 I still cannot get over the wonder and mystery of what gall wasps can do to plants. This is bio-engineering! The wasp lays her egg and somehow the plant makes a structure that is not a fruit, it is not a seed, it is not a leaf or stem. It's a wholly recombinant architecture customized to the needs of the growing young larva. The plant provides food and shelter-- It's like a cancer, but with a purpose. How did it evolve? How is it done!? (Photo by Timothy Boomer, https://wildmacro.com/) 22 comments
 @futurebird and (at least in some cases) it stops growing when the wasp doesn't need it any more @futurebird i describe it as a benign growth, like those random lumps old dogs get, but one you can live inside  RE Sounds like #goodtrouble During this time #johnlewis said it was important to engage in  @olav @futurebird Fascinating and delicious! I'm looking forward to the fig tree in my back yard recovering from the terrible extended deep freeze we had a couple of winters ago. They are so good fresh off the tree.  There is a great article producing "how did that evolve" and "what the hell is going on here" and a little "they can do that?" And a couple "wait, what's" "Plant Cells of Different Species Can Swap Organelles" "In grafted plants, shrunken chloroplasts can jump between species by slipping through unexpected gateways in cell walls." https://www.quantamagazine.org/plant-cells-of-different-species-can-swap-organelles-20210120/ @futurebird nature is so strange! That nest looks like something straight out of fairytale! 😍  @futurebird We need to figure out how they do it and use similar techniques to build living, growing, carbon-negative buildings. @accretionist @futurebird What I don't understand is why it's an advantage to the parasite wasp to kill the gall wasp larva in this circumstance? If it allowed the gall wasp to chew a big enough hole for itself, the parasite could also get out The crypt keeper wasp is eating the gall wasp larva, not the gall. Scientists don't know how it controls gall wasp larva behavior but it also forces it to chew the hole earlier than it would normally. Just like the gall wasp hijacks the oak tree for its needs, the crypt keeper wasp hijacks the gall wasp larva.  @futurebird Figs... those sweet wonderful pockets of yummmm?! |
Gregory's Server
@futurebird good questions. Really mysterious.