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bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Shloop 𓅃
@bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
960 followers 550 following 480 posts
🇭🇰Nature photography w/ a TG | Volunteering at HKU School of Biological Sciences | interested in Lucanidae rearing and Vespinae ecology | He/they 🏳️‍🌈
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bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
In the little speck that is Hong Kong lives a tarantula.

Well, not a very big one. Phlogiellus is a genus of tiny tarantulas which can be found even in urban environments. Members of the genus can only be identified by dissection and this specimen appears to be P. bogadeki, described in 2016.
A small, hairy spider (tarantula) in a vial, submerged in alcohol. The prolateral view of the spider’s chelicerae. It has a large fang, black serrations on the anterior side.
November 15, 2025 at 2:42 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
#Invertober Day 4: Palm weevil (Rhycnhophorus)
A messy ink drawing of a robustly shaped weevil. It has club-like antennae and three thick black stripes on its pronotum.
October 8, 2025 at 4:28 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
They’re quite hard to find… only time is when I found one under a longhorn beetle. You can try sifting leaf litter though they are more easily found this way
A tiny (2mm) brown scorpion-like bug (with no tail) on the side of my index finger
October 8, 2025 at 4:06 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Hello Bluesky.
Contrary to its name, i am typing this when Hong Kong is hit by a super typhoon.
Last Sunday, I got my hands on this gorgeous stag beetle (Odontolabis stevensi duivenbodei), endemic to Sangihe Island. I look forward to breeding them. #inverts
A male stag beetle with a black head. It has short, curved mandibles. Its pronotum and the centre of its elytra are blood red. It has an orange border on its elytra, and between the two colours is black. The female stag beetle has the same pattern, but it has a smaller head.
September 23, 2025 at 7:04 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Tonight I saw 3 moon moths (Actias ningpoana) in a single walk. This is the third brood of the year, with the last one coming in October.
#invertefest
A pale green moth with long “tails” on each hindwing. It rests upside down on a tree. Another of the same species of moth. In this photo you can see a red border on the anterior margin of its forewings, and its white body. It suffered some wear and tear, including a missing “tails” on the right hindwing. Its normally pink tail has faded. It rests on the ground. Side view of the same moth, now on a grey fabric (my pants).
August 30, 2025 at 6:56 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
In my trip to Taiwan I visited a few beetle stores including Insect Jungle, which offers an incredible variety of pet beetles and supplies. They include Rhaetus westwoodi, one of the most prized stag beetles, and Dynastes satanas which is rare in the wild, among other uncommon species. #invertefest
The entrance of Insect Jungle inside a garage. It has glass doors with beetle posters plastered all over the entrance. The interior of the store. There are shelves of labelled, transparent plastic boxes where beetles live. There also are display cases of dead beetles and pet beetle/entomological supplies Posters of beetles are seen all over the walls. A black rhinoceros beetle with thoracic and cephalic horns of similar length. On the bottom of its thoracic horn and below is a dense, orange pubescence. It is labelled as “Dynastes satanas”, 74mm. A pair of the beetles costs 2000 NTD. Side view of a jet black stag beetle with its head poking out of some sphagnum moss. Its downwards-curving mandibles have a rhomboid “shield” at the base, a protrusion in the middle and ends with a fork. It is labelled R. westwoodi westwoodi, 85.5mm along. One single male beetle costs 32000 NTD.
August 27, 2025 at 1:50 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
For #invertefest here’s a lovely specimen of what is IMO one of the coolest stag beetles in Taiwan - Neolucanus maximus. Found at midnight when summer comes to an end, their unique mandibles have earned the nickname “dragon’s tooth” given by enthusiasts.
Top view of a splayed specimen of a shiny black stag beetle with a small, trapezoid head. It has large mandibles which curve slightly and end with around 5 serrations When viewed from the side, the mandibles has two points which protrude upwards and outwards, one large point at the base and a smaller one near the end, somewhat like the horns of a dragon
August 26, 2025 at 6:26 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
With larvae weighing over 250 grams and adults weighing only a quarter of its larval weight, Megasoma rex is the heaviest insect in the world.

It is split from Megasoma actaeon in 2018, based on small morphological differences and geographical isolation.

#invertefest
A marker drawing of a rhinoceros beetle with a bulky body. It has large, conical thoracic horns protruding parallel to its cephalic horn, with has an inner “tooth” pointing outwards and ends with a fork.
August 25, 2025 at 11:15 AM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Leaf insects are one of the rarest phasmids in HK, with no specimens in museums and only a few photos online. They have been high on my wishlist, then I saw what looked like a bizarre assassin bug. I still couldn’t believe what I found.

Happy #InverteFest !!!!
A red stick insect with a flat abdomen and lobed legs (leaf insect). It stands idle among brown and green leaf litter. Head shot of the stick insect, with its arms extending forwards. It hangs upside down on a branch. The insect, viewed from the roof on my hand. It’s around a centimetre long. Lateral view of the same bug on a stick, upside down. There are white patches on its legs.
August 24, 2025 at 5:43 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Largest cicada in the world! Megapomponia imperatoria (empress cicada) came to the moth sheet at Fraser’s Hill, Malaysia.

#bugsky #inverts
Rusty brown, long bodied cicada with transparent wings with a few spots. It is on a white sheet. The cicada zoomed in. On the centre of the thorax is a black •w• mark. Cicada next to band. Its body alone is as long as my middle finger
July 19, 2025 at 6:13 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
I found this beauty dead by the road. It is Amplypterus panopus, one of the largest sphingids in HK. As a male, it only has a wingspan of 13cm, but females can reach 17cm. As it likely lived a long life, the moth is a bit battered and lost much of its striking colours.
#teammoth #inverts
A tan moth with a large body and long wingspan. It has a dark brown thorax, body and base of wing. At the middle section of the forewing and the apical margins of the hind wing creates of dark brown, somewhat straight border. It has eye spots at the lower end of its forewings. It has a large patch of pink on each of its hindwings. The underside of the moth is tan, brown and near the body, yellow, resembling fallen autumn leaves.
June 30, 2025 at 6:42 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
One of my favourite stag beetles (Hexarthrius parryi) 😇

Hailing from much of Southeast Asia, members of the genus are notorious for their fierce personality. They give off a powerful aura.
#inverts #bugsky
Top view of a shiny black stag beetle with orange oval patches on its elytra. Its head has a bump on each side and mandibles expand outwards in a straight line and curve inwards, with “teeth” only at the end. Diagonal, horizontal view of the aforementioned beetle, feeding on a brown jelly. Here, you can see its downward-curving mandibles and a large fork on its mandibles.
June 15, 2025 at 8:07 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Always excited to see this fellow when May returns. Irura bidenticulata 🙂 #inverts
A flat jumping spider when a metallic purple sheen. Its body is covered in shiny gold patches. It has enlarged forearms
May 11, 2025 at 5:43 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
This is a very fresh Polyphemus moth… not sure what part of it is damaged.

If you want damaged wings, check out this Atlas moth.
A very large moth, with a missing left forewing. The right forewing tip is gone, its wings have turned a drab brown, its pink lines at the middle section of the wings still remain, and it has white triangles at each centre of its three remaining wings. The moth is as big as my hand which I placed next to.
May 8, 2025 at 5:23 AM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Hong Kong finished CNC with another third place in species‼️

We have always performed pretty well every year. I didn’t have many other chances to go out unfortunately, only ~80 species.

Due to a forecasted period of showers, Friday and Saturday looked a bit pessimistic, but it all turned out fine?
City Observations Species People Cochabamba, Bolivia 109,423 7,134 3,230 San Antonio Metro Area, United States of America 133,953 5,409 2,632 Hong Kong, China 37,571 5,033 1,110 Graz bis zum Vulkanland, Austria 52,591 4,830 487 Area Metropolitana La Paz, Bolivia 148,865 4,721 3,321 Dallas/Fort Worth, United States of America 72,035 4,339 1,853 Houston-Galveston, United States of America 45,062 4,202 1,228 Macao SAR, China, China 64,664 4,183 1,009
May 5, 2025 at 11:57 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Sea roomba (Tachypleus tridentatus) type of night ‼️‼️ they are much more common than I thought (we saw ~30 tonight), but the apparent decrease in population is worrying.
A grey horseshoe crab with a shed facing diagonally on its abdomen, like a pair of horseshoe crabs mating. They are on sand. A line-up of 3 horseshoe crab shells on a hand from big (left) to small (right). Too view of the shed of a horseshoe crab, to the left of a significantly bigger horseshoe crab. A horseshoe crab buried into the sand. A lump of sand is formed on top of where its body is. Only outline of the telson and a trail on the sand is visible.
May 5, 2025 at 7:03 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Wowowoww. Super cooperative horned ghost crab. So handsome.
#inverts
A ghost crab with a deep red, boxy body and white, warty claws. It has eyes with slit pseudopupils and long horns coming from the top of its eyes.
May 4, 2025 at 6:16 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Good job to everyone who said B. Uraniidae. Now what is this?

A. Uraniidae
B. Zygaenidae
C. Papilionidae
D. Geometridae
E. Noctuidae
A white moth with an orange border along its wings. It has beige stripes which run along its wings and sharp, swallow-like protrusions on its hindwings.
May 4, 2025 at 9:20 AM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Test your moth knowledge! What family does this moth belong to?
A. Bombycidae
B. Uraniidae
C. Pterophoridae
D. Tineodidae
E. None of the above
#inverts
A beige moth with straight, thin wings spread horizontally, making it resemble a T with the vertical component being much wider than the horizontal. It hindwings, lined up with its body, is light-coloured and veined like a leaf.
May 3, 2025 at 7:26 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
#InverteFest has already ended. Anyways, here’s a cool bug I got secondhand - a Chilean stag beetle, posed lifelike (i failed miserably - old specimens are hard to relax…)
These used to be cheap until they become protected. Now there is a small supply, at least they won’t get Darwin’d any time soon.
Diagonal view stag beetle with a trapezoid prothorax, in metallic green and purple. Its small head boasts long, metallic gold/green mandibles which arch upwards, with two shorter spines under its long curved mandibles. It also has freakishly long legs. A closer look (prothorax and head) at a stag beetle with a trapezoid prothorax, in metallic green and purple. Its small head boasts long, metallic gold/green mandibles which arch upwards, with two shorter spines under its long curved mandibles, Just next to the lamellae of its antennae are tufts of fuzz.
April 30, 2025 at 7:33 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
From Day 3/4 of #InverteFest.

City Nature Challenge has ended, I only got 1 chance to go out but it will be enough moths for me to post for a week or so.

Anyway, so selected cool moths. Writing descriptions for some is quite tedious!
A black tiger moth with pale pink wings. It has a longitudinal black bar on its wings. (Creatonotos fasciatus) A yellow Geometrid moth, with large , brown ovals on each end of the wing and a large, brown patch at the centre of the moth, shaped like an upside-down Hershey’s kisses. It has a more vibrant brown, horizontal zigzag pattern on each oval. Two Geometrid moths next to each other. On the left, a yellow moth with black bands on its abdomen, black spot on each left hind wing along with a few stripes. The apical half of its forewings is a very dark blue, with small white cubic patches. (Dysphania militaris) To the right, a white moth, with short “swallowtails” on each hindwing. There are thin caramel stripes running from forewing to hindwing (Ourapteryx clara). A hot pink moth with a yellow head. Its black wing veins are visible. It rests on a plant between its leaves and small flowers.
April 29, 2025 at 10:07 AM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Day 3 (I was informed Sat. was day 3, not 4) of #InverteFest: a seriously fine moth, the aptly-named Ramadasa pavo. I let out a little gasp when @hkmoths.bsky.social mentioned its name when we were checking the traps. Though it flew away shortly after, it soon arrived again.
Top view of a light tan moth with its wings in resting position. The first half of its forewings are covered in thin, mottled green-ish marks, with a black-banded costal margin. It is bordered by a thin black mark, in the shape of a very wide U across its forewings, lined with an another thin, dirty brown outside of the inner layer of the forewings. Near the costal margin, after the black border is a metallic blue, spine-like mark which protrudes downwards on each wing. A black (lined w metallic green) 7-shaped mark the border of the apical region on each wing. There is a brown spot just on top of each 7. The same moth viewed from the side. Note it has three small, tan spine-like protrusions running along the base of its abdomen, like one would see on a cartoon drawing of a dinosaur.
April 27, 2025 at 11:25 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Day 4/5 (when the insects were spotted) of #InverteFest: Maybe people aren’t as enthusiastic about the twig mantis as I was. But I know what the Internet loves, the mega-moths.

(Attacus atlas, Actias ningpoana, Erebus ephesperis, Lyssa zampa).
A very large moth, with a missing left forewing. The right forewing tip is gone, its wings have turned a drab brown, its pink lines at the middle section of the wings still remain, and it has white triangles at each centre of its three remaining wings. The moth is as big as my hand which I placed next to. A pale green moth with white body and a red lining on its forewings. Its hindwings have a long extension, as long as its body. It has eye spots on each of the wings. A brown moth of various shades. At the middle of its forewings are large eyespots. The middle section of each wing combine to make a purple semi-circular line. It has a small white patch at the apex of each wing. A brown moth with two “tails” on its hindwings. The inner pair is longer than the outer pair. There is a dark-and-light, longitudinal line which runs through the middle of both the front and hindwings.
April 27, 2025 at 3:30 PM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
Day 4/5 of #InverteFest: While not as flamboyant as other Hymenopodidae, the Asian twig mantis (Ambivia undata) is a master of disguise. Its warty, grey body resembles a twig, and it stretches its forearms to blend in.

One of HK’s rare mantises, and probably the hardest I’ve screamed for an animal.
Side profile grey, mottled mantis with a cylindrical body. on the brown branch of a tree, under a background of dead ferns. Diagonal view of a grey, mottled mantis with a cylindrical body. It has a small horn on its head. It rests on a fresh fern leaf surrounded by dead ones. It stretches its forearms to resemble a twig.
April 27, 2025 at 9:21 AM
bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
A submission for #InverteFest : quick drawing of Rhaetus westwoodi, a one-of-a-kind stag beetle from the eastern Himalayas. It is highly prized in the pet/specimen trade, but very obscure outside of it. Being very rare, little is known about its biology and egg-laying habits.
Ink drawing of a black stag beetle. In the inner part of its mandibles is a rhombus-shaped “shield”. It arches outwards, ending in a small “fork” and little bits of teeth.
April 24, 2025 at 6:32 PM