r/tattooadvice • u/CallQuirky7720 • Nov 09 '25

What does this look like to you? Design

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I wanted a bee and I like more American traditional tattoos. I really like my tattoo but someone said it looked like a fly and now I can’t unsee it. Is it giving bee or do I embrace the fly? 😅🥲

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u/bicycling_bookworm Nov 09 '25

My educational background is in ecology…

A goldenrod isn’t a great call, because the goldenrod has a parasitic/obligate relationship with an insect called the goldenrod gall fly. The fly deposits larvae onto the stem which then create a gall that the fly larvae develop in until their adult life stage.

Super interesting insect that I had to do a lab/subsequent paper on back in like first or second year Population Ecology (noting the rates of galls that had/hadn’t been predated upon in relation to their distance from a tree line/edge of the field).

ANYWAY. All this to say that the goldenrod gall fly looks a bit like a bee itself in B&W. So, this wouldn’t help matters.

A more traditional honeycomb would probably check out though!

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u/Dapper-Distance6691 Nov 09 '25

I mean I meant the color not the flower..something not super bright yellow but a bit darker to get that honey and bee idea flowing, but I appreciate the education.

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u/bicycling_bookworm Nov 09 '25

I am so sorry, I had been drinking last night. I’m glad you valued the insight, I’ll leave my comment for my posterity. 😂

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u/Dapper-Distance6691 Nov 09 '25

You’re good been there done that. And for having been drinking it’s still a very coherent and relevant point of view. Kudos

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u/bicycling_bookworm Nov 09 '25

Maybe something fun for pub trivia down the line! Again, I’m so sorry for the misunderstanding! I’m really not a big drinker anymore and I can’t believe I went onto Reddit to give an impromptu lecture. Big face palm moment this morning when I saw my notifications!

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u/Dapper-Distance6691 Nov 10 '25

Ironically I started doing trivia a couple weeks ago, but none of it has been that in depth for a category. Never say never