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  #1651  
Old 07-28-2020, 09:41 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Hmm ... it's difficult to be certain from the picture, but we can make a pretty good guess, I think.

The fact that it has prominent elytra clearly identifies it as a member of the Order Coleoptera -- that is, it's a True Beetle. So, that's our starting point.

The shape of the thorax and abdomen, along with the configuration of the antennae makes it look to me like it's a member of the Family Meloidae (the Blister Beetles and Oil Beetles).

I'd narrow it down to either an Oil Beetle in the genus Meloe or a Blister Beetle in the genus Epicauta.

I can't tell for certain, but it looks like the wings are greatly reduced and don't completely cover the abdomen. If that's the case, I'd guess it's a female Oil Beetle -- though it'd be all but impossible to say which species in particular.

If the wings and elytra extend further down and there's a yellow spot on the abdomen (which will typically be covered by the elytra and so not visible), then it's a Blister Beetle -- probably a Black Blister Beetle (Epicauta pensylvanica). That would have been my first guess, actually, since Black Blister Beetles are generally active later in the season than are Blister Beetles.

Still, the abdomen makes it look more like an Oil Beetle to me, so I'm going to say that it's most likely an Oil Beetle in the genus Meloe.


Either way, Blister Beetles, as the name implies, can release caustic chemicals in self-defense that cause irritation and even blistering of the skin on contact. (Oil Beetles are a type of Blister Beetle.) So, it's probably best not to handle them!
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  #1652  
Old 07-28-2020, 09:46 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Or at least let them sniff your hand before you pet them.
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  #1653  
Old 07-28-2020, 10:06 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Thank you! Yes, it looks a lot like one of those two from the pictures I'm seeing online.

I don't want to get any closer to get a better picture because it flew straight at my face after I posted that.

I have enough information now that I've decided not to eat it.
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  #1654  
Old 07-29-2020, 12:08 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Quote:
Originally Posted by lisarea View Post

I have enough information now that I've decided not to eat it.
:sadcheer:
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  #1655  
Old 07-29-2020, 04:16 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

[edit] Nevermind, I ignored an entire page. Go me!

Quote:
I have enough information now that I've decided not to eat it.
:stevedonteatit:
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  #1656  
Old 08-27-2020, 04:10 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

No real question here, just wanted to share this this little fellow I saw the other day.

IMG_20200826_093859312.jpg
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  #1657  
Old 08-29-2020, 02:47 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Nice!

It is, of course, a Dragonfly. It's pretty clearly a member of the family Aeshnidae, the Darners. From a quick look, I'd say it's almost-certainly a member of the genus Aeshna, the Mosaic Darters. My guess would be Aeshna interrupta, the Variable Darner, but a look at the side of the thorax would make it easier to tell.
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  #1658  
Old 08-29-2020, 04:25 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

The foliage in that picture, looks like arbor vitae or cedar? Is there a name for that type of foliage? I've seen similar on Hinoki cypress, various cedars, arbor vitae and some junipers.
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Old 08-29-2020, 05:48 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

I'd probably call them something like appressed decussate scales. It's common in the Cupressaceae family of conifers, which the plants you mention are part of, but you also see it in some unrelated plants.
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  #1660  
Old 09-10-2020, 04:46 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Do dogs smile?

I became curious this morning about what Edie Brickell's lyrics "philosophy / is talk on a cereal box, religion / is a smile on a dog" intend to convey. The only reason I have ever read a cereal box is when it's sitting in front of me while I eat and I'm not engaged in any conversation or other media consumption (e.g. watching TV or listening to a podcast). The actual content usually varies depending on the cereal's target market. If that is her experience too then I suppose she is saying that philosophy is navel-gazing and irrelevant.

The meaning of a smile on a dog is a little less obvious to me. The definition of 'smile' is "to have a pleased or amused expression", and it certainly seems that some (if not all) dogs have the muscular structure to create such an expression. But to get to Brickell's meaning I think we have to understand whether that particular muscular expression on a dog necessarily indicates pleasure or amusement--and therefore meets the definition of 'smiling'--or if it is just one of many random expressions they have at a given moment.

If in fact dogs can 'smile', then it would seem that Brickell is saying religion brings about pleasure or amusement. Whereas if she has some reason to believe that a smile on a dog is just a random muscular formation that has the appearance of a smile, but is not really an indication of pleasure or amusement, she may be implying something deeper about the artificial nature of one's emotional experience of religion.
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  #1661  
Old 09-10-2020, 08:13 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Jives with stuff I read somewhere else years ago:

Quote:
As to why we react the way we do when we see a dog “smiling,” Brophey says it’s a combination of oxytocin and evolution. “Dogs are masters at human behavior observation and manipulation,” she says. “That’s their niche. Their ancestry and experiences have informed them on how to be effectively charming.”

This “smiling” is endorsed by humans when they react, laugh, give treats, pet and clap. Dogs quickly learn that this is a positive reaction to their behavior and will continue to smile because of it.
Do Dogs Smile? The Science Behind the Looks We Get From a Happy Dog | PetMD
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  #1662  
Old 09-11-2020, 12:44 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

The Best Medicine | Hidden Brain : NPR

Tangential... NPR interview w/ someone who studies laughter. Discusses laughter in chimps and rats, among other things, but not dogs.
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  #1663  
Old 09-19-2020, 10:45 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

It's worth noting that in many mammals, "smiling" is an indicator of submission and/or fear. In primates, at least, smiling may have evolved in part as a means of expressing submission and "I'm not a threat."

From there, the general behavior may have been co-opted to express other emotions.
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  #1664  
Old 10-02-2020, 10:48 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Legit?



Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Oak
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  #1665  
Old 10-03-2020, 01:18 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Gels with my experience
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  #1666  
Old 10-04-2020, 01:53 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

It's not entirely inaccurate. After a while, you get to know plants and animals so well that you can identify a great many of them instantly, with no conscious thought required. As such, it can be hard to explain to someone else how you know that it's ... say, an oak.

Sometimes, it's legitimately tempting to ask, "How can you not see that it's an oak?"!
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  #1667  
Old 10-04-2020, 02:12 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Sometimes it’s a job for The Lone Ranger.

Sometimes it’s a job for the Parks Ranger.
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  #1668  
Old 10-06-2020, 06:51 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Not a question, I just found this amusing.
I’m just a little tape smudge on a light pole...
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Old 10-06-2020, 06:53 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

htommoth
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  #1670  
Old 01-13-2021, 01:34 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Y'all okay?
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Old 04-03-2021, 06:52 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Dear Lone Ranger,

Who would win a battle?

:eagle: vs :canada::goose:
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  #1672  
Old 04-03-2021, 07:25 PM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

Like humans, when the Americans come for you it often pays to lay flat until they get bored and go invade someone else more exciting.
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  #1673  
Old 08-23-2021, 05:18 AM
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Default Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger

You okay?
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