This is the finished painting "The Pollinators". I chose the motive because I have had insects on my mind for some years now and I'm disturbed by the loss of biodiversity we are experiencing. The decline especially of insects will hit us hard, but we don't seem to react with the urgence needed.

The last pair painted was the honey bee (Honungsbi) and the Rose chafer, Gräsgrön guldbagge (Cetonia aurata).

Here are the penultimate pair: the common green bottlefly and the Poplar admiral, Limenitis populi (Aspfjäril).

Next up is Polygonia c-album, the comma butterfly (Vinbärsfuks) and the common hoverfly (sp.), blomfluga.

I have totally forgotten to add the newest insects from my painting!
Here is a Hyles gallii, the bedstraw hawk-moth (Brunsprötad skymningssvärmare), and Anthidium manicatum, commonly called the European wool carder bee (Större ullbi). Both avid pollinators.

Jag har faktiskt aldrig gett lov att använda mina biologiska uppgifter ens för forskning. Som biolog fattar jag det goda, men möjligheten att de kan användas emot mig oroar. Att min genetik kanske kan ge ngn orsak att neka mig tex vård är möjligt i framtiden. Att ngt är hemligt är bara så i nuet.

My most recent insect in my Pollinators painting-project is a emerald wasp from the Chrysididae-family. These are solitray wasps with an kleptoparastic lifecycle (like cuckoos). They're often brilliantly coloured with metallic iridescence. Solitary wasps are among our most important pollinators.

More pics from the Ruka fell, Kuusamo Finland.

Had a great winter holiday in northern Finland, Ruka with family and special guests 🤍

The third insect I painted for my Pollinators-painting was the bumblebee. The word "bumblebee" is a compound of "bumble" and "bee"—'bumble' meaning to buzz or move ineptly.
The name Humblebee has also been used in the middle ages and was used in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (WP)

Due to unforseen circumstances - mainly those of boringly long sickness - I have not painted for a while. But I have been reading about vampires and my head is full of them. So much so that I had to get some on paper. Rough skiss by me. Thigh leash by TS.

The next pollinator I painted was Aglais io, the European peacock. The peacock butterfly prefers red and purple flowers. Butterflies do not pick up as much pollen as for instance bees but are still recognized as effective pollinators. They are fascinating creatures with an amazing life cycle.

I'm making a painting for our entrance hall -it's a tricky spot and the painting has to be more of a interior design piece. So here's the first of 12 pollinators that are going to be part of it. I'm quite invested in nature conservation, hence my nod towards pollinators. Species details in comments.

Back on track 🐉

I have been deep in fantasy-romantasy for some time now so switching back to reading contemporary feels a bit scary - I am worried that it will be too lame without dragonriders or swordwielding warrior princesses. But this one comes with great ratings so there is hope!

I was feeling sorry for myself, due to the day before when I got to experience an laser procedure for my crappy eye and an ambulance ride to the er with excruciating abdominal pain - all in the same 24 hrs, and I spent too much time on socials getting angrier by the minute. So that's why I'm here.