#gall

[onenicebugperday]

Oak apple gall wasp, Biorhiza pallida, Cynipidae, Hymenoptera

Pictured is a female oak apple gall wasp and the apple-like galls that form around her larvae in oak trees. This species is found throughout Europe. In addition to feeding and sheltering the oak apple gall wasp larvae, the galls house several other species of gall wasp and at least 20 species of hyperparasitoids that feed on the larvae.

Photos 1-3 by zmrdk, 4 by bclunie, and 5 by cedzz

[spidertroupeart]

mspaint shit from today while i wait for my stylus to arrive

[revretch]

Can I pick your brain for ideas lil bit? I'm working on a race of sapient subterranean eusocial arthropods and I can't decide on a biological basis for them. (I've already ruled the three most typical bases for this kind of fantasy guy; ants, wasps and mantids.) I do however have a firm idea of their indigenous region; a massive biome of networked caves that support jungle-equivalent biodiversity via huge colonies of luminescent microbes that cling to the upper reaches of the caves. These arthropod folk live down here pretty exclusively, but they interact with other subterranean societies. I've also established tangentially that they've domesticated a large (described as 'dog sized') beetle whose larval form is used as livestock cause it produces an edible syrup as a waste product. anyway I guess the actual question is do you have any ideas for which real world animals I could base these arthropod folk on; or unusual directions I could take the more typical bee/ant/mantis approach.

I don't suppose termites are an option? Something unusual I never see depicted about termites is that they have not only queens, but also kings! They're also unusual in that, unlike wasps, ants and bees (who strictly have female workers), there are also male workers!

If you're looking for more unusual eusocial insects, aphids and thrips are both options.

Like termites, eusocial thrips have both male and female workers. Unlike termites, the male "workers" can breed, however. (Female workers cannot; only special breeding females.) They also have soldiers with big mantis-like claws, which are used for crushing enemy thrips (as well as secreting antifungal compounds)! They all live together in galls (swellings they induce in host plants).

Some images of a species with different galls on different plants:

Some sources:

Eusocial aphids are unusual in that instead of having a single queen or just a few queens, the majority of the population is asexual females giving birth to clones. In some species, there are also (also female, though nonreproductive) soldiers. Some soldiers have turned the central tail spike into a stinger; others have wicked crablike forms like you can see on the right, compared to the more usual reproductive aphids on the left:

Some eusocial aphids live in galls, like the thrips. Others just live out in the open like usual aphids. Soldiers' duties range from keeping the gall clean (if they live in galls), to killing hoverfly maggots which prey on aphids.

At the end of the year, the aphids lay eggs that turn into winged males and females that breed, yielding the next year's asexual, wingless females again (both soldier and non-soldier).

Some sources:

Hope this helps!

[postcard-from-the-past]

French singer France Gall on a vintage postcard

[babylon-crashing]

gall

Tallow in winter. That long-toothed ruin

wrung from drippings. The decay of Eros

dribbling down my wrist. Say it in Latin.

[Demon] [Possession] “Daemonicus.”

Possession. Mine. Flesh rendered so I'm fit

for your gluttony. Yet something fetid

hangs in the frozen air. Frostbit. The bit

that was a nose, two lips, one pale eyelid.

Frostbite leaves the dark pit in my skull

exposed. It takes a certain hungry gall

to snog with just any possessed bastard.

They say if you can't be a good example

then be a grisly warning. Gouged; I'm all

brittle bone. Now kiss me like a blizzard.

[nicklloydnow]

“When we are a thousand miles away from poetry, we still participate in it by that sudden need to scream — the last stage of lyricism.” - Emil Cioran, ‘All Gall is Divided’ (1952)

[starrysupercell]

A Little Bit of Gray is all you need~ 🖤🤍

(Also, Gray/Bull because c'mon. He was way too playful with him and you know it. Also, the motif of fish and cat is... interesting.)

[stopandlook]

Scientific Name: Amphibolips confluenta Common Name(s): Spongy oak apple gall wasp Family: Cynipidae (gall wasp) Life Stage(s): Larva Location: Plano, Texas Season(s): Winter

This is what one of these looks like on the inside.

[biteghost]

Blueshift TTRPG Season 1 Character Portraits (Part 1)

Since Tumblr increased the limit on image posts, I thought now would be a great time to do a couple huge portrait posts for the TTRPG I DM for my roommates! In order of appearance:

Dicho (he/him) (PC): Demon (Domain of Shadow) - A man haunted by his past, looking to remain anonymous and find what peace he can after a life of mistakes, tragedy and regrets. His wish is for a clean slate.

Greip (he/him) (PC): Celestial (In A Human Body - it's complicated) - A Moon of Saturn who is on a quest of revenge against his planet. His wish is to get his original Celestial body back.

Vivienne De'Gallant (they/them) (PC): Beast (Horse/Unicorn) - A denounced and betrayed former heir to their family's company - the Hydra-Argon Shipping Conglomerate (HASC). Their wish is to gain the power to pay back those who have wronged them.

Alcyone (he/him) (NPC): Celestial (Star/Blue Giant) - A god-like entity who resides over the demiplane known as "Lucifer's Landing". He's cruel, twisted, childish, annoying, inscrutable omnipotent and seemingly immortal. He plucked up the souls of the PCs after they were caught in a terrorist explosion, and gave them the option to either work for him or take their chances against Cross. Of course, working for him comes with the perk of "I'll grant you any wish you have."

M (they/them) (NPC): Human - A standoffish member of Lucifer's Landing who has been with Alcyone the longest. Serious and distant, they exude "I'm tired" and "leave me alone".

Chloe Godrick (she/her) (NPC): Beast (Bat/Nosferatu) - A cheerful and soft-hearted member of Lucifer's Landing. Her wish is to be with her loved ones when they need her.

Jimothy Criquette (he/him) (NPC): Human - An arms dealer with the worst luck in the world. The game's shopkeeper NPC. His wish is to have more time to pay off his debts.

Vamaserathi (she/her) (NPC): Celestial (Pulsar/Binary Pulsar) - half of a binary who was torn apart by Minerva's Celestial Experiments. She was found lost and grieving in the dark recesses of Jimothy's warehouse and ultimately brought home by the PCs.

Beryl Lovstrom (helmet & non-helmet) (she/her) (NPC): Human - A warrior and final living descendant of the great legendary figure, Dalibor Lovstrom. Stoic and strong, she wields dual hand axes.

Cross (he/him) (NPC): Celestial Demon (Death/Shadow) - The Grim Reaper who is trying to collect the souls of the PCs, which he feels are owed to him. (They DID die, after all.)

Gall (he/him) (NPC): Celestial Demon (Fire) - A powerful being who constantly has the case of the nerves. Would prefer to spend his time playing.

Ire (he/him) (NPC): Celestial Demon (Earth) - Currently subjugated by one of Minerva's experiments into Celestials. His retainer is Verpa.

Anthony Breeze (he/him) (NPC): Human - Chairman of the Hydra-Argon Shipping Conglomerate's Hacea Division. A completely average, normal and boring man.

Co (she/her) (NPC): Human (Flora Affinity) - part of a trio of gangsters who were hired to take care of any trouble that popped up during a fancy rich-person gala. She wields daggers and plants.

Blair (she/her) (NPC): Demon (Domain of Electricity) - part of a trio of gangsters who were hired to take care of any trouble that popped up during a fancy rich-person gala. She wields lightning and chains.

Powell (he/him) (NPC): Beast (Snake/Cerastes) - part of a trio of gangsters who were hired to take care of any trouble that popped up during a fancy rich-person gala. He wields venom and knives.

Carmello Irving (she/her) (NPC): Beast (Rabbit/Jackalope) - Sportball star, captain and key basketball sinker for the United Mallards.

Babe Brady (they/them) (NPC): Human (Fire Affinity) - Sportball gremlin, clean-up hitter for the United Mallards.

Junior Robinson (he/him) (NPC): Demon (Domain of Sight) - Sportball brick house, big and quiet quarterback for the United Mallards.

Lionel Platini (he/him) (NPC): Human (Water Affinity) - Sportball coward and ace goalie for the United Mallards.

Minerva (she/her) (NPC): Human - A woman with fingers in every pie who has a particular hatred for Alcyone and those associated with him.

Madame Elizabeth Doris (she/her) (NPC): Human (Air Affinity) - A socialite in a big hat who seems to be motivated by money. She hates the PCs quite a lot.

Verpa (he/him) (NPC): Human (Earth Affinity) - A ghost from Dicho's past who has found himself working for HASC, and more specifically, as an assistant to Minerva. He is the retainer of Subject 06: "Ire".

Angela Forest (she/her) (NPC): Demon (Domain of Radiation) - A HASC employee who is easily overlooked and forgotten. She worked with Minerva on her Celestial Experiments and became the retainer of Subject 04: "Therune" - the other half of Vamaserathi's binary.

[muku-gc]

We're back to basics boys! Ocs in here are owned by @itsmergb @caligulasperi and me :)

[onenicebugperday]

I found something that puzzled me, and I thought you might know an answer. I am guessing these are related to bug eggs of some type? I found these on the bottom of several leaves, at the very end of September in Southern Wisconsin. Do you know what they are, or generally what kind of critter made them? Thank you so much for all your wonderful bug info, sorry if this doesn't provide enough information to go off of!

They're galls, which are abnormal growths on plants that can be caused by a number of things including bugs, bacteria, fungus, or viruses.

If my leaf IDing is correct, these look like hackberry nipplegalls which are caused by psyllids. Psyllids are a group of true bugs sometimes called plant lice. The nymphs live inside and feed on plant juices in the galls. Here's an adult hackberry nipplegall psyllid, which is much smaller than it looks in this photo:

Photo by silversea_starsong

If my leaf IDing is incorrect, and it very well could be as plants are not my thing, it could be something else! There are lots of galls caused by wasps, mites, midges, and other bugs.

[spidertroupeart]

Miscellaneous Shovel Knight shit (ft. A Lot Of Gall)

[humansbgone]

(This is content for Humans-B-Gone!, an animated sci-fi series about a giant praying mantis who works in pest control--those pests including humans. Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/c/humansbgone )

This was the first total break week from HBG I've taken in almost a year, so no progress update for now.

Instead, here's a look at an existing asset that will be used in the upcoming episode. (Longtime followers may have seen it before!) This is a gall house, the most common type of construction in Formicosa City. Gregorsa point opportunity: Do a little research on plant galls, then check next week's update to see how what you've picked up squares with what I have to teach you!

Next week, progress should resume as usual. Some script touchups need to be done, as well as rough recording, and finding music. The week after, might tackle the harder assets head on, just to get them out of the way--or, maybe I'll start small to ease myself back in. We'll see! Until next time!

[alcnfr]

Couple of Squirrels and some leftover pics for the day...

Acorn Plum Gall Wasp gall... Striped Flea Beetle

[itsyourchoicedevotionals]

Living Water

“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” John 19:28KJV

2018 We traveled to Luke AFB to visit our grandson, receiving training there. He invited us to go to church with him in Scottsdale AZ.

Mark Driscoll pastored Mars Hill Church, Seattle with 14,000 attendees. Leaving Mars Hill at God’s direction he studied a few years in Rome and Jerusalem. He returned stateside founding a church in Scottsdale. We attended his Good Friday funeral service there.

During Driscoll’s studies a guide took him through the ancient Roman toilets/latrines. A long rock shelf with various holes were the toilets used for toileting. Under the shelf was the collection area. What was behind the shelf brought questions from Driscoll. Answer— slaves stood in the trench behind the shelf. A wall separated them with an opening about a foot wide on the side facing the toilet holes. Slaves took a stick with a rough sponge on the end. They dipped the sponge in vinegar and wiped the backsides of each user. These exact same sponges and a small stick was a part of every Roman soldier’s gear.

Golgotha, the place of Christ’s crucifixion, was the scene of Roman soldier’s doing the dirty work for Pontus Pilate. They suspended the beaten, partially skinless and muscleless man, Jesus Christ about a foot higher than their height, upon that cross, low enough for people to spit upon Jesus and rail at Him, while He looked closely upon His tormentors. (This information Driscoll learned in his Rome and Jerusalem studies.) That cross, at just the right height to be reached with a small stick with the germ-laden, fecal-covered sponge dipped in vinegar.

There was a slight variation of the vinegar used. Matthew 27:34NLT said, “wine mixed with bitter gall, but when He had tasted it, He refused to drink it.” It was enough that Christ was defiled by the taste upon His lips. He refused any comfort from the “bitter gall,” a substance similar to today’s pain killer.

“If you knew the gift of God and Who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10NIV Jesus told the woman at the well. The source of all life-giving water suffered such defilement for you and I. He could’ve drawn from His well of living water, instead of crying “I thirst.”

When Christ had called for the final defilement of the sponge, the moment He cried out “I thirst” Driscoll explained, Jesus did this for everyone who had been violated sexually, and abased beyond measure. I found myself totally wrecked, a sobbing mess. My Savior had taken into Himself this final defilement for you and me. Not because He had to, but because He wanted to take our defilement on our behalf.

The thought occurred to me, Jesus also did this for us to learn to “thirst” for His life-giving water. John 7:38NIV, Jesus said: “Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Life deals everyone very harsh blows. In those harsh situations, we have choices to make. We can become bitter or better. The pain and agony can take us into bitter unforgiveness, anger, hatred, a desire for revenge, when we don’t guard our hearts and minds. Or better when we thirst for Christ’s living water. Those harsh circumstances are to create an insatiable thirst for Christ, making our hearts stalwart and worthy of the name, Christ-ian. We’re being molded into His image, “…with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another…” 2Corinthians 3:18ESV.

Will we thirst for Him, and then pour out the life giving water on others? It’s your choice. You choose.

LET’S PRAY: LORD God, we thirst. Give us You living water in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

by Debbie Veilleux Copyright 2024 You have my permission to reblog this devotional for others. Please keep my name with this devotional, as author. Thank you.