Magpie Moth
Nyctmera annulata
From the erebidae family. They have a wingspan of 35-50 mm. They tend to inhabit northern heather moorland but also fairly frequent in garden, allotments, hedgerows and woodland. They can be found mainly in New Zealand.
Bug, warning me about... Something. I don't know what, but we had to have a fire drill to calm down (where I make the danger call and we both run to the bathroom to hide for a minute before I declare it's safe and we can calm down again).
Villa Serres Vertes
*BLEEP*
Here you go anon!
And here’s one for animals if you want that too:
Do you have any resources for pose references?
God no, sorry. At most I trace the skeleton of a meme if I'm redrawing it or watch an anime with veguely similar concepts, but my posing is freehand and attrocious for it, and I'm terrible at collecting references. You can probably find someone on deviantart I think I remember seeing references there back in the day.
Maratus volans is perhaps the most widely known member of the genus Maratus, also known as peacock spiders– part of the jumping spider family– which contains 108 recognised species. Maratus volans is common across Australia and the island of Tasmania, and occur in a variety of habitats. They are most commonly found among leaf litter and dry vegetation, especially in dunes, grasslands, and sparse deciduous forests.
Peacock spiders like M. volans are extraordinarily small; both sexes only reach about 5 mm (0.19 in) in length. Members of the Maratus genus are famous for the male’s coloration, and M. volans is no exception; the abdomen is covered in brightly colored microscopic scales or modified hair which they can unfold for mating displays. Some males can also change the color of their scales, and the hairs can reflect both visible and ultraviolet light. Female M. volans lack this distinctive coloration, and are a drab grayish brown.
Reproduction for M. volans occurs in the spring, from August to December. During this period, males will approach females and raise their patterned abdomens and third pair of legs for display. He then approaches, vibrating the fan-like tail, and dances from side to side. If a female is receptive, he then mounts her; if not, she may attempt to attack and feed on him. This may also occur post-copulation. In December, the female creates a nest in a warm hollow in the ground where she lays her eggs. Each cluch contains between 6 and 15 eggs, though females typically lay several clutches. Male M. volans hatch the following August, while females typically hatch in September. Both sexes mature quickly and typically only live about a year.
Like other jumping spiders, peacock spiders like M. volans do not weave webs. Instead, they hunt during the day time using their highly developed eyesight. These spiders are also able to jump over 40 times their body length, which allows them to pounce on unsuspecting prey like flies, moths, ants, crickets, and other, much larger spiders. Other spiders are also common predators of M. volans, as well as wasps, birds, frogs, and lizards.
Conservation status: None of the Maratus species have been evaluated by the IUCN. However, it is generally accepted that they are threatened by habitat destruction, like many other insects.
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Photos
Jurgen Otto 2 & 3
This definitely merits more testing! Stay tuned for shenanigans!
(Also checkout Patreon where I'll be sharing prototype details thoughout the week!)
Feb - Apr 2025, different tree bark textures & colours
I’ve heard people calling those grey calico/tortoiseshell cats “dilute calico” but I haven’t seen that anywhere that goes in-depth on phenotype. Is it usually called something else? Or is there another thing I’m missing?
Thank you for your time and all the information you make available! It’s really neat :)
Dilute tortoiseshell is a common way to refer to blue tortoiseshell cats, which may also be called blue and cream.
Blue is the dilute of black and thus blue tortoiseshell is the dilute of black tortoiseshell - which is the traditional black and red tortoiseshell that probably comes to mind when you hear the word.
Gray isn’t a genetic term or used in the cat fancy but is a colloquial way for the layperson to refer to the color more accurately called blue.
Lilac is dilute of chocolate and fawn is dilute of cinnamon so these may be called “dilute tortoiseshell” as well in their tortoiseshell varieties but I don’t see this as often likely because nearly all cats with those colors are purebred and will be referred to using the proper terminology.
Calico is another colloquial term used to refer to tortoiseshell’s with a notable amount of white.
So gray tortoiseshell/calico and dilute tortoiseshell/calico are often used interchangeably.
Hi it’s me puddleorganism if you’re confused why you got a billion hoops from me
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