#matchstick grasshopper

[onenicebugperday]

Matchstick grasshopper, Warramaba grandis, Morabidae

Found in Australia

Photos by warramaba

[myosotis-secunda]

racket as matchstick grasshopper (Warramaba grandis)

[msexcelfractal]

Eumastacidae are a family of grasshoppers sometimes known as monkey- or matchstick grasshoppers. They usually have thin legs that are held folded at right angles to the body, sometimes close to the horizontal plane.

[secretreylostan]

You’re living your life, and then you learn about matchstick grasshoppers... and you're left to wonder, ‘What other sorts of horrorshows are out there that I don’t know about??”

[gallusrostromegalus]

What's a slash pile?

It's a big pile of yard waste- leaves, branches, the remains of annual plants etc. I understand that many people burn them, but

1. That's a terrible waste of perfectly good compost

2. The small fauna that help your garden like toads, snakes, SIXTY MILLION SPECIES PF BEETLE, moth and butterfly coccoons, native earth worms and native bees all love living in the slash pile. Like really it's basically old growth forest simulator and you get so much benefit out of cultivating your small fauna.*

3. So do rabbits but that's what raised beds and dogs are for.

4. We don't because Colorado has the sort of ambient flammability normally found in matchstick factories.

* related but: a surefire way to avoid having pests like cutworms, grasshoppers and other insects is to cultivate a hornet/wasp nest. NOTHING is a more efficient and thorough predator of crop pest species than wasps, hornets, daubers, yellow jackets and other members of the stinging bastard brigade.

So long as the best isn't in a heavy traffic area (I let my yellow jackets settle over my front door, but 30ft up) you're less likely to be stung by a wasp than a domestic honeybee. Wasps also pollinate! Lots of flowers that honeybees don't bother with!

I just let the yellow jackets and daubers build thier nests wherever they won't be bothered by my coming and going but putting up a bee hotel in a quiet part of the garden is also a good move to max out your variety of pollinators/pest patrol friends.

[cipher-dorito]

Henlo. It's me again 😛 What's your favourite animal?

Heyyy great to see you againnn! <3

Okay so before I begin my rant I'm gonna make a statement : I FRICKIN LOVE ANIMALS. I LOVE ALL OF THEM. Yes. ALL. I have a doggo, and I love wolves and cats and ferrets and raccoons and bears and basically ALL ANIMALS I DON'T WANNA OFFEND ANY OF YOU LIL LOVELIES

But

If I were to give you a particular animal I am currently OBSESSED with,,,,

It is the

✨Grasshopper mouse✨

You have unlocked the gates. I am gonna give you a comprehensive list of reasons why I love the Grasshopper Mouse.

1. THEY ARE FRICKIN CUTE. LIKE, HOLY SHIT, LOOK AT THIS FACE.

2. THEY ARE FRICKIN' BADASS

This set of lovely eyes and ears and cute paws? It eats SCORPIONS AND GIANT CENTIPEDES FOR BREAKFAST.

It is literally immune to scorpion venom - YEAH, THE SAME SCORPION THAT LOVES EATING TARANTULAS - and bends its tail and crunches it like it's a frickin MATCHSTICK.

It is a predator and it is frickin FERAL holy shit i love them so much.

3. THEY HOWL AT THE MOON

Yep. I aint kidding. Look at this -

I LOVE GRASSHOPPER MICE.

They cute. They badass. They frickin werewolves.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[ducktracy]

118. flowers for madame (1935)

release date: december 14th, 1935

series: merrie melodies

director: friz freleng

starring: bernice hansen (panicked flowers), elmer vincent (announcer)

i say this every year once we reach the end, but i truly mean it when i say: what a year! the last cartoon of 1935. buddy was kicked to the curb, beans made his debut, porky made his breakout appearance, tex avery joined the crew... things are starting to look up. 1936 would see the arrival of frank tashlin and carl stalling (both making their debuts in porky’s poultry plant), jack king made his departure, porky would surpass beans in popularity and begin to dominate the screen, tex avery released the classic i love to singa... lots of exciting stuff ahead of us. to close out the year, we have flowers for madame (the first cartoon to use 3-strip technicolor!): flowers join together to host a flower pageant, but a fire seeks to put the event in jeopardy very quickly.

it’s evident everyone at warner bros was ecstatic to show off their new 3-strip technicolor abilitiee, finally able to provide some sort of competition to disney. we begin with a very lush, colorful, blooming landscape of a bridge as an offscreen chorus sings “flowers for madame”. pan in on some bluebells, who, predictably, ring their bells to the tune of the music. elsewhere, two flowers engage in a ballet. definitely disney, through and through. an offbrand flowers and trees. roses bloom to reveal two kissing bees, bashful at their affections being caught.

a caricature of harpo marx plops a bluebell on his head for a hat and strums on a makeshift harp. a line of voluptuous flower ladies dance to the underscore of “oh, you beautiful doll”, an underscore used occasionally by carl stalling (rather prominently in porky’s romance to name an example). if nothing else, the animation is sophisticated and gentle, nothing too groundbreaking. 

next, two snails trumpet a fanfare with the aid of flowers. they unveil a flyer, marching away to allow a curious crowd of flowers to congregate. the flyer advertises a flower pageant with promises of prizes. the flowers chatter away eagerly. 

fade out and back in to a bee making an announcement over the intercom (more flowers), asking for the spectators to display their appreciation. thus cues the pageant--essentially a floral parade. a pompous flower leads the way, followed by two bees riding on some turtles. a line of fan-faring trumpeters,and thus a display of floral parade floats. the colors are vivid and beautiful, but nothing exactly exciting. two fireflies hitch a ride on the back of one of the floats. the float halts to a stop, and the fireflies light up their rears like red stop signs, the light fading as things get moving. a clever and cute little gag. elsewhere, a line of flowers dance to bagpipes, all donning kilts. animation is smooth and lively. 

enter a little hayseed cactus, applauding the scene. he, too, wishes to enter. he darts over to his car, plants some flower seeds in the ground, adds water, and instantly vines creep up along the car, blossoming into beautiful blue blooms (buddy’s day out flashbacks). he turns the crank and hops onto his makeshift float, soaking up the glory as hes met with cheers and applause.

the judge’s stand thinks otherwise. the judges, perched in little flowers, boo the eager cactus. to make matters worse, his chariot explodes to pieces and he falls to the ground, now the subject of public humiliation. 

more disaster as we focus on a stray box of matches lying around, conveniently positioned next to a magnifying glass. the magnifying glass filters the harsh sun’s rays right onto a stray matchstick, and, predictably, the match ignites. the fire crawls to the grass, and a sea of flames erupt. celebration morphs into panic as the flowers cry “fire!”, attempting to escape the blaze. an anthropomorphic flame singes the bottom of a lone flower repeatedly. thankfully, another flower scoops some water into its petals and extinguishes the tiny flame, much to the other flower’s gratitude.

however, that was just one flame out of many. the wall of flames surges on, prompting a snail to race off at super speed. the animation is a tad choppy and thusly loses believability, but the sound effect of a racing fire engine is a nice touch. the snail seeks a lilypad for refuge.

the poor cactus from before observes as everyone runs amuck, unsure of what to do. he spots a sprinkler and turns it on, creating a barrier between him and the flames. he mocks the flames, who hesitate to inch forward--some nice personality. nevertheless, another little anthropomorphic flame sneaks up behind the cactus and burns him. he flame turns off the sprinkler system, giddily motioning for his pals to wreak more havoc. 

a very clever visual as the cactus approaches a watermelon patch, sticking a point in the melons to cause actual streams of water to gush out like fire hoses. the blazing wall is no match for the force, and the flames recede. the one humiliated cactus is now the hero as he bashfully drags his feet, the flowers cheering him on.

all of the flames are gone... except one. the pesky flame from before hides behind a soapbox, where a grasshopper notices. parallel to the ending of crosby, columbo, and vallee, the grasshopper lobs a chunk of tobacco at the flame and distinguishes it with ease. iris out as the grasshopper waves and winks at the audience.

a better entry than freleng’s previous billboard frolics. the excitement at the acquisition of 3-strip technicolor is evident. what’s a better way than to show off color than with flowers? it works, as the backgrounds and the colors are vivid and lush. however, this was a rather typical entry, heavier on the disney influence than usual. it wasn’t bad at all, there was a lot of personality, especially with the cactus and the flames, but it wasn’t particularly engaging. you’d fare well either way by watching it or skipping out, but, if anything, it’s worth a watch for the historical significance of it being the first 3-strip technicolor cartoon.

link!

[greenzaku]

Purnululu National Park 1

Along southern track

Near entrance to Cathedral Gorge

Beehive rock formations

Matchstick grasshopper

Channel leading out of Cathedral Gorge

Cathedral Gorge itself

The sides of the gorge are 200m tall.

Visited Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles) recently. Its been an epic trip I’ve always wanted to do but did not have to confidence for until recently. I needed the mental health break and more than five hours of heavily corrugated 4WD tracks and river crossings helped. I wish I had dedicated more than a day to spend there and did not see even half of the attractions on the map. The area is considered very remote and there is no available fuel, phone reception or drinking water; although it is popular enough to have an (expensive) caravan park and helicopter tours.

The rounded, layered domes are made of alternating sandstone layers that became compacted; and then were lifted above the surrounding plain. Seasonal rainfall continued to weather them down and round them off.

Cathedral Gorge is formed by water cascading into a crevice in the rock and eroding a hollow. The resulting cavern has amazing acoustics, is cold even during the hottest weather, and has a pool of water containing tiny fish.

[versatilepoetry]

Love Is living

Sunrays are fascinatingly blazing, Lotus's are blissfully blooming, Skies are torrentially pelting, Beauty is redolently everlasting, Frogs are majestically croaking, Eagles are ingratiatingly soaring, Grasshoppers are rambunctiously chattering, Rainbows are vivaciously scintillating, Eyelids are flirtatiously winking, Waterfalls are marvelously rejuvenating, War's are abhorrently stinking, Gorges are unfathomably mystifying, Trees are rhapsodically frolicking, Clocks are meticulously ticking, Nightingales are melodiously singing, Crocodiles are ominously menacing, Whispers are seductively tantalizing, Dolphins are ecstatically leaping, Clouds are voluptuously fascinating, Rainshowers are gloriously titillating, Fairies are impeccably mesmerizing, Devils are viciously devastating, Harbingers are fragrantly blossoming, Oceans are gorgeously undulating, Eyeballs are indefatigably revolving, Bloodstreams are poignantly bestowing, Beasts are satanically marauding, Earlobes are resplendently dangling, Deserts are unsurpassably sweltering, Maelstroms are tirelessly hurling, Dungeons are hideously depraving, Nights are sensuously tingling, Fortresses are compassionately sequestering, Castles are grandiloquently reinvigorating, God's are perennially blessing, Fountains are vividly sparkling, Prisons are diabolically traumatizing, Hell is treacherously penalizing, Soldiers are patriotically fighting, Criminals are murderously vandalizing, Valleys are panoramically enticing, Dreams are resplendently ingratiating, Philanthropists are impeccably shimmering, Nights are voluptuously revitalizing, Humanity is perpetually uniting, Cowards are incessantly whining, Palaces are grandiloquently glistening, Solidarity is perennially amalgamating, Scent is timelessly sprouting, Bees are boisterously buzzing, Owls are enigmatically quizzing, Traitors are unrelentingly dithering, Icicles are frigidly frosting, Grassblades are supremely enamoring, Scientists are invariably pondering, Corpses are salaciously decaying, Truth is forever celebrating, Dinosaurs are mercilessly stampeding, Bells are divinely tinkling, Cows are holistically milking, Sheep are innocuously grazing, Manipulation is satanically abhorring, Wines are sensuously intoxicating, Stars are vividly radiating, Fanatics are insanely iterating, Clowns are inherently laughing, Spiders are bountifully weaving, Bats are vindictively sucking, Nature is symbiotically entertaining, Dictators are insidiously domineering, Angels are miraculously healing, Sweat is fabulously persevering, Corruption is deliriously maiming, Petals are intricately sensing, Roots are unassailably defending, Reality is candidly believing, Lions are euphorically roaring, Prejudiced are discordantly whimpering, Robots are miserably asphyxiating, Charisma is inevitably attracting, Benevolence is ever-pervadingly scintillating, Lies is disgustingly rotting, Peacocks are marvelously dancing, Squirrels are immaculately munching, Leopards are indiscriminately crunching, Politicians are shrewdly pulverizing, Tycoons are monotonously demoralizing, Cottonbuds are pristinely sheltering, Matchsticks are capriciously flaming, Infidel are pathetically caning, Eyelids are indefatigably raving, Conscience is endlessly assimilating, Mountains are gloriously towering, Footprints are explicitly unraveling, Shadows are fascinatingly appealing, Ancestors are regally soliloquizing, Tornado's are gustily blowing, Fans are ebulliently circulating, Breath is astoundingly evolving, And love is Omnisciently living.

[usanewsgoogle]

Grave state of affairs with rare grasshopper likely extinct in Victoria

Grave state of affairs with rare grasshopper likely extinct in Victoria

For years, the Key’s Matchstick grasshopper lived quietly in Victoria’s graveyards, the place it dined on daisies.

But then we began mowing cemeteries, and the grasshopper had nowhere to go.

The Key’s Matchstick could now be domestically extinct. Photo: Michael Ray Kearney

Scientists now imagine it’s domestically extinct in Victoria, though the species survives in a number of remoted pockets…

[versatilepoetry]

I Was existing

Footsteps were plodding, Shadows were fluttering, Sun was rising, Waves were undulating, Flowers were blossoming, Butterflies were frolicking, Landscapes were shimmering, Eyelids were flashing, Hands were shaking, Royalty was basking, Spindles were weaving, Waterfalls were gushing, Fountains were cascading, Volcanos were fulminating, Leopards were prowling, Sirens were blaring, Rays were streaming, Cyclones were swirling, Sands were glistening, Wrestlers were fighting, Warriors were blazing, Sages were concentrating, Brains were tick-tocking, Stars were radiating, Eyeballs were revolving, Business's were manipulating, Droplets were trickling, Winds were blowing, Beers were guzzling, Mouths were snoring, Fires were blistering, Sweat was persevering, Pens were writing, Bumble-bees were buzzing, Gold was glittering, Darkness was charming, Ducks were quacking, Goats were bleating, Leaves were rustling, Roses were blooming, Teeth were chattering, Echoes were reverberating, Exhibitionists were revealing, Springs were recoiling, Snakes were hissing, Cartoons were mimicking, Ships were docking, Goldfish were swimming, Doors were creaking, Matchsticks were igniting, Horses were galloping, Cows were munching, Mind was evolving, Energy was dissipating, Nightingale was singing, Friendships were flourishing, Seductress's were titillating, Soldiers were marching, Giraffes were bouncing, Raindrops were pelting, Pigs were grunting, Sand was slipping, Chains were rattling, Rats were squeaking, Tails were wagging, Bareskins were shivering, Abattoirs were tyrannizing, Days were sweltering, Grasses were tingling, Grasshoppers were hopping, Spiders were spinning, Worms were crawling, Flamingoes were diving, Dustbins were stinking, Seeds were sprouting, Discos were pulsating, Barbers were trimming, Keys were jingling, Lips were smiling, Hours were unveiling, Musicians were humming, Statues were gazing, Bats were sucking, Lions were roaring, Diamonds were scintillating, Dungeons were dooming, Earthquakes were devastating, Dinosaurs were threatening, Scents were stimulating, Artists were sketching, Entrepreneurs were trendsetting, Cats were meowing, Shoes were trampling, Mosquitoes were stinging, Bombs were exploding, Children were playing, Electricity was flickering, Rainbows were appeasing, Bubbles were bursting, Bullets were ricocheting, Swords were clashing, Slaves were cursing, Glass was shattering, Sharks were pulverizing, Blind were groping, Wolves were howling, Divine were praying, Renegades were plotting, Masks were camouflaging, Diseases were wrenching, Roofs were sequestering, Philanderers were dating, Bandits were looting, Mothers were dedicating, Pompous were falsifying, Lizards were swishing, Ancestors were recounting, Insane were stumbling, Impoverished were starving, Rich were gloating, Air was circulating, Advertisers were gimmicking, Soil was harboring, Butter was greasing, Mirrors were reflecting, Pearls were enticing, Bricks were fortifying, Frogs were croaking, Smoke was polluting, Thunder was scaring, Impersonators were disguising, Glamour was exposing, Sleep was gratifying, Nostalgia was reinvigorating, Bars were imprisoning, Mountains were rejuvenating, Photographs were capturing, Looks were deceiving, Colors were merging, Clouds were mesmerizing, Celebrities were celebrating, Philanthropists were uniting, Politicians were attracting, Terrorists were incinerating, Phones were ringing, Silk was satiating, Solitude was deteriorating, Freedom was levitating, Orphans were remembering, Cowards were sulking, Waiters were serving, Parasites were relishing, Demons were killing, Offsprings were wailing, Strategists were planning, Dead were stinking, Lovers were loving, Souls were hovering, Breath was diffusing, Hearts were palpitating, Cannibals were devouring, And I was existing