The Frogs Have More Fun...

Flowers



"All the names I know from nurse:
Gardener's garters, Shepherd's purse,
Bachelor's buttons, Lady's smock,
And the Lady Hollyhock.

Fairy places, Fairy things,
Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,
Tiny trees for tiny dames.
- These must all be Fairy names !"

(from Child's Garden of Verses
by R.L. Stevenson)


"Anyone can write a short-story.
A bad one, I mean."

(R.L. Stevenson)
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"Science without conscience is the Soul's perdition."
- Francois Rabelais, Pantagruel
- Acc to/above is citated from: Medical Apartheid. The dark history of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present, by Harriet A. Washington (Doubleday ; 2006 ; p. 1.)

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"In the high society of the first half of the century, marriage, despite it's bestowal status upon the wife, was the most absurdity. Marriage, conferring instanteous rank or money, ... lost most of its prestige and moment right after the wedding. ...By the end of the century, spurred by Rousseau's moralistic Nouvelle Hèloíse, a contrary cult, that of virtue, arose. After 1770 conjugal and maternal love became not merely admissible, but, for some, moral imperatives. ...

[...]
...Rousseau, who sought for himself the crown of morality in ostensibly defending marriage, presents in his Nouvelle Hèloíse the most enticing and extended defense of illicit love ever penned. The root of the problem is that as the century progressed sensibility became confused with morality: passionate feeling, if expressed in a highly civilized mode with grace and nuance, makes us forgive the Rousseau of The Confessions, for example, his pettiness, his jealousies, his betrayals. This moral-amoral byplay, present already in the novels of Richardson, was to be more intense as the century unfolded."
-
Madelyn Gutwirth : Madame De Staèl, Novelist. The emergence of the Artist as Woman (10,15.)

;
"...As the social contract seems tame in comparison with war, so fucking and sucking come to seem merely nice, and therefore unexciting. ... To be 'nice', as to be civilized, means being alienated from this savage experience - which is entirely staged. [...] The rituals of domination and enslavement being more and more practiced, the art that is more and more devoted to rendering their themes, are perhaps only a logical extension of an affluent society's tendency to turn every part of people's lives into a taste, a choice; to invite them to regard their very lives as a (life) style." - Susan Sontag , on 'Fascinating Fascism' (-74; p 103;104-5 at Under the sign of Saturn)
; "Anyone who cannot give an account to oneself of the past three thousand years remains in darkness, without experience, living from day to day." (Goethe) - as cited by Sontag (on same compile; p. 137.)

;
"It is widely accepted that we are now living in the 'Anthropocene', a new geological epoch in which the Earth's ecosystems and climate are being fundamentally altered by the activities of humans. I loathe the term, but I can't deny that it's appropriate."
; (Goulson), Silent Earth : Averting the Insect Apocalypse (2021; p 47.)
;
"It is sometimes said that humanity is at war with nature, but the word 'war' implies a two-way conflict. Our chemical onslaught on nature is more akin to genocide. It is small wonder that our wildlife is in decline."
; (Goulson, 2021 ; 118.)
;
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"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." (Voltaire)
- Citated from; (Joy, Melanie), Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows : An Introduction to Carnism(2010; p. 95.)
;

"In the presence of the monster, you have eyes and ears for nothing else."
; (Flora Tristan) : London Journal of Flora Tristan: the Aristocracy and the Working Class of England ; 1842-edit. (tr: 1982. ; p. 71.)

;
"Every minority invokes justice, and justice is liberty.
A party can be judged of only by the doctrine which
it professes when it is the strongest."
Mdme de Staêl
(on) 'Consideration sur le Révolution de la Francaise' [1818]


8/19/12

The Undesigned Chapter, pt. IX / "The flies on the windscreen"


...Sequel IX is– kind of - logical following to our previous post (;the sequel VIII from beetles). I've not too much rearranged these posts, or, seeked to find any especial proper species presented on these. So, similarly than was the manner on previous sequel, I just picked a few suitable examples as decoration of this.



This also not contains any particular views from the insect evolutionary pasts, for it was (but briefly) discussed in the previous sequel. Perhaps we can only on this notice that the so called 'modern' insect orders evolved (smtgh like, approx.) about +/- 200 M. years ago to the past. Mostly that took place along the evolution of Angiosperms (ie the flowering plants, whose appearance closely was interactive and co-dependent within the insects evolution). 

 
This (to the right) is some from the nicest Hover-/Flowerflies (Syrphidae). There's about 250 species at Fennoscandia ranges, of various sizes and looks; Some are quite 'robust', some lot smaller and thinner. Most, at least from the easily noticeable species, seem mimic the looks of wasp/bees.
 


Basically, suffices (at this) if we only refer for the other main three orders usually described for the 'modern insect families'. (Seems that) them all did evolve along the appearance of flowering plants. Of other large groups, there's Beetles (...presented already on the previous sequel, but them are said also represent the largest insect group in the world by singular species). Then is Lepidoptera (Moths /Butterflies which also have been quite much represented on our previous posts.) Then, Hymenoptera (Bees, Wasps, Sawflies, Ants, etc...) which I actually considered possibly the insect group on this post ...but then I realized there are very numerous species and they're much resembling each other. So, fx many Bumble-bees that have Fennoscandian presence look quite similar and I therefore decided drop them aside. Leaves us the Diptera – ie the Flies (although that contains some other related genera too).

 
"Fly on the wall" (To the left) - Similarly than from the most larger insect groups, there's both flower-going and predative species on flies. This is predative (from Rhaginiodae). Often found closer swamps and some shallow wetland(s).


Among the most renown of (actual) flies in the world, probably, is Tset-Tse (Glossina sp.), a blood-sucking species at the mid-Africa that spreads the Sleeping sickness disease. (More precise, it carries the small Tryponasoma-parasitoids, that spread the sleeping sickness. Often fatal disease for the domesticated animals and can influence the humans badly too. The disease doesn't influence the wild animals, so the Tset-Tse fly is sometimes on  ecologist literatures been described as the 'best conservation agent' on Africas, due it long time prevented human agricultures and cultures from reaching large regions at continent. Although, some other tropical diseases such as malaria and dengue also are often mentioned having appeared so commonly that some places remained inhospitable to the Europeans and outside their colonial interventions well until the 20th century. Anyway, actually there exists a so called Tset-tse-belt accross middle parts from Africa.)
 Then, there's at least the Common House-fly (Musca domestica), sometimes described for the most widespread insect species in the world – to most places where's humans it also has spread. Like was noticed typical for the flies, it is also been said from having a considerable role at the spreading of some diseases, stomach-related mainly.


...This by somewhat resembles what most people would describe as typical outer looks of a fly (ie the House-fly). (But this belongs at the Sarcophagidae, most common species on forests. There's about, 35 Fennosc. species from those, solely.)


Usually most flies are felt with some remarkable disgust by humans, generally. In addition, many species show quite 'horrifying' from their appearance (w. their large compound eyes and hairy outer looks). Some also (often) tend increase and swarm on the rotten smelling carcasses and dung. Not all flies show such detestive manners, but a typical place to find amount of flies, is fx a heap of manure on some swineyard backyard. Them are also often mentioned from spreading various diseases, like was mentioned. (...Remembering the above said aspects it's also perhaps not too surprising that some from (a few) successfull remakes from old horror-movies on the recent decades features fly as it's main 'character'; I mean that David Cronenberg film - sometime at 1990s by the same name, Fly, if I recall that correctly. As you might remember, it has a Frankensterian plot from the scientist who invents some transmutative machine and – by accident – happens to unite his genes with those of a House-fly.)

However, or from the positive side, flies also have other qualities than the repulsive manners that usually are given most concern. Some are fx very competent fliers; Watching the various Syrphid-flies (see exemplary species above) when their visiting some flower bush, one can easily recognize that. They can fx remain practically motionless on air, except from the wings goin' on. (Not very surprisingly the Syrphids (Hover-/Flower-flies) are probably the most easily tolerated flies of the human perspective.)  Then there's other species that on fast flight can make about 90'angle turns, not the least difficult of tasks at flight for sure. (Also not very surprisingly, if one thinks the common names for many insect groups – most, although not all – seem carry naming that refers for the flies /or, for flight. There's fx Butterflies, Caddisflies, Mayflies, Dragonflies, Snakeflies, Scorpionflies, Craneflies, etc., ….So, for an observer it soon becomes clear how these flying creatures were named in the first place, or which probably were the first recognized insects by humans. Although, not on all languages they're so uniformly or similarly.)



(To the right) Laphria flava (..likely). ; It's from the Robber flies (Asilidae), that are among the most 'hideous' of the pretative species. Completely harmless to humans, but on the insect world it's respectable player; The robber flies are said capable to force down large beetle off the flight, and biting through it's protective cover-wings. Also, them can deliver poisonic bite (dealy to other insects), so even a wasp is for 'no match' (...albeit, I see no reason why they'd hunt those). (...Robber flies are species adapted for the sun and warmth, so their less numerous on Fennoscandias. At the past decades were somewhat declined...and some species, at least, seem still listed for threatened.)


In the the Diptera (all in all, including also fx the Crane flies and Mosquitos) there appears about well over 5000 species on Fennoscandia range - or, probably somewhat more by now which are been recognized as the separate species. Of course, far more could have been presented at this sequel. With the far more particular characteristics presented, far more detailed descriptions, etc., etc., ...but let's (for now) call it quits from this sequel. (;W-G.)


 (To the right) ...Some species with a quite exciting elongated looks too. On leaf of a Birch (Betula pendula). Apparently - but far less usually than some other insects - there's flies that lay their eggs on plant leafs. (Or, likely so I'd guess). However, many favor the decayed wood, also.

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