Wasps!
Wasps! Their name evokes fear and revulsion. But the wasps are critical members of the food chain and perfect checks on insect species. Nearly every species of wasp is specialized to feed or parasitize another species of insect (sometimes even other wasps!) The entomological illustrations for this next round will cover the Wasps, in Order Hymenoptera, suborder Aprocita. This Order also includes bees and ants. A narrower definition of wasp is members of the Vespidae family, but I want to cast a wider net.
Arachtober and Humbugs 2021
I’ve added new Entomological Illustrations for the Arachtober and Humbugs galleries in Scientific Illustration. Arachtober, as usual, covers Arachnids and related species of Chelicerata, such as spiders, mites, ticks, etc. while Humbugs are the Hemiptera order of Insects- true bugs, like cicadas, stink bugs, aphids, and so on.
Updates and Additions
I’ve been going through my extra images, paintings, illustrations, and such, and have added them to various galleries on the site.
Mimics 2021
I’m working on more Entomological Illustrations, this time themed around mimic species of bugs, spiders, etc. These will be species which use Batesian or Mullerian Mimicry to resemble other species.
Buggies 2021: Entomological illustrations
I’m working on more random insect, spider, and assorted arthropod illustrations this Spring. Like the others, they are in the Scientific Illustration gallery.
Arachtober 2020
Time again for my yearly drawings of spiders, scorpions, ticks, and related Chelicerata. I’m sketching out all sorts of oddballs and groups I’ve not drawn yet.
First up is the Woodlouse Hunter, Dysdera crocata. It and the rest will be in the Scientific Illustration page.
Bugs, in Color
I’ve been working on some more Entomological Illustrations for the Scientific Illustration gallery on the site. Alongside more black and white line drawings, I’m also revisiting older images to add color versions.
The first one I’ve completed is a color version of the Happy-Face Spider, Theridion grallator. This lady is bright and colorful, so fitting for a new approach to images here. This image was done with Photoshop, but I’m also trying out some watercolor and acrylic approaches at some point.
Check them out in the Scientific Illustration gallery.
Humbugs 2019
I’m returning to the Humbugs illustration project for December this year. Like my Arachtober series, Humbugs is a grouping of entomological drawings, this time covering insects.
The first is the scourge of Scotland, the Highland Midge. The drawings will be in the Scientific Illustration page.
Arachtober 2019
Another year, another Arachtober! More illustrations of the various Chelicerates, including spiders, scorpions, pseudoscorpions, ticks, and such.
Check out my images in the Scientific Illustration page.
Arachtober 2018
I’ve been busy with teaching and freelance, but I will still continue the great Halloween tradition of Arachtober. Cherlicerata of all stripes and shapes will feature this month. Starting with the Long-Bodied Cellar Spider, appropriately (for the time of year) aka the Skull Spider. Its cephalothorax and the eye arrangement closely resembles the human skull. More to come in the Scientific Illustration gallery page.
