SEVEN SPOTTED LADYBIRD (Coccinella septempunctata) guarding a Parasitic BRACONID WASP cocoon (Dinocampus coccinellae)
© hedgerowmobileThis is amazing! This Brancoid wasp, Dinocampus coccinellae, is a body-snatcher, or perhaps a “bodyguard-snatcher”. She hunts for a seven-spotted ladybird. When she finds one, she stings it and lays an egg inside its body, then leaves. Her grub hatches inside the ladybug and starts eating the ladybird alive. Around three weeks later, the grub burrows out of its host.
A lot of parasitic wasps sting insects and leave their offspring to feed to adulthood on their host, but the Dinocampus coccinellae takes the process one step further.
The grub emerges from the still partially paralyzed ladybird and spins a silken cocoon between the ladybird’s legs (shown above). Since the ladybird can’t move, it remains in place and unwittingly protects the cocoon (for a week or so), as it transforms into an adult.
The ladybirds warning colors, of red and black, help to deter would-be predators, and it twitches erratically if threats draw near.
The drama ends when the adult wasp emerges from the cocoon and flies away leaving its host to die of starvation—or not.
That’s right, even though the ladybird has been stung and partially paralyzed, had a wasp grub had eat many of its internal organs — then forcibly pushed its way out of its body. Then stood guard for a week or more without any food. Even then, a quarter of the ladybugs survive.
Fact Source: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com
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cinnamon hand/foot soak
ingredients:
2 cups of water
1 cup of milk
1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil
pinch of cinnamon
directions:
- Mix all ingedients in a microwave-safe bowl large enough to fit both of your hands.
- Put the bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds, or until the mixture is quite warm, but still comfortable to touch.
- Soak your hands in the mixture for 10 minutes.
- When you are done soaking, take your hands out, rinse them briefly with lukewarm water, and pat dry.
- Add your favorite moisturizer if desired.
Homemade Deodorant | How About Orange
Recently I’ve discovered that traditional spray deodorants are wreaking havoc on my skin, and I’ve been investigating natural avenues. But oh my gosh, natural products are soooo expensive! It’s like as soon as they add ‘organic’ to a product they add another ten bucks. And it worries me that even if they do say they’re organic it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any better for your body than the chemical ladden sprays. I’ve read the feedback on this recipe and it seems that people love it so I think I’m going to have a go! Has anyone else tried natural deodorant? Did it work for you?
(Source: scissorsandthread)
cup + penny: DIY freshwater pearl necklace
The local Ben Franklin’s sells strings of freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls for a much lower price than a necklace you’d buy at a store, and I started thinking maybe I could make my own necklace. I think any beader would tell me I was supposed to buy a proper clasp, too, but I didn’t. I…
Ikea Hackers
Cool site showing DIY projects where cool kids hijack Ikea products and re-purpose them.
MC Escher’s Impossible Waterfall Is Not Impossible
Watching a real life version of Escher’s Impossible Waterfall melts my brain. The more I look at, the more confused I get! Thankfully, the secret on how the whole illusion works is out. There’s clear DIY instructions on how to make your own impossible waterfall on Instructables and that video above shows what’s really going on.
Note: It’s not a walk in the park to make. You’ll need to string up PVC tubes and an electric water pump, use angled grinder and glue guns, and most importantly, film the whole setup at the most perfect angle to complete the illusion. Well worth the ensuing friend brain meltage though.
My family of Angry Birds. For some reason, they don’t look that angry…
Time to throw them at people!
