DrosophApocalypse Now
May 7, 2010 9:34 PM   Subscribe

Circus of the Spineless #50 - the 50th in a series of collections of scientists' favorite disgusting, glorious, and gloriously disgusting invertebrates. Previously
posted by Burhanistan (6 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- frimble



 
Thanks, these are interesting. So many grotesque, almost Cronenbergian creatures out there. The first one listed there, Tyrannobdella rex, is all taxonomic laughs until you see those awful pictures. A nose-dwelling leech? Poor dog!

Not all of us invertebrates are like that.
posted by cirripede at 9:55 PM on May 7, 2010


I was tidying my tiny back garden this afternoon and noticed what looked like a centipede with a huge round helmet-head, looking something like The Great Gazoo, only smaller, leggier and much less adorable. When I looked again, I saw that it was actually carrying some tiny sphere of -- something -- in its mandibles.

I don't know what is ickier: my first impression of a braniac centipede ready to take over the world, or my continued speculation about what the hell that shiny, perfect little globe could have been.
posted by maudlin at 10:07 PM on May 7, 2010


Centipedes are the stuff of nightmares no matter what, so I don't see why you'd have to choose.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 10:29 PM on May 7, 2010


Seconding the like for invertebrates in general. (Love is not always possible.)

And then you see this guy, and it makes you wonder why we even bother creating all those groups like "bird" or "insect".

I just finished reading Your Inner Fish, which is (partly) cool because it emphasizes that our bodies started out following the same general framework as insects - segments with specializations for legs and head. They're our little ancestors!
posted by sneebler at 7:00 AM on May 8, 2010


They're our little ancestors!

Brothers, man. They're our brothers. Hey, little guy? Are you my little bro'? C'mere little bro... c'mere. Come and...AAAAAUUUUGHGGHH!!!
posted by Trochanter at 8:58 AM on May 8, 2010


I saw that it was actually carrying some tiny sphere of -- something -- in its mandibles.

If it makes you feel any better, it may have been an egg.

That might not make you feel better, though.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 1:44 AM on May 9, 2010


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