Outside the small shack appears abandoned, set just outisde of the town in an overgrown garden and lying in the shadow of diseased trees. The door and windows are boarded, but there are small signs of occupancy in the worn grass and fresh looking locks, even occasionally a bit of light from within.
The inside is heavily cluttered with papers, scrolls and a few tomes, two thirds of the texts relating to insects, plants and medicinal subjects, the rest miscillanious texts. Diagrams cover the walls, and writing utensils as well as other.. utensils are situated amongst the debris. One wall seems to be made of nothing but shelves filled with jars and cages and boxes filled with insects, although a few have some mice, a snake, and a dead bird that twitches as something moves inside the corpse.
Though most of the insects are confined, there is evidence of free species by way of dirt and cobwebs and such. Moths freely flit about the room and beetles scurry between the floor boards.
A desk sits between bookcases with a stool, both littered with small bites and crammed in their space.
Two doors lead to the only other rooms, one being a surprisingly clean looking kitchen and an equally neat bedroom, possibly due to lack of use or a certain care, maybe a mix of both.
It has a wingspan of 45 to 65 millimetres (1.8 to 2.6 in). The design of the wings varies: the front wings are brown with a white pattern (which can however be missing), the back wings are orange with a pattern of black dots. The conspicuous patterns serve as a warning to predators, because the moth's body fluids are poisonous. Its effects are not yet fully known, but they contain quantities of choline esters which are neurotoxic by interfering with the acetylcholine receptor. The colours are also ideal for frightening predators such as small birds: the moth normally hides its hindwings under the cryptic forewings when resting. If a threat is perceived, the moth quickly shows its red colour and flies away. In this way, it successfully confuses and warns off the predator.
Eggs are laid starting in July. Large bluish-white clutches of eggs are laid on the lower surfaces of leaves. The caterpillars hatch in August. They spend the winter on the ground in protected places and pupate from June to July of the following year. The moths hatch from July to August.
The caterpillar of the garden tiger moth feeds on various kinds of non-woody plants, as well as bushes and trees. It is especially fond of raspberry, blackberry, viburnum, honeysuckle, erica, and broom.
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Strepsiptera
The Strepsiptera (translation: twisted wing, giving rise to the insects' common name, twisted-wing parasites) are an endopterygote order of insects with 9 extant families making up about 600 species. The early-stage larvae and the short-lived adult males are non-sessile, but most of their lives are spent as endoparasites in other insects, such as bees, wasps, leafhoppers, silverfish, and cockroaches.
Male Strepsiptera have wings, legs, eyes, and antennae, and superficially look like flies, though their mouthparts cannot be used for feeding. Many of their mouthparts are modified into sensory structures. Adult males are very short-lived, usually surviving less than five hours, and do not feed. Females, in all families except the Mengenillidae, are not known to leave their hosts and are neotenic in form, lacking wings, legs, and eyes.
The offspring consume their mother from the inside in a process known as hemocelous viviparity. Each female thus produces many thousands of triungulin larvae that emerge from the brood opening on the head, which protrudes outside the host body. These larvae have legs (which lack a trochanter, the leg segment that forms the articulation between the basal coxa and the femur), and actively search out new hosts. [2] Their hosts include members belonging to the orders Zygentoma, Orthoptera, Blattodea, Mantodea, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, and Diptera. In the Strepsipteran family Myrmecolacidae, the males parasitize ants while the females parasitize Orthoptera.
Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles. Other common names include larder beetle, hide or leather beetles, carpet beetles, and khapra beetles. There are approximately 500 to 700 species worldwide. They can range in size from 1–12 mm. Key characteristics for adults are round oval shaped bodies covered in scales or setae. The (usually) clubbed antennae fit into deep grooves. The hind femora also fit into recesses of the coxa. Larvae are scarabaeiform and also have setae.
Dermestids have a variety of habits; most genera are scavengers that feed on dry animal or plant material such as skin or pollen, animal hair, feathers, dead insects and natural fibers. Members of Dermestes are found in animal carcasses, while others may be found in mammal, bird, bee, or wasp nests. Thaumaglossa only lives in the egg cases of mantids, while Trogoderma species are pests of grain.
These beetles are significant in forensic entomology. Some species are known to be associated with decaying carcasses which help with criminal investigations. Some species are pests (urban entomology) and can cause extensive damage to natural fibers in homes and businesses.
They are used in taxidermy and by natural history museums to clean animal skeletons. Some dermestid species, commonly called "bow bugs," infest violin cases, feeding on the bow hair.
Dermestid larvae boast a complete or holometabolous development, which includes an egg, larva, pupa, and adult stage. As opposed to ametabolous or hemimetabolous development where the larva's wings start off as internal wing pads and as development progresses, the wings begin to develop externally, Dermestid larvae never have visible wing pads. Dermestid larvae are profoundly covered with varying lengths of setae that give a general "fluffy" appearance. The larvae are generally dark brown to black and possess a pair of spine-like appendages on the terminal end of the abdomen. Most beetle larvae have chewing mouthparts, an obvious head capsule which is sclerotized, as well as three pairs of well developed thoracic legs that easily distinguish them from Diptera maggots. The larva's size depends on the species and is typically much less than 1/2 of an inch. Dermestid larvae are typically found on dry organic items that are hard for other organisms to digest, such as dried foodstuffs, skins, hides, wood and other natural fibers. In forensic studies the larvae are found on human corpses during the dry and skeletal phases of decomposition, which occurs several days after death. Larvae also move away from light and often hide in any cavity in order to remain undisturbed.
(Anybody is welcome to happen upon the rather abandoned looking home should they wish to~ Its location and appearance certainly invites the curious passerby to investigate!))
Quiet rustling of the nearby flora surrounding the seemingly abandoned shack filled the air. The sounds of scraping, and a soft "Hmm." Followed each rustle shortly after. A bird quickly vacates it's perch and chirps loudly as a branch is snapped in the figures grasp to quickly change direction. This figure's pattern of movement was erratic almost as if it was chasing something...or completely lost it was too early to make clear of that just yet. A few minuets of this continued, until the figure pounced into the clear, grasping to what appeared as a better. A small smile grew upon his face. "Gotcha." He said triumphantly to himself. Taking a glance up he noticed the run-down shack. He tilted his head and stood up straight, at least what he called straight as he had a noticeable slouch. Taking a few steps closer to the door, he reached in and peered inside.
The interior was as dusty and scattered in appearance as ever, papers and books pushed aside by the scraping door. The few uncaged inhabitants scampered at the invasion of an unfamiliar figure, spiders and beetles scampering for cover. A few fireflys went dark, landing on the desk.
A mound sat in the stool, hidden well beneath a blankets and the figures head lost underneath a mass of papers and books. At the clamour risen from the opening of the door, the figure shifted faintly, snuffling and groaning as it was roused from sleep.
As Alyssa raised her head from the mess, papers and books dropped back into the tables pile, a cloud of dust jumping into the air. The dust colored into existance by the faint strains of light from the doorframe drew a sudden, high pitched sneeze that shocked the hardly concious female so deeply that her body was thrown forward and her head rebounded of one of the few uncovered sections of desk with a loud crack and a yelp.
Remaining there a moment she sat up again a little slower this time, rubbing her quickly bruising forhead. "Ow..." her soft voice cracked, laced with weary exhaustion as she peered around. "Hm...? Where'd ya all g..." she trailed off as her eyes landed on the source of the commotion. The unfamiliar figure's features were unrecognizable, shadows cast by the light behind it, and even further blurred by her lack of vision. Grunting as she recognized her issue, she waved a lazy hand at him in a nonchalant manner and began to shift her hands around blindly, searching for her glasses. Her hands knocked into something, and her glasses skid across the table and then the floor, coming to a rest at the strangers feet.
"Grrreaat." Alyssa exhaled in faint annoyance, coughing to clear her throat. Scootching her chair back, the strange woman slid to her knees on the floor. Her hands pat the ground, eyes fixed on the dusty cracked floorboards as she began a ridiculous search for her lost lenses.
He couldn't help but smirk, watching the other figure of the room stumble and nearly crack their head open. He shrugged, reaching down and picking up the lenses, making sure to do his best and not smudge them up with his dirty fingers. He then cautiously walked towards the groaning figure, hand outstretched with the lenses in the palm. "Here, I didn't mean to startle," He started. "I thought this place was abandoned." He explained, then taking a glance around he nodded to himself. "At least, not inhabited by people." He added quickly. Now that he was closer, he was finally able to see the person in front of him, he felt slightly inadequate compared to her, at least in physical appearance of clothes. He took a glance at himself and sighed softly. 'Well first impressions are always hard' he thought.
Alyssa's features took on a confused expression, blinking rapidly up at him in an effort to bring his hand and its contents into focus. Finally recognizing the vague outline of her beloved lenses she brightened, extending her hand to lightly pluck the item free, a simple move cautious against any physical contact.
She began to clean it carefully anyways on her sleeve, despite his care in not making any smudges. Her clothing on any other day might have been professional, but at the moment was quite dusty and in dissarraay, the cloak on the right shoulder sliding to her elbow, and her hair sticking up slightly, hat lying on the desk still somewhere. Both boots where gone, leaving rather dusty bare feet in their absence, but both were fortunately not missing as they lay just under the desk.
Replacing her glasses on the bridge of her nose, she redirected her attention up at him and stood with some lack of grace. Her own stature was quite small in relation to his own, in fact by comparison she looked quite like a breakable piece of glass, but the strength in her eyes was laced with far too much cunning like a snake. She ran a hand through her grass like locks, making little progress in an effort to tame the mess upon her scalp. As she spoke her voice sounded a little clearer, more alert, and was accompanied with a not unwelcoming upturn of her lips.
"That's quite alright, I can understand, if nothing else, the strong pull of curiosity."
Pulling some of her attire into a straighter manner and tugging on the edges of her skirt, she moved back towards the desk in search of her hat. "Pardon the mess, I'd say its not usually this bad but that would be a terrible lie," she spoke up, accompanying her statement with a light, cheerful laugh. "Do make yourself comfortable. Its not often we receive visitors!"
He cocked his head to right slightly, his hair parting only for a moment to show his bright blue eyes. "..We?" He questioned, half way muttered to himself, but given the size of the shack she probably heard him. He cleared his throat and attempted to straighten his posture, which all but succeeded. A small cracking noise as his back went vertical, then slouched back to his normal, slouched posture. "I, um..." He paused for a moment. "Was looking to study special pollen and bugs, thought this place might be a good start, until someone was living here that is." He said rather quickly, trying to make conversation and not seem awkward, but that probably failed as quick as his posture did.
Now that she had her glasses on, she would find that her quest was in a rather tattered attire. Old worn burlap with just as worn cotton shirt underneath with matching pants only held up a rough leather strip at his thin waist. His feet were clearly dirty from prolonged time with out boots or covers and his hands mimicked this same, most likely from digging through dirt and what ever else he might have scrounged through.
Alyssa's eyes finally fell upon the source of her search, fingers tugging the dishelved cap free from under a pile of books, flicking it through the air and off her thigh in an attempt to clear it of dust. The effort seemed to work, although not without another sneeze that caused her to lose her balance, catching herself off the edge of the desk with a small laugh.
As she fixed the cap over her mop of hair, she returned her gaze to him, unbothered by his apparent lack of heigene. "Yup. We. Us." Her answer was simple, in the vocal sense, but it was accented by her motions as she held out her hands. A few fireflies that had hidden at his arrival lit up, resting on her offered fingers in a familiar way. A few other fireflies lit as well, illuminating the room and the many eerie occupants caged against the far wall.
"If your looking for information about bugs, then you've definantly come to the right place. I know everything and anything about them, practically." She moved around the room, shifting things around to make it a little neater, and as she did so the various bugs that had hidden began to creep into view again. Spiders, wood bugs, and so on of the common variety, the cages containing the more.. unique species. "Feel free to look around, and ask any questions you might have." She called over her shoulder, moving to one of the other doors. "Would you like something? I'm afraid I don't have much, but I'm sure I can scrounge up some tea and something to eat."
He couldn't help but chuckle at her clumsiness. Once she had gathered herself and explained the 'We' part of introduction, he nodded. "I see, I'm in luck then." He stated with a small smirk, his view quickly darted over to the cages, which he started to walk towards. "Anything I should be worried about with these 'friends' of yours?" He asked, in a joking tone. He then turned around quickly on his heels. "I don't believe I've gotten your name..." He trailed off, feeling quite rude. "Some tea would be great." He quickly added, before turning back around to the cages. He looked around for a light of some sort, maybe parting the curtains, finding a candle or something similar.
There was little by way of light save the cracks in the boarded up windows, and the many fireflies darting around, although the combined efforts seemed to be perfectly adequate as the latter numbered in many. Alyssa could be heard bustling about the tiny kitchen and causing quite a clamor, indeed being quite clumsy in nature.
A light laugh answered his first question. "Oh don't worry, they wont bother you as long as you don't bother them.. or me at any rate." she replied, a touch of mystery in her words. Her voice became clearer as she stepped into view, offering him one of the two cracked looking tea cups she held. "My name is Alyssa, by the way. Alyssa Su'ulik. Although its customary one shares their own name before requesting someone elses," she added with a wry, almost teasing smile.
He blinked behind that veil of matted black hair, turning around as he did to grab one of the tea cups she had brought. "O-oh, um, right." He stammered, his fingers wrapping around the handle. His knuckles looked swollen and his hand shook slightly before grasping the cup fully. "You can call me Mutt." he said with an embarrassed grin of sorts. Turning back around to gaze back at the cages. "So these are your pets, or more by the sound of it." He jested. "What kinds species are in here, haven't seen theses too much to remember, any special properties to take note of?" He peppered her with questions, quite intrigued about the bugs.
Alyssa sipped her own tea casually. It was a rasberry blend with green tea leaves, so it was a little sweet with a touch of herbal flavor. Her eyes skimmed the various cages thoughtfully. "These are my friends in a sense. They hold a great many secrets and are willing to share, if you treat them with proper respect.."
She moved a little closer to him, putting her cup aside on an empty section of shelf and pointing to the various cages, naming a few. "This here is a Stick bug, you can't see him but if you look carefully he's there.. on that branch. No see, the branch a little to the left, there see it? It just twitched. That's what I mean. Ingenious little defense mechanism."
Her hand moved to the next cage, a certain enthusiasm that was almost mad touching her voice and eyes. "Oh, and this is a Strepsitera. Twisted Wing Parasite. He was a nightmare to find, but well worth it." she pointed to what looked like a dead wasp, but once in awhile it would twitch. "Its actually inside the corpse. The larvae wait on a flower to find a suitable host that they kill and use the corpse as a home and source of food. Then when they reach maturity the males leave in search of the still hidden females, and the new ones when born will kill the mother and feed off her corpse before moving on to search for another insect."
Mutt listened closely as she explained the different species of bugs to him. "Do you ever eat any species of bugs?" He asked, then taking a sip of his tea. he watched the dead carcass twitch every moment or so, feeling intrigued on just why this Twisted Wing parasite did this evolved to this kind of thing, nearly a monster at least in his mind. After a long pause he looked to Alyssa. "What are you hoping to learn from these bugs?" He added to his question.
The initial question brought a mix of anger and horror to Alyssa's expression as she spun on him, exclaiming a resolved "of course not!"
However she seemed to quickly retract this fury, calming down as she recognized the lack of ill intent in his mostly innocent, if offensive question. "Though its true, some insects are.. consumable, I can assure you I would never dream of such a terrible thing."
Her feet turned, followed by her body as she redirected her attention to one of the cages, a huge spider the size of two fists crawling out from a trap door made of dirt in the ground. Alyssa popped open the lid and placed her hand inside, and the spider eagerly crawled into her open palm where it stood, looking cramped. Gently she brought it to her fact and cupped it in her two hamds, allowing it to nestle there as she spoke.
"Insects may not seem like much, but from them we can learn millions of new things. Tactics in battle and war, chemicals and effects, even life lessons and such. I work to learn about every species I can, its.. a part of me in a sense. My lifes work, my... obsession.." she spoke in a hushed tone unlike her initial outburst, sounding almost inviting in her tone as she turned her hands, irises taking on an eerie shine as they peeked over the edge of her glasses, slowly rising to peer at the mans own.