, but I can at least get people thinking more critically about personal and societal attitudes toward insects. I hope to get people to realize that widespread use of pesticides and other garden/agricultural chemicals–which has increased fifty-fold in twenty-five years–is driving the loss of so many insects. I’ve mentioned before that habitat loss is the single biggest cause of species endangerment and extinction, and that goes for insects, too. And, of course, the study mentioned at the start of this article is just one highlighting the increasing impact climate change has on insects worldwide.

Metric Paper Wasp (Polistes metricus)

Let me wrap this up on a bright note: word is getting out. There is a lot more awareness than there was twenty years ago, and there’s more nuance than we had in the early “save the (domesticated European honey) bees” campaigns. More people are ditching pesticides and other garden chemicals unless absolutely needed, and regenerative agricultural practices that use fewer chemicals overall are gaining ground. And while numerous organizations are increasing awareness of insect conservation, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation–the oldest organization dedicated solely to invertebrates–is still going strong.

And you can help spread the word, too. Share this article with others, and some of the resources and organizations linked throughout. Consider your own relationship to the native insects in the world around you, and whether you might make their lives a little easier. And remember that sometimes it is the smallest of things that have the greatest importance in such a massive system as an entire living planet.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

#insects #CW insects #moth #beetle #wasp #bugs #invertebrates #insect apocalypse #climate change #environment #conservation #endangered species #extinction #sixth great extinction #wildlife #nature #animals #ecology #science #scicomm

[carionto]

I just wanna know if it'll work!

The Monolith!

A massive perpendicular structure - 1 meter deep, 4 meters wide, 9 meters tall - with a perfect 81 centimeter diameter circle cut, with its center 64 centimeters from the top.

Naomi Glasnikova was grinning like mad. She couldn't figure out where to put squares of 4, 5, 6, or 7 in the design without overcomplicating things, so decided to just forego them. It'll be fine, she's sure everything will work out just as planned.

What is the plan, her fellow scientists from the Coalition species ask? To see if placing ominous black metal alloy structures around a planet with primitive lifeforms will make their brains go "Oh, this is different, I should... *think* about it. Yes. Thinking is a thing I can do now. Thus, with the power of thoughts I can look at other things and go "Oh, what if I did this!" and make myself evolve into a civilization (once I figure out how to come up with prerequisite concepts)."

Is the inner dialogue Naomi was having. Her colleagues, both Human and Alien alike, had long abandoned the idea of trying to talk to her about her projects. She would just get into this deep staredown with you while simultaneously not paying any attention to your existence. Her mind begins to race with the possibilities, the what ifs, who dunnits, why nots, etc., and after a few minutes of complete stillness she would suddenly rush out, writing furiously on her digi-pad, often bumping into chairs, tables, walls, other people, one time she almost vented herself from the station. They put a micro-tag on her pad that would wirelessly turn off nearby lights at any intersections that didn't lead to her office. She subconsciously veers toward bright lights.

This latest monolith project came about after one of her equally eccentric interns (nobody knows where they come from, she just seems to naturally attract ones with similar brainwaves or something) showed her an ancient fictional documentary about possible technological developments in the early 21st century. The image of this simpler monolith instantly embedded itself into her mind.

WAIT! I've got it! Four groups of monoliths arranged in different patterns. The group of 16 will make a perfect square. 25 a star. 36 a hexagon, and 49 a... hmm heptagon would be too similar, and it doesn't look right no matter how you shape it.... hrrnnn No wait, a seven layer circle! One in the center, fourteen in the outermost and the rest... I'll do the math later. The areas will need to be perfectly cleared and flat too. Oh! Line patterns on the ground itself. Ones that show core scientific truths! One of the primitives will surely one day follow the lines and map them out either in its brain or on a simple data recording apparatus and see Science! They'll be so stunned! Gotta write that down, get one of the helpful people (her interns, whose names or faces she doesn't even know, yet they don't care either. Look, it's weird, but their kind of non-relationship works out somehow) to begin production. They will need to be made of non-corrosive alloys, of course. Each with a different core metal though. But then the color might change. No paint, that is an unnecessary element. Hmm... Evolution will take millennia, hopefully a few less with my help.

Last month her focus was on making a fully transparent species of frogs to see whether they would go extinct due to being unable to see their partners, or overrun the ecosystem. Nobody has seen the results of that yet.

We also don't know what she's actually a PhD of. Her diploma just says applied robotics, and it is a legit diploma from the Henderson University of Greater Estonia. But her published thesis is on viral infection vectors in sub-tropical moths. We thought she might be a fraud, but the science checks out in whatever she has put out so far. Whatever she is, she is allowed to do whatever she wants. Like most scientists out on these stations now that I think about it.

What are we even doing here, other than... Science?

Mmmm, fuck it, unlimited funding. Let's go!

#humans are space orcs #humans are space australians #humans are space oddities #humans are deathworlders #humanity fuck yeah #carionto #FOR SCIENCE

[saelrum]

Local Group "Sliver of Ocean"

As you know, I've been doing all kinds of crazy stuff with iterator designs lately xd

So, I decided once again to try and finalize what I imagine them like and how they'll be presented in Dark Rain AU (tho, I'm still having a lot of trouble designing Chasing Wind for some reason...)

- A LOT OF TEXT-

But beforehand, two things to explain:

1. "Clusters" with directions are referring to closest neighbours and their general direction of location on the continent

2. All models are taking root out of two bases - "Sliver" and "Luna".

— The HHLE series stand for HighHeightLowEmpaty. They are tall, slim and usually have lower empathy levels.

— The SHHE series stand for SmallHeightHighEmpathy. They are small, chubby and usually have high empathy.

— M stands for Middle

Why are they like this? Well, usually smaller and cuter things have popularity with people, and iterators with high empathy are better at taking care of their citizens. Low-empathy iterators, on the other hand, are usually used as industrial types and/or situated in harder climate zones, so they are not as inhabited, but have a vital role in providing resources. There's no need to make them look more socially acceptable xd

Cluster "North"

Includes Sliver, Sun and Nish, who took up all of northern direction.

• Sliver of Straw (HHLE-M01) is located in the North-West direction, closer to West. Culture of her people was connected with moth-like creatures, who, as it was believed, possessed power to ascend and were considered to symbolise peace after death.

• Seven Red Suns (HHLE-M02) is locaden in the North. It is the coldest region, so Suns produces a lot more heat than other iterators without needing large amounts of water. He also has intricate designs in his clothes because of the cultural background of his citizens, who generally wore a lot of warm clothes and worshipped the Sun (hence the name)

• No Significant Harassment (SHHE-M02) is located in the North-East, closer to North. She was created as an assistant for her citizens's scientific and medical research, and because of that Nish can control laboratory facilities in her town and structure to certain extent. That's why she has more opportunities, and knowledge, to experiment with genetic material than most of her kin.

Cluster "South"

Includes Moon and Pebbles.

• Looks to the Moon (SHHE-M01) and Five Pebbles (MHHE-04) both stand extremely close to each other, so they are taking up only middle South direction. Moon faced overpopulation, as her city became one of the largest and most prosperous in the local group, so Five Pebbles was built and connected to her for safe passage and direct communication. Building two iterators so close to each other was considered an innovation at the time.

Cluster "East"

Includes Innocence and Wind. This group stands as the closest to the Eastern Ocean.

• Chasing Wind (MHME-M03) is literally located on the shore of the Eastern Ocean, so his structure is extremely well protected from weather conditions. However, he and his citizens regularly face problems with communication due to frequent storms.

• Unparalleled Innocence (SHLE-M03) is located in the South-East, pretty close to the Cluster "South". Her structure stands near tropical forests and has a good climate overall, so it was a second most popular city in the Local Group.

#rain world #rain world downpour #rw iterator #rw au #dark rain au #rw sos #sliver of straw #rw srs #seven red suns #rw nsh #no significant harassment #rw lttm #looks to the moon #rw fp #five pebbles #rw ui #unparalleled innocence #rw cw #chasing wind #digital art #sketch #fanart

[mysticmothworld]

Saturniid Moths

(aka those moths with the eyes)

Moths from the Saturniidae family are probably the most well known moth species around. This family has approximately 1500 species distributed worldwide, although they're more common in tropical areas. They have these fake eyes that they don't display when at rest, but when disturbed, they flap their wings, displaying eyes made to mimic owl or snake eyes, and that gives them enough time to escape their predators. These eyes are easily their most recognizable feature. They also have very large wings, the largest saturniid has a wingspan of up to 30 cm (but we'll talk about that later). They are mostly nocturnal, and easily attracted to light, although some are diurnal. Adults cannot eat because their mouthparts don't function. In some places, their caterpillars (like the mopane worm) are eaten.

Check out this interesting diagram of Saturniidae moth sizes in Indiana. It should give a general idea of how big most Saturniidae are.

Some iconic saturniids include:

The Io moth (Automeris io)

These guys are sexually dimorphic, the male is the yellow one the female is the brown one above it. They have unusually large eyespots even for saturniids. They are distributed across Canada, the US and Mexico.

The Luna moth (Actias luna)

Pictured here is a male luna moth, luna moths are sexually dimorphic and the females look similar although more triangular in shape. Fun fact: the 'tails' on their wings are there to help reduce predation as bats will chomp on them instead of, for example, a main part of their wing which may prevent them from flying and/or enable the bat to have better grip on them and just eat them. Distributed across the US and Canada.

The Atlas moth (Attacus atlas)

As you can see, these guys are pretty big. Their wingspan can be up to 30 cm wide. Fun fact: their cocoons are so strong they are sometimes used as purses. Distributed across China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Hercules moth (Coscinocera hercules)

VERY VERY BIG. The females have the biggest wing surface area (300 square cm) of all extant insects. They have a rather large wingspan as well, around 27 cm. The caterpillars can sometimes take more than a year to metamorphose. Native to Northern Australia and New Guinea.

Sources:

Saturniid moth

Family saturniidae

Cool study on moth diversity in Mexico

Io moth

Luna moth

Largest moth

Spotlight: the atlas moth

Hercules moth

Moths with larger hindwings and longer tails are best at deflecting bats (very interesting read)

Image creds:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

#moths #butterflies and moths #biology #moths are cute #lepidoptera #lepidopterology #my post

[chained-to-the-mirror]

The face you make when you just wanted to have a nap but instead you are out there in sweating in black leather in the tropical heat, and your crush wants you to look at some moth???

Patreon / Ko-fi / Society6 / Redbubble / Commissions / Colouring book

#edward teach #blackbeard #our flag means death #portrait #my art

[way-of-love]

Mayor Que Usted (PART 2)

(Simon 'Ghost' Riley x LatinaFemReader) (18+ ONLY) (NO MINORS)

A stop in Puerto Rico can mean a lot of things, refuel, some R&R, family vacation or maybe just hiding from the Cuban drug lords. Simon Riley didn't think this tropic island was a good spot to stop before heading back t base in the U.S. but Price called the shots so there they were. But while watching the locals gather for Halloween and doing their little celebration he didn't expect to be consumed by such spice and fierceness from one little local woman who seemed to know his type just fine.

(UPDATE: The name of the female character is Amelia Cruz)

PART 3

Some say, the least expected people make the best parents and fortunately that was the case for Amelia. She never expected nor hoped to become a mother at the ripe age of 22 and neither did her own mother. Her mother was a hard working seamstress who was barely paid enough to make a livable wage growing up, she has now since retired.

Life was already difficult as it is going to school, working and trying to make rent on time, cooking and cleaning, her mother did her very best. Trying to manage the house after her father fell through and abandoned them both for a younger prettier woman; it was too much to handle for one mother let alone one that was currently pregnant at the time. She questioned everyday how did her life become such a mess?

And every time she asked herself the question every woman would ask themselves in her position, she remembered Simon.

The tall, mysterious British man she once met and could never forget. An intelligent and witty man that played his life like chess. Always calculated even during that night, she will never forget just how calculated his moves were. He knew where to touch, where to squeeze and how much strength he needed to use to make sure it felt good not only to him but for her.

And it wasn't the passionate love making that went far beyond her wildest dreams, it was the conversation. Words spoken to one another that she believed were true, she believed that when they spoke to each other it was truly him. That he was shining through his dark shell and opening up. But no, it tore her apart, he tore her apart because it was only for one night and she felt that there was more. More than just some silly fling on Halloween night and honestly, she could have taken anyone to bed that night but she decided the man in the skull mask would be it. He intrigued her. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

Little did she know that he would be leaving her with a parting gift to sooth that heartache. An unexpected one but a gift that she cherished nonetheless.

Each and every time Amelia looked at her she could only see the eyes of him. Simon, the man who had such passion and vigor that helped her create such a beautiful little thing.

And now that he knew he had a kid with the woman he spent one explosive night with things would begin to change. After learning of his childs existence he never once came back to the medical bay, not even to get checked up when he went a little overboard during his missions or sparring sessions.

Simon needed time.

Time to devise a plan, to evaluate, to adapt to this new change. But how? How could a cold calculated killer and a combatant who can easily adapt to on field change... adapt to having a child? A child that he knew nothing about?

War was different than parenting. Civilian life was never meant for him and he hoped Amelia knew that. They had a great night but that's as far as it went. His duties were first. No woman nor child could get in the way of that. If he lost his head in this then his whole team would suffer as well. And he would hate to see that happen.

How could he change? What could he do? Simon was a man of duty, and he already had his plate full...he didn't needed the added package, did he?

"Oi! Ghost enough!" Soap yelled out while barley missing the hard swing of Ghosts fist aiming directly at his face.

Simon faltered at the yell and quickly pulled back into his stance, fists raised ready to strike. He couldn't lose his cool, he needed a solid head on his shoulders. No more distractions. Don't think about her or her.

"We're not done here Johnny, you think the enemy is gonna stop when you say so?" Cold and made of ice, as usual. Poor Johnny needed a break after deflecting all of his punches, it seemed Ghost was really out for him.

Wiping the sweat off his brow he crouched and tapped on the blue mat. He yielded and fully sat back with a big exhale.

"You weren't listening to me. I've been tryna' tell you about this lass I've met," there he goes again, women were Soaps lifeline. If it wasn't about the mission it was definitely about a woman.

Ghost rarely showed his annoyance but he did so now with the roll of his eyes. Turning he walked to get a towel from the nearby table and a bottle of water.

"You're always goin' on about lasses and fucks. If you cared about your training as much as you did those women, you'd probably beat me,"

It was a lie. Completely. But Johnny fell for it anyways.

"Really? You think so?" He grinned when Ghost returned handing him the towel and bottle.

"No."

Johnny snickered twisting the cap of the bottled water and tossing it back, chugging about half while the ghost silently looked over at the direction of the double doors, seeming to wait for...something or someone.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his sweaty hand the Sergeant noticed the hard stare at the doors. It wasn't unusual for Ghost to stare off into things when he was deep in thought but Johnny still felt there was more meaning to his gaze. Ever since that new doctor came along a bunch of the guys and some of the women were immediately charmed by their new doctor. And Johnny was definitely one of those people, and by the looks of it so was Ghost.

"You know, the lass I was talking about works here, on base, says she works with a few people in the medical bay." Coming to a stand he wiped sweat off his face with the towel Ghost had given him.

"Says she's, Puerto Rican, I think most of the girls that work in med bay are." Testing...testing.

Without missing a beat Ghost's brows furrowed together in confusion. There weren't that many women working in the medical bay at all, he could count the women in one hand and the rest were men. And out of those few women only two were came from the same island and only one of those two were married. Quickly turning to face the sergeant he looked rather disturbed.

"Johnny, you don't mean-"

"Doctor Amelia! Came all the way here to see me?" Johnny's entire face brightened as soon as he saw her. A few of the medical staff came in through those double doors carrying a few medical items they would need for the soldiers check up and the one leading them all was Amelia. Wearing her usual lab coat with her wavy thick hair held up by a clip, bangs out, and her dark eyes shining, but lacking that spark it usually held.

"We're working mister MacTavish, you can't just go saying my name out of nowhere," Her voice was still as sweet as Ghost remembers. Its been weeks? No a month, since that confrontation and they both pretended like it didn't happen. Well, he pretended like it didn't happen.

She knew it would play out like this, rather, she hoped it did. Simon was not fit to be a parent, or even a partner, no matter what she said to him to have him apart of his daughters life, nothing seemed to get to him. And it was fine by her.

He told her it was best to not get involved with each other because for a man like him it was dangerous to have a weakness. To have a woman and a child meant targets, easily obtainable targets when he wasn't on the same continent as them. Amelia understood but still, it made her feel completely unwanted, it made her feel like her child was unwanted. And she's never been unwanted by a man. Especially not a man who she wanted.

Dressed casual in a tight turtle neck, skinny jeans and heeled boots she carried a clipboard. It was check up day and all the boys had to partake in it. Everyone had medical records except for Simon, he was a ghost, and he'd keep it that way. For him everything was under the radar, checkups were word of mouth.

If one doctor check him it wouldn't be recorded on paper, it'd be told.

"Does that mean we get to be on a first name bases when I take you out outside of base?" Simon felt an ungodly amount of ick and second hand embarrassment for Johnny, clearly she wasn't interested by the way she leaned away from him, the forced kind smile, and the too sweet tone of her voice in response to be respectful.

And poor Johnny already knew. He just needed a little more evidence to prove his hypothesis right.

"That will never happen Sergeant. We are colliges, it'd be unprofessional." she smiled kindly to him before leaning in towards one of the nurses. No doubt telling them to check Soap themselves so she didn't have to.

Ghost was left somewhat satisfied with her actions, Johnny didn't deserve her attention. That sort of attention was meant for a real man and that man was him; Ghost had that attention all those years ago and he relished in every moment he got to touch her body and made it sing for him. Slowly he approached her with a masked expression, eyes clear of any emotion except, dare he say possessiveness. He never had an issue with maintaining his expressions nor his emotions but seeing her in all her glory getting hit on by such a beta after avoiding her all this time filled his chest with something. This was a woman no little boy could handle and Johnny was no man, not like him.

Seeing the lieutenant approach her that kind forced smile wavered. The ghost of the 141 looked deadly, sweaty and big. Bigger than before, was he always that big? Shoulders squared, thick and broad shadowed over her. Now standing before each other Ghost glanced down at the clipboard noticing the names of his teammates. She already checked Price, Gaz and a few others. Simon and Johnny were the last two.

"Let's hurry this up shall we? We have training to get to doctor," Voice even and cold as usual. He walked around her brushing his shoulder against her own. She had to hold back the names she was ready to throw at him because this was, in fact a professional setting. If she dared to insult the 141's most prestige member then she'd be looked down upon, then her secret would be out, their secret would be out.

So instead of retaliating she exhaled sharply through her nose," Yes, sir."

The check ups went on pretty smoothly. Vitals were all okay, Soap kept up his side remarks of her beauty and flirting with her any chance he got. And every word he said got the ghost angry. Didn't Johnny know that the doctor was not interested in any of his advances, Johnny needed to stop.

While Amelia had the two sitting down on foldable chairs by a quick set up table, she was able to check on who needed their shots and who didn't. Right now the only person who didn't have any records of any kind of vaccines was Simon, the only man she wished to avoid.

Making her way to him with gloved hands she hesitates to even look at him, least say anything to him. It felt like her mouth had gone dry.

"What is it doctor?" Simon was watching her the entire time waiting for her to speak up. When she didn't he did.

"There's...you have no record of getting your vaccines last year. Did you get them or not?" Started off weak but go to the point, good job.

"Yes," He stuck his arm out, the one with the sleeve of tattoos, his hand was palm up.

Each soldier needed vaccines every year, even the flu shot. And all needed their blood drawn first before they were injected. Simon already knew this but that didn't prepare Amelia for their next interaction.

A nurse nearby placed all what the doctor needed to begin the blood draw process then leaving to grab the vaccines.

"No fair Ghost, you get the doctor all to yourself," Johnny snickered while a male nurse who was currently attending him rolled his eyes.

Simon didn't want to take the bait, nor did she want him to but Simon knew his ego, his pride wouldn't let the comment pass. The ghost fully placed the arm that would be getting blood drawn from over her hip, almost possessively and looked up into the eyes of the mother of his child with a heated glare.

"Do it."

It took her a moment to realize he meant to draw his blood. Which she did so rather quickly. When you rush something usually it doesn't go as planned and instead misfortune happens. Holding his forearm she tried to peel it away from her hip discretely but he was stubborn and strong using his own strength to make that arm of his was heavy. He even dared to grip her lab coat. She didn't want to make a show for all to see, for Soap to see but Simon did. He wanted to show the sergeant just who had the doctors attention and it wasn't Johnny.

Giving Simon a hard glare of her own she wrapped her gloved fingers around his forearm, fingers never touching, his skin was hot. The ink decorated his forearm very well no doubt hiding whatever scars he had under them, she remembered that night she touched them, traced her red nails over the dark patterns on his arm when he laid beside her fast asleep.

The room was dark, the only light came from the orange hue of a lamppost from outside trying to burst through her floral hick curtains, but even then it didn't give her enough light to actually see the entirety of his face. From what she could make out, he had strong facial features, stubble decorating his jaw and cheeks, a strong nose and the most expressive colorful eyes she's ever seen.

Anyone else would have shone a light to his face to see what he actually looked liked under that mask of his but she wasn't anyone else.

She witnessed his brute fore, his dominating aura, his raw need to feel whole with the woman he desired most that night. And the need to be at peace.

Amelia let him sleep after their conversation, let him rest before he woke up to take her again.

Simon watched her face grow distant while she held his forearm starring at the tattooed patterns on his arm. Those dark eyes of hers could hide everything she was feeling but Simon saw the dilation of her dark pupils and the reddening in her cheeks. It made him narrow his own colored eyes in response.

"You...like men in tattoos, doctor?" Soap watched the two before him while getting up preparing to head out. The nurse who tended to him was long gone. Now it was just the three of them. Johnny thankfully already got his answer but there was no harm in poking the lion some more.

Pulled out of her trance Amelia shook her head and forced another smile.

"Of course not," taking an alcohol wipe she cleaned the thick vein by the crook of Simons inked arm and had no mercy when forcing the needle in. This was the one thing she was taught not to do, stab a patients arm with a needle.

Simon didn't even flinch, he just stared at her with cool eyes, watching every expression she made. Watched as her brow twitched with annoyance and watched how she tried to avoid his gaze.

"Tattoos are a bad reminder of memories that should never exist."

Now, she made eye contact with the ghost, not that she did so on purpose. She was just reaching for the first vial to collect his blood in, and her eyes were immediately drawn to his. And he...just stared at her with that painted skull balaclava. She hoped to one day see the entirety of his face but with how their paths are always crossing and never intertwining she fears she will never have that chance.

Ghost and Amelia shared a look of heat, a heat only two angry lovers shared when they had a disagreement. There was definitely something between them and Johnny MacTavish finally discovered that the two knew each other, in more ways than one.

The 141's doctor had no interest in any other man besides Ghost, and usually woman frolicked around him like ants to honey. But this woman, Amelia, was no ant nor was she attracted to honey. She was a powerful light, a flame. Burned so bright she'd burn your eyes. And Simon was a hungry creature, a dark greedy being that would take and smoother that light until there was nothing left of it but smoke. Her light only illuminates what it wants and excludes the rest of the world but he had been illuminated, he was chooses to see a path filled with that light and during that moment they created such a precious firefly that, barely knowing who she was, made Simon rethink everything.

There's a limit to how long he could stay in the light without burning and he feared he would no longer be the same man if he basked in it longer than he needed to. So, back into his shadows he went leaving behind what could have been. Now there was a giant forest between the two of them, a forest neither one was ready to cross. The flame tried but this forest was too dangerous to tread alone and the creature for the first time, wished to never cross such a place.

Simon wasn't ready to become a father and Amelia was forced to take on the responsibility of a parent. How could she do it but not him? What was he lacking? He never had a mug worthy father and always wished he'd never known him but with this girl, he knew deserved to know at least who he was. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to be a father. Or was he just afraid?

While she finished up drawing his blood and injecting him with his latest dosages of vaccines she made sure to give him a very pink colored band aid curtesy of her daughter.

The doctor thought it was quiet, too quiet and turned her head to see if Johnny was still there. And he was not. She exhaled heavily silently praying that he didn't go off and start up the rumor mill with his little buddies about the tantrum that transpired earlier.

It was now just the two of them, Simon didn't realize Johnny had already left nor did he really care. Right now, he had the doctor all to himself. Staying seated he watched her pick up and clean discarded pieces of paper, gauges, medical tape, and needles placing them in a mini hazardous bin. Looking at her up close now she looked...beautiful. Just as she did all those years ago. And from what he could see from the picture of their daughter on her desk, though briefly, he could see a mix of them both. His features, hair, eyes, skin tone but she had her mothers smile, bright hopeful eyes, wavy hair and that spark. A firefly.

"How is she?" His voice was deep but quiet.

"Fine." Her voice sounded flat. She didn't want to answer his silly questions.

"Hold old is she now?"

She slammed her clipboard down on the foldable table and exhaled sharply through her nose. No one was here to witness her wrath so she wouldn't hold back. How dare he ask about her daughter? If he cared this much, he should have gone to seen her himself!

"You know hold old she is, stop asking things that you should have asked a month ago. Stop acting like you care,"

Why did he ask out of the blue? It wasn't like he was never curious, it was just...he had to try. How could things work if he didn't try? Though hearing her snap made him quickly shut his 'nice' side down and glared at her coldly. He wanted to try. Did she think, that because he pulled himself away meant that he didn't care about the one child he had? Quite the opposite. He didn't know how to be a father nor did he know how to take care of a kid who was already in her toddler stage. Was it so wrong of him just to inquire about it? To see if he, if they both could give it a shot? The doctor matched his glare with one dripping with anger.

"Be careful with what you say next doctor," He was calm, voice collected but she's been holding this back for weeks. After he left her office telling her that their daughter was a weakness and no one should know, she knew this would not end well. He avoided her for days after that. Whenever she called to him to ask him even the simplest of questions, he'd grunt or avoid it all together. Then Johnny would come and answer the questions after Ghost left the room.

So, his little warning meant shit to her.

With hands free from gloves she placed her hands on her hips now standing before him," You're right, you are no fit to be a father. Maybe, I should date and marry a man who is fit to be one. As you can see, there are many fitting men who are more than willing,"

That made Simon abruptly stand forcing her to take a step back. Her glare almost soften and she almost back down. Almost.

Pointing at those double doors, with a thick finger, where Johnny no doubt left through Simon leaned down close to the mother of his child and spoke low.

"He can never be a father. Less, a father to my daughter. And even less of a husband to a woman like you," He turned his finger to her chest and poked her in the center of her chest right above her breasts.

Her chest was rising and falling quickly, she was angry. When he dared poke at her chest she smacked his hand away and did the same to him with her dark red claws.

"She's not your daughter, cabrón. She's mine, you lost that right weeks ago when you called us both unwanted!" Simon saw it then, the emotion that resided within her shiny eyes, the spark was shrouded by the pain he inflicted with his words. Hurt. He shrouded that spark of hers.

"Unwanted was not-" What in the world was she saying? Unwanted? That word never left his lips! Simon tried to explain but she quickly cut him off.

"But it was. Unwanted child, unwanted woman. Both are weaknesses anyone of your enemies can exploit and blah blah blah! Shut up Simon, all this military crap is tiresome. Callate ya! Aren't you tired?"

During this whole duration she was smacking her hands together, pointing into her palm and overall expressing with her hands what she was feeling. Just like before.

He was in fact tired. After avoiding her for weeks he felt empty, he felt incomplete but...his work overshadowed it all, it had to. How else could he protect them? How could he shield these two women, if he wasn't careful? With shoulders slump he looked at anything but her, he couldn't see the emotions in her eyes because he'd fall. Simon would succumb to his emotions, and there was so much it would pour over overwhelming not only himself but Amelia. Yet, he couldn't overwhelm her with how he felt. she would never understand that his duty overshadowed everything, even a family.

"See? This is what I mean. You men, military or not, are all the fucking same," With a soft suck of her teeth she turned and started to collect her belongings, her clipboard and other papers. It was a waste of time trying to get her point across to this stubborn asshole, he already made up is mind. And whatever was up in his mind, she thought she knew, but she wasn't aware of the raging battle of tug a war in his head.

There were no more words to exchange, she needed to pick up her daughter who was currently in her office being entertained by a married colliege.

Before the doctor could fully turn and leave, Simons hand reached out taking her upper arm, and pulled her back. Confused she looked at him with brows furrowed and angry dark eyes.

"What?" She snapped.

Simon fully looked at her, biting his bottom lip behind his mask, unwanted wasn't the word he'd describe the woman and child, far from it. Unexpected would be the better word to describe the two.

"You were never unwanted Amelia. Neither was our daughter," Now the ghost spoke quietly, carefully, trying to sooth the raging lioness.

Looking at him somewhat skeptical she tugged her arm back and he let it go. Right now she didn't care if he wanted her or not, this was about their daughter and him. She was more than willing to give him that chance, she was going to give him that chance up until he decided to avoid her. Now he'd have to work for that chance.

Amelia looked at the ground briefly before she boldly looked back up into his eyes and with a soft whisper spoke.

"Then prove it."

Honestly, she didn't know herself how he could but if she told him to then he would always find a way. Crossing her arms she raised brow at him expectantly hoping he'd apologize or even show that he was sorry but instead he looked around the large training room looking for something or rather trying to find a more isolated place.

When he found it he made no hesitation to take her by her arm once again by force and practically drag her towards the supply closet. And of course she struggled trying to pull away, clawing at his tattooed arm while throwing curses at him. It wasn't until he tossed her inside the supply closet did she realize what exactly he was going to do to show her that she was not unwanted. Her face grew warm and a familiar tight knot formed at the pit of her stomach. God please don't let what happened that night happen here.

Stumbling over a yellow bucket used to mop around the training room she caught herself on a shelf full of cleaning supplies. The doctor was ready to give him an ear full when she turned just in time to see the heavy door finally close enveloping them both in pitch black.

"Simon, what are you doing!?" She yelled waving a hand out to feel out where she was going. Simon gently took hold of her wrist and guided her over to him where she went willingly, she wasn't about to say no to the help.

He lead her to his body where she stayed pressed against his sweat stained chest, he smelled. Definitely, but this was the first time in weeks that they were so close to each other like this. So she stayed. She was greedy enough to take whatever and burn it into memory. Because who knew when something like this with his would happen again.

Simon didn't know what he was thinking dragging her here inside the supply closet. But he wasn't, he was feeling. She wanted proof that both her and their daughter were not unwanted by him, so now he'll show her before he made that step to show that their daughter was more than welcomed by him. He was willing to take that step but slowly.

A large arm wrapped around her waist pulling her even closer to him and her hands had no choice but to reach for his upper bulging arms. He wasn't this big before, Amelia remembered him as leaner, a bit thinner, and now he was thicker, solid, she liked him like this.

The sound of fabric sliding off skin was heard in front of her and she now assumed he took his mask off. Was he going to kiss her? She knew he couldn't really show his face off to others but was dragging her in here really necessary? He could have just asked her to close her eyes.

"I'm...not an easy man Amelia. I do things, unforgiveable things to people in order to survive. And having a family, a woman or a child were never meant for me," His hand came up and cradled her warm cheek in his palm, his thumb gliding across her chin.

Despite how dark it was in this tiny little space, she saw him. His worries, his concerns, his want to try and do this with her.

"The way my life is, is not meant for either of you to be in. I take orders, I leave and I may never come back," God, was it always this hard to talk to someone? Simon licked his lips ready to dive into his whole speech of wanting to try when he felt that soft touch, her hands running up his warm dry sweat neck up to his cheeks.

She felt the growing stubble under finger tips and the scar he had across his cheek. This was her Simon, the man who poured into her while she collected everything he gave, waited patiently to hear him out and poured herself right back into him. He let her pull him close, bending a bit to get closer.

The greedy creature yearned for the flame, yearned to be seen and to be welcomed by that warm light that only Amelia knew how to give.

Simon didn't hesitate to bring his arms down and around her middle keeping her as close to his front as possible. Breaths mingling together, lips only a hair away she felt almost complete.

"I know you live a dangerous life Simon but you shouldn't cut yourself short of the things it has to offer, it may be dangerous but there can be peace too," Amelia spoke ever so softly brushing her red tinted lips against his own teasingly and he followed wherever her lips touched with his own.

"Peace? This is the most peace I've ever felt," Peace was a luxury someone like him never felt but in this very moment, he felt it and he had to admit, it felt pretty damn good.

"What about when we met? Did you not feel at peace?"

Simon smirked. The night they met there was peace, she made him feel like a normal man that had no kind of responsibility except take her that night. It was a peace he would never forget. Sliding his hands down to her hips he gripped them familiarizing himself again with their roundness.

"Yes, I did," He pecked her lips quickly.

The doctor wasn't satisfied with that answer of his and pushed for more. She slowly placed a light kiss on his lips with closed eyes," Come on Simon, you and I both know you can elaborate some more," Their lips were so close, that there would be no doubt smudges of her red lipstick upon his lips when they got out, if he didn't wear that mask of his.

Simon exhaled and pushed his lips against her own, tongue darting out and licking her tainted parted lips. There was no need to elaborate how he felt with his words, he'd rather show her. And thus, began the battle of just how at peace Simon felt being with his doctor.

Ghost made no effort trying to be a gentlemen about kissing her. He was a greedy creature devouring her mouth and savoring her taste as if he was starved. Amelia wasn't too far behind, she pulled at him beckoning him to taste her further as their bodies molded against one another.

Alas tasting her and touching her like this wasn't enough for Simon, he needed to feel her, more intimately. So he quickly slid his hand to the back of her jean clad thigh and hiked her leg up around his waist making her flushed against him so she can feel just how at peace he was.

And by God was he more than at peace, he was hard, thick and bulging, just as she remembered it. But the clothes that laid between them hid and confined him. If only they weren't stuck in a closet like this; if only they were somewhere more private or rather...in her home.

As they continued to kiss and grind into one another Amelia found it harder and harder to pull away. He would not leave her like he did that night, nor like he did in her office. She clung to the poor ghosts shirt greedily as if trying to tear it apart and the ghost gripped her ever so tightly afraid she'd disappear if he didn't. The closet itself was filled with the sounds of their quick intakes of air and her soft pleased moans. Each and every time Simon bumped his groin into her clothed center her breath hitched ever so slightly and he could feel her desperately trying to grip his shoulders pulling him closer.

This was as close as they were going to get to one another in this tight little closet. But this was perfect. Simon took a step forward pushing her back but it only caused the two of them to bump into that mop bucket.

That pulled Amelia out of that dream like haze. She broke the kiss and placed her hands back on his shoulders, pushing and gently urging him away with a silly attempt. But Simon continued to kiss her chin, jaw and neck while maintaining her thigh up by his hip grinding into her center. The ghost wanted to ravish the beautiful woman in red before him and remind her again who he truly was, to sink into her depths and forget about everything outside of this small room.

But his pretty little flame kept pushing at him, he could hear his soft voice...what was she saying?

Whatever it was he paid it no mind, he licked up her slender neck savoring how sweet his woman tasted and wondered if her cunt still tasted the same now. He lowered his hand to her rounded rear and squeezed it as he did in the past. That rewarded him with a breathless moan from her lips.

"S-Simon...Please," She whined softly into his ear like a female in heat, aching. Was she needy? Did she want him like he wanted her? Was that a green light? It’s been so long since he had her in his arms practically melting at his advances, that he wasn’t too sure what he should do next.

Yet, he paid close attention to her. The sounds she made, how her body jerked and trembled with each grind of his thick bulge between her legs. God, how could she resist him when all he could smell, feel was her heat?

"I've wanted to see you dance so badly Amelia. To see you twirl and sway your hips like a tornado, that memory plays in my head often," The ghost lifted his head pressing his bare tainted lips against her pierced ear.

Breathlessly whispering into it with his gruff voice that caused her to visibly shiver.

Their hips moved in sync with one another. Two lost lovers slowly reuniting to finally overcome the obstacle that always seemed to hinder them both.

"Was...My body...all you could think about mi amor?" She whispered back just as breathlessly.

"No, your entirety was all I could think about." Simon licked the shell of her ear.

Amelia moaned out into the closet. He adjusted his grip and angled his hips so that his bulge was grinding against the area he knew where that sensitive clit hid underneath those clothes of hers.

So, he really did miss her? Was that what he was saying? Not just her body?

"I wanted to tell you how badly I wanted to see you again. You don't have the slightest idea how hard it was for me to leave you there,"

Simon pulled back to face her fully in the dark," I never wanted to hurt you Amelia-"

Greedily Amelia didn't bother to hear anymore of his apology and took hold of each of his cheeks and squashed their lips back together. There was no need for remorse or regrets when they were together like this. Right now, all that was needed was rekindling.

She, the flame will once again illuminate his world, showing him that there were so many different paths to take. That he didn't just have to see the world in black, white or red.

This world was bright, colorful and their daughter, was the most colorful firefly there ever was.

"Shut up. No more of that 'sorry' talk. You have me at your mercy Simon," Amelia caressed his cheeks with her thumbs and by this time their bumping and grinding ceased. He rested his forehead against hers taking in a breath to try and relax.

The doctor was right. She was right in front of him and he was pouring all of what he wanted to say and do in a moment where he should have been rearranging her insides and filling her up with his seed again.

That thought alone made him gulp. Not yet, first he had to get to know his first born before he even decided to have another.

"You're right. I told you I'm not an easy man Amelia."

She smiled a bit," Yo se querido."

----------

I updated! Woo!

Sorry for the super long wait but I hope this was good? It's not over yet but I thought I should give you guys all a little something before brewing a new chapter!

I hope you all enjoyed!

#simon riley x reader #simon riley #ghost x reader #simon ghost riley #simon riley x you #call of duty mw2 #ghost fanfiction #mw2022 #wayoflove #ghost x you #simon riley x femreader #smut #cod smut #x reader #daddyriley

[swede1952]

White eyed and yellow tailed.

This white eyed vireo (Vireo griseus) visited a couple of weeks ago.

"White-eyed Vireos eat caterpillars, flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, leafhoppers, lacewings, and spiders. They forage in a rather deliberate manner, slowly hopping along and looking around before grabbing something to eat. They swallow smaller items on the spot, but pin down larger prey with their foot before eating it. During the nonbreeding season, they also eat fruit from sumac, dogwood, poison ivy, pokeweed, and wax myrtle, as well as tropical fruits from Bursera trees." - allaboutbirds.org

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #birds #birdwatching #birdsphotography #birds of north america #birdlovers #birdphotography #birdingphotography #birds nature #white eyed vireo #bird #birding #bird watching #bird photography

[lupinus-bicolor]

Red dead gang + flowers, part two :)

Javier Escuella - Calochortus venustus; Red mariposa lily, a native to the deserts of southern California, it’s a stunning yet diminutive lily that blooms with the spring rains. Its striking petal markings and sharp sepals give it a unique flair that makes this little flower an absolute show stopper.

Sadie Adler - Lupinus arboreus; Yellow lupine, a coastal dwelling perennial shrub, its bright yellow stalks can be seen from February to July along the  Pacific coast. This flower is typically symbolic of voraciousness, resilience, and recovery from trauma.

Micah Bell - Aconitum columbianum; Monkshood, an annual herb that grows in mountainous regions of the western US. One of the most toxic plants in north America, monkshood was used by settlers as poison for rats. It was also given in bouquets as a warning or a threat that symbolized treachery.

Karen Jones - Hibiscus schizopetalus; Spider hibiscus, a plant native to tropical east Africa, this wild looking flower is cultivated as an ornamental in greenhouses around the world. Its fiery looking petals and dangling pistil give this flower an intense look unique to this species.

Kieran Duffy - Aesculus hippocastanum; Horse chestnut, a southern european native closely related to the American chestnut, this tree is a favorite of bonsai artists and ornamental tree nurseries. Its flower spikes produce 1-3 large inedible seeds (”horse chestnuts”) every summer and autumn.

Lenny Summers - Gazania linearis; Treasure flower, native to south Africa and naturalized in the US, this showy orange flower in the Aster family is a drought tolerant plant that is widely cultivated for its beautiful color and ease of hybridization. Given as a gift, it symbolizes riches and and good luck. (I am ignoring the fact that Lenny attains neither of these)

Simon Pearson - Salvia leucophylla; Purple sage, another Pacific coast native with aromatic leaves and light purple flowers. It spreads readily by rhizome and thrives in harsh seaside conditions, making it an optimal choice for stabilizing cliffsides and windswept inlets. It has allelopathic qualities that inhibit the growth of other competing seedlings as well as the growth of certain bacteria and fungi.

John Marston - Opuntia ficus-indica; Barbary fig, a hybrid species of prickly pear cactus widely cultivated as a food crop in arid countries around the world. It thrives in full sun, deep sandy soil, and hot temperatures. In native habitats, it’s mainly pollinated by moths and hummingbirds to produce a sweet, strawberry/fig tasting fruit that can be cooked, eaten raw, or fermented into alcoholic drinks. One of the quintessential western cacti, I couldn’t resist pairing it with our favorite ol’ cowboy.

Susan Grimshaw - Silybum marianum; Milk thistle, a prickly plant with a readily adaptive growth habit, this flower is sometimes cultivated for its seeds or made into a tea for treating various ailments. Traditionally, the thistle symbolizes devotion, bravery, strength, and resilience.

That’s all I got for now :) lemme know if you guys have other flower ideas for these guys, I love mashing my two favorite things together like this!

#i forgot to add bill and strauss dont @ me #rdr2 #Red Dead Redemption 2 #Javier Escuella #Sadie Adler #Micah Bell #Karen Jones #Kieran Duffy #Lenny Summers #Simon Pearson #John Marston #Susan Grimshaw #you guys have no idea what i had to endure looking thru google images for a decent picture of Karen #Long post #sorry this took so long also. I got distracted by shrek 2 on tv

[redcloudedelk]

More stuff about moonwings

ok I'm feeling enthusiastic and it never lasts long so I'm gonna do smth with it

. Their primary colour is mid-grey to obsidian Black

. Secondary is yellow, purple or blue

.They are ruled by Queen Andromeda

.They are named after constellations, stars, planets, or galaxies

.They have ginormous moth wings that can bear different patterns, all of which relate to a real type of moth

.My favourite of these patterns is definitely the polyphemus moth cuz it would have all of the colours of its body, but with EYES 👁️👁️

.On the powers side of things, they are somewhat similar to night wings in that they can (sort off) read minds, and tell when others lie, while not being able to lie themselves. They're wings change colour depending on their emotions similar to a Rainwing but again, ONLY their wings change.

.I view them as a very peaceful tribe because at night everything is quiet and still because animals are asleep, so I feel their personality would reflect that.

.more on their appearance, they have large moth wings, little poofy antenna like a poodle moth, very sharp teeth for snagging things out of trees or the sky, (possums, rats, bats, sleeping birds, etc)

.I think they would look really goofy when they fly. Like they would wobble side to side a ton

.OOOO maybe they have teeth like toothless does in httyd in that they can retract? But not retract like disappear, they can't disappear but they can lengthen to help catch prey.

.I'm struggling to think of where they live? I think they're to colourful to make sense in a cave environment, y'know caves are dark and gloomy and cold? I feel like they are more tropical creatures

Please note some of these ideas are influenced by other incredible people not just me, and you can always add on to it + make your own interpretation :)

#Moths took over this post #Moonwing #Oc #Wof of #Dragons #Art #my ocs #original character #Moth #Wings of fire #Sunwing #Stormwing #Cloudwing