The Arthropod Appreciation Amnesty (NSFCHORDATES)

Sterica

Hey kids! It's time to learn to love our distant, joint-legged relatives: the arthropods! Appreciating these tough-and-rumble critters would be wise, as arthropods are easily the largest animal phylum out there: boasting species well into a million. That's about ten times the second largest phylum! It's a good thing most arthropods are perfectly harmless to humans!

Arthropods include our insect buddies, our crustaceans chums, the arachnid amigos, and many others! Also, let's take a moment of silence in memory of poor trilobite.



We eat arthropods, we play with arthropods, we use arthropods for medicines, and our lives literally depend on arthropods. They are our decomposers, acting as janitors of the world and cleaning up the messes the rest of us leave behind. They help filter the waters too, acting as rugged pool cleaners of the world. They're vital in pollination, meaning our very food is dependent on these grand sex counselors for plants. We're even working on bullet-proof stuff from these creatures.

Our closet friends are arthropods. Right now, there are probably a good number of tiny mites living in your glands and hair follicles. Some can only live on us and, by the time you're old and gray, there's practically a 100% you'll have a whole family of the little fellers. Also: their life span is about three weeks, so every month is reason to throw a baby shower. Call your mom and tell her she's already a grandmother!


Meet the Demodex

So if you see an arthropod as THIS

then you are racist.

Correct your wrong, wrong ways, and let this thread be a beacon of love for the shedding servants of the world. From the lowly copepod to the mighty Japanese Spider Crab, take a moment to stay your shoe and spray and appreciate our exuberant exoskeleton-clad neighbors.

Isoldae

BugBoy thread?

tugga

I used to be terrified of spiders

but man over the last few years I feel for those fuckers

they still startle me, but i refuse to kill one

Sterica

BugBoy thread.

Isoldae

Give me some bug facts that would make me hate bugs less.

Sterica

Cockroaches like to clean themselves.

They're like invert cats!

Sterica

Oh, and botanists use aphids to extract nutrients from a plant's phloem because they evolved a way of doing so without harming the plant.

BYToady

Sugar ants also use aphids to extract nutrients from plants.

Aphid farming
Sugar ants collect secretions made by plant-eating insects. Of these, aphids are the most prominent. Sugar ants tend aphids much like farmers tend their stock, moving them around and protecting them from predators. This type of behaviour is mutually beneficial to both parties, as the ants protect the aphid from predation and the aphid provides a sap-like liquid to the ants.

Sterica

There are many species of ant that practice slavery. They literally kidnap pupae from other nests and force them to work.

In case you thought being terrible was a uniquely human trait.

TheStig

Ants are the best. One day they will rule us.

Tam

no they won't
neither will bees

but at least individual bees aren't morons

Metzger Meister

Yes. I'm excited. So excited.

I just can't hide it.

and i know i know i know i know i want you, i want you.

interrobang

bees are the best

Ruby Rhod

Oh god. This is my nightmare.

Tam

bees rock
they're our best bug friends

Mr Fuzzbutt

Bees are very dangerous to me, but I love them anyway.

Thanks for the honey, bees!

Ruby Rhod

When I was younger, my friends and I were trying to build a go cart out of random scrap (I was like 8 or so). While we were doing this, I went to grab a piece of plywood, which happened to be hiding a nest of bees under it. I was immediately swarmed and covered in bees stinging me, I was a walking bee hive. My friends ran of course and I ran around flailing and screaming until my friends mom came and got me away from the little bastards.

I had so many stingers stuck in my body. Really glad I'm not allergic to bees.

Doobh

I know they're not arthropods, but can we get a holla for planaria?

Tam

no

Doobh

oh it's Tam

facetious

interrobang wrote: »

bees are the best

Pro tip:

don't step on a bee in bare feet.

Flay

I got covered with leeches today, but at least they're polite enough not to leave an annoying sore like asshole mosquitos. Though they're still not nearly as bad as ticks.

Other than that, most invertebrates are cool.

Ruby Rhod

Anything that drinks my blood, especially leeches, freaks me out and should be destroyed.

-Tal

ain't got a spine ain't got a soul

ASimPerson

One of the walls of the room about to move out of has been taken over almost entirely by spiderwebs.

I have not yet been able to locate the culprit.

smof

I love spiders and now I get to spend several hours a week telling other people that I love spiders and why they should love spiders and it is pretty cool.

Mr Fuzzbutt

-Tal wrote: »

ain't got a spine ain't got a soul

You'd best not be talking shit about cephalopods.

Metzger Meister

you know what else rule? cephalopods. they're da bes.

Druhim

Ruby Rhod wrote: »

When I was younger, my friends and I were trying to build a go cart out of random scrap (I was like 8 or so). While we were doing this, I went to grab a piece of plywood, which happened to be hiding a nest of bees under it. I was immediately swarmed and covered in bees stinging me, I was a walking bee hive. My friends ran of course and I ran around flailing and screaming until my friends mom came and got me away from the little bastards.

I had so many stingers stuck in my body. Really glad I'm not allergic to bees.

I like my Ruby like I like my coffee..

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnzcqhI7P91qbdo7f.gif

DasUberEdward

@arch

Isoldae

Where is @BugBoy when you need him?

DasUberEdward

crayfish, crabs, lobsters, prawns and shrimp

I appreciate them. In my tummy.

SCREECH OF THE FARG

suffer not a bug to live

Druhim

SCREECH OF THE FARG wrote: »

suffer not a bug to live

BURN THE HERETIC

Kilroy

I called a truce with most of the spiders in my house

as long as they only build their webs in the corners and don't stray too far from them, they can stay. if they try to cross the floor or climb on the walls near my bed or desk their lives are forfeit

the above rules do not apply to brown recluses who are destroyed on sight at all times

Metzger Meister

the spiders in the basement in my old house and i had a very strict verbal arrangement

Beasteh

i hate bugs

Shivahn

Arthropods! I love arthropods. And not just because they are horrifying and make the alien from Alien look humane. Because some of the stuff that goes on in that phylum is just gross and other stuff is plain horrifying.

But anyway, happy arthropod things!

My home state of California holds the record for the species of myriapod with the most legs.

Suck it, everywhere else!

Jars

one thing I always think about when it comes to bugs is it's a good thing we can step on them because otherwise we would be fucked. they are nature's death machines

Shock G

bugs are cool

some are delicious, even

BugBoy

hello there

I saw I was notified about this lovely place

I'm a bit busy today but I wanted to note something about those christmas island crabs in the OP

in an interesting arthropod war, they're currently in major trouble because of an invasive ant species

ant swarms versus crab swarms

just in case you thought you had to retreat to the realm of fiction to have really cool things happen

although cool as it is, those ants really need to be eliminated

the crabs are not winning