jasonheadley's Favorites

In a twist of fate, I was blessed with the great fortune of meeting two living specimens of the animal whose scientific name was the first I ever learned. I did my 9th grade biology presentation on this species (complete with overhead slides, because nobody used powerpoint yet).

What do I put for location? I met them in Austin, but they were "acquired" (on purpose!!!) in Belize. Do I mark them as captive/cultivated? (haaaa!). In these photos, the larvae are 7 weeks old.

My heart is full. I am so happy. :D

The fluid leaking from the "wounds" varied in color, from obvious plasma, to obvious blood, to... a dark brown mystery fluid which probably contained larval enzymes with anticoagulants and some numbing agent. They responded to light (my headlamp made them run back in to hide), and at one point, one of them stuck out her little snorkel so it extended several mm outside the wound... but of course my camera wasn't ready.

UPDATE! One of them pupated January 20, 2018! Going to add it as a new observation!

Pupa (before hardening): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9557897
Adult: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10206805

Leaf sub-pinnate, up to 3 leaflets per side, and the leaflets are crowded towards the distal end of the leaf axis (last 2 photos); style very short, 1-1.5 mm and lower part is papillate-swollen; glandular herbage; lower leaf surface with no white cottony hairs but with sparse straight hairs; flower bractlets 2/3- 1 x as long as sepals with edges becoming revolute as the plant comes into fruit later in the season.
Collected by permit.