Tree Lobsters make great pets

Tree Lobsters!!
BugGirl has an amazing item about the rediscovery of "Tree Lobsters", a previously thought-to-be-extinct species of Phasmid (that's 'walking sticks' to all you non-bug geeks people out there). The original article is in German.

BugGirl humorously suggest maybe people should develop a taste for these critters, therefore insuring their survival via farming. Yum! But captive breeding has worked for certain invertebrates, such as tarantulas and tree snails. Thankfully, there is group now formed, TheFriendsOfThePhasmid, that's focusing on the survival of these fascinating insects.

Butterflies vs Moths

Q. People find moths in closets but never butterflies. Why?


How come I find moths flying around in my home from time to time, but never butterflies? It would be nice to have butterflies as house guests. Lou Sorkin of the American Museum of Natural History mentioned a few factors for the lack of butterfly tenants:

...The answer has to do with the paucity of nectar-bearing flowers in the average home, compared with the rich supply of food for larvae that become moths...

In addition, Lou points out that a number of species of moths are pests on household items, like grains, spices, and wool. So we have food to attract some species of moths. Lou also reminds us that butterflies and moths fly at different times:

...(most butterflies) fly during the day, and most moths at night. This results in moths being attracted to inside lights...Moths, on the other hand, might be outdoor species attracted by the lights of the home in the evening hours, or more probably, they might be the adults of species whose caterpillars chew on fabrics or stored foods...

Giant Freshwater Shrimp of Jamaica

In Remote Valley, a Grim Redefinition of ‘Fishing’

I had no idea there were 'lobster size' freshwater shrimp inhabiting remote streams in Jamaica. Unfortunately, greed has reared it's ugly head to cause ecological destruction:

...in the Blue Mountains and John Crow Mountains here, people go fishing by dumping poison in the Rio Grande. Any toxin will do. Some favor the pesticide used to keep insects off the coffee plants. Others use the potent solution used to rid cows of ticks. When subjected to the poison, the shrimp — large and small — float right to the top. So do the fish. Catching them is as easy as scooping them up before the river washes them and the poison away...

Ancient Egyptian healing

Honey Making A Medical Comeback

...(AP) Amid growing concern over drug-resistant superbugs and nonhealing wounds that endanger diabetes patients, nature's original antibiotic - honey - is making a comeback...More than 4,000 years after Egyptians began applying honey to wounds, Derma Sciences Inc., a West Windsor company that makes medicated and other advanced wound care products, began selling the first honey-based dressing this fall after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Containers of honey have been found buried in Egyption tombs--thousands of years old--still edible and flowing. As pointed out by posters over at WitchVox, some are trying 'do-it-yourself' treatments instead of the "medically approved" dressings.

2nd Annual Carl Sagan Blog-a-thon: Carl's marching orders

I can't remember exactly where I first read this Sagan quote. But Carl was finishing a lecture when an inquisitive student came forward with a question. "I have many interests," she said, " I'm not sure what I should study or what I should do. But I really want to make a difference in this world." Carl replied, "Anything else you're interested in is not going to happen if you can't breathe the air and drink the water. Don't sit this one out. DO SOMETHING."

Those words always stuck in my mind. But what can I do? I have many interests, but am I actually contributing anything to this planet?

This year, a friend told me about a workshop by an entomologist who studies dragonflies. I've had a life long obsession with insects and spiders, even participating in some research and collecting expeditions, but I knew little about dragonflies--so I decided to go.

Well, now I'm an official 'volunteer entomologist' for the State of New York in the "New York Dragonfly And Damselfly Survey". The goal of this project is to survey the "Odonate" (dragonflies and damselflies) populations of the state. Although NYState has a rich population of these insects, no thorough survey has ever been conducted.

These are significant insects. For one--they eat mosquitoes! Even your most bug-phobic friend will be enamored with that fact! Because the immature stages of Odonates are aquatic, they are indicators of water quality. Although some species can tolerate a mild pollution, most tend to be sensitive to water quality issues. A sudden drop in diversity might indicate someone is dumping something nasty into your swimming hole, recreational lake, or water supply. In a broad sense, a healthy and diverse population of dragonflies may mean a healthy and diverse local environment.

Interest by the general public for these insects is growing, some claiming "dragon watching" is nearly as popular as bird watching. And no wonder! Dragonflies are swift predators, catching their prey on the wing. They exhibit complex behaviors, such as guarding territories and performing unusual mating rituals. Close-up, many are revealed to be beautifully colored with lovely wing patters. Not only that, these insects are completely harmless: they don't have stingers. Even if carelessly handled, the largest ones are only capable of a feeble bite.

If you have a knack for bugs, a love a nature or some time to contribute, consider joining the project. It's funded through 2008. Click on the DDNYS link, and that will get you started.

Even if you are not interested in the survey, dragon watching is a great hobby. If you are a deep bio-geek like I am, you know nature focused hobbies are only as good as their field guides. Up till recently, there was not much in the book department to help the amateur identify these insects. Fortunately, that is changing. Here's two recommendations if you live in the Northeast:

"Damselflies of the Northeast: a Guide to the species of Eastern Canada and the Northeast" by E. Lam. EO Wilson described this book as "a small masterpiece". This is one of the most beautiful guide books I have ever seen. The artwork is stunning.

"A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts" by B. Nikula, J. Ryan, and M. Burne. This book is considered the bible among Odonate fans in the Northeast. There's great macrophotography and detailed drawings to help you key-out the more problematic species.

Click on the titles to find out how to order the books. They are small press, so you order them directly from the publisher.

A more general guide is "Dragonflies through Binoculars" by S. Dunkle. Although not as detailed as the above two books, it covers the entire USA. It's a good book to start with if you just want to test the waters. It's available from online booksellers.

Among us Neo-Pagans, Carl Sagan is considered something of an Avitar, a special individual of great power who brings an important message. (If you think Dalai Lama or Ghandi, you'll have an idea what we mean by Avatar.) When I was new to Wicca, I remember mentioning Sagan and his 'Cosmos' series at a meeting. The entire room got quite at the mention of his name! I asked someone about this later. She rolled her eyes a bit, kidding me about my newbie question. "Of couse" she said, "Sagan was an amazing man, he's an incredible source of inspiration."

One of the primary characteristics of Neo-Paganism is a love of and identification with the Earth. We perform our Sabbats and Rituals to the tune this planet plays. Why not do more than pay lip service to helping the Goddess. She has done so much and shown us so much. Yet it's now so clear she needs our help. In my small way, I think now I have found an area where I can contribute. Whether it's planting trees, saving the whales...whatever, all of us should try to find some niche where we can contribute.

So Wiccans and Neo-Pagans who are reading this, listen to Carl Sagan: DO SOMETHING!

(Check out Joel's Page for more information on Carl Sagan blog-a-thon. Pic from the cover of Ed Lam's "Damselfies of the Norheast")

My so called past life

Ancient sea scorpion was 8 feet long

Obviously this is what I was in a past life. No wonder Dr. Zaius had me classified as a 'crab person' for a while. Heh!

Insecto-rama

Mothra of All Heroes Stars in Japanese-themed Insect Fear Film Festival

SciFi movies about insects teach us good family values:

...What most attracts University of Illinois entomologist May Berenbaum to Japanese culture, however, is its cinematic insects. Berenbaum, the head of the entomology department at the Urbana campus, will showcase Japanese insect movies at the 24th annual Insect Fear Film Festival on Feb. 24...

Many of the films feature insects in a good light, like the "The Ultimate Teacher", where the main character is a human-cockroach hybrid, who fends off bullies in a tough highschool. In the film "Mothra", although she is destructive, the giant lepidopteran's intent is to rescue twin fairy priestesses, and return to their native island. On the other hand, some insects (or entomologists) are caste in an evil light:

...And there are occasional evil entomologists in Japanese anime. In “Read or Die,” the late 19th century entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre is reconstituted from his DNA and recruited into an evil scheme. He commands the insects to do his bidding...

Heh, I read somewhere that Fabre was a Creationist. How ironic! This sounds like a great film series.