Domenic Pennetta
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domenicpennetta.bsky.social
Domenic Pennetta
@domenicpennetta.bsky.social
🇨🇦 Scientific Illustrator | Speculative Evolution Artist | (He/Him)

Inspired by invertebrates, prehistoric fauna, and life on Earth. Creator of Project Perditus and Astrovitae Magazine.

Portfolio: www.domenicpennetta.com

🌿 Commissions are always open! 🌿
Do you have a favorite #moth? 🦋 Mine is the hummingbird clearwing! These moths are active during the day and are excellent #pollinators of native plants like wild bergamot, buttonbush, milkweed, and thistle. 🌼


#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #invert #bugsky
May 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM
When we think of insect #pollinators, bees or butterflies come to mind. 🐝🌺 But on the island of Réunion, raspy #crickets are known to pollinate #orchid flowers at night. 🦗 Check out my illustration that depicts this interaction!

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #invert #bugsky
May 6, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Happy #fossilfriday! ❤️ Here's my reconstruction of the Cambrian #sponge, Falospongia ramosa. 🪸 This genus is known from the Burgess Shale—where they once used their 'radiating fronds' to capture food.

#digitalart #sciart #scientificillustration #paleoart #paleontology #invertebratebiology #invert
May 2, 2025 at 4:02 PM
So awesome!!! ✨ I made an illustration of a mud dauber wasp. They’re such great builders—I love this photo of a wasp carrying a glob of mud. So adorable!
April 25, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Would you flip a #pillbug isopod over if you found one stuck on its back? 💖 Check out these illustrations depicting four common isopod species of North America. Which one do you like the most?!

#sciart #scientificillustration #digitalillustration #wildlifeart #nature #bugsky #isopods #invertebrates
April 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM
What do you think of my first-ever art booth!? 🎨 Last Saturday, a local #coffee shop asked me to show off my art. I didn't think I'd sell anything, but to my surprise, I sold lots! 🥹

I still have some stickers left if you want some!
www.etsy.com/shop/BugOnHead

#sciart #bugsky #nature #artvendor
April 21, 2025 at 4:23 PM
My last #ink drawing did so well I had to post another one! Here’s a tumbling flower #beetle 🪲 they’re named after the crazy movements they make to avoid predation—first they jump, then they spin as they fall down!

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #inkart #nature #invert #insect #bugsky
April 15, 2025 at 2:28 PM
The skirted #woodlouse has a shiny, almost metallic look. 💖 Adults are mottled gray, though their colors can vary. The name "woodlouse" likely comes from how it clings to surfaces—just like a true louse!

#sciart #scientificillustration #digitalillustration #wildlifeart #nature #bugsky #isopod
April 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Hey everyone! I’m selling handmade insect stickers based on my pen and ink illustrations over on #etsy. ✨ Every purchase directly supports me and helps fund my art!

www.etsy.com/shop/BugOnHead

#inkart #inkdrawings #stickers #entomology #insect #beetles #invert #bugsky
April 9, 2025 at 3:25 PM
In addition to having the coolest name in existence, diabolical ironclad beetles are notable for their immense durability. 🪲💪 They can withstand forces 39,000 times their body weight... Not even a car can crush them!

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #invert #insect #bugsky
April 8, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Just wanted to share this detail from my illustration! This guy is Echinocaris punctate, an #arthropod from the late #Devonian period. 🦐 It had a hard protective shell and a hinged carapace—and it likely lived like a shrimp too!


#digitalart #sciart #scientificillustration #paleoart #paleontology
April 3, 2025 at 3:45 PM
It's #wormwednesday! Last year, I reconstructed the oldest known bilaterian worm, Uncus dzaugisi, for Wikipedia. This soft-bodied worm was motile and likely fed on early #Ediacaran organisms.

#digitalart #sciart #scientificillustration #paleoart #paleontology #invertebratebiology #invert #worm
April 2, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Do you have a favorite #bug? 🪲 Let me know in the comments! In the meantime, enjoy four digital illustrations of insects I shared last month! ✨

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #invert #arthropods #bugsky #insects
April 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Here’s an early sneak-peak at some #invertebrate ink illustrations I’m currently working on! ✨ I plan on turning these illustrations into stickers which I’ve never done before. So if any artists have any advice on making stickers, please let me know!

#inkillustration #drawing #bugsky #insect
March 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Happy #fishfriday, everyone! 🐟 Viperfishes are characterized by their long, needle-like teeth and hinged lower jaws. I had lots of fun drawing this fearsome fish!

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #marinebiology #deepsea #fish #drawing
March 28, 2025 at 4:05 PM
‪Porcellio spinicornis is a species of #woodlouse in the family Porcellionidae. 💚 This particular species is found in various habitats, including forests, grasslands, and rocky areas.

#sciart #scientificillustration #digitalillustration #wildlifeart #nature #bugsky #inverts #isopod
March 25, 2025 at 5:20 PM
I guess it's #fish #friday? 🐟 Here's a graphite drawing of a mooneye fish on toned gray paper. I love their reflective silver scales!

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #illustration #drawing
March 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Just wanted to share some details in my #chocolate midge illustration, especially since it's difficult to see the cacao flowers (which are quite tiny)! 🌺

#sciart #scientificillustration #digitalart #wildlifeart #nature #pollinator #insect #bugsky
March 20, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Hope you have a happy #wasp Wednesday! 🐝 Mud dauber wasps may look dangerous with their black and yellow markings, but they are neither aggressive nor prone to sting. Instead, they construct small nests of mud under buildings.

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #bugsky #insect
March 19, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Did you know that #chocolate wouldn't be possible without the help of tiny, hard-working flies? 🍫🌸 Chocolate midges are vital #pollinators of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), which is the source of our beloved chocolate!

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #invert #bug #bugsky
March 18, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Finished a #drawing of an argonaut (a.k.a. the paper nautilus). 🦑 These cephalopods have intricate shells that serve as nurseries for their eggs while also providing the animal with a means of floatation.

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #marinebiology #deepsea #cephalopod
March 17, 2025 at 6:21 PM
An illustration of Tapejara wellnhoferi published in Prehistoric Times™. It depicts #pterosaurs migrating inland to forage for food among the Early Cretaceous forests of the Crato Formation.

#digitalart #sciart #scientificillustration #paleoart #paleontology #brazil
March 14, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Despite being a minor pest, I love the bright red color of these bugs! ❤️ The common cotton stainer feeds on cotton, hibiscus, and oranges while staining their host plants yellow. Sometimes they cause fruit to drop early too!

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #invert #bug #bugsky
March 13, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Seen these guys before? The common pill bug, Armadillidium vulgare, plays a crucial role in maintaining plant life by ensuring dead plant matter is broken down and returned to the soil. 🌿

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #bugsky #inverts #isopod
March 12, 2025 at 6:51 PM
My take on the dinosaur Mexidracon longimanus. 🐲 Its name means "Mexican dragon" which influenced my choice of color and the inclusion of condensation forming a 'fiery breath'.

#illustration #digitalart #sciart #scientificillustration #paleoart #paleontology #mexico #dinosaur
March 11, 2025 at 6:26 PM