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1. kho (kho@shitposter.club)'s status on Monday, 12-Feb-2024 13:21:20 JST kho

   • kho
   Also known as buffalo gnats because of their humpbacked appearance, black flies (Simuliidae) are small (up to one-eighth of an inch long) dark flies that typically appear in late spring and early summer when they swarm and bite birds and mammals, including domestic animals and people.
   
   Males and females feed on nectar. Male black flies do not bite, but females of most species must feed on blood to produce eggs. Some prefer to bite one type of host. Some species bite people in certain locales, but do not bite in other parts of the species’ range.
   
   Like horse and deer flies, black flies bite using their mouthparts like scissors to cut into skin and lap up the blood. This results in painful bites that can produce bleeding, itching, inflammation and swelling, as well as allergic reactions that can be life-threatening. The flies may enter noses, ears and mouths, causing further discomfort. Domestic animals, especially poultry and exotic birds, can be killed by black fly attacks.
   
   Black flies are aquatic insects that typically prefer clean, fast-running water. Females lay hundreds of triangular eggs in or near the water. Some crawl beneath the surface to deposit eggs on submerged objects such as rocks. The worm-like larvae hatching from these eggs are typically less than half an inch long and shaped like an hourglass.
   • kho (kho@shitposter.club)'s status on Monday, 12-Feb-2024 13:23:05 JST kho

     in reply to
     🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨
     
     Umbonia spinosa can be distinguished from other members of its genus by the appearance of its elongated pronotum, or dorsal horn. The dorsal horn is located between or just behind its humerals and they possess a short metopidium. The dorsal horn itself is straight and the base of the plate is yellow, testaceous or pale green, with red or yellow vittae (stripes) at each side, though sometimes U. spinosa can be characterized by black vittae. It also has an interesting egg survival technique, where “females dig the nest during the nesting cycle”. The dorsal horn gradually tapers to a point from base to summit, similar to a thorn in appearance.
     
     Umbonia spinosa has been found in South and Central America, Mexico, and southern Florida. In general, they tend to reside in more subtropical environments. In Central America, they congregate on the branches of the Persian silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) for mating and overwintering, and are also found on the bean tree (Inga edulis). Female Umbonia spinosa uses those trees to lay their eggs in by making round holes in them. The trees are also used as a source of food, the Umbonia spinosa uses its mouth parts to ingest sap from the trees.
     
     The juvenile form of Umbonia spinosa is historically considered edible by the indigenous peoples of South America, while their spines are still soft after molting.