Two years ago, I shared jack-o’-lanterns depicting a cross orbweaver and a brown marmorated stink bug. This year I carved four critters, again all based on iNat observations:
another prostig mite,
and an earwig.
In 2023, I took considerable liberties with the spider’s web; this year, I aimed to show the web as accurately as the spider.
Nice work. It’s not that I’m lazy but… I moved from a house to a condo recently so Trick or Treating is off the list from now on.
So I’ll jump in with some not as creative, but a little spooky perhaps.
How about the classic, Xylaria polymorpha ? AKA, Dead Man’s Fingers.
Or another less than ‘cute’ version of one of the few more universally acceptable insects:
I’m not a big fan of ‘scary bugs and spiders’ as Halloween spookiness. It kinda reinforces the irrational fears many often teach their kids – when they themselves have been ‘under-informed’ about the true beauty of almost all of these beings. It seems hypocritical for those of us who do see their beauty more objectively, to support messages of fear which is a small step towards hatred.
Scale is really such a barrier to real understanding. Spiders seem to follow this. But it can work the other way. This is a pretty small spider.
But scaled up, it really does look scarier – to most.
And this one. Is it cuter for the two white ‘eyes’ or scary knowing that it’s desperately trying to remove the two parasitic wasp eggs which will likely lead to a horrifying death?
Or this.. ants attacking – or protecting?
Maybe we should ask the Yeerks? (from Animorph fiction)
Or how about this deadly creature? Responsible for killing hundreds of millions of birds each year – and many just wander around inside our houses!
Happy Halloween! (And happy birthday to my now departed father. Who also loved this holiday as much as any kid I ever knew.)
I found these caterpillars on my recent trip. No idea what they are, but I found it hard not to see “skulls” on thier backs.
Those ants appear to be protecting an aphid that produces honeydew
Almost look like sugar skulls – and tomorrow is Dia de los Muertos.
Lol. He looks like a cowboy that was ridden hard and put up wet..
ETA: Since this is a family friendly forum, let me revise this since my statement could be taken a multitude of ways. He looks like a trucker that has seen a lot of hard road.
This one was a joint effort between tree termites and kingfishers who drilled the holes,
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/120485346
The topic makes me think of the Hawaiian Happy Face spider (Theridion grallator), where some look like a halloween mask.
