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07-28-2020, 09:41 PM
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Jin, Gi, Rei, Ko, Chi, Shin, Tei
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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!
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” -- Socrates
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07-28-2020, 09:46 PM
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Just keep m'nose clean, egg, chips & beans, I'm always full of steam
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: so far out, I'm too far in
Gender: Bender
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Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger
Or at least let them sniff your hand before you pet them.
__________________
"Her eyes in certain light were violet, and all her teeth were even. That's a rare, fair feature: even teeth. She smiled to excess, but she chewed with real distinction." - Eleanor of Aquitaine
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07-28-2020, 10:06 PM
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Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short
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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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07-29-2020, 12:08 AM
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Solipsist
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Kolmannessa kerroksessa
Gender: Male
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Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisarea
I have enough information now that I've decided not to eat it.
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07-29-2020, 04:16 PM
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Forum Killer
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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.
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:stevedonteatit:
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08-27-2020, 04:10 PM
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forever in search of dill pickle doritos
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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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08-29-2020, 02:47 AM
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Jin, Gi, Rei, Ko, Chi, Shin, Tei
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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.
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” -- Socrates
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08-29-2020, 04:25 AM
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Stoic Derelict... The cup is empty
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: The Dustbin of History
Gender: Male
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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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Chained out, like a sitting duck just waiting for the fall _Cage the Elephant
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08-29-2020, 05:48 AM
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mesospheric bore
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: New Zealand
Gender: Male
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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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09-10-2020, 04:46 PM
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Admin
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ypsilanti, Mi
Gender: Male
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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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09-10-2020, 08:13 PM
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Shitpost Sommelier
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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.
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Do Dogs Smile? The Science Behind the Looks We Get From a Happy Dog | PetMD
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Peering from the top of Mount Stupid
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09-11-2020, 12:44 AM
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Stoic Derelict... The cup is empty
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: The Dustbin of History
Gender: Male
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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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Chained out, like a sitting duck just waiting for the fall _Cage the Elephant
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09-19-2020, 10:45 PM
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Jin, Gi, Rei, Ko, Chi, Shin, Tei
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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.
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” -- Socrates
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10-02-2020, 10:48 PM
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Shitpost Sommelier
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Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger
__________________
Peering from the top of Mount Stupid
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10-03-2020, 01:18 AM
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mesospheric bore
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: New Zealand
Gender: Male
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Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger
Gels with my experience
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10-04-2020, 01:53 AM
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Jin, Gi, Rei, Ko, Chi, Shin, Tei
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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?"!
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” -- Socrates
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10-04-2020, 02:12 AM
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Shitpost Sommelier
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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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Peering from the top of Mount Stupid
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10-06-2020, 06:51 PM
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I read some of your foolish scree, then just skimmed the rest.
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Bay Area
Gender: Male
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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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10-06-2020, 06:53 PM
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Solipsist
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Kolmannessa kerroksessa
Gender: Male
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Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger
htommoth
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01-13-2021, 01:34 AM
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Shitpost Sommelier
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Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger
Y'all okay?
__________________
Peering from the top of Mount Stupid
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04-03-2021, 06:52 PM
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ChuckF's sock
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Join Date: Dec 2016
Gender: Female
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Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger
Dear Lone Ranger,
Who would win a battle?
vs
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#jeSuisLimoncello
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04-03-2021, 07:25 PM
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Shitpost Sommelier
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Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger
__________________
Peering from the top of Mount Stupid
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08-23-2021, 05:18 AM
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Shitpost Sommelier
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Re: A Question For The Lone Ranger
You okay?
__________________
Peering from the top of Mount Stupid
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