Opifex fuscus is a species of mosquito that is endemic to New Zealand. They occur along the coast, where their larvae live in rock pools within the spray zone. To survive in this habitat, the larvae are able to tolerate a wide range of water salt concentrations. The larvae feed on algae and decomposing matter. They also have mouthparts that specialise towards either filter feeding or grazing, depending on what food sources are available to them. As adults the females feed on the blood of birds and humans. They have an unusual mating system where the males wait on the surface of the rock pools and mate with female pupae before they have matured into adults. They are widespread throughout the rocky coasts of New Zealand but have been displaced from the Otago region by the introduced species Aedes australis . The larvae are also known to be infected by the fungus Coelomomyces psorophorae, which uses copepods as intermediate hosts. ( Full article... )
January 29 : Kansas Day in Kansas, United States
| | The Torment of Saint Anthony is the earliest known painting by the Italian artist Michelangelo, painted in around 1487–1488 when he was only 12 or 13 years old. A copy of The Temptation of St Anthony , an engraving by Martin Schongauer, it shows Saint Anthony being assailed in the desert by demons, whose temptations he resisted. This was a common medieval subject, included in the Golden Legend and other sources, although this composition shows a later episode where Saint Anthony, normally flown about the desert supported by angels, was ambushed in mid-air by devils. The Torment of Saint Anthony is in the permanent collection of the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Painting credit: Michelangelo Recently featured: |