With apologies to my Bug-o-phobic friends

This one is too cool not to share. One of my pet mealworms from Bugfest a week ago just morphed into the pupa stage! Visible here: shed skin on left, pupa on right (it looks a bit like it's praying; maybe it is!); rolled oats; and (sorry) a bit of frass. Instead of doing my apple homework -- which is why I haven't been sketching this cool guy -- I've been reading more on mealworms (Darkling Beetles). Mostly very interesting -- including the info that they're used as bluebird food, and for other wild and caged birds. (They also can be fed to lizards, snakes, turtles, fish, praying mantises and people, among other things.) It takes a lot to gross me out, but I found myself shuddering at the note that they may be "dried in the oven, and used in place of nuts, raisins and chocolate chips in many recipes." (Silly of me -- I ate some, fried, at a different bug fest last spring!) Raising them can be simple (mine are in oatmeal with a couple of fresh slices of potato on top daily) or challenging (for example adding supplements to provide them more nutrition -- which makes them grow better, reproduce more, and be more nutritious.) I just read instructions on keeping them clean and mite- and moth-free and separating adults from eggs so the eggs and babies don't get eaten! Oh my. One person's experience and instructions, just in case you're motivated to try: www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm

Hopefully I'll paint my apple, and tomorrow's promised grape homework, in time to sketch this, or one of my other three, while still a pupa.

Done