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drjackandmissjo · 3 years

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it’s nice to have a friend

previous chapter --- chapter 7 --- next chapter

feysand masterlist

“Call my bluff, Call you ‘babe’“

It had been a fairly long day for Feyre. She had to organise a new collection for her gallery, dealing with things like catering for the event and security and insurances on the pieces that had to be exposed. Her assistant Ressina was searching for two more artworks, since two of her own paintings that she was supposed to showcase had been just bought.

The website Azriel had built for her gallery had been a complete success since the opening day, through it Feyre had managed to sell almost all of her creations and many of those that she presented through the gallery itself, reaching the proper audience even outside of Prythian. Paying for international shipping was her new most hated activity, but she couldn't complain.

In the few years since she had graduated and started business for herself, she had made a name for herself. Her junior and last year of university had given her the opportunity to internship in one of the best art museums in Velaris, where she learnt the importance of good displays and how to haggle the right price for each piece. During that time she mostly painted for commissions, which she continued to take now, five years later, with the only difference being that now a 'Feyre A.N.' costed much more than in her early days. Even those she created freely, out of her own heart's desires, were being sold at fairly high prices with a surprisingly high rate.

So now she had to look and scout for new artists to display, considering the current shortage of her own artworks. It all brought a whole new sense of responsibility to Feyre and a whole lot of paperwork she wasn't particularly fond of. She was everyday grateful of her choice of hiring an assistant, even if at the beginning she was a bit sceptical.

Thankfully, Velaris was the best place in the entire world to be an artist, a safe haven: the city had an entire neighborhood, the Rainbow, fully inhabited by writers and sculptors and poets and painters, with several theatres and galleries and museums. Feyre had chosen to open shop there, in one of the main streets and it had been a glorious success since the inauguration. The artists that made the community had welcomed her warmly and with open arms, helping her get on her own feet at the start with their support, and now she was repaying them in kind, offering opportunities to anyone who might need them.

Her originally rented space now fully belonged to her, having been bought two years after the opening with the money her hard work brought. She had fallen in love with the locale in an heartbeat, as she walked the Rainbow hand in hand with her boyfriend as he helped her carry back to her place bags full of paint and canvases. Feyre had stopped dead in her tracks, as if called by it, declaring it the perfect spot. Rhys had laughed at her and kissed the top of her head, telling her how she should take the number of the owner and contact them to see if she could rent. Being fresh out of college meant she didn't have enough funds to do more, but one day, Rhys had said, it could've been hers.

The old lady who owned the space had been ecstatic with her call and heard her ideas with interest. The rent was decent, given the great metrage and locations, but the place was new and needed little to no modifications, and thus 'Starfall ' gallery was born.

When her clock chimed, telling her the time, she slowly rose from her chair, stretching her sore back. The new tattoo she had gotten three weeks prior on her spine still hadn't healed fully, causing her some wincing that her husband was constantly worried of. The long piece was a masterpiece on its own, the longline depicting the different lunar phases she had drawn herself.

Deciding to call it a day, she gathered her stuff and closed the lights, locking the door on her way out. Despite it being mid-October, the weather was still pleasantly warm even during the evening, and Feyre enjoyed walking alongside of the Sidra quietly as the wind quietly messed her hair. She and Rhys had bought a townhouse on the other side of the river before their wedding, close enough to be able to walk to their respective workplaces, she to the Rainbow while he went back to the university, teaching English poetry and drama, as he had chosen that specific minor on his senior year.

Although they had a similar commute, the different paths had Rhys always beat her to the rush home and he started usually dinner, as she was downright cursed with her cooking inhabilities. Even helping in the kitchen was something she did carefully, her and her husband both weary of the outcomes. The only thing she could do safely from 'scratch' was to heat up soup.

A wicked plan began to outline itself in her mind. It had been awhile since she had humoured her husband, both too focused on their respective works. She moved in the upstair bedroom they shared, removing her proper attire to slip into a severely more comfortable pair of leggings and a worn out t-shirt, covered in blue paint of every shade. " This is gonna be fun" she thought, delighted in the possible turn of events as she rang up his favourite Chinese restaurant to order take-out to be delivered.

And then she set to 'work'.

***

As soon as she felt the front door open, Feyre moved swiftly to rotate the timer on the oven and made it set off immediately. She knew Rhys had heard the little series of noises that signaled the end of a cooking process. He usually would discard his keys on the small table that decorated their tiny foyer as soon as the door closed behind him, but this time he was stalling.

Probably debating whether to retreat back outside in case the kitchen exploded or not.

The problem wasn't that she was a bad cook perse. Feyre never had much time playing around the stove growing up, thankfully for them Elain was the chef of the household. She had learnt the basics, how to boil water for instant cheap ramen noodles and how to heat up frozen pre-cooked stuff in the microwave of the communal kitchen of her dorm on her first month in Velaris, with Alis patiently telling her what to do to survive in case there was an emergency. During the years she had tried a little more, once she moved with Amren and Mor and had a kitchen at her disposal without limitations.

Her first attempt at scrambling eggs for breakfast set the fire alarm off and she had to explain to an exasperated fireman that the house wasn't on fire. That earned her a wary look from her roommates, but considering that neither of them had any luck with cooking, no one spoke of it for the following week.

Her second one brought a weird texture of a pasture looking like brown instead of the expected yellow, completely stuck at the bottom of the pan. Not burnt, simply attached there and impossible to remove. She then went to buy a new set, throwing the mystery pan immediately in the trash.

Cassin was with her for her third trial, to guide her into the mystical art he had mastered, and made her solemnly swear to never, ever , again touch a kitchen utensil if not with the sole purpose to eat with it, and even then he had some serious doubts about letting her anywhere near anything inside a kitchen. She wasn't allowed to be there unsupervised, he had said, scared shitless.

So the problem wasn't inside her cooking abilities, since she made the best sandwiches out of anyone in the Inner Circle, but rather her rotten luck an inability not to burn anything that involved heat or patience to be made.

A smile appeared on Feyre's lips as she suppressed a series of giggles that were threatening to rise up, imagining the face her husband was surely making. The sounds from the foyer told her two things: the door had been closed and remained unlocked, ready to aid in their escape from a fire that Rhysand thought undoubtedly might happen any minute, and her husband was taking his time through his routine, as if a minimal change in the air might've triggered the self destruction of their home.

"Darling?" he called for her as he made his way through the open space of the living room to reach for the kitchen, cautiously stopping before properly entering the room and setting off something.

Feyre immediately turned around, her light brown hair neatly folded in a messy bun swinging to the side and promptly losing some strands that fell into her face. She found him leaning against the doorframe, seemingly relaxed were it not for the fact he was hiding his hands inside the pockets of his black pants. Her genuine smile seemed to ease his stance and Rhys took the opportunity to move towards her. She turned back at the task at hand as he walked past the island, using her knife to cut an apple into tiny slices. His arms came to encircle her, effectively pinning her against the counter, and she leaned back, resting her head on his chest.

"How was work today?" she asked, warmth radiating through her as he bent down to place a soft kiss to the top of her head. For someone who thought the stove might explode at any minute, he was incredibly calm with the whole ordeal.

"The usual" he shrugged "some kid had the audacity to groan when I told them we would soon start with Shakespeare's Sonnets!"

One of the many things she utterly loved about him was how passionate he was for his job, for the curriculum he got to teach each class. Overall, his favourite subject was Shakespeare, on whom he did his dissertation which got him the place at the University. He still kept on writing, publishing mostly the new researches his department did, and he worked with all his heart.

Feyre shook her head slightly, "Kids this day have no respect." Then, in afterthought, she added "Are you going to downplay the whole homoerotic full blown text like our old prof did?"

"Are you crazy? That's the best part!" His grip tightened around her as she set the knife down, wiping her hands on a nearby handchendief. "I'm thinking about letting those freshmans do their winter final paper on who they actually thought Good Ol' Willy was shagging."

"Professor Carver might object." she said, turning in his arms and now facing him, her back against the cold material of the counter.

"Who do you think I got the idea from? That man wants nothing more than to gossip, even if it's 500 years old stuff."

"Remember how he was somehow the first person outside our Inner Circle to know we were dating when we came back?" They both laughed at the memory, noses brushing softly as they were both content to remain there.

"How was your day?" he asked, his breath caressing her neck gently.

"Too much paperwork. But I sold that Springtime painting we both didn't like to probably the most horrible and rude woman ever."

The woman had truly been a demon: she had stormed in as if she owned the place, demanding attention. Ressina had been patient and listened to her raging nonsense as best as she could, but couldn't do much herself. Feyre then went into her aid: she had past experience dealing with bad customers from when she used to be a waitress in high school, yet this woman took the cake. lanthe Spring, as she had proudly introduced herself as if she was the most important person in the world, was looking for a present for her husband, she had told her while raising the most preposterous ring to ever been made. The green gems looked more like a torture device than a wedding ring, but Feyre didn't usually judge. After an entire hour looking at the catalogue, her eyes had set on one of the paintings Feyre had done way back in her freshman year. She had finally gotten the approval from the art department to sell the early works she had done during her period there and the majority had either already been sold or she had gifted to her family and friends. That was the last one to remain in Feyre's possession, probably the laziest work she had ever done: the colours well dull, the motif unclear; despite it showing a green and flowery scenery, it resembled much more a dead nature. She hadn't been in the best mindset when the work had come to life, her constant fights with Tamlin causing an artist block on all her works, yet the woman had been ecstatic, claiming it reminded her of her own husband.

Feyre didn't make the connection until she saw the checkbook, yet no feeling came to her, good nor bad. She would've liked to know his reaction at seeing her painting though, just to get some sick and twisted satisfaction at how she was thriving with only her 'hobby' . "But I got a nice cut from that, so dinner's on me!" she finished lightly, pulling herself from her daydream.

"I know exactly what you're doing, Feyre Darling." he hummed from her neck, as he drew his lips across the skin. Suddenly she was finding it hard to concentrate. "I have no idea of what you're talking about, Rhysand."

He pulled back abruptly, moving their bodies till she was now leaning against the empty and clean kitchen island. "Your attempt at scaring me almost worked, you know?" he whispered against her ear, moving to nibble at the soft flesh, "But next time make a little mess with some flour all around if you want to truly give me a heart attack."

"But you see," she started, trying to sort her foggy thoughts as the world narrowed to where his lips were against her neck once more, "I'd have to take you to the ER then and that's too much work, babe." She was breathless, sick of the attention her neck was getting. Hands plunged in his hair, positioning him flush against her as her lips claimed his, his own hands roaming freely under her T-shirt.

He suddenly pulled away slightly, eyes never leaving hers and not bothering to remove his hands from where they rested on her back, slowly working the clasps of her bra. "Not to mention you don't even know where to find most things that aren't downright edible without preparation in our pantry, am I correct?"

She brought him back down in an instant, "Arrogant prick" she murmured against his lips as she began to undo the button of his shirt, their hips moving in sync as their lips.

He hoisted her up on the island counter in one swift move as she took the shirt off of his shoulders, caressing the inky swirls of his traditional lilynian tattoo that adorned his upper torso. He immediately returned the favour, removing her tee and bra in one swipe, moving his attention fully to the newly exposed skin, biting and nipping there. Her grip on his hair became iron as his hands darthed southward, his own wedding band cold against her feverish skin as his mouth drew circles around her breast. He began to slowly slid off her leggings, never once removing his mouth from her, when the doorbell rang.

A string of colourful profanities that could've rivaled a sailor's entire vocabulary made its way out of Feyre's mouth as her husband merely laughed at their interrupted moment.

"I've ordered Chinese" was the only non-curse Feyre spoke as she jumped of the counter, grabbing her t-shirt to answer the door at least decent.

"I was indeed promised dinner" Rhys said, not bothering to cover himself as his wife paid for the food.

"I still got you there for a second, didn't l?" she asked, walking back to the kitchen carrying two bags.

Rhys kissed her cheek sweetly, "Always, my Darling."

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lizabethstucker · 3 years

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The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe edited by Josh Pachter

Subtitled: Parodies and Pastiches Featuring the Great Detective of West 35th Street

I loved this collection of stories, with only a few exceptions. Overall, I would give it 4.5 out of 5.

Introductions: Trouble in Triplicate

“At Wolfe’s Door” by Otto Penzler ~ about the characters.

“A Family Affair” by Rebecca Stout Bradbury ~ Rex Stout’s daughter provides a peek at the author.

“Plot It Yourself” by Josh Pachter ~ how the collection came to be.

Pastiches (Respectful imitations of the original works)

“The Red Orchid” by Thomas Narcejac

Translated from French, the story was written in 1947. The first English publication wasn’t until 1961. A young woman comes to hire Wolfe to discover who is trying to kill her uncle, a man who claims to have developed a red orchid. More creepy than respectful, especially how Archie hits on the female client. Too offensive for me. DNF

“Chapter 8 from ‘Murder in Pastiche’” by Marion Mainwaining

Published in 1955, this novel can also be found under the title of “Nine Detectives All at Sea”. A notorious gossip columnist is murdered during a sea cruise across the Atlantic. There are nine famous detectives on the ship as passengers. Trajan Beare, aka Nero Wolfe, is the focus of this particular chapter. It is hard to judge the whole book based on just one chapter. However, the characterization should be noted as being extremely close to the original source material. A nice read. No rating as it is just an excerpt.

“The Archie Hunters” by Jon L. Breen

Written in 1968, but never published until now. A cross of Nero Wolfe and Mike Hammer. Mock Himmler beats the crap out of anyone he encounters, particularly if they disagree with him or do something he doesn’t like. After beating up a news seller for carrying a “commie” magazine, Mock discovers an ad in the back requesting a private investigator for a missing person case. The ad, placed by Nero Wolfe, leads Mock to presume the missing person is Archie Goodwin. I’ve never been a fan of Mike Hammer nor his creator, Mickey Spillane, finding both of them to be disgusting in their love of violence, misogyny, and attitudes in general. I did enjoy this story nonetheless. 4 out of 5

“The Frightened Man” by O. X. Rusett

Gave up early on this anagram-stuffed story, even to the author’s name. More annoying than clever or cute. DNF

“Chapter 1 from ‘Murder in E Minor’” by Robert Goldsborough

I read the whole book when it was first published and, frankly, wasn’t too impressed. I do know that Goldsborough was selected by the Stout Estate to be the official author of the novels and I have read a few of his more recent books. I may try and reread it sometime down the road to see if my opinion has changed. No rating as it is only one chapter.

“The Purloined Platypus” by Marvin Kaye

While Goldsborough has the exclusive novel rights, Kaye asked to write short stories and was given the Estate’s permission as long as no novels were ever written. Benjamin Moultrie, president and board chairman of the Museum of the Strange, Odd and Peculiar, wants to hire Wolfe to investigate a robbery at the museum. As I wasn’t reading the magazines such as Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock, I missed reading any of these stories. Which is quite a tragedy. Excellent portrayals of not only the characters, but the case itself. 4 out of 5.

Parodies (Exaggerated imitations intended to poke fun at the source material)

“The House on 35th Street” by Frank Littler

Originally appeared in The Saturday Review in 1966. Little is known about the author, despite Pachter’s research attempts. A crowd is assembled in the Brownstone in a murder case, wanting to see some of the detective’s famous actions and quirks. There is an undercurrent of a very personal nature, especially at the end. 3.5 out of 5

“The Sidekick Case” by Patrick Butler

Another entry from The Saturday Review, this time in 1968, and another case of little information on the author. Wolfe objects to Archie being called a “sidekick” in a listing of the latest book. Cute. 3.5 out of 5

“The Case of the Disposable Jalopy” by Mack Reynolds

America has turned into an illiterate welfare state, Wolfe and Archie are old and sometimes forgetful, and things are beyond tight financially. Reynolds uses the last names of some of the biggest authors in Science Fiction in the story. These men want to hire Wolfe for a case of sabotage and the disappearance of a key developer. What a weird world Reynolds has built. As to the updates on the normal cast of characters in the series? Well, I never liked Orrie anyway. 4 out of 5

“As Dark as Christmas Gets” by Lawrence Block

An unpublished manuscript written by Cornell Woolrich is stolen during a Christmas party. The owner hires Wolfe wannabe Leo Haig and his Goodwin substitute, Chip Harrison, to recover it. I’ve come across stories in this series before and loved them, both for the obvious affection for the source material as well as the excellent characterization. 4.5 out of 5

“Who’s Afraid of Nero Wolfe?” by Loren D. Estleman

Arnie Woodbine, currently on parole, was fired from his last job for gambling on company time. He needs a job and finds an ad looking for an assistant sharp of wit. He finds himself hired by Claudius Lyon, a corpulent man with delusions of being Nero Wolfe. Arnie is hired as his Archie. Now all they need is a case. Since Lyon doesn’t have a private detective license and Arnie’s felony record prevents him from ever getting one, they would not be able to charge for their services. No problem as Lyon is actually quite wealthy. Their first case is regarding a poetry award that carries with it a $10,000 prize. One winner doesn’t appear to actually exist. Seriously one of the best sendups that I’ve ever read! This was a delight to read and deserved more stories. 4.5 out of 5.

“Julius Katz and the Case of Exploding Wine” by Dave Zeltserman

A friend of Julius’ that has a champion bulldog and heads a dog food company comes to see Julius with the dog in tow, asking for help to find someone to prevent Brutus from being kidnapped. He also asks that Julius find his murderer if he’s killed. Sure enough, the man is killed. Julius had agreed to investigate, but only after he gave the police a week to solve it themselves. Just as the week is up, an adversary calls to warn Julius that there is a bomb in his house, contained in a box of wine. Julius allows almost everyone to believe he is dead after the townhouse is completely destroyed from top to bottom. I absolutely loved this sorta tribute to Rex Stout. I’m particularly intrigued by Archie, an AI who is installed in Julius’ tie pin. That alone has me eyeing the book collections, but to be honest, this is a damn fine mystery. Julius is definitely not Nero Wolfe, at least in size, athleticism (martial arts), and loving women (a former womanizer who now has a regular girlfriend). He definitely is in the aspects of intelligence, laziness, and cutting Archie out of the loop. His collecting focus is wine rather than orchids, but both can be very expensive hobbies. 4.5 out of 5.

“The Possibly Last Case of Tiberius Dingo” by Michael Bracken

Age and diet are catching up to Tiberius Dingo’s body, but his mind and deductive reasoning is still as sharp as ever. His long-time assistant, Jughead Badloss, brings a client he dances with at the Senior Center, a woman who is certain she is being stalked. Family ties and age-old secrets are ripped out into the open before the case is done, for their client and for Jughead himself. The names are a little lame, but the story made up for it. 3.5 out of 5.

Potpourri

“The Woman Who Read Rex Stout” by William Brittain

Gertrude Jellison was the fat lady at a carnival sideshow, an intelligent woman whose extreme weight, over 500 pounds, kept her from her dream job of teaching psychology. Her partner, Robert Kirby, is the thin man, barely weighing seventy-five pounds. As a stunt, the carnival boss gave her Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe books to read during the shows. Surprisingly enough, Gert loved them and continued reading. She never expected to use what she learned to solve a murder, but sadly a newer member of the troup, a beautiful woman named Lili who was like a daughter to Gert, is murdered and the older woman knows she can solve the crime. This is a character that I could seriously have loved to read more about. A good little mystery as well, even if I quickly realized who the murderer would turn out to be. 3.5 out of 5.

“Sam Buried Caesar” by Josh Pachter

Police inspector Griffen had eleven children, each of whom was named after a famous fictional detective. Nero, just eleven years old, had set up his own detective agency, aided by his best friend and neighbor Artie Goodman. Their latest client, Sam, came to them after his dog, Caesar, was hit and killed by an out-of-state driver. Not wanting the poor animal to be left coldly abandoned on the street, he buried the dog in an empty lot. Coming back a short time later to get Caesar’s collar, the body is missing. He hires Nero and Artie to find the killer and recover the body. Sad and cute and inventive, but how Artie puts up with Nero will always be a mystery. 3.5 out of 5.

“Chapter 24 from Rasputin’s Revenge” by John Lescroart

The basic premise is that Nero Wolfe is the son of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler. I’ve not read this particular book, but it appears to be the last chapter in which Archie and Wolfe, going under his original name, are in Russia, appeared to have come up against Gregori Rasputin (although the author has it as Gregory), and was helped by Holmes and Dr. Watson after they were wanted for murder. I’m not going to rate it as I don’t consider it fair to rate a novel based on just one chapter.

“A scene from Might as Well Be Dead” by Joseph Goodrich

Adaptation of the story into a play. Once again, not rated.

“The Damned Doorbell Rang” by Robert Lopresti

When their fourteen granddaughter came to visit in a snit because her parents won’t allow her to go with friends to a concert in New York City, Eve and Jack decide to tell her about why they left the City. When they were younger, they had a brownstone in the City. Their neighbors were definitely different, all men living there. Jack didn’t much like any of them and keeps disparaging Eve’s stories about what they saw while living there. But Eve tells a tale of how she saved the men’s lives. Too many close calls are the reason that they moved to New Jersey. How could I not love this outsider’s look at Nero Wolfe? 3.5 out of 5.

#book review #Nero Wolfe #collection #The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe #Josh Pachter #mystery #short stories

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carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory · 4 years

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Delving into Lepidoptera Life History Studies

For a number of years now in the Section of Invertebrate Zoology (IZ), we have been rearing larvae (= caterpillars) of different species of Lepidoptera (moths & butterflies) for both fun and research. This summer, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need for everyone to isolate, I have taken to collecting and rearing a number of different species at home that were collected at a bug sheet in my own back yard (Figure 1).

Figure 1. A set up “bug sheet” used to attract insects at night.

Female moths are collected live and held in a plastic jar we call a “live jar” (Figure 2), until they lay eggs. If eggs are laid, and they are fertile, they usually hatch in about 7-10 days. This gives you enough time to identify the female adult to species (a recent field guide to moths and butterflies is a good place to start) so you can find out information on its preferred food source(s), or host plant(s), before the little larvae hatch are start searching around for food. If the eggs do hatch, rearing the resulting little caterpillars is a fun way to break up the tedium of being cooped-up at home for so long and is a nice way to bring Nature indoors.

Figure 2. Plastic “live jar” used to hold female moths until they lay eggs for rearing.

We have a little bit of experience rearing caterpillars at home. As you may know from a previous IZ blog post, my son and I reared some caterpillars that were not yet known to science, which resulted in a small publication. Right now, we have caterpillars of ten different species at various developmental stages. I check on them daily, making sure to keep their containers clean, and provide them with enough food to eat from their preferred host plant (Figure 3). It is amazing how quickly these little guys grow and change, all in the matter of a few short weeks. I try to capture images of them as they develop (see Figure 4), so they can be used on our websites, in blog posts (such as this one), or in eventual scientific publications that may result from the work.

Figure 3. Clear plastic rearing chambers containing caterpillar cultures, each started from eggs laid by a single female moth (= iso-female culture). Host plants include Maple, Willow, Oak, Sassafras, Cherry and Poplar.

Figure 4. Images of various species of caterpillars currently being reared by the author at home. A.) Early instar of Gluphisia septentrionis (Notodontidae), B.) Early instar of Acronicta dactylina (Noctuidae), C.) Later instar of Metarranthis sp. (Geometridae), D.) Last instar of Lithophane disposita (Noctuidae), E.) Later instar of Antheraea polyphemus (Saturniidae), F.) Two different early instars of Heterocampa obliqua(Notodontidae), G.) Early instar of Paonias excaecata (Sphingidae), H.) Last instar of Besma quercivoraria (Geometridae), I.) Later instar of an unknown caterpillar that was found on host plant food obtained for other caterpillars. The species will be determined when the adult moth emerges from the pupa later in the summer.

Once the females have laid eggs, they usually die as a result, having completed their task in the moth’s life cycle. The females are then pinned, and the wings are usually spread on wooden blocks until they dry, so that the specimens can be easily identified and examined by experts in the future (Figure 5). They then receive data labels that includes information on the specific locality and date of collection, method of collection, and the collector name(s).

Figure 5. Moths that have been pinned with their wings spread to aid in identification. Note the data labels have been associated with each specimen (lower right of each block).

My son and I are looking forward to watching our little menagerie of caterpillars progress throughout the summer, eventually completing their life cycle and becoming adult moths. I’m glad that we are able to give you a glimpse of our progress to date and hope you have enjoyed seeing some of these diverse little spineless wonders. Hopefully, when we can all return to our normal outdoor activities, you will have a newfound appreciation for these amazing insects when you encounter them out in the wild.

James W. Fetzner Jr. is Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum staff, volunteers, and interns are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

#Carnegie Museum of Natural History #Invertebrate Zoology #Moths #Caterpillars #Museum from Home

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warmau · 6 years

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villain!au sicheng

prince dong sicheng has always ruled his country with one motto: do anything for the survival of his people

and most people assumed that meant,,,,,keep political peace and ensure basic necessities for all

and while sicheng was nothing but a hands on and loving leader who protected the basic rights of all his citizens

and made sure that the rest of the world saw just that

clean cut dong sicheng, his white princely uniform and warm, welcoming smile

offering resources and trade but also securing the tradition of his people

there was much more to sicheng,,,,,,than believed by his own people, his own royal family, and of course - the rest of the world media

because the moment he stopped shaking hands with the princes of other countries or the presidents or the army generals or whoever

and the cameras and media all left for the day

he’d retire to his office and tap his foot impatiently, staring out of the large windows that lead out to a view of the capital of his country

and he’d think,,,,,,

what else do we need? what else should i steal

he’d never thought that the training he got as a child, all those dance classes and whatnot would have made him as agile and as strong of a fighter as he was now

he’d always played delicate and soft ,,,,,,, approachable and passive,,,,,,but he’d taken down groups of men with his bare hands, without any help

of course,,,,he wasn’t some low level criminal who went around on the streets of his own country

no, he targeted big people

people with power

the people he shook hands with at one meeting, he’d show up at their hotel rooms in the night

face covered, a gleaming ceremonial knife used for years by the royals he was related to pushed up to their throats

and sicheng would not kill,,,,he would blackmail - negotiate - and get whatever resources he thought his country was lacking at absolutely any cost

he’d secured higher trading contracts for the merchants in his country like this

got a top scholar to leak his plans for solar-powered energy to sicheng so he could implement it in new housing projects

and when he’d found out that one of the presidents that was staying at his hotel had apparently been involved with criminal neglect toward women,,,,,sicheng had made sure to mess him up just enough that when he returned to his country - he resigned there on the spot

sicheng didn’t like the word criminal he preferred vigilante

when children asked him what his favorite movie was when he visited the schools he’d smile coyly and answer

“robin hood!”

your first encounter with sicheng was during the welcoming ceremony of the first of many meetings between sicheng and diplomats from the bordering countries

you were assigned a guide, a helpful and adoring taeyong who only sang the highest of praise about sicheng

and when you saw him,,,,,standing before you in that famous all white uniform

the golden tassels and badges that adorned the front lapel would have blinded you if sicheng’s iridescent smile hadn’t beat them to it

“isn’t he just perfect?!?” taeyong exclaimed “so young but still leading us so well!”

obviously you could do nothing but nod

still in awe at how,,,,,unreal the prince looked up close

and when you threw a glance back at him, half listening to taeyong chatter about the museums he’d have to show you while you were around

you could see that sicheng’s expression never changed,,,,,not from one diplomat to the next

it was the same

and as beautiful as he was, as graceful and forthcoming

his slicked back hair not a centimeter out of place

not a button on his uniform unshined

you thought that something was just too good about all of this to be true

how was someone so young,,,,,with a country whose army power was rivaled by every diplomat’s homeland

doing so so so well for itself?

but you stopped your thoughts there - it was rude for you to overshadow sicheng’s hard work and efforts to keep his country pristine and safe

he just,,,,,,,had the magic touch you guessed

and returned your attention to taeyong

the second time you got to see sicheng after that was at the conference you were presenting to him about your country and his country’s mutual benefit of trading

when you came into the room you had noticed that sicheng was already there

that was unusual,,,usually you set up by yourself beforehand and then the prince would be ushered in by his entourage of “important” people

but there he was

alone

taeyong comes in a moment later and disregards you in order to ask the prince a flurry of questions

you set up,,,,,,but you feel sicheng looking at you even with all of taeyongs attention on him

the presentation is nothing stellar,,,,you get your major points across and you’re direct about your countries resources

sicheng makes small notes and his eyes dont light up at any of the propositions you’ve been asked to present on behalf of your country

when it’s over

he gives you the same smile when you first met,,,,,,warm - but yet,,,,its lost its touch the second time around

but when you shake his hand he pulls you a bit

letting taeyong exit first before he asks, “why were you looking at me at the welcoming party yesterday? is there something you want to ask me?”

his voice is gentle, soft

it reminds you of a lullaby ,,,,, but a lullaby thats supposed to make you feel safe before a storm

“o,,oh i just,,,,,ive never seen a prince before. this is my first visit as a diplomat - i hope i didnt offend you!!”

you try your best to play it off as genuine curiosity and sicheng lets your hand go with a satisfied nod

“ah,,,,well you’ll see me so much you’ll get sick of me”

he laughs and you notice that he’s not wearing the white uniform, instead its a high collar shirt paired with golden cuff links and a necklace that you recognize as being an artifact from the early eighteenth century

you don’t say anything else, just bow goodbye

and think that it’s a little freaky for sicheng to have noticed you glance over your shoulder

when he was in a room where everything and everyone else was of much more importance

you also note that when sicheng had spoken to you just then,,,,you’d noticed that he hadn’t taken any of the proposals that you’d left on the table for him

something just felt,,,,,,,,off

and it wasn’t just off,,,your whole stay in his country was becoming downright confusing

the day after your presentation you had known other diplomats had spoken with sicheng as well

one of them was a german diplomat who you’d known was famous for discovering a new use of oil in germany but was yet to publish information on it because the government wanted to keep it to itself

that same diplomat,,,,,,had suddenly pulled out and left the country the morning after

you’d learned about it from taeyong at breakfast

and then,,,,,when you’d returned to your room you found a package on your bed from the prince

it was a costume,,,,to wear to dinner tonight at his palace

taeyong was downright in hysterics about not knowing that there was going to be a dinner and that now he had to find something nice to wear

and you were just staring at the box,,,,,the costume inside,,,,,and the flash of sicheng’s face when he’d questioned you yesterday

the dinner was apparently a invite-only among the diplomats,,,,out of the 14 who were there only 7 were invited

and no one of you knew why

sicheng of course made sure everyone forgot about that,,,making cheerful toasts and talking about projects that he was starting in his country to help further education and aid to poorer, less urban parts

everyone was talking politics and whatnot and had let the weirdness and abruptness of the event fade from their mind

and then there was dancing,,,,,,

first by the ballroom dancing professionals of sicheng’s country and then by the diplomats themselves

but before south korea’s diplomat, young and a little shy mark, could come over to you

sicheng had stepped before you and smiled,,,,,,,,the same warm - but now cold smile,,,,,

“you liked the costume?”

“it’s very nice,,,,,but it seems expensive?”

sicheng waves his hand, “it’s a traditional costume from my country. it’s a gift.”

you take the chance to break eye contact and look around,,,,,no other diplomat is wearing anything like yours,,,,,you wonder what their presents from the prince were

and what the presents to those diplomats not in attendance were as well

“may i?”

sicheng takes your hand and you snap back to the moment

he twirls you around before you can even answer and then suddenly,,,,,,you’re chest to chest with royalty

so close you can feel sicheng’s heartbeat through the linen fabric of his shirt

and you can see the details of his flawless face up close

his eyes are darker like this,,,they’re almost the color of tar and the pupil is nearly unseen

his hairs been slicked back again and on his side there are golden pins to fasten it back

he’s like a prince from a fairytale,,,,,not from real life

and then you hear it,,,,,just faintly above the music

“be careful”

with one last twirl, sicheng lets you go and turns to the next diplomat

your head spins and for a moment you assume you hallucinated that line

but when you see sicheng looking at you over the shoulder of his new dance partner you know,,,,,,,,,,he said it

but you have no damn clue what you’re supposed to be careful of,,,,,is it of him? and if so, why?

isn’t he the beloved prince,,,,,the one who can do no wrong

you don’t get it,,,,and so you just stay and continue to do your job

and watch as diplomats either leave the country or end up coming to meetings looking stark and pale

and sicheng just collects all these new trade agreements, all these new resources

and one afternoon you open the paper and see that the subway system will be implementing new energy resources from solar powered tracks and you remember the german diplomat who had left so early on

sicheng doesn’t send anymore gifts,,,,but he continues to keep you close

he has you sit beside him at meetings with everyone else

he entertains taeyong in order to keep you roped in the conversation

and he even flirts,,,,,,with you

all of which you can’t even fathom until,,,,,,,,you decide to hatch a plan and figure out if your theory about sicheng hiding something is true

so you request to give another presentation which sicheng’s assistant gets back to you in a matter of hours

with an overwhelmingly excited “of course the prince will want to hear about it!!!!!!!”

you grit your teeth when you answer, “i can’t wait to show him”

it’s a complete lie of course

your whole presentation is something you came up with in your head because in reality our country has nothing really interesting or big to offer

but you get up in front of sicheng and announce that your country has gained access to gold

a whole mountain of it

and sicheng’s eyes spark unlike the first time you gave your presentation on something about trading

and now he’s really listening

and you’re really selling it

and when it’s over, sicheng has a million questions

all of which you planned for and answer with clearity

and that night, after dismissing taeyong, you sit in the hotel room given to you and you wait

because something is telling you,,,,,,,that sicheng will come

you turn of the lights and sit in bed and at exactly two in the morning the door to your room clicks with the softest noise

you stop your breathing and listen

and it’s only when sicheng is at the corner of your bed do you realize how quietly and quick he’s moved and you shine the light of your phone up to reveal his figure there

his mouth his hidden by a black mask and he has the knife in his hand and his eyes are wide - but stoic like a black, unmoving ocean

and you swallow,,,,,,,

but sicheng doesn’t stay shocked for long and you’re not nearly as fast as him because he has you pinned down in a matter of seconds

“did you set this up?”

his gentle voice is now rasping and low

“there’s no gold,,,,,”

you begin and you feel sicheng’s knife in the hand that’s holding your left wrist down

“how did you know ,,,,,how did you know i would do this?”

you feel a mixture of fear but also your suspicion has been answered

there is this other side to the prince,,,,,,the other side that you’re sure those other diplomats saw

and had to end up cowering to their governments and leaders to agree to whatever sicheng wanted

with how he was right now,,,,it was obvious that anyone would bend to his will

but you didn’t have anything to bend to, you had nothing to offer

you just wanted to know why

“why are you doing this,,,,,your country isn’t in peril, it isn’t in economic or political downfall, you haven’t had a war for over one hundred years why are you threatening people-”

sicheng’s grip on you tightens and you wince

“i don’t threaten ‘people’ i threaten their power,,,,,their power that they dont want to share. do you know my motto, you have had to have done some research before coming here?”

your mouth goes dry,,,,

he’s right you did do research so you know it

“do anything for the survival of your people”

sicheng sneers and then lets you go, you lay there and he flicks the lights on

the mask he had on is off, stuffed into the corner of his black jeans

and his hair that had been perfect, not a centimeter out of place

is now messy and falling in bangs above his eyes

he leans back against the wall of the hotel, he knows you can’t do anything to him

you know it too

so now it’s just a matter of what kind of consequence you’re going to have to pay to seeing this side of him

“you dont have to do this to them,,,,,you can just talk”

sicheng laughs and you hear the way his voice can get so so malicious when he wants it to be that way

“talk? you are a diplomat, you think things will settle with a talk. it’s not like that. and it’s especially not like that when you’re a young prince who everyone treats like a child.”

he says the last word with anger, an anger that even sends a chill down your spine

and you want to get up but you’re too scared of the knife and what will happen

but then sicheng brings it up to the light and lets it gleam, you notice that the blade isn’t even that sharp

“i don’t kill people or even harm them that much,,,,,,,i just take what my country needs.”

he sighs and you still watch the knife,,,,,the blade is cut of ornate colors of the country’s flag

it’s obviously old, expensive - it probably should be in a museum and not in sicheng’s hands right now

but you also,,,,,,cant blame him like you wanted to

you thought he was just playing some kind of twisted sick game,,,,,,but his reasoning is understandable

afterall ,,,,,,,, you know nothing about the stress of a young prince - of the ruling of a whole country

you just sometimes have to represent one

you get up, with some new found courage and sicheng watches you

“are you going to go tell the newspapers of what i really am?”

you shake your head

“i know it’d be foolish to do that.”

sicheng grins, showing off the one sharp canine of his, another trait you’d come to observe about him

he pushes himself off the wall and comes closer to you

you want to say “im scared” because you know he’ll back off if you do,,,,,he’s not a monster or a maniac

but you let him get close and you let him touch a strand of your hair

and you even let him lean in and whisper against the shell of your ear that if you’re going to keep his secret he needs to repay you back

and you say a soft, “no, it’s fine.”

but then you meet his eyes and you wonder,,,,,what is he doing,,,,,it’s over,,,,,,you know his secret

you know the second life of sicheng

this sicheng is not warm, he’s not welcoming or in anyway the prince of a country in his sleek white uniform and promises of peace

he’s someone who pries on people and steals there accomplishments and benefits for his country’s gain - and in a way his own gain

and yet he hasnt harmed you

he had pinned you down, shown that he could overpower and manipulate

but he hadn’t laid a finger on you in any offensive way and you think that all this time he’s done so much to keep you close

even before you came up with the bullshit gold story

so why?

why was he still so close to you? and why were you letting it happen after seeing this side?

none of your questions are answered, absolutely none until sicheng whispers

“no, i must repay you and i must ensure you keep my secret. i know how i can do it, too.”

you feel some kind of heat pulsate through your blood

your hearts racing your minds on fire

there’s a knife still in his pocket,,,,,,he’s got the upper hand

“h-how?”

you breath and sicheng encloses his arms around you, his touch on you is like a feather

so light, like he might break you if he holds you too close

“im going to seal it away, are you ready?”

you tilt your head, not even in a half nod but to accept what you know is coming

and you let prince sicheng kiss you

you let him seal away this side of him in your memory, never to be spoken of again

#not really even a 'villain' just a lil evil you know #sicheng au #sicheng scenarios #sicheng imagines #winwin scenarios #winwin imagines #winwin au #nct scenarios #nct 127 scenarios #nct imagines #nct 127 imagines #nct au #nct 127 au #nct #winwin #sicheng #sfw #knife/

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havekiddoswilltravel · 6 years

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1 Day in Yosemite National Park with Kids

Yosemite National Park

Day 2 of our family California and Pacific Coast Highway road trip started at the crack of dawn. We spent the night at the Springhill Suites Fresno after driving from Sequoia National Park. Our early rising children must not have gotten the memo that we were on vacation and were up and hungry at 4 am. Thus, our review of the Marriott Springhill Suites Fresno is that we slept well and the room accommodated our family of 6. Under a normal circumstances, Fresno would have provided us a great opportunity to buy groceries as they had a Costco and a Trader Joes. The bad news was that nothing was open when we were up and ready to start driving to Yosemite, so we were unable to stock up on goodies for the road. We did fill the rental gas tank at Costco, as the gas station was open at 6 am when we started our drive to Yosemite National Park.

A little background: our family is a seasoned traveling family and we traveled across the US with one small carry-on and a backpack for each person. This strategy aided in our ability to check into the hotel in Fresno with only our backpacks (I had packed overnight clothes and toiletries in the backpacks) and leave our suitcases in the car. When traveling with young children, less is more when it comes to one-night stays and need for fast transitions. I had no idea how important this actually was, until we witnessed how congested Yosemite National Park got in the afternoon. Trust me, you don’t want to dilly dally in a hotel or camp site if you want to make the most out of your day in Yosemite.

Family friendly (easy and flat) day hikes at Yosemite Valley:

Bridalveil Fall: a 0.5 round-trip; 20-minute (80 feet elevation change) hike leads from the parking area via a paved trail to the base of this waterfall.

Lower Yosemite Fall: (wheelchair accessible): 1.1-mile loop trail which takes 30 minutes with an elevation change of 50 feet.

Cook’s Meadow Loop: (wheelchair Accessible): 1 mile 30 minutes mostly level trail.

Mirror Lake Trail: 2-mile trail to the lake and back. Elevation change of 100 feet. This was our family’s favorite trail. We could have spent hours there.

Yosemite National Park is massive and is broken up in to 6 major areas: Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, Wawona and Mariposa Grove, Tioga Road and Tuolumne Grove, Tuolumne Meadows and Hetch Hetchy. Due to our one-day trip to Yosemite, we decided to maximize our time and spend our day at Yosemite Valley prior to continuing our drive to San Francisco.

Pin for later:

Our family’s trip report of our time in Yosemite Valley.

Due to it’s location in the heart of the Yosemite National Park, this was a natural area of focus for our family. The Yosemite Valley offers unlimited array of activities that keeps the interest of young children. This impressive natural valley has the most outstanding concentration of waterfalls, granite walls – cliffs, meadows, wildflowers, trees and streams.

What we did at Yosemite Valley:

- Yosemite Falls was flowing with the spring runoff when we visited in mid-June (please note that it may be dry if you visit later in the summer). We chose to walk near and to the base, but you can also take a strenuous trail to the top.

- Half Dome is Yosemite’s most distinct feature as it dominates most views in the Yosemite Valley. You can enjoy stunning views of Half Dome from Cook’s Meadow, Sentinel Bridge, Tunnel View and Glacier Point. We stopped at each of these locations, but by far or favorite view from Sentinel Bridge and Swinging Bridge.

- As we arrived at the park early, we were able to find parking at the Yosemite Village Parking. This is not an easy task in the summer months, as folks tend to park for the day and not move their vehicle.

Getting around Yosemite: due to congestion, once we parked our car at the Yosemite Valley, we used the free shuttle to get around.

Source: www.nps.gov

- We explored the Valley Visitor Center, Bookstore, Yosemite Museum and watched one of two feature films: Ken Burns’ Yosemite: A Gathering of Spirits. Our kids loved learning about the Black Buffalo Soldiers that cared for the National Parks prior to the Rangers. We didn’t have time to watch the second film: The Spirit of Yosemite.

- We ended our day in Yosemite with a late lunch at the Majestic Yosemite Hotel.

Where we ate: While we fed our kids breakfast, my husband and I were intentional fasting and thus were ready for a good meal after our hikes. We took the Yosemite shuttle bus to the Majestic Yosemite Hotel to look into a table for a late lunch. I guess that it’s customary for parties of 6 to make advanced reservations. Ops, we were winging it and walked right up to the hostess to inquire about a table. If you’re foodies like us and want to have a nice meal while at Yosemite National Park, please call 209.372.1489 for reservations. We loved our time at the Majestic Yosemite Hotel and are already planning an adult only getaway there in order to tackle some of the more strenuous hikes and enjoy some rest and relaxation.

Learning about Yosemite National Park

As a homeschooling family, I was impressed by the variety of videos and educational material available online to help set the stage prior to our trip. I highly recommend that you spend some time here exploring them.

Pro tips:

- Arrive at Yosemite National Park as early as possible. If you don’t rise early, you are likely to encounter heavy congestion, especially in Yosemite Valley. We saw folks driving around in circles for hours attempting to find parking near the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Don’t be like them. The park’s printed materials warn of 2 to 3-hour delays, especially in the summer afternoons and weekends.

- Yosemite day visitors can park in three major parking lots: Yosemite Falls parking Lot, Yosemite Village Park Lot and at Half Dome Parking lots and then take advantage of the free shuttles to get to destination of choice.

- Park roads are steep, narrow and winding. Make sure to downshift even when driving an automatic car, in order to prevent car damage. If you or your kids get motion sick, do take motion sickness medication. You’ll thank me later.

- Wear sunblock and insect repellent. Ticks can carry lyme disease and prevention is key to enjoying these national parks.

- National parks are the natural habitat of wild animals such as bears, rattlesnakes, deer, cougars and others. Please educate yourselves and your children on safety and respect prior to exploring.

Lessons learned from our 1-day trip to Yosemite with young kids:

- You won’t get to see more than 1/6 of the park in that time, but it will still be a memorable and enjoyable trip. Planning is required and you should focus on the Yosemite Valley area. Spend time on the Yosemite National Park website getting acquainted with the locations of bathrooms, water refill stations and food. Pack a cooler with snacks and water for the drive in and out. Yosemite National Park is massive and once you cross the gate, you will have a lot of driving before you arrive at the Yosemite Valley area.

- Stay hydrated. We had traveled cross country the day before and had spent time hiking in Sequoia National Park. We were definitely impacted by the time change, elevations change and heat.

- Wear a hat even on overcast days. I’m naturally tanned, wore sunblock and my nose still got significantly sunburned. Reapply sunblock and insect repellent often.

- Not everyone has the same respect for nature and common courtesy as our family. This one is a tough one to deal with, as hiking and exploring nature is usually a peaceful and isolated experience for our homeschooling family. We were aware that we were traveling to one of the most popular national parks in the middle of summer, but boy was I shocked by the lack of common courtesy, manners and hiking etiquette that we witnessed. It didn’t ruin our trip, but it did irk me at times. Rude people suck! That’s all.

- I was also shocked by the lack of diversity at both of the California National Parks that we’ve visited. Our family loves our National Parks and we tend to spend a significant amount of time throughout the year, exploring the East Coast National Parks. While were accustomed to being one of few hikers of color, it was glaring at the lack of diversity at Sequoia and Yosemite National Park. We visited Shenandoah National Park just one week upon our return from California and compared to the west coast national parks, Shenandoah seemed like the United Nations. This observation has led me to research and follow individuals writing and documenting about brown people exploring our National Parks System. Representation matters: my mother calls us her Kennedy Kids because of our sense of adventure and desire to experience the world with our children. Thirteen years of us traveling with our kids to some underrepresented areas, has led to a passion to continue to inspire people of all backgrounds to get outdoors with their children and create a culture of exploration and adventure. These are our spaces, they’re amazing and everyone should enjoy them.

Things to do at Yosemite National Park:

- Junior Ranger Program: wow, the Junior Ranger Program at Yosemite is serious! In order to take the Junior Ranger Oath and earn your Patch and badge all of the following must be completed:

o Purchase a self-guided booklet at any Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore.

o Complete the booklet.

o Collect a bag of trash (I told you that they weren’t playing).

o Attended a ranger guided program.

- Take part of Yosemite Mountaineering School: provides outdoor adventures (professional guides for hiking, backpacking and rock climbing) for folks in various levels of experience. Reservations are required by calling 209.372.8433 or emailing [email protected]

- Take a photography class: Yosemite visitors can capture the beauty of the national park by taking a class by experts from The Ansel Adams Gallery. There are several free and fee-based classes offered weekly. You can learn more and sign up at Ansel Adam Gallery in Yosemite Village.

- The Yosemite Valley offers naturalist programs, walking – hiking, ranger guided tours, rafting, bicycling and sightseeing.

Access to Yosemite for all:

For such a massive park, I was impressed with how accessible Yosemite National Park is. Travelers in need in full access should pick up an updated Yosemite Accessible Guide at the park entrance stations, any visitor center or online by clicking here You will find accessible parking spaces just west of the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center which will place you centrally located in the Yosemite Valley. Did you know that Yosemite is the first national park to establish a deaf services program? They have full year language interpreters. Check out my friends at The Thoughtful Travelers Movement to learn more about the challenges faced by travelers with disabilities. Let’s make travel accessible for all.

Camping at Yosemite National Park:

Source: www.nps.gov

If you enjoyed reading about day 2 in our California and Pacific Coast Highway road trip, click here to read about Day 1 at Sequoia National Park. Day 3: Two Nights in San Francisco with 4 kids will be coming soon. In the meantime, click here for our live updates from our 8 day trip to California and the Pacific Coast Highway.

Check out our Vlog of day 2 which includes Yosemite and our drive - arrival to San Francisco.

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iiqtaylah411791-blog · 7 years

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I Wish You Happiness And Happiness.

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wavenetinfo · 7 years

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Posted June 02, 2017 13:37:58

Photo: A Dryococelus australis, or Lord Howe Island stick insect — one of the rarest insects in the world. (Supplied: Tom Bannigan, Australian Museum)

Related Story: Rare ‘land lobsters’ returned to Lord Howe Island

Map: Lord Howe Island 2898

This story starts in 1918, when the steam ship Makambo came to grief off Lord Howe Island.

It was a clear evening, and an unclouded moon shone down on calm waters of the Tasman Sea. There was no reason to fear for life or limb, of man or rodent.

Unhappily, the captain of the SS Makambo was ill with whooping cough, and at the exact moment he should have been giving an order to avoid a reef he was instead suffering a “fainting fit”.

The first officer found him cataleptic on the floor, but the critical moment had passed and it was too late to avert disaster.

The ship hit the reef so hard the crew were thrown from their feet. And as the ship’s horn blew long and loud to attract the aid of the islanders, those on board were flung hither and thither in the rolling waves atop the reef.

It took 10 days to repair the ship, and when the SS Makambo set sail, a stowaway stayed behind: rattus rattus, the rattiest of all rats.

Starting from the shoreline, the rodents slunk and snuck and ducked into a rat utopia.

Photo: The stick insects on Lord Howe Island were decimated by the introduction of rats. (ABC RN: Ann Jones)

There were no predatory mammals on Lord Howe. Its resident flora and fauna had evolved to be open, frank and fearless, and had given up almost all protective behaviours.

“No other mammals had been here,” says Dr Mark Eldridge, a mammologist from the Australian Museum.

“[The rats] discovered themselves stranded in a supermarket and proceeded to eat their way through a lot of the unique biodiversity of Lord Howe.”

And their dinner included the Lord Howe Island stick insect, a flightless phasmid.

The Lord Howe land lobster

The “lobster” is stocky, something like a cross between a cockroach and praying mantis, black and glistening, and as long as your palm when fully grown.

It was once relatively abundant on the island.

Arthur M Lea, the South Australian Museum’s entomologist, travelled to Lord Howe in 1916, just before the SS Makambo had its argument with the reef. He reported that the “phasma” was the most remarkable of all the insects on the island:

“This species lives in communities, from a few dozens to several hundreds, in hollow trees. During the day they remain motionless, but come out late at night to feed … The species appears to be the only one of its family in the world which lives in communities … Although a true insect, it is called ‘the land lobster’ by the islanders.”

He also reported that the settlers used to break off the phasmids’ hind legs and use them to bait fishing hooks.

But it wasn’t the anglers who led to the land lobster’s disappearance from Lord Howe, but the black rat, with its ability to scale any tree, its voracious appetite and its phenomenal breeding ability.

Within 30 years of the arrival of the rat, the only place you could see a Lord Howe Island was in a museum, pinned to a board.

An unlikely haven

Balls Pyramid sticks out of the surface of the sea like a shard of glass mounted in a local business award. Sheer, perilous and incredibly difficult to get to, it looms out of the ocean.

It is the tallest ocean sea stack in the world — 561 metres tall — and sits 20 kilometres from Lord Howe. It is so barren and hard to access that it was only scaled for the first time in 1965.

Photo: Balls Pyramid, a massive ocean stack about 20km off Lord Howe Island. (Supplied: Tom Bannigan, Australian Museum)

“Balls Pyramid is a great example of a place that doesn’t have introduced pests. Rats didn’t make it to Balls Pyramid,” says Dr Rebecca Johnson, the director of the Australian Museum Research Institute.

But the pyramid is alive with life: sea bird colonies, centipedes, small plants clinging to creases in the rock. And phasmids.

Very early one morning in 2001, the land lobster was rediscovered by scientists searching Balls Pyramid for nocturnal creatures. Rising like the phoenix in the early dawn, it emerged from the oblivion of extinction.

But the Lazarus-like species was soon pulled into the political complexities of conservation.

Adam and Eve

A small number of phasmids were taken off Balls Pyramid to establish a breeding colony, but it was a rocky start and some died, leaving one last pair — Adam and Eve.

“Eve almost died after the first week or so,” says Michael Magrath, Zoos Victoria’s senior scientist in the areas of wildlife conservation and science.

“She became very ill and received quite intensive care from the invertebrate team from Melbourne Zoo. Fortunately she pulled through and went on to lay a couple of hundred eggs.

“She was critical in setting up this insurance population we have now,” says Dr Magrath, standing in a room with hundreds of stick insects asleep in boxes around him.

Photo: A Lord Howe Island stick insect in its nymph form. (Supplied: Corey Hague)

But the population is not flawless. Despite the Lord Howe Island phasmid’s ability to reproduce through parthenogenesis (that is, asexually), genetic diversity is a problem.

Essentially, the thousands of insects at Melbourne Zoo and other institutions are all descended from Adam and Eve and a scattering of other eggs laid by females who did not survive for long off the pyramid.

More stick insects are needed to ensure the genetic health of the species, and there is only one place to get them: Balls Pyramid.

Secrets of the pyramid

Looking for a challenging prospect to celebrate 190 years since its foundation, this year the Australian Museum decided to mount a collecting expedition to Lord Howe Island and Balls Pyramid.

But the pyramid is too steep and inaccessible for museum scientists to scale on their own: a professional climbers was needed.

Photo: Balls Pyramid’s isolation allowed phasmids to thrive despite their destruction elsewhere. (Supplied: Tom Bannigan, Australian Museum)

Zane Priebbenow is that person — the mountaineer, climber and general adventurer joined a crack team of volunteers eager to scour the pyramid for signs of the phasmid.

“It appears to be this medieval castle, just surrounded by an ocean moat. It’s just incredible. It’s a monolith, a sheer cliff that pokes out of the ocean and the only way to get on is to swim,” he says.

“During the course of the eight days that we were there, we had two or three days of very large swell and no one was getting on and no one was getting off — we were marooned.”

After setting up a base camp with museum scientists and a phasmid keeper from Melbourne Zoo, the climbers set up secure ropes that criss-crossed the pyramid, almost to the top.

Because the phasmid is nocturnal, the climbers had to crawl over the rock in the darkness of night, their hands cut up and their feet gripping the cliff.

A stick insect named Vanessa

Photo: Lord Howe Island stick insects in their adult form at a breeding program at Melbourne Zoo. (Supplied: Corey Hague)

The museum’s collection permit stated that only 10 per cent of the total population of phasmids could be collected. After a week on the rock, the climbers had seen just 17 insects, so only one could be taken.

She’s named Vanessa, after the climber that found her, and, after a long flight, she’s settling in well and laying eggs in quarantine at Melbourne Zoo.

It’s a step forward for the conservation program. But given the extremely limited distribution of the insect in the wild, and the fact that it only eats one plant, Melaleuca howeana, the wild population is not considered safe.

It probably won’t be safe until captive-bred stick insects are released and established on Lord Howe Island, and dozens can once again be found lying gracefully on top of each other in tree hollows.

The challenge of re-introduction

And in this tale of the rat and the walking stick insect, we reach a T-intersection. The two species cannot coexist on Lord Howe Island.

“Rodent eradication is a prerequisite for doing reintroductions on the island,” says Melbourne Zoo’s Michael Magrath.

“Because we have a fairly high confidence that rodents were what led to the extinction of the stick insect on Lord Howe Island in the first place, there really is no point in putting them back out there until you’ve eliminated that threat.

“It would be ethically dubious and almost certainly ineffective.”

Lord Howe’s 350-odd residents are fiercely protective of their World Heritage-listed island.

“It’s a wonderful place to live and discover nature out here, we’ve got so much in a nice compact area,” says Ian Hutton, who for 30 years has lived on the island, where he runs a tourism operation, works as curator of the Lord Howe Island Museum and writes about native flora and fauna.

“We’ve got the coral reef and all those animals, we’ve got sea bird colonies, we’ve got the rainforest, and the mountains are high enough to have a mist forest which is pretty rare on islands around the world.

Photo: Ian Hutton, curator of the Lord Howe Island Museum, conservationist and manager of an eco-tour company. (ABC RN: Ann Jones)

Mr Hutton is also very familiar with the island’s rodent problem.

“It’s believed that the highest density of rats is on the top of Mount Gower because they have a lot of food up there,” he says.

“There’s a palm that only grows on the summit of Mount Gower, very prolific fruiter and the rats have that big food resource. And that palm, because of rat predation, is internationally listed as a threatened species.”

Rats will take insects, bird eggs, chicks, and will even maul nesting adult seabirds who simply will not abandon their eggs.

The rodents have been implicated in at least five land bird extinctions, as well as those of at least two plants and probably a lengthy list of invertebrates that we never even had the chance to know.

The complicated politics of rats

In recent years, rat eradication using baits has been successful on Australia’s Macquarie Island and several islands in New Zealand.

But there’s a crucial difference when it comes to Lord Howe: humans.

“This is a new island environment for scientists doing their eradication project in that we have a large [human] population here,” says Mr Hutton.

“Most of the successful rat eradications around the world have been on uninhabited islands, on [islands with] very small populations or itinerant populations like fishermen.

“So the scientists thought: ‘Well, nobody likes rats, everybody will love that, you just get the budget and we’ll come and do it.’

“But on Lord Howe Island the families have been here for six generations, and they’ve looked after the island very well.

“The islanders have a sense of ownership of their island and if the government or experts come in and try to something without including them in the conversations, they do get their back up.

“This has been the dilemma for Lord Howe Island and its rat eradication project.”

The use of poison in the environment is strictly controlled, but the island rumour mill is running full bore and enough locals think they smell a rat for the island’s governing body — the Lord Howe Island Board — to delay the decision to eradicate.

The original date of 2010 came and went, and several other tentative dates have also been and gone.

An island-wide vote was held in 2015, which narrowly came down in favour of finding out more information about the eradication scheme.

“This is one of those cases where maybe the scientists involved and some of the board didn’t try hard enough to engage the community, because they assumed nobody would want to see rats here anyway, so there wouldn’t be an objection,” says Mr Hutton.

The board is currently seeking advice and approvals from several government organisations and intends to make a final decision this September.

And as the waves of public opinion and politics, science and conservation surge and roll, Vanessa the Lord Howe Island stick insect is quietly laying eggs in isolation at Melbourne Zoo.

Topics:

ecology,

science-and-technology,

entomology,

invertebrates—insects-and-arachnids,

animal-science,

conservation,

environment,

lord-howe-island-2898

2 June 2017 | 3:37 am

Ann Jones

Source : ABC News

>>>Click Here To View Original Press Release>>>

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