The portrait of Euderus set, a parasitic wasp, isn't at all a pretty one but it illustrates some really twisted science insofar as one organism can know the biology of another. In this study, E. set parasitizes another parasitic wasp so researchers just had to get all over that. (Science Daily: Insidious wasp gets ahead by tunneling through host's head)
Ed: I didn't come here for head tunneling!
Relax, I warned it isn't pretty but there's some interesting science in it. Besides, it's a bug so what do you really care anyway.
The crypt-keeper wasp, Euderus set, is a parasite that takes advantage of another parasite, the gall wasp. It infects the maturing gall wasp in its crypt and modifies its victim's behavior, forcing the gall wasp to make its escape hole too small. E. set then escapes through the gall wasp's body and emerges to freedom through its head.
Credit: Andrew Forbes/University of Iowa
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The Crypt-Keeper wasp ... well ... right away we know this beastie is a flying horror movie. Roll with it for the science.
Rice researchers nicknamed it the "crypt-keeper" wasp and said it's a rare example of hypermanipulation, in which a parasite is manipulated by another parasite.
E. set and its gory emergence are described in two papers led by Rice evolutionary biologists Kelly Weinersmith and Scott Egan.
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Hypermanipulation is today's novel term and we continue.
"It could be the parasitoid cues hosts to excavate early, but makes them do it less well than usual," said Weinersmith, who studies parasites. "They only go part way and then they get stuck.
"That's what I love about parasite manipulation of host behavior," she said. "So many of the stories that have been uncovered are just as cool as the coolest science fiction movie."
- SD
Ms Weinersmith, I'm more inclined to call it a horror movie than sci fi but I take your point.
Here we get to the Richard Dawkings aspect since he did seminal work in studying when the DNA in one organism knows, at least in part, the DNA of another such that it can manufacture such 'cues' and they work on the other organism. After that study, it seems something bored into Dawkings' head since he's gone full berserker on the anti-Bible tour but there's no taking anything away from his science.
Of course the researchers know all that and they're actively pursuing it.
The researchers hope to discover how E. set triggers the change in Bassettia's behavior. "One hard thing is that we can't see what's happening until they come out," Weinersmith said. "We're talking to people to see if we can CAT scan the branches in various stages."
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The researchers know there's a biochemical interrelationship at the bottom of this and they haven't found it yet but they're going after it.
You're invited to continue with the article for the details on the head-boring, etc since maybe you get off on watching Great White Sharks eating seals during "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel but I don't. I understand it's the Great Circle of Life but that doesn't mean I feel a need to watch every gory part of it. In concept, the Crypt-Keeper wasp does a much gorier thing than the sharks so have a ball.
Ed: I didn't come here for head tunneling!
Relax, I warned it isn't pretty but there's some interesting science in it. Besides, it's a bug so what do you really care anyway.
The crypt-keeper wasp, Euderus set, is a parasite that takes advantage of another parasite, the gall wasp. It infects the maturing gall wasp in its crypt and modifies its victim's behavior, forcing the gall wasp to make its escape hole too small. E. set then escapes through the gall wasp's body and emerges to freedom through its head.
Credit: Andrew Forbes/University of Iowa
- SD
The Crypt-Keeper wasp ... well ... right away we know this beastie is a flying horror movie. Roll with it for the science.
Rice researchers nicknamed it the "crypt-keeper" wasp and said it's a rare example of hypermanipulation, in which a parasite is manipulated by another parasite.
E. set and its gory emergence are described in two papers led by Rice evolutionary biologists Kelly Weinersmith and Scott Egan.
- SD
Hypermanipulation is today's novel term and we continue.
"It could be the parasitoid cues hosts to excavate early, but makes them do it less well than usual," said Weinersmith, who studies parasites. "They only go part way and then they get stuck.
"That's what I love about parasite manipulation of host behavior," she said. "So many of the stories that have been uncovered are just as cool as the coolest science fiction movie."
- SD
Ms Weinersmith, I'm more inclined to call it a horror movie than sci fi but I take your point.
Here we get to the Richard Dawkings aspect since he did seminal work in studying when the DNA in one organism knows, at least in part, the DNA of another such that it can manufacture such 'cues' and they work on the other organism. After that study, it seems something bored into Dawkings' head since he's gone full berserker on the anti-Bible tour but there's no taking anything away from his science.
Of course the researchers know all that and they're actively pursuing it.
The researchers hope to discover how E. set triggers the change in Bassettia's behavior. "One hard thing is that we can't see what's happening until they come out," Weinersmith said. "We're talking to people to see if we can CAT scan the branches in various stages."
- SD
The researchers know there's a biochemical interrelationship at the bottom of this and they haven't found it yet but they're going after it.
You're invited to continue with the article for the details on the head-boring, etc since maybe you get off on watching Great White Sharks eating seals during "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel but I don't. I understand it's the Great Circle of Life but that doesn't mean I feel a need to watch every gory part of it. In concept, the Crypt-Keeper wasp does a much gorier thing than the sharks so have a ball.
2 comments:
I know that it's in the eye of the beholder....but that reminds me of a little handmade angel you would hang on a Christmas tree! ML
She sure is a pretty one but she's devious too.
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