Bugs by Shoosty by Stephen Shooster

Shooster Publishing All Rights Reserved Copyright 2021 441 South State Road 7, Suite 10 Margate, Florida 33068 www.shoosty.com B U G S Shoosty Illustrations: Stephen Shooster aka Shoosty Stories: Jim Boring

ithin the oeuvre of Shoosty’s (artist Stephen Shooster) many-faceted work, Bugs represents a category of illustrations depicting fanciful insects. The fascination with both real and imaginary insects goes back at least as far as the sacred scarabs of ancient Egypt. Shooster’s contributions to the genre are at the highest level of creativity and originality. The anatomy of his creatures, while familiar, is more at home in Alice’s Wonderland than in Linnaeus’s taxonomy.

OFFICIAL FIELD GUIDE TO SHOOSTY BUGS

If comedy is the most difficult to write then whimsy is the most difficult of comedy writing. Like the exquisite care with which Shoosty Bugs are represented the fact that the subject is light gives no leeway from the precision with which they must be represented. The concept of creating a gallery of fantastic insects is in the tradition of art that insists on the participation of the viewer. Both the artist and the viewer know that the bug in question does not exist in the real world. Except that it does exist in the mind of the artist and of the viewer where it stimulates that most potent human attribute — imagination. In a fantasy the key is not merely to write descriptive copy but to capture the whimsical mood of the art and to sustain the illusion that the world they create is real. The poet Marianne

Moore once said poets create imaginary gardens in which we find real frogs. That’s what we are doing here. Fantasy is illusion. And illusion always has an aspect of reality to it that anchors the viewer/reader — something familiar to ease the way to the strange. In a non-fiction book of insects we might find accompanying text that describes the context within which the insects appear in various circumstances and cultures. Shoosty Bugs borrows the style of such text (the familiar) to present a strange but somehow plausible scenario. With Edward Lear on one shoulder and Lewis Carroll on the other we dove fearlessly into the deep. Jim Boring

The Kyoto Squish Kyōṭō Skviśa

One of the most unusual defensive strategies in the entire insect world is that used by the Kyoto Squish. Found only in the subway system in Kyoto, Japan the tiny Squish subsists on minute rice cake crumbs dropped by the huge crowds of daily commuters. The Squish

is responsible for the extraordinary cleanliness of the system. When threatened by the milling crowd the Squish flattens itself into what resembles a bug that has been stepped on, causing passersby to avoid it. Work Cited: Adachiti, Tsunamitsutu. “The Uncanny Squish Bug.” Modern Japanese Entomology, vol. 4, no. 23, 2020, pp. 21-23. 1.

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The Kyoto Squish Moonlight Dancers Sarcassian Beetle Himalayan Mantis Porcipian Wasp Bong Roach The Oil Slick Skater The Uncommon House Fly Merisana Beetles The Lake Superior Fruit Beetles The Watson Willowsnapper The American Hardcase French Wistful Wiggler Gengortius Bugata Borovian Botbird

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Lapsidusia Beetles Listonic Beetle Longbellied Artisan Pandora Leaf Bug Canadian Hairy Picadorus Beringian Beetle Cookoo Wasp Chicago Skywalker Recycler Hemiptera Yellow Willow Pentatomoidea Green Neon Beetle Turquoise Jewel Bug The Striated Fingersnapper Batscat Beetles

Moonlight Dancers Mūnalā’ita Dānsara

When mating the undulating line of Moonlight Dancers is often mistaken for a box of Eberhard #3 pencils.

Work Cited: Lightbeam, Twilight L., editor. Dancing Lights. 1 ed., vol. 1, New York, NY, Dance Magazine, 2001. 1 vols. Public domain 1974 datasource, www.publicdomain1974datasource. com. Accessed 1 1 2017. 11

Sarcassian Beetle Sārkāsiyana Bīala

When therapeutically applied to open wounds the moss-like fungus found only on the belly of the Sarcassian beetle has been found to be ineffective.

Works Cited: Upper, Make R., Performer. Sarcastic Sarcassian. 2049. 1, 1 ed., Pheasant Broadcasting, 2050. Pheasant TV, https://www. pheasant.com. Accessed in the future on Monday, Janus, 2050

Himalayan Mantis Himālaya Manisa

High in the Himalayan Mountains, at the boundary of the tree line, there grows a species of spruce tree famous for its durability, density and suitability to the making of violins. The Himalayan Mantis nests in the highest branches of this tree and has never before been illustrated in such remarkable detail.

Work Cited: LeMusic, Affectionado. Lower Taxonomy Orchestra Highlights. 1 ed., vol. 1, Bavaria, Germany, 15 LTO, 1645. 1 vols.

Porcipian Wasp Pōrsipiyana Bīṭala

Under stress the Porcipian wasp squeals like a piglet emitting a shrill cry capable of disabling predators. Works Cited: Boddtor, Iloiloho. Porcipian: Introduction to Young Naturalists. 1 ed., vol. 1, Fredericksburg, Texas, AJ Houser, 1934. 1 vols.

Bong Roach Bōong Rōca

The longest lived members of the phylum Archaica are the Bong beetles whose colorful appearance from hibernation in the second June of every other century gladdens the hearts of mankind. Work Cited: Marlea, Robert. Bong Man Beetle. 1 ed., 18 vol. 1, New York, NY, High Times, 1982. 1 vols.

The Oil Slick Skater Tēla Slick Skēṭara

The glistening carapace of the Oil Slick Skater demonstrates the capacity of all creatures to beautify the most ravaged environment. 20

Work Cited: Nordman, Captain Erol. “Oil and Insects.” American Journal of Energy, vol. 5, no. 21 1, 2018, pp. 42-43. 1.

The Uncommon House Fly Asāmān’ya Ghara Phlā’ī

Only its annoying habits of buzzing in ones ears and spreading Plague keep the lovely housefly from making an ador22 able pet.

Work Cited: Wilsom, E. B. House Flies as Pets. 1 ed., vol. 2, Philadelphia, Pa., The House Fly 23 Foundation, 1763. 4 vols.

Merisana Beetles Mērisānā Bīṭala

Nomibian women wear live captured Merisana beetles as amulets to protect themselves against infertility and flyfoot. Work Cited: Kazemamamboo, Kazenimibo. “Insek Amulette Krag.” wetenskaplike namibië, vol. 1, no. 1, 1907, 32-33;66. Accessed 11 3 2019.

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The Lake Superior Fruit Beetles

Tāla Supīriyara Phala Bīṭala

It is part of the oral tradition of the Chevroley tribe of Michigan that the only thing worse than finding a Lake Superior fruit beetle in your apple is to find half a Lake Superior fruit beetle in your apple.

Work Cited: Yorkton, James M. “Lake Superior Fruit Beetles.” Lake Superior Entomology News 26 [Grand Rapids], 1 ed., no. 1, 15 September 1967, pp. 24-25.

The Watson Willowsnapper Vāṭasana Willowsnapper

Insects communicate in a variety of ways. Some stridulate, some whistle, some rely on pheromones. They use these means to identify threats as well as mating possibilities. But in the entire kingdom no insect, except the Watson Willowsnapper, has developed a communication system more sophisticated. Records of each insect’s unique print are kept in wax files in large hives conveniently situated within the insect’s territorial range.

Works Cited: Vert, Intro p. “Willowsnapper Behaviour.” The Willowsnapper Journal, vol. 3, no. 34, 1984, pp. 21-22. 20.

The American Hardcase

(Amērikana Hārḍa Kēsa Bīṭala) Few insects have a more distinctive and recognizable carapace than the American Hardcase Bug. Found at countless outdoor activities in the United States, the colorful insect is best known as the inspiration for flag maker Betsy Ross.

Work Cited: “The American Hardcase Bug.” 1979. Bugs, created by Everwise Malthrope, 1, 2 ed., season 1, episode 21, Scientific Not, 1976 January 1980, disc 303. American Journal of Non2 30 sense.

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French Wistful Wiggler Phrēnca Wistful Wiggler

The rasping, staccato mating song of the French Wistful Wiggler causes songbirds to fall from their perches and frogs to creak instead of croak. Works Cited: “The Mechanics of Creak or Croak.” Scientific Non-Sense, vol. 1, no. 1, 1305, pp. 4-5. 6 32

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Gengortius Bugata Jyenortius Bugata

Popular legends regarding the Gengortius Bugata originate in the insect’s uncanny ability to forecast road conditions in urban areas.

Work Cited: Farsheit, Gabriel. “Forecasting Road Conditions.” Meteorological Roma, vol. 1, no. 34 1, 1891, pp. 28-29.

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Borovian Botbird

Bōrōbhiyana Bōṭa Carā In Abustan, high in the Cracosian mountains, the people revere the Borovian Botbird, a brilliantly colored beetle whose bite is known to have the power to increase intelligence in children. Work Cited: Myopiabinder, Rainer. Die kleine Welt. 1st ed., vol. 1, Würzburg, Friedrich-Elfenrtung, 1948. 1 vols

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Lapsidusia Beetles Lapsidusia Tsokh

The addition of crushed Lapsidusia beetles to any seafood transforms the taste to that of grass fed chirimakes.

Work Cited: Maspeard, Gaston. “Grass Fed Chirimakes.” 6Ancient Entomology, vol. 1, no. 1, 1881, pp. 16-17. 38

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Listonic Beetle Lisṭōnika Bīṭala

Although harmless, the fierce appearance of the Listonic beetle is credited with being the sole reason for the creature’s evolutionary success. Works Cited: Nayturk, Gustav van. “Evolutionary Success.” Safety by Appearance, vol. 1, no. 61, 1972, pp. 23-44. 40

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Longbellied Artisan Longbellied Kārīgara

Once considered a pest the Longbellied Artisan beetle is now both rare and highly valued for its use in fine art painting. Vermeer once remarked, “If only I could figure out how to steal the blue from these d***ed bugs.”

Work Cited: Thinkour, Deep R. “Longbellied Artisan Habits.” The United States Journal of Insects, vol. 3, no. 14, 1978, p. 302. 3.

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Pandora Leaf Bug Pēṇḍōrā Pāta Baga

In a curious evolutionary adaptation the Pandora Leaf Bug is randomly toxic making it impossible for predators to determine whether the bug is edible. Work Cited: Scribber, Lazy ee, writer. “A Box Not to Open.” 2021. YumiDummee, 1, 1 ed., season 3, episode 10, Backseat Driver Productions, 4 September 2021. YumiDummie, https://www.YumiDummie.tv. Accessed 6 October 2021.

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Canadian Hairy Picadorus

Kyānāḍālī Kapāla Pikāḍōrasa The elaborate camouflage of the Canadian Picadorus is powerfully augmented by its hallucination inducing venom.

Work Cited: Yuxwelton, welp. “Biological warfare bug.” 2Mad Magazine, vol. 1, no. 354, 1903, 34-35, 40. 2. 46

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Beringian Beetle

Bēriṅgiyana Bīṭala

The colors of the Beringian beetle are said to have been chosen by the wife of the Altibar Noon to celebrate his release from the charms of Portiana.

Work Cited: Kant C, Blind m. “The Battle for Portina.” Altibar Noon, vol. 1, no. 1, 1633, pp. 32-36. 1. 49 5

Cookoo Wasp

Kōyala Bhaisī Despite its name, the result of its erratic flight, the Cookoo Wasp is strikingly elegant in repose. Work Cited: Baad, Crack n., creator. Cookoo goes the Wasp. 1911. Performance by Crack n. Goode, 2, 2 ed., Insectus, 2011, disc 1. insectus, https://insectus/cookoo.com. Accessed 11 October 2021.

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Chicago Skywalker

Śikāgō Skā’īvākara A familiar sight to diners in skyscraper restaurants in Chicago. The Chicago Skywalker wing case mimics the skyline of the city.

Furrow, Edgar B. “The Role of the Chicago Skywalker in forming the Chicago Downtown.” Architectural and Insect Journal of Science, vol. 1, no. 1, 1763, pp. 29-33. 1.

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Recycler Hemiptera - Risā’iklara Hēmipṭērā

A favorite of environmental scientists, the Recycler spends its entire life submerged in the detritus of urban garbage dumps where its characteristic belching call is often mistaken for tree frogs.

Work Cited: Plotz, Barry. Recycling Phenomena. 1 ed., vol. 1, New York, NY, Re54 cycling Journal and Crosswords, 1990. 1 vols.

Yellow Willow Pentatomoidea Flavus Salix Pentatomoidea

A muscular fly that favors gymnasium locker rooms. Often found admiring itself in mirrors. Work Cited: Tomahalle, Lynn. Pentatomoidea in Comics. 1 ed., vol. 1, Chicago, Il, Marvin Comics, 2021. 1 vols.

Actual Size

Green Neon Beetle Hariyō Niyana Bīṭala Often used as a substitute for neon signs in saloons in northern Wisconsin. These eco-friendly creatures brighten the landscape on cold win58 ter nights.

Bone, Fund y. “Neon in Nature.” Sign and Nature Magazine, vol. 1, no. 25, 1952, pp. 28-30. 1.

Turquoise Jewel Bug Phirōjā Gahanā Baga

The gorgeous Turquoise Jewel bug can be worn as a pin or linked together into bracelets.

Canto, Carla. Insects and Jewels. 1 ed., vol. 1, Los Angeles, Ca, International Jewelry, 2021. 2000 vols. 60 6

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The Striated Fingersnapper Sīdhā Aunlā Sn’yāpara

The clicking song of the Striated Fingersnapper is the first sign of Spring in the Alabama countryside. The bug’s ink resin is an essential ingredient in the fingerprinting of local scalawags and the printing of scholarly journals.

Work Cited: Finch, Brody. Nature’s Ink. 201 ed., vol. 1, Wetumpka, Alabama, Science of Printing Inks, 2018. 1 vols.

Batscat Beetles

(Bubački Bubački)

Florphus, the droppings of Batscat Beetles, has long been used as an aphrodisiac among the nearly extinct people of the Prenile Peninsula.

Soryus, Azeek Langley. “Neon Genesis Florphus.” Neon Genesis, vol. 1, no. 1, 1234, p. 1.

Advance Responses from Trusted Sources “Stinging Satire.” - Entomology Today “Biting Commentary.” - Journal of Visions and Venom “Crawling with Crepuscular Creatures.” - Sundown Society “Couldn’t put it Down.” - Tacky Subjects “There’s Flies in the Kitchen, I Can Hear Them Buzzing.” - John Prine “Beauty is the Beast.” - Oscar Wilding