#Precocious

[addicted2wasps]

Copidosoma floridanum is an Encyrtid wasp whose brood is a fascinating example of polyembryony, in which multiple embryos form from a single egg. It is primarily a parasitoid of Noctuid moths in the subfamily Plusiinae. The Encyrtid egg will produce thousands of clone embryos. The mother C. floridanum will sometimes lay one male egg per host, or one female egg, or sometimes both. What's even more fascinating is that the wasp larvae have a caste system: the reproductives and the (precocious) soldiers. The reproductive larvae emerge during the caterpillar's last instar, consume it, and pupate into adult wasps. The soldiers emerge earlier, but never molt and die when the host dies. Their sole purpose is to protect their reproductive siblings from other parasitoid rivals and to kill their own opposite-sex precocious siblings. Since male soldiers compete for resources (caterpillar), by killing some of them off, the sterile soldiers are helping their genes survive by securing more resources for their clone reproductive siblings. In mixed-sex broods, the male larvae will try to hide and encyst themselves in the caterpillar's fat body to escape their murderous sterile sisters. Copidosoma competes with Microgastrine species such as Microplitis demolitor and Glyptapanteles pallipes. C. floridanum demonstrates haplodiploidy where unfertilized eggs become haploid males and fertilized eggs become diploid females. There are both male and female soldiers, but male soldiers tend to be less aggressive towards competitors. However, C. floridanum isn't invincible. There is one competitor, Trichogramma, that is also an egg parasitoid, and only uses the eggs of the moths. The adult wasps emerge long before the caterpillars hatch. When Trichogramma and Copidosoma end up in the same egg, the former usually ends up victorious.

I spent many hours doing research on this topic, but if there are any mistakes, I welcome any corrections!

[logwire]

precocious

[newwavesylviaplath]

[halloweencatsart]

Sketch dump part 5: Miscellaneous

[alliterative-endlessknot]

January 9th is #NationalApricotDay so the #ConnectedAtBirth #etymology of the week is APRICOT/PRECOCIOUS #wotd #ApricotDay #apricot #precocious

[noosphe-re]

Etymology of 'precocious'

1640s, "developed or ripe before the usual time," originally of plants, with -ous + Latin praecox (genitive praecocis) "maturing early," from prae "before" (see pre-) + coquere "to ripen," literally "to cook" (from PIE root *pekw- "to cook, ripen").

Originally of flowers or fruits. Figurative use, of persons, dates, etc., "characteristic of early maturity," by 1670s. Related: Precociously; precociousness. Obsolete princock "pert, forward, saucy boy or youth" (16c.-18c.) might be a rude, low slang folk-etymology alteration of Latin praecox.

—Etymonline

[lobitadluna]

Precocious Made on Black paper with Royal & Langnickel Metallics Colored Pencils.

[candacencompany]

5/14/2024

Precocious breadwinner!

[principiumindividuationis777]

Natalie was already Samuel L. Jackson level of cool.

[howifeltabouthim]

I'd wanted to fall in love since kindergarten.

Lisa Taddeo, from Animal

[cannondisabledcharacters]

Today’s disabled character of the day is Yvette Nutley from Precocious, who is selectively mute

Requested by Anon

[Image Description: Black and white drawing of an anthropomorphic cat girl. She is standing covering her mouth. She is wearing a sleeveless dress and is covering her mouth with both of her hand. She has a striped tail and black tips on her ears. She also has long light colored hair.]

[thewordygreenlion]

For a while I thought my gift with words and for reading, as well as my obsessive love of books, meant I couldn't be autistic. LOL! Turns out I am actuallyAutistic, but also I'm hyperlexic.

[beaft]

a small child came into the café today and asked to buy a chocolate truffle. he tapped a credit card on the reader and it did not go through, mainly because it was not a credit card but in fact a junior cinema pass. i gently explained he couldn't use that to buy things in shops and he looked so gutted that i was like "...but just this once you can have it for free, don't tell my boss though" he said thank you and walked out with his truffle and as he went i heard him chuckling to himself and saying "yes..... yes!!!!!" like the sickos comic

[halloweencatsart]

Tiffany Et from Precocious! I love the arson child.

@chrispco

[alliterative-endlessknot]

The #ConnectedAtBirth #etymology of the week is APRICOT/PRECOCIOUS #wotd

[traveltherightroad]

My head canon is that But Daddy I Love Him is the perfect Rory-Jess soundtrack