insect internal anatomies

The internal anatomy of insects is something few come across in their lives, unless perhaps a particularly insightful 5th grade teacher of your had you dissect a grasshopper. Malphigian tubes, ovarioles, the hemocoele and other such parts are likely to sound like Greek to you (or perhaps Latin, after all). 

These two drawings by  Christa Donner make the internal anatomies of a wasp sing.  Be they of humans or hexapods, it is wonderful to see what she draws out from the inside. 

AY

the insect roadshow

After just finishing a little road trip through New England and Quebec I thought I'd share just a sampling of the six-legged I was lucky enough to come across....

a beetle in an open Massachusetts field,

 a pale green moth on a maple tree, 

 dragonfly in Leominster State Forest

 a spittle bug (spittle included there on the tip of the finger...)

 a Vermont crane fly

underwing moth glory on a Montpelier porch ~

AY