-- This small sized display piece is of a home raised darkling beetle, and a handmade clay rendition of the mushroom. --

- The small vivariums are made out of recycled bead organizers that I adorned with dehydrated pieces of moss, and fake fungus or flora. I prefer to use deer lichen; it is easy to come by and very porous, so it can be dyed with nontoxic pigments. It creates a spongey, layered spiderweb affect when soaked with Modge Podge, which I find fun. The flora and fungus are made with varying types of clay as I experiment, but typically river clay. Everything is painted with acrylic paint, and sealed with different lusters of Modge Podge, most often the outdoor gloss. They are sealed with cut plexi-acrylic, and the edges are melted, and lined with moss. The bugs are secured with super glue, or tacky glue depending on the sturdieness of the specimen.

- These beetles are the final life stage of the mealworm, the average feeder bug you will find in pet stores. My interest in raising darkling beetles came from having mealworms left over after the loss of a pet, and I found how fascinating their little buggy bodies were. This adult beetle could have lived anywhere from 10-14 weeks, its hard to keep track of them individually. It most likely sired children, and added to the colony. It ate a fun diet of scraps, oats, and dead caterpillars/pupas, contributing to the circle of life and decay.

- All repairs are free! We understand the fragile nature of something handmade due to tempurature changes, and wish for our work to live together. We will also take 50% responsibility for shipping cost above 10$, and full cover for anything under. We can hand pickup/deliver within a 30 min drive radius of and within Philadelphia.

This piece comes with a tiny hand drawn and wax stamped infocard.

this piece was made by @pygmiweed

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All of our specimens are ethically sourced, and hand raised. We try to give them the lives they would otherwise lament living in a cup on, on a shelf, in a store if no one buys them. Once they leave their larval stage, they are then considered undesirable, and no longer needed for purchase. We go out of our way to contact stores and get these little guys.

We also at times display specimens we find outside, already deceased, with a story unknown. We do our best to honor every single one, and some may never become a piece. All will be laid to rest in some way. Some will come named, others will be up to you as you bring it to it's new home.

All wares are one of a kind!! We will never be able to mass produce, this is a passion for us we are hopeful to do forever.

Our shop is a three man buisness, and we all are disabled. All funds go towards our heavily accrued medical debt due to the complications caused by the genetic disorder hEDS. The three of us have varying degrees of severity; we met online from different parts of the country as kids, and eventually bonded over how debilitating it can be. We are moving in together in January 2027 to finally begin our lives in person together after years of long distance, and aid each other during surgical recovery and upkeep.

Funds also go towards Havoc's treatment, we are still paying off via credit. Link in Nav Bar!