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| Xerophloea peltata, Micrutalis sp. |
Here's another filler image for decoration. The Xerophloea, Micrutalis, and singular Graphocephala female have all been doing well now that I seem to be getting a hang of the invisible mystery forces that increase and decrease host palatability over time, although I'm still trying to find a shelter object for the disabled Eleodes acuticauda female that it won't either reject the smell of or get its senile legs caught on. Finding the teneb a piece of bark that doesn't smell like mold is a weirdly difficult task in this part of the country.
But without further ado, here's some research papers/books that I've found fun and/or useful. Useful ones that are not fun are clustered together, for your convenience. I expect to periodically update this every now and then (last update: 1/9/2026).
An insect-induced novel plant phenotype for sustaining social life in a closed system
(aphids bioengineering trippy gall-sanitation systems)
Hidden in plain orange: aposematic coloration is cryptic to a colorblind insect predator
Learning ability and longevity: a symmetrical evolutionary trade-off in Drosophila
Controlled iris radiance in a diurnal fish looking at prey
(no not bioluminescence, it's cooler than that)
Lethal trap created by adaptive evolutionary response to an exotic resource
Glassfrogs conceal blood in their liver to maintain transparency
Behavioral sabotage of plant defenses by insect herbivores
Method of handling affects post-capture encounter probabilities in male Hypolimnas bolina (L.) (Nymphalidae)
Fungus and fruit consumption by harvestmen and spiders (Opiliones, Araneae): the vegetarian side of two predominantly predaceous arachnid groups
Mostly just worth reading about for the whole "needs successional mosaic habitat" thing. Also since my local climate is more arid than the paper's I believe cryptocephalines in my area are probably population-limited in part by excessive insolation/drought, not a lack of it.
Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America
Free book!
Screenshots section:
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| Ethics reasons aside, freezing also takes forever for big or endothermic insects and does not kill taxa able to withstand it through antifreeze secretions |
