This #AprilFools day, you might be forgiven for getting tricked by this flower, especially if you're a horny male digger wasp of the species Argogorytes mystaceus. The fly orchid, Ophrys insectifera, has evolved to mimic female wasps, if not necessarily in appearance then in scent, using pheromones to draw in males and covering them in pollen when they attempt to mate with the flowers.

#SciArt #InsectArt #watercolor #pollinators

Today, for this last day of #MarshMadness I've painted an American carrion beetle, Necrophila americana. These unfortunately named scavenger beetles are frequently found on dead animals and can be used in forensics.

Apparently, it can be confused for a cuckoo bumblebee, Bombus (Psithyrus) ashtoni, to which it bears little more than a passing resemblance - the difference, apparently, is that the bumblebee has a less hairy abdomen. Somewhat absurdly, the Wikipedia article asserts (without citation) that there is at least "one instance where N. americana was collected instead of P. ashtoni by mistake". I wish I had the paper where this mistake was made because I am certain it can serve as a warning that edibles and field research do not mix.

#SciArt #InsectArt #watercolor

This one was done for Lenora barkley! Who Really wanted to be a moth! (Well so did a lotta folk but still) 
This was a lotta fun. the scientist has been getting a lot of fleshing out through these methods XD 

Portrait was done by LenoraB herself! 

#transformationart #insectart #digitalart #mysterycryptidart #insect

Today for #MarshMadness I have a swamp metalmark, Calephelis muticum. These increasingly rare butterflies depend on swamp thistles as a host plant, and are thus threatened by invasive plant species as well as habitat loss and pollution.

#SciArt #InsectArt #watercolor

Today for #MarshMadness I have Osmia bicolor, a mason bee known for building its nests inside the empty shells of snails. Each shell can hold 4-5 cells, one egg per cell, which is constructed from chewed up leaves and provisioned with balls of pollen mixed with nectar. The snail shells are then sealed up with sand and gravel, partially buried, and covered with twigs and grass for added protection.

#SciArt #InsectArt #watercolor

Today for #MarshMadness I have a water stick bug, Ranatra linearis, which is also called a water scorpion, or the Germans call it a Stabwanze. They breathe underwater through the siphon tail, waiting patiently to snatch up their prey.

#SciArt #InsectArt #watercolor

Today for #MarshMadness I have a large marsh grasshopper, Stethophyma grossum. Threatened in the UK by habitat loss and poor water quality, the large marsh grasshopper is being bred in captivity so it can be reintroduced as part of rewilding projects.

#SciArt #InsectArt #watercolor

For #MarshMadness and #WeevilWednesday I have a duckweed weevil, Tanysphyrus lemnae. The larvae mine through duckweed, leaving behind tiny characteristic holes in the floating leaves.

#SciArt #InsectArt #watercolor

Today for #MarshMadness I have a salt marsh moth, Estigmene acrea. This one is a male, distinguished by his colorful hindwings. The caterpillars of the species can be found on a variety of hosts, even typically poisonous ones, due to their ability to detoxify pyrrolizidine alkaloids, sequestering the metabolites and converting them into sex pheromones as adults.

#SciArt #InsectArt #watercolor