Leaf of Life

02/08/2025

02/08/2025

This is a bug that looks straight out of prehistory! Called: TRILOBITE BEETLE

Its armored body looks more like a fossil than a living insect!

Here’s the weird part: only the females look like this!

Males are tiny, can fly, and look completely different.

Additionally, the females feed on rotting wood, fungi, slime molds, and small organisms, which helps break down decay.

In contrast, the males are much smaller, 8–9 mm, resembling other lycid beetles.

The males are likely to feed on nectar for energy to fly and mate.

Species are found in tropical forests of India and South-east Asia.

01/08/2025

This is the peacock moth or Automeris io, a colorful North American moth. The large eyespots on their hind wings are a form of mimicry, resembling an owl's face, which can startle or deter predators.

It's considered beneficial to the ecosystem. It plays a role as both a pollinator and a food source in night time ecosystems and its large eyespots offer a clever defense mechanism against predators.

Although the caterpillars feed on various plants, they rarely cause significant damage, so control measures are usually unnecessary. So leave the catapillars alone because they have a painful sting!

The name Io comes from Greek mythology in which Io was a mortal lover of Zeus.

30/07/2025

Peru is considered a "home" of corn due to its significant role in the crop's development and its extensive cultivation, particularly in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Peru is home to a remarkable diversity of corn varieties, with estimates ranging from around 35 to over 50 distinct types, each with unique colors, flavors, and culinary applications

Corn has been cultivated in the Peruvian Andes since at least 1200 BCE, and the Incas revered it as a staple food and a significant part of their rituals and culture.

Peru boasts a vast array of corn types, including the famous Giant Cusco Corn, Chulpe corn, Choclo corn, Cancha corn, and the vibrant Maíz Morado (purple corn).

Corn is a versatile ingredient in Peruvian cuisine, used in everything from savory dishes like choclito al comino and solterito arequipeño to beverages like chicha morada and desserts like mazamorra morada.

Peruvian corn, especially purple corn, is recognized for its nutritional benefits, particularly its high antioxidant content.

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is a particularly important region for corn cultivation and is home to many varieties adapted to the Andean climate.

29/07/2025

This bug is a lady bug lavae (not mealy bugs but disguised like one - because this is what they feed on!) Mealy bug busters are hyperaspis lady beetles, they are tiny black oval insects that have various red or orange spots on the wings and thorax sometimes even a rare black and white combination. They are adapted to feeding on the egg masses of scale insects that lay their eggs in a dense, cottony mass (called the ovisac). These lady beetles appear about the time the scales start to lay their eggs. The lady beetles lay their own eggs on bark or leaves nearby the scale ovisacs. From the lady beetle eggs hatch tiny grayish larvae which start to feed on the eggs of the scales. As the lady beetle larvae grow, they secrete a dense, white, fluffy covering which makes the lady beetle larvae resemble mealybugs. In a few weeks, these lady beetle larvae fasten themselves to the leaves by the hind end and then they pupate. Ten or so days later another generation of lady beetles emerges and apparently leaves the host plant to go into aestivation. These are unusual lady beetles in that they seem to have a long resting stage that lasts from late spring to the following early spring. Perhaps this is a adaptive strategy to decrease exposure to tiny wasp and fly parasites that plague other lady beetles.

27/07/2025

Did you know Ancient Iran has innovated air conditioning, freezers, fertilizers and water storage all without any electricity? Here's how: https://youtu.be/yIPfalntOkk

27/07/2025

Did you know a dome building can cool a building instead of electricity powered air conditioning?

The use of domes in architecture can be seen all over the world, but its not just for their aesthetic beauty, they actually have a very practical use. Domes use several very clever ways of regulating temperatures and can keep the interior of buildings very cool compared to the temperatures outside.

The roots of dome-building trace back to ancient Mesopotamia, where mudbrick domes were documented in Central Asia as far back as the late third millennium BC. They have been found in Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, and Chinese architecture in the ancient world, as well as among a number of indigenous building traditions throughout the world.

The curved shape of a dome creates air circulation. Hot air naturally rises towards the top of a dome, it creates a convection current of warm air rising up that pulls in cool air underneath it. This is enhanced by ventilation openings (such as oculi or small windows) at the top. These allow hot air to escape while drawing in cooler air from below which facilitates air movement.

The multiple layers of a dome, such as bricks, concrete and plaster, act as natural insulation. The thick layers slow down heat transfer, preventing rapid temperature fluctuations. So during the day, the dome absorbs heat from sunlight and at night, it gradually releases this stored heat, maintaining a more stable indoor temperature.

Domes reflect a significant portion of incoming solar radiation due to their curved surfaces which reduces direct heat gain compared to flat surfaces. And inside, the rounded shape means they distribute heat more evenly throughout the space as there are no sharp corners or edges where hot air can accumulate.

The oculus is a circular opening at the apex of the dome that allows sunlight to flood the interior, creating dramatic lighting effects and illuminating the space. It also allows for natural air circulation and ventilation, preventing the buildup of stale air.

Despite its seemingly precarious opening, the oculus is crucial to the dome's stability. Domes experience compressive hoop stress, especially at their apex. The oculus, by reducing the weight at the top, helps to distribute these stresses more effectively. It can be seen as a three-dimensional keystone for the dome, ensuring its overall stability by allowing for the equal distribution of forces.

26/07/2025

Lightening bugs, fireflies, glow worms are disappearing, they exist on every continent except Antarctica. So wherever you are in the world you can help them by making a habitat in your garden or in your community gardens for these amazing creatures and in return enjoy an incredible light show every summer! Guess what its also a habitat for pollinators too...

Key steps to create a firefly-friendly garden:

1. Reduce Artificial Lighting:
Fireflies use their bioluminescence to find mates, and artificial lights interfere with this communication. Turn off outdoor lights at night or use red bulbs and minimal illumination.

2. No Pesticides:
Avoid using pesticides, especially insecticides, as they are harmful to fireflies and their food sources.

3. Provide Shelter and Shade:
Tall Grasses and Shrubs: Allow areas of your lawn to grow tall or plant native grasses and shrubs that provide daytime shelter for adult fireflies and habitat for their larvae.
Leaf Litter: Leave leaf litter in garden beds and natural areas, as it provides shelter and food for firefly larvae and helps retain soil moisture.
Wood Piles: Brush or wood piles can also offer safe havens for fireflies.

4. Ensure Moisture and Water Sources:
Fireflies need moist environments, especially their larvae. Consider adding a water feature like a pond or a shallow dish of water with rocks for safe drinking access for insects. Dampening leaf litter also helps retain moisture.

5. Plant Native Plants:
Native plants, especially evergreens and those that thrive in your climate, can help retain soil moisture and attract the insects that firefly larvae feed on (like slugs and snails).

6. Consider a Vegetable Garden:
Tilled and moist vegetable garden soil is an ideal place for fireflies to lay eggs, and the insects attracted to your garden can serve as a food source for firefly larvae.