i did some really lovely and meticulous topstitching with well-matched thread this week and now iโm sewing something different for a not-me person and using contrast thread to do the worst topstitching of my life
making up for it with great topstitching elsewhere specifically this stitch that goes around a catโs eye
some more isopods! these are Porcellio laevis โDairy Cowโ with an additional mutation that removes pigment from almost all of the body (compare a normal cow pattern babyโฆ calf? in the backround).
the morph has been isolated to form Porcellio laevis โWhiteโ by multiple keepers. I have a fairly low incidence of solid white ones, so I havenโt bothered to breed for these, but Iโve isolated the handful I have to see if itโs possible.
these few are probably the most massive isopods Iโve kept. laevis can get huge in old age on a good diet, and holding these you can really feel their weight!
oh, cool anatomy moment! terrestrial isopods actually have 4 antennae like most crustaceans (think shrimp) and their big ones are actually the second pair of antennae!
antenna 1 has been reduced to tiny nubbins that are easily overlooked with the naked eye. however, this old laevis is so large that my camera pictures are high enough resolution to see his first antennae (I think)
theyโre the pair of little white spikes on the inside of his second antennae pair
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