A few nice animals photo images I found:
grandmaster FLAX ~ II
Image by striatic
i can't believe that i'm posting a shot like this.
what have i become?
There's a shadow hanging over me,
Image by sgs_1019
Berrien County Youth Fair 2006
i really can't eat meat for a month it seems after going to the fair... lol
bombus3
Image by sillydog
Despite being a second hatching, don't think these insects are small. It's just that these Rhodie clumps (compund dichasiums) are as big as your head!
The first hatching has so be so large to supply adequate hemolymph (bug blood) to carry the critical amount of polyethylene glycol to avoid freezing. Yep, they develop anti-freeze blood.
Being social insects, the queens also need their relative bulk to quite literally beat their offspring around the head and thorax, releasing a hormone that reminds everyone who is boss.
Bombus spp. are rad!
