ater

Today for #MarshMadness I've painted a marsh springtail, Isotomurus palustris. Springtails are not insects but their own class of hexapods called Collembola. They are named for the tail-like appendage (furcula) which is held under tension beneath the abdomen. When released it snaps against the ground, propelling the springtail through the air.

#SciArt #InvertArt #watercolor

Oh no, it's #GoblinWeek! To celebrate I like sharing some of the more goblin-y insects out there. Here are two paintings I did last year.

Junk bugs are the larvae of the pretty and delicate green lacewings (family Chrysopidae). They are known for collecting debris and the dead bodies of their victims on their backs.

The gum leaf skeletonizer (Uraba lugens) is the caterpillar of a small brown moth. As it grows and sheds old exoskeletons, it keeps the old head caps, wearing them like a silly hat.

#InsectArt #SciArt #watercolor