Hey, Fedi. Help me help a friend.

Bryan Wright

Flies in the family Nycteribiidae are wingless parasites that live in the fur of bats. They look more like spiders than flies.

Also, "freeloader flies" (Milichiidae) are kleptoparasites that steal food from other animals. My favorite thing about them is that they have a friendly relationship with garden spiders. The spiders allow the flies to clean the spider's mouthparts, similar to the way cleaner wrasses clean other fish.

Adam Jacobs 🇺🇦

@robtherunt @ShaulaEvans They tend to spread. You may get several this year. And if there are cinnabar moths in the vicinity then you'll probably end up with loads of them once they figure out that you have their favourite food on hand..

Jonathan T

@ShaulaEvans Again, not strictly a bug but, hell, they're not only stunning to look at but male peacock spiders also dance.

More peacock spiders from Jurgen Otto: https://flickr.com/people/59431731@N05/

WTL

@futurebird @ShaulaEvans @5ciFiGirl Ohhhhh, cooooooooool.

Jules

@statsguy @robtherunt @ShaulaEvans there's an Irish folk tale that a man caught a pixie, who demanded to be set free. The man said he would free him if he answered one question, where he had buried his hoard of gold. So the pixie pointed to the ragwort flower he had buried it under and the man let him go. "Haha!" said the pixie. "This field is full of ragwort! You'll never find one yellow flower in a whole field of yellow flowers!" "Not so!" said the man, and he took the orange and black striped

Jonathan T

@ShaulaEvans Gynandropmorphism, though very rare, is a real-world and highly visible example of animals being both a 'boy and a girl' at the same time. It is something observed in Lepidoptera and other bugs, in addition to many other animals:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynandromorphism

Josh

@statsguy
I always let it grow too. Apart from anything else the yellow flowers are nice and bright!
@ShaulaEvans

robtherunt🌱💚

@statsguy @ShaulaEvans
I heard a podcast last year with a ragwort specialist on it who said that they actually don’t spread that dramatically. Most seeds don’t set and the ones that do are very close to the original plant. They grow back more from the root. And if you’re thinking then pull them up, damaged roots get stronger. It’s all very counter intuitive apparently.

Anyway, here’s a shortened version of a video I took of ours. Sound up!

Jules

@statsguy @robtherunt @ShaulaEvans handkerchief that was tied around his neck and tied it on to the ragwort stem and then went home for his supper, whistling a tune and feeling very pleased with himself. But the next morning when he came back with a spade to dig up the treasure he couldn't believe his eyes - every plant in the field was covered in orange and black striped caterpillars and he couldn't spot his handkerchief, and so the clever pixie kept his treasure.

Mux2000 (confused)

@afewbugs
Aphids are born pregnant. They are some of the most rapidly multiplying animals. If lady bugs (their primary predator) were to go extinct, we'd be up to our literal asses in aphids in a few months.

Also aphids are one of the only animals to have been domesticated by non-human animals, as far as we know. Leaf-cutter ants raise them for food. They don't eat them, but lick their butts, where they secrete a sugary nectar.
@ShaulaEvans