#also larva journal is there

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Bomber Flies: these flies launch their own eggs into the nests of wasps and bees, hovering in mid-air as they do so; the females also have a unique perivaginal pouch that is known as a "sand chamber" because it is filled with sand

Above: Anastoechus sp. (top) and Anastoechus nitidulus (bottom)

The flies of this family (Bombyliidae) are generally referred to as "bee flies," because they are known to mimic bees and bumblebees, but many of them are also known as "bomber flies," thanks to their unusual ovipository technique.

Above: a bomber fly of the genus Anastoechus

As the female bomber fly is preparing to lay her eggs, she will usually look for a soil-hidden nest that already contains the eggs/larvae of another insect. Most bomber flies lay their eggs in the nests of wasps and bees, but there are a few species that are known to target beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, other flies, and/or caterpillars, instead. Once the bomber fly has found a suitable nest, she will hover over the entrance to the burrow and rapidly flick her abdomen up and down until she has launched a single egg into the nest. She must then go searching for more nests in which to lay her other eggs.

Above: Anastoechus sp.

After hatching, the parasitoid larvae of the bomber fly feeds on the eggs/larvae of the host species (i.e. the nest's original occupants). As this article explains:

When a bee fly egg hatches, a tiny larva called a planidium emerges. The planidium is quite unlike most fly larvae (also known as maggots); they are adapted for moving quickly in search of a host. Once the planidium finds a host, it will attach itself to the host’s exterior, like a leech or sea lamprey, and begin to feed. Yes folks, this is the stuff of nightmares.

Female bomber flies also have another peculiar trait: their abdomen contains a specialized perivaginal pouch known as a "sand chamber." During the ovipository process, the fly fills this pouch with fine grains of sand, and her eggs are then coated in the sand as they pass through the perivaginal pouch. The pouch is also lined with elongated setae ("hairs") and enlarged spikes that prevent the grains of sand from spilling back out.

The overall purpose of the "sand chamber" is still unclear, but many researchers believe that coating the eggs in a layer of sand may help to improve the viability of the eggs by preventing them from being damaged as they are launched to the ground, and that it also provides them with some camouflage after they have landed. Some researchers have argued that it prevents the eggs from becoming dehydrated, because the barrier helps to improve fluid retention, while others believe that it improves the mother's aim by increasing the weight of each egg. There is some evidence to suggest that it could also prevent the eggs from being detected (and then destroyed, abandoned, or ejected) by the host species, because the sand helps to mask/mute the egg's biochemical signals.

Above: Anastoechus barbatus

Adult bomber flies tend to feed on pollen and nectar. They are excellent pollinators, and their parasitoid larvae may also help to keep wasp and bee populations in check.

This article notes that bee flies (particularly Anastoechus nitidulus) likely served as the inspiration for the Pokémon known as cutiefly:

Sources & More Info:

USGS: Bombyliidae Fly

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society: The Evolutionary Pattern of Host Use in the Bombyliidae (Diptera) Family

YouTube: Video of a Bomber Fly (Bombylius major) Selecting a Nest and then Launching her Egg into the Burrow

Smithsonian Institution Press: Bee Flies of the World (pages 6 and 27)

Michigan State University: Bee Flies

Animal Diversity Web: Genus Bombylius

Animal Diversity Web: Anthrax albofasciatus

Journal of Geek Studies: The Entomological Diversity of Pokémon

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Smithsonian Magazine:

On a sweltering summer day in Madison, Wisconsin, Jade Kochanski wades through a prairie bursting with wildflowers. Insect net in hand, she carefully scans the colorful blossoms. She’s on a mission to capture and identify the bumblebees that live there. If she’s lucky, she’ll discover a rare find—an endangered rusty patched bumblebee, named for the red-brown smudge that workers and males of the species sport on their backs.

Kochanski, a PhD student in integrative biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, meticulously measures the bumblebees she captures and snips off a tiny piece of leg, a common, non-lethal way to obtain genetic material from these creatures. Each sample she collects from rusty patched bumblebees is destined for a lab in Utah to help researchers uncover the genetic secrets critical to the bee’s survival. DNA analysis will help scientists estimate the number of colonies, identify patterns of inbreeding within those colonies, and understand overall genetic diversity and health of the rusty patched bumblebee populations.

Once common across the eastern United States and Canada, rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis) populations have plummeted by nearly 90 percent over two decades due to habitat loss, pesticide use, pathogens and climate change, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Now, they are found in only a fraction of their former range, with scattered populations in the Upper Midwest and Northeast United States. In 2017, the rusty patch became the first bumblebee to be listed as endangered in the United States.

In response to listing, Kochanski joined a network of scientists who began collecting tissue samples from rusty patched bumblebees across its range. The initiative started in 2020 when Tamara Smith, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s lead biologist for the rusty patched bumblebee, organized a meeting with bumblebee researchers in Minnesota. Their goal: to identify conservation tools that could help save the species. “Genetics was the No. 1 question that came out of that [meeting],” says Smith. “We needed to get a handle on what was going on with this species if we wanted to move forward with some of the other tools that would help with conservation.”

Their research was published this past spring in the Journal of Insect Science and provides the first range-wide genetic study on the species. The findings offer key insights that can aid conservation of the species, but also raise questions and concerns about the ability of the species to recover. “Genetically, they’re not doing as well as we had hoped,” says Smith.

The study revealed a surprisingly low number of rusty patched bumblebee colonies, even in places where the bee seems prevalent. “We’ve seen the Upper Midwest as the stronghold of the species,” says John Mola, an ecologist at Colorado State University and lead study author, “but what we’ve seen from the genetic data is that even within these strongholds for the species, they are still far fewer colonies than we might have expected.”

Since only queens produce offspring, bumblebee populations are measured by colonies, not individuals. Each spring, queen bumblebees emerge from hibernation to create nests where they produce non-reproductive female workers that forage, nurse larvae and defend the nest. Later in the summer, queens switch to producing reproductive individuals, including males and new queens, which will form their own colonies the following year. Each colony can contain over 100 individuals. Thus, even if several worker bees are seen in an area, they could all come from just one or two large colonies.

According to the study, having few colonies poses significant risks, including making them vulnerable to local extinction from unpredictable events like fires on the prairies where they live. In light of the study, land managers will need to be more strategic with using prescribed burns for managing prairies within the bee’s range. To assist these efforts, as part of her dissertation, Kochanski is developing burn recommendations that balance the need for prairie maintenance with protecting bumblebees.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

I have some Shadow and Maria thoughts to ramble about in regards to the recent Shadow content. It's a bit long and spoilery, so I've included it under the cut.

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⚠️Spoilers below for Sonic x Shadow Generations (particularly Shadow Generations), Sonic x Shadow Generations Dark Beginnings, Gerald's Journal, and the Shadow the Hedgehog Manga!!⚠️

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Honestly, I have to say. You've gotta respect the dedication of Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley, Shadow and Maria's vas, other creators for Dark Beginnings/Shadow generations, and the people working on the Shadow manga

To never labeling Shadow and Maria's relationship as sibling‐like

Like, okay. Sure. English Sonic official posted an art piece of them with the "long lost sibling" in the alt text/caption.

They're never said to be siblings in any of the youtube descriptions for the official postings for the Dark Beginnings episodes, including the full compilation. (You can check the descriptions here, here, here, and here)

They're never said to be siblings at all during Dark Beginnings (you can check the full compilation of the episodes here).

In the first episode of Dark Beginnings, there are a few things we can see while Shadow is having a combo memory/vision. First, as Maria excitedly presents Shadow the aurora borealis, she begins to faint. Luckily, Shadow rushes to catch her, concerned, and tells her she should know better than to exert herself. Then, once he sets her back down on the floor, finding her to be okay, she starts talking about how excited she is to go back one day to Earth. In response, Shadow starts despairing over having failed to be her cure and how he doesn’t know if there's a place for him on Earth. Then, Maria hugs his head tightly, only to stroke his face before cupping his cheeks (yes she pointedly strokes his face. Fun fact, if you check the stream of the Dark Beginnings teaser presentation from Anime Expo (here at 29:36) you can hear the audience get quieter for a while after she strokes his face). She reassures Shadow, telling him that she's just as happy to spend time with him here on the ARK. (This scene with Maria during Dark Beginnings episode 1 can be found here at the timestamp range 0:33–2:03)

During the second episode of Dark Beginnings, Shadow stands in front of a glass containment tube, watching the black arms larva inside. Though he says nothing, Maria can tell that Shadow is upset. She places a hand on Shadow's shoulder and leans into his face (both putting herself on the same eye level as him, and quite literally eclipsing his view of the thing which represents his grief over who he is). She asks him if he's okay, and Shadow opens up, telling her how he feels no different than the evil heartless creature in the tube (the black arms larva). Maria throws her arms around him, hugging him tightly, before explaining that he has a big heart. She places a hand upon his chest (very lightly strokes it too), tells him that she knows he cares about everyone despite how hard it is for him to express it, and explains that it's one's actions that defines them (as opposed to blood or dna). (This scene with Maria during Dark Beginnings episode 2 can be found here at the timestamp range 5:30–6:44)

The previous episode sets the two up as having a bit of a close relationship, but this flashback from episode 2 emphasizes the closeness of their relationship further. It presents multiple additional examples of Maria seeking to comfort Shadow through physical touch. And not only that, but also her being able to sense when he needs comfort even if his face doesn't show it. These two episodes combined present us the kind of relationship where Shadow is often at Maria's side (he worries about her health, he rushes in to catch her when she begins to faint, she teaches him about Earth), and Maria likes to spend time with Shadow too (she loves to teach him about Earth, to fantasize about going there with him, to spend time with him on the ARK, to comfort Shadow and reassure him if he feels angry at himself or sad). If Shadow watches out for Maria physically/health wise, then Maria watches out for Shadow emotionally. There's no relationship label placed on top of these scenes to tell the audience what they should think about it. Rather, the scenes speak for themselves, laying bare how close the two are, how they care for each other (and I'd even argue that some of those moments of physical touch on Maria's part even convey a sense of longing. There's something very intimate feeling about these scenes).

Then, we get more tidbits with episode 3. During the episode, Commander Abraham Tower implies (from his perspective at least) that Maria had always been the only person who could talk Shadow down, an ability of hers that is explicitly shown in Shadow Generations (when Maria convinces Shadow not to fight Black Doom or the black arms out of anger or hate).

Commander: You could have talked him down, Rouge!

Rouge: There's only one person who could ever do that.

Commander: True...and she was lost to us a long time ago...

(This scene with the commander during Dark Beginnings Episode 3 can be found here at the timestamp range 11:19–12:05)

Shadow: He's right. No more mistakes. This time, I will crush every last one of them!

Maria: Shadow, no!

Shadow: Maria?

Maria: It breaks my heart to see you so full of anger. This isn't who you are. Do you know why I named you Shadow? Because without light there's only darkness, but a shadow will show you where to find the light. Do you understand? I don't want you to be driven by darkness. I want you to be happy. Stand in the light with peace in your heart.

...

Maria: Shadow...!

Shadow: It's alright, Maria. I'm letting go of that destructive anger. But I will continue to fight.

Shadow: Fight...with your wish in my heart. Your wish for everyone to have a chance to be happy.

(These scenes from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp ranges 46:37–47:33 and 49:57–51:00)

Ironically, though Abe and Shadow are on better terms now, he is also never used as a vessel to outright state the nature of Maria's relationship with Shadow (though the commander does see Maria as a sister to himself per Shadow the Hedgehog 2005). And though Rouge (as well as Omega) is presented as the closest friend to Shadow at this point, she doesn't outright state the nature of the relationship either.

Finally, later in episode 3, Shadow experiences an amv fantasy in his head of he and Maria spending time together in Earth's flowers under the stars, and tries to banish the thoughts away. It hurts him so much because such a fantasy will never be fulfilled, because when Maria was alive she dreamed of them going to the planet together. (You can check timestamps 12:05–12:28 of this video for Shadow's vision/fantasy)

During the Dark Beginnings teaser showcase, when asked the nature of Shadow and Maria's relationship, this is how Shadow and Maria's voice actors described it:

Question: How would each of you describe the relationship between the two?

Kirk Thornton (Shadow): W-Well– To speak in– To speak in actor's terms, um, Maria is my—super objective—she is my reason for everything I do. Um, so...she's just everything. And so, I was created to protect her and when I...failed that mission it...devastates me– er, Shadow. I-I'm... Devastates Shadow.

Kirk: And, so that's why, you know he-he dedicates his life to uhhhh to protecting...Earth because of that, so she is– she just– Yeah. Everything to Shadow.

Kirk: Yeah. Complete driving force behind his life.

Stephanie Sheh (Maria): Okay, so, in my mind when I was thinking about it I was like "She grew up very isolated. She had, like, nobody." You know? And, um, other than Shadow, and the thing that I could relate to is that, like...during the pandemic when we were alone in our houses, I had my dog. And I'm not like– And check it– This is gonna sound weird I'm gonna say comparing Shadow to my dog. But, um, my dog is also black and reddish-tan, so, um...but, um, and– and my dog is super sweet, but he also gets a little too aggressive when he's trying to protect me. S-See? And so, like, anyways. Anyways. It-It's just the parallels. Anyways. But I do think that like, you know, and I- and like I'm the driving force. I ground him. You know, [s]he brings him back to, like, the less rabid stage.

Stephanie: You know, when he gets worked up. Um...but, yeah, that's how I kind of, like, uh– at– relate to that.

...

Stephanie: Yes, yes, totally. Like moral compass.

From that point forward, the host (Zeno Robinson) sort of went back and forth a bit with Stephanie, sort of playing off of her words to which she answers in turn. He describes Maria as Shadow's moral center, he goes on to explain how Shadow is this incredibly powerful being, him having the wrong moral center or with him being in the wrong hands can cause him to go out of control (and Stephanie going on to clarify that Maria helps rein Shadow in). Towards the end of this question, the host also goes onto say how he loves how in depth everyone's answers are and sort of half summarizes what Kirk and Stephanie said/half gives his own input:

"Maria gives Shadow purpose and direction and I'm sure they both were each other's only friend. Uh, their bond is integral to their characters as well as the story."

(At the end of the day, I know Zeno Robinson's opinion is no more important than any fan opinion, since he's neither a sega staff member, someone who worked on Dark Beginnings, or Takashi Iizuka/Shiro Maekawa. I just couldn't help but add his words here after Kirk and Stephanie's.)

(This q&a from the 2024 Anime Expo "A New Era of Shadow" panel can be found here at the timestamp range 26:16–29:18)

Both Kirk and Stephanie describe their relationship in vague terms (never once using the term "sibling"), but their views are clear. To Kirk (who also revealed in this very same q&a that he's only recently been given a more in depth understanding of Shadow as a character and his backstory at the timestamp range 16:39–21:30), Maria is everything to Shadow. She's a precious person, he was made to protect her, he lives for and builds his purpose around her. She is the reason for everything he does. To Stephanie, Shadow is like Maria's only companion, a loyal dog type character (who can get too aggressive sometimes when it comes to protecting Maria), while Maria is Shadow's moral compass and keeps him grounded.

Although we know Maria wasn't completely alone on the ark (there was still the other scientists and Abe after all), just from Dark Beginnings alone (much less Gerald's journal or Shadow Generations) it's clear how important her relationship with Shadow is. In Dark Beginnings, Maria is someone who grounds Shadow, and someone who influences his purpose. Shadow is someone who protects her and cares for her in turn. Shadow may not be her only choice for friendship, but he's clearly a dear one. But for Shadow (so far as we can gather as the audience) she really was his closest and only friend.

And in Gerald's journal, we even get to see Professor Gerald's perspective on their relationship.

(This is an image from the physical version of Gerald Robotnik's Journal included in launch day copies of Sonic x Shadow Generations. It can be found on page 14 of the physical book, and depicts entry #620)

"But then ⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️ looked upon the unfinished specimen and put things into a new perspective. 'A shadow tells you which way to go to find the light.' In an instant she cut through all my pessimism and doubt and filled me with hope."

– Gerald's journal, Entry #620

Here, although Shadow had not yet been completed, Maria took to calling him a name (which we can only assume is "Shadow"). Before he was even finished, she’d treated him like a future living, thinking being, and her reason for naming Shadow this way was profound enough to inspire Gerald with hope in the project's completion.

Gerald's thoughts on Project Shadow evolve throughout what we can read of his journal. Originally, he starts the project because he can no longer ignore the president of the United Federations' request for the secret to immortality, naming it project Shadow out of spite. He finds the idea of immortality perverse and discovering it to be impossible. But this project eventually becomes his only hope for potentially curing Maria, almost like a lifeline. In desperate pursuit of Maria's cure through Project Shadow, Gerald's choices become harder and harder, challenging even his own morals. So although he may have attempted to bring the project to fruition no matter the cost, hope is still a powerful thing.

"⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️ as she's come to call him, will not be some dark creature but a champion of life and hope. I would not have seen that if not for ⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️ She is truly a remarkable person who can do great and wondrous things for the world."

– Gerald's journal, Entry #620

Without Maria's words, Gerald never would have been able to see real hope or worth in this project beyond potentially curing his granddaughter. Without this change in perspective (thanks to Maria), perhaps Shadow would never have become the kind of hybrid hedgehog he is today—more than just a weapon destined for destruction.

(Although I didn't include a picture here, on pages 17–18 of the physical copy of Gerald's journal (entry #651 to be exact), Gerald notes how Maria assisted him in crafting Shadow's limiter rings (allowing him to handle and focus his power) and rocket shoes (to improve his mobility). There's also a colored image of the rocket shoes and limiter rings, which Maria signed her name and a blue heart upon. It's not terribly important to this post, I just wanted to mention it since I found it to be a cute addition, and indicative of how invested she was in making sure Shadow would be able to, well...exist in a decent manner.)

(This is an image from the physical version of Gerald Robotnik's Journal included in launch day copies of Sonic x Shadow Generations. It can be found on page 20 of the physical book, and depicts a portion of entry #670)

"But all successes of the physical and mental prowess comes second to his relationship to ⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️ I had hoped they'd get along, but it's far better than that. She is his guide to the world, and he is her stalwart companion. Never have I seen such instant, mutual friendship and trust between two beings. I am truly moved. They remind me why I've been working so hard. They bring me hope."

– Gerald's journal, Entry #670

And the way Gerald describes Shadow and Maria's relationship in his journal is highly interesting to me. He describes this pair as two people that clicked as friends instantly, came to trust each other instantly. He describes Maria as Shadow's guide/teacher and Shadow as her stalwart companion. The way he describes them implies a very strong bond and attachment to each other.

Where Gerald had only hoped they'd get along, his hopes were blown out of the water.

Compare this to the entry where Gerald talks about Maria's relationship with other people and the only other kid on the ARK.

(This is an image from the physical version of Gerald Robotnik's Journal included in launch day copies of Sonic x Shadow Generations. It can be found on page 8 of the physical book, and depicts a portion of entry #428)

"Despite everything, she remains the most positive person in the room. Most of the staff here left their families back on Earth, so I worried she'd feel lonely. Instead, she's become the adoptive daughter of every researcher on the ARK! Moreover, she's become like a big sister to little ⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️, the ARK's "happy little accident" over the past few years.

– Gerald's Journal, Entry #428

He's very quick to say that Maria is like the adoptive daughter of every researcher on the ARK, and like a big sister to the (younger) Abraham Tower.

Yet, later once Shadow is complete, he insists on calling them friends. And beyond calling them friends, he describes the level of trust the two have, describes Maria as Shadow's guide to the world and Shadow as her loyal companion. He never labels their relationship from his point of view as siblings.

And Gerald Robotnik's own journal isn't the only recent piece of media to portray Shadow and Maria's friendship.

In the last couple months, two chapters of the recent Shadow Manga ("The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog", by Imada Yuki, and published by Corocoro Comic) have been released. So far, it seems to be a (non-canon) adaptation of Shadow's backstory and Shadow Generations. It depicts Shadow the Hedgehog struggling over having failed to be a cure for Maria as well as the meaning of his existence.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

When Shadow is despairing over the point to his existence, this version of Maria is presented as a bit more playful. In contrast to Maria in Dark Beginnings, who is often shown hugging Shadow during flashbacks/visions when he begins to feel negatively about himself, Maria from this manga attempts to draw him out of his thoughts/break the tension by playing a prank on him.

Shadow's words in the above screenshot are pretty telling too.

"You're the only one who'd play a prank on me."

– Shadow, "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog", Chapter 1 (translated by Azure Wind Productions)

Just from the start of the manga, one learns that this Shadow sees curing Maria as his initial reason for existence (a mission he'd failed). Perhaps, at first, he only contextualizes the time he spends with Maria something akin to a job, something necessary for him to do. From the beginning, after all, she is intrinsically tied to his reason for living. For Maria, though, with the casual way she acts around him (coupled with the statement that she's the only one who would treat Shadow this way), it's clear that she does treat Shadow as a close friend.

After playing her prank, Maria takes Shadow by the hand, pulling him into the room where the two can see the Earth below, and all the stars glittering above. This scene is presented very similar to Dark Beginnings, as Maria shows Shadow a natural phenomenon on Earth from their place on the ARK.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

As in Dark Beginnings, Maria begins to faint, to which Shadow moves to catch her, concerned that she pushed herself like this. However, upon learning what it is that's bothering Shadow, Dark Beginnings!Maria and Manga!Maria handle it a bit differently.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

It's Maria in the manga who reveals exactly what Shadow is going through, but she cups his cheeks and presses her forehead to his, making it clear that she wants him to be able to enjoy life and believe that even his existence has meaning.

"I want you to see...and someday feel...many things that are...beautiful, kind and strong. I want you to believe that there is a meaning to being born into this world."

– Maria, "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog", Chapter 1 (translated by Azure Wind Productions)

It's so very clear just how deeply manga!Maria cares for Shadow. She wants him to feel better about his own existence, to be able to experience all kinds of beautiful things in this world, to live his life further than his (failed) mission.

As for Shadow, after the screenshot above, he thinks to himself about how everything he does (dealing with Maria's antics, suppressing dangerous lab animals, etc) he does for the purpose of killing time. He doesn't do them for the sake of doing them, or even because he enjoys them. But...he does come to realize through a montage of memories of Maria smiling at him and calling his name that although he's currently killing time in this world, he's come to realize that dealing with Maria (out of all that he does on the ARK) perhaps isn't so bad.

After this, Maria pulls him along to the same room again (this time to watch the stars), when G.U.N.'s raid of the ARK suddenly begins. Shadow and Maria are separated briefly as Maria commands Shadow (who'd intended to ensure her safety first) to worry about protecting everyone else on the ARK.

Here begins an important parallel in this first chapter. At the beginning of the chapter, the audience is privy to both Shadow's relationship with the ARK's scientists and Maria. With the ARK scientists, they praise Shadow after he subdues one of their out of control lab animals, making note of his title of "Ultimate Lifeform". With Maria, we see her worry about his emotional state and express that she wants him to believe there's a meaning to his existence in this world, as well as explicitly hang out with him.

However, a shift occurs in both sets of relationships as the ARK raid occurs.

ARK Researcher: Please save me!

Shadow: I'll let you escape now, so stay put.

ARK Researcher: Help me! I'm a human just like you, aren't I?!

Shadow: ?!

ARK Researcher: Why should I be killed because of a mere lab animal?!

Shadow: Huh?

ARK Researcher: For us, this thing is worth nothing! I swear I'll never do research again!

This is an impactful moment to manga!Shadow, who seems to have learned what he truly means to the ARK's scientists. Or, in other words, Shadow learns that the ARK's scientists are so fickle as to change their tune about him (go from calling him "ultimate life form" to "lab animal") the moment their own lives are at stake. And this moment impacts him so heavily that he desperately turns to thoughts about Maria. Because, if no one else cares about him, sees him as a person, Maria would, right?

(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

And so a similar scene transpires between Maria and the G.U.N. agents.

Maria: I know a lab animal? That's disgusting.

G.U.N. Agent: Don't lie to us! We know from our intel that you are often with that Shadow!

Maria: I said, I know nothing like that.

Shadow feels crushed instantly. After Maria's words, he starts to think that he really never should have been born. But then...Maria begins to talk about the one she loves.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

Maria loves Shadow so much that she's able to look death in the eye, describe Shadow as the living, breathing, person she cares about, and proudly proclaim that she'd suffer any torture (even death) before she'd say a single terrible thing about him. As opposed to the ARK Researcher, who was willing to quickly consider Shadow as no more than an animal and hand him over for the sake of his life, Maria was ready to give hers, even just to make it clear that she'd never badmouth him (much less give him up).

No matter the nature of this bond manga!Maria shares with manga!Shadow, her actions and words speak for themselves. One cannot deny that she must care about him so so so deeply.

And in response to Maria's confession of love and devotion, as Shadow rushes in to protect her, he finally discovers the meaning of his birth.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

All this time.

All this time.

The meaning of his existence in this world was standing right in front of him.

Maria.

Chapter 1 alone solidifies their relationship as strong, intense. To Maria, Shadow is her friend, her companion, whom she loves dearly. To Shadow, Maria is his very reason for existing in this world (even though he failed to be her cure, he still wishes to live for her in particular), someone who he's only recently come to realize just how deeply he cares for.

And chapter 2 continues to present the intensity of Shadow's feelings, as chapter 1's ending and chapter 2's beginning each portray the moment where Maria is shot by a G.U.N. soldier.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

I think saying "this pissed Shadow off" is more than a bit of an understatement. As it so goes with the trope of "person loses a loved one/their precious person or this person gets hurt right in front of them, causing them to go apeshit", Shadow begins fighting the G.U.N. soldiers, demanding answers for Maria's shooting. He even screams that he will kill them all (them being the soldiers and black arms).

And honestly, it's highly likely Shadow may have really tried to "kill them all" if Maria hadn't spoken up at that crucial moment, indicating that she's still alive.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

When Shadow turns away from the soldiers and black arms to move towards Maria, he begins to come down from his adrenaline high. He visibly looks more tired and dazed, though he still tries to put whatever energy he has left into focusing on Maria's safety. Likewise, Maria (who is visibly running on her last vestiges of energy), tries to put everything she has into one thing: saving Shadow.

Computer: TEN SECONDS TO EMERGENCY LAUNCH OF ESCAPE POD!

Shadow: What are you...

Maria: Never...let yourself be consumed by anger or resentment. You could easily end up all alone.

Shadow: Open this up, Maria!

Maria: So just as you did for me, give everyone on that planet a chance to live happily. That way, even when I'm gone...

Shadow: OPEN IT, MARIA!

Shadow, who was only feeling the exhaustion that came with slight relief just moments ago, is high on adrenaline and emotions once more. He bangs on the glass of the escape pod, demanding Maria open it up.

And Maria, after delivering her speech where she tells Shadow just what he wants for him and his future on Earth, gives him her last words.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

"Hey, Shadow. Thank you so much for being born. I love you."

– Maria, "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog", Chapter 2 (translated by Azure Wind Productions)

In Maria's last moments, she makes it as clear as she possibly can (to Shadow's face this time) that she wants the best for him, and that she loves him so, so much. And this confession of love to his face is what finally causes Shadow to stop banging on the glass. There's a moment of calm as Maria smiles, Shadow's eyes go wide, and the two's hand's meet at the pane of glass which separates them.

And then, it's over.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

Just like earlier in the chapter when Maria was shot, we see how Shadow reacts upon losing Maria.

She was shot because she put her life on the line for him. He tried to save her, but she locked him in the escape pod, which he couldn't escape from. Then, in her final moments, she lays everything out on the table. She thanks him for being born, she says that she loves him, and, finally, she ejects him from the ARK.

He does not get to witness her final breath, he gets no further chances to save her.

And so Shadow begins to go apeshit once more after losing his very reason for existence right before his eyes, screaming and taking out his frustration, anger, and all manner of intense feeling in the confines of the pod he cannot escape from.

Somehow after this, the escape pod (with Shadow inside) and the whole ARK get pulled into white space. Once Shadow (now freed from the pod) processes what happened, he zeroes in on his goal, tearing through white space to get back to Maria on the ARK.

(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

During the end of chapter 2, Shadow is fueled by anger, loss, stubbornness, and desperation. When the little black arms creature promises that he can bring Maria back to life, he attaches to it like a lifeline, vowing to save Maria this time.

(These screenshots are from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)

In the end, the Shadow manga (so far) tells a story of a human girl and her closest friend. The girl wants so desperately to give her closest friend a good future, to make him believe that his life has meaning. Her friend, an alien hybrid and anthropomorphic hedgehog has failed at the very thing he was created to do, and does not see any meaning in his existence. However, after the human girl, whom he watches over and protects, shows him just how much she loves and cares for him, he finally realizes his own feelings, naming this very girl as the meaning of his entire existence. Tragically, he fails to save her in a critical moment. She confesses her love for him just before she saves him, and he loses her. Now, stuck in an unfamiliar place/zone, he's decided he will do anything to bring her back to life and to save her this time, to get to her.

This manga lays their entire relationship (a depiction of it at least) out on the table, showing you just how close they are to each other, how much they love each other, and all of their actions. Their hearts and feelings are both put on full display during this manga, allowing the reader to determine what it all means for them and the nature of their relationship without ever telling the reader what label to brand it with.

Not one time are they ever called "siblings" on top of any of those major character moments.

And while not quite as explicitly focused as the manga about it, Shadow Generations also presents Shadow and Maria's bond to the audience.

Beginning with "Shadow's story", the narrator describes the two thus:

"Shadow was raised alongside Gerald's ailing granddaughter, Maria. They were inseparable."

...

"Fifty years later, Shadow was awakened. Filled with anger and sadness, he was haunted by Maria's final words to him.

'Shadow, I beg of you... For all the people...on that planet...'

Shadow was bent on revenge and sought to destroy the world.

At the last moment, Shadow remembered Maria's final wish...to protect her beloved planet and all who lived there."

(This scene from Shadow Generations's "Shadow's Story" can be found here at the timestamp range 24:04–25:01)

Although "Shadow's story" itself functions better as a quick recap of events in past games rather than a true summary or explanation of those events, the narrator's words on Maria are important. As Sonic x Shadow Generations was also created with new fans in mind, hoping to prepare them for Sonic Movie 3 with basic knowledge of Shadow's character and backstory (as well as introduce them to the modern Sonic games themselves), this means that for many prospective Shadow fans (or those just becoming interested in Sonic as a series), Shadow Generations is likely to deliver them their first real impressions of characters such as Shadow, Maria Robotnik, Gerald Robotnik, etc.

This is all to say that Shadow having a strong bond and connection to Maria is integral to imparting even the most basic plot beats from his backstory. The usage of "inseparable" paired up with his memories of Maria's wishes heavily impacting his actions once again makes it clear that they have a very strong bond without the writer (Ian Flynn) jumping to label their relationship for the audience.

Though it's not necessarily integral to this post, I also would be remiss not to mention one of the opening cutscenes of Shadow Generations. Shadow Generations (which starts up about an hour after the ending of Dark Beginnings) also presents something of a flashback. During this scene (which cannot be a memory of Shadow's), we see Maria incredibly excited about the possibility of meeting the newly completed "ultimate life-form". She's so excited, in fact, that she dashes straight up to his pod at the start of the scene and excitedly asks Gerald if they can wake him up yet. (This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 25:40–26:27)

Maria's importance to Shadow is expanded upon just a bit further during a scene where Shadow begins to look out into white space. Upon spotting Maria in the distance, Shadow gasps loudly, saying her name as he begins to reach out for her. He reminds himself that she's not real, only to experience a flashback of Maria's last words to him.

"I need to stay focused. Deal with the problem at hand. Not chase...dreams."

– Shadow, Shadow Generations

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 29:16–26:27)

Coupled with the scene from Dark Beginnings Episode 3 I talked briefly about earlier (namely, Shadow experiencing visions of a fantasy of he and Maria spending time together on Earth), Shadow Generations presents a Shadow that is not only still attached to Maria, but actively considers the idea of being able to be happy with an alive Maria a "dream" (one that he must push down, lest he forget reality or become caught in nostalgia). While on one hand, Maria is intrinsically connected to his reason for protecting the Earth (or part of his purpose), on the other, the idea of her makes for an emotional distraction.

Which is also why, later in the game, Rouge attempts to remind Shadow that he's already moved on from his past. She encourages him to cherish his time with them, yes, but reminds him he's not the Shadow that Gerald and Maria knew fifty years ago. (This conversation from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 29:51–30:18)

And this also leads the audience into one of Shadow's internal conflicts during the game. Despite trying to remind himself initially that the past is the past, that there's no use in chasing dreams (namely those impossible to fulfill), he changes his tune upon meeting Gerald and Maria in white space. Though Gerald warns him against altering the timeline like Black Doom already is (or punching holes into it like the Time Eater), Shadow is determined to figure out some way he can defeat Black Doom, AND save Gerald and Maria.

Shadow: They must be from a point in time before the ARK disaster. Perhaps I can change their fate.

...

Gerald: You're still not convinced about changing your destiny, mm? Think of it this way - if you changed our past, it would rewrite your future.

...

Shadow: I'll stop Rouge! Use chaos control! Stop this moment in time and...!

(These scenes from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp ranges 36:51–37:16 and 55:36–56:22, as well as here at the timestamp range 25:21–25:50)

And on top of trying to save Maria and Gerald, in Shadow Generations, Shadow is yet depicted as focused on Maria's well-being as much as he can, in contrast to Maria, who is largely cognizant to how Shadow's feeling emotionally.

Maria: Shadow? You look grim. Are you all right?

Shadow: I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. Find somewhere safe to hide. I'll take care of everything.

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 37:00–37:16)

Maria: Shadow? Are you in pain?

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 38:41–38:49)

Shadow: He's right. No more mistakes. This time, I will crush every last one of them!

Maria: Shadow, no!

Shadow: Maria?

Maria: It breaks my heart to see you so full of anger. This isn't who you are. Do you know why I named you Shadow? Because without light there's only darkness, but a shadow will show you where to find the light. Do you understand? I don't want you to be driven by darkness. I want you to be happy. Stand in the light with peace in your heart.

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 46:43–47:33)

Maria: Shadow...!

Shadow: It's alright, Maria. I'm letting go of that destructive anger. But I will continue to fight.

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 49:45–50:12)

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp 50:12)

Maria: It's hard not to be scared of everything going on, but I've never been afraid. Not deep down. Because I know you're here, doing your best to protect us.

...

Maria: Don't look so sad, Shadow. I don't know what will happen after you win. Maybe we won't see each other for a long while. But I love you and nothing can change that.

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 28:50–29:49)

Omega: I will cover you from here when you engage Black Doom.

Omega: What? Protect prof. Gerald and Maria at all costs?

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 08:04–08:28)

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp 55:37)

As I had said much earlier in this post:

"If Shadow watches out for Maria physically/health wise, then Maria watches out for Shadow emotionally."

Beyond Dark Beginnings, we get to see this in play in Shadow Generations. We see Shadow take on the burden of protecting Maria and Gerald and getting rid of the black arms himself. We see Shadow worrying and rushing over to Maria when she falters. We see him stress the importance of keeping Maria and Gerald safe, even when he cannot be around to do it himself. And (not that Maria doesn't worry about Shadow physically as well, but...) we see Maria worrying when Shadow looks grim, or seems sad or angry. We see her express her wish for him to be happy, try to give him solace when he worries over her or her fate, and even express her own positive feelings in response to Shadow's care.

But this is not all Shadow Generations has to show the audience in regards to Shadow's bond with Maria. After all, you may be wondering, what do characters themselves have to say about it? What else does Shadow Generations show us through characters' words and actions?

I'd like to present to you more scenes from Shadow Generations that stand on their own, without the writer telling the audience what to think.

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp 36:27)

Maria: Yes, I know you're part alien. That's not important. What's important is who you are and what you do.

Maria: I was a little surprised you turned out looking like a hedgehog, though! I think the way your spines go "swoosh" is really cool!

Maria: Shadow...are you blushing!?

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 20:48–21:16)

Maria: It's been wonderful having you around on the ARK, Shadow. The staff is lovely, but I was very lonely before you joined us.

Maria: I miss my family. I miss my baby sister most of all. I do hope Grandfather finds a cure for me soon so we can all go home together!

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 21:47–22:13)

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp 45:16)

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 46:37–47:33)

Maria: Shadow... I don't want you to listen to Black Doom. You may share his DNA, but he is not your true family! Your real family loves you and wants you to be safe and happy.

Maria: That's us, Shadow. Me and Grandfather. Please remember that.

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 23:19–23:39)

Maria: So it seems like we've been apart longer than I thought. Have you made many friends?

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 25:51–26:04)

Maria: My condition...can't be treated yet.

...

Maria: It can be very scary and frustrating. But you've always been so patient and kind with me. Thank you, Shadow.

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 26:06–26:35)

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 49:45–50:50)

Maria: Shadow... I'm so proud of you! You've been through so much, but you've stayed true to yourself.

Maria: I know you can do this. Go, Shadow, go!

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 28:35–28:50)

Maria: Don't look so sad, Shadow. I don't know what will happen after you win. Maybe we won't see each other for a long while.

Maria: But I love you and nothing can change that. No matter how far apart we are, my love will always be with you. Please always remember that.

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 29:15–29:50)

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 55:25–57:26)

I had wanted to include the scene of Shadow running away, his final tear flying back and hitting Rouge's cheek as his feelings go unsaid. However, I've been taking screen recordings of the cutscene compilation I've been sourcing for this post on a mobile device. With that, sadly, video annotations would have obscured the end of the scene had I kept them in the recording, and I wanted to keep to as few different videos sourced on this post as I could.

In the end, Shadow Generations depicts a hedgehog who still has yet to discover what exactly he is going to live for (not just survive in this world). He tries to remind himself that he's completely moved on from his past, that visions/fantasies of being happy with this one person in particular are not something that life has granted to him (are just distractions). But this hedgehog becomes trapped between the past, the present, and what's to come next when this person he'd cared so deeply for is alive for a minute. He wants to protect this person, his natural instinct is to handle everything so they do not have to risk themselves. He worries so palpably for this person's well-being, often seen reaching out to them or rushing over to them when they falter or are in pain. Despite being stubborn, often sticking to his own plans no matter what, he values this person's words and opinions so dearly. Rather than use it to fuel his actions, he chooses to deal with this overwhelming anger and frustration simply because this person wants him to be happy and can't stand to see him in such a state. He also visibly blushes upon receiving compliments from this person (ironically, it's this blushing comment in particular I saw someone use on this site to spread misinfo that it was about Shadow blushing over Sonic rather than Shadow blushing over Maria). Even now, he is patient and kind with this person (something that one cannot say in regards to his attitude towards most of the Sonic cast). And although he never says "I love you", to this person, his actions speak louder than words. The protectiveness he has, the care, the patience, the willingness to listen and improve. And, above all, this is someone he is able to be more intimate with (if any of his scenes while in physical contact with this person are any indication).

Shadow Generations also depicts a human girl who has to come to terms with the fact that the hedgehog she's faced with has changed from the one she knows and cares for. Yet, she makes it just how clear that (time? space?), none of this matters to her. She loves this hedgehog no matter their dna/biology, no matter how many mistakes they make, no matter how much time has passed. In the past and present, she appreciates how patient and kind this hedgehog has always been to her. She spends plenty of time reminiscing about the past with them, harkening back to fonder memories. She is not shy about throwing her arms around this them, pointing out their blush, or taking their hands as she comforts and/or reasons with them. She's often visibly so so happy to see them, even after only being separated for a short time. This hedgehog's happiness is very important to her, so she's sensitive when they're angry or frustrated or sad. It makes her emotional to see them driven by anger and hate, so much so that she just cannot sit aside. She begs this person not to listen to someone who claims that bonds of blood and DNA determine one's future and loyalty, and has always believed that they can choose their own future—one of light and true happiness. She praises this person for their improvements, for staying true to themselves, for just how worried they are. And although her actions, care, and worry for this person do a great deal in showing it, she is able to tell this hedgehog how she feels outright. More than once she tells them just how much she loves them—so much so that her love will always be with them and shall never change no matter the distance between them.

These two are better together than apart. Where Maria fails physically, Shadow is there to worry about her health, physical well-being, and protection. Although Shadow is very physically capable and driven to protect, he tends to neglect his emotional state or keep his feelings/thoughts inside. So where Shadow has a harder time dealing with his emotions or has an easy time getting caught up in his anger, Maria is there to physically and emotionally comfort him. She is there to keep him from succumbing to anger and hate. The two each want more than anything for the other to be alive and happy. Although Shadow had only been created to be her cure, and although Maria was not alone on the ARK, it is implied that their instant relationship of mutual friendship and trust is a profound one. Where Maria had not been alone or unhappy on the ARK, it was Shadow who eradicated the loneliness that had been growing inside her. The two were inseparable back then, and it took a lot out of Shadow to let her go once again (again, only finding the strength to let go of such impulse because she asked him). The two love each other dearly, and this is made explicit.

And yet, with all of their actions, with their discussion of wants and feelings, and everything pertaining to each other in Shadow Generations, (as I've said multiple times now) Ian Flynn never tells the audience what label to brand this relationship with. As in the Shadow Manga, Maria clearly says she loves him, they both have their feelings on full display through their actions and words, yet it is more important for the audience to come to their own conclusions (especially in the lead up to Sonic Movie 3) than it is to 100% and strictly label the nature of their relationship. They just simply love each other and are important to each other

A fact which is...also ironic, given how easily and casually Maria discusses her relationship to Abraham Tower.

Maria: Have you seen Abe? You know, little Abraham Tower? I'm worried about him. He's the only other kid on the ARK with us. Sometimes he feels like my little brother, hee-hee!

(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 21:16–21:47)

She confesses to seeing Abe as a younger brother sometimes (something Gerald, too, had pointed out in his own journal), and yet never once calls Shadow her sibling throughout Shadow Generations, even while reminiscing.

And while Maria does, perhaps, call Shadow a part of her family (a family of her, Shadow, and Gerald), I don't know what to tell you if you believe such a thing can only refer to/be interpreted in the most strictly nuclear family way possible. Well, other than that to do so is limiting and reductive. I have never more clearly seen a case of found family than I have with these three, especially given their unorthodox relationship (a guy, his beloved granddaughter, and the guy's son/creation, who is a stalwart companion and forever friend to his granddaughter).

Shadow and Maria are inseparable, they are friends, they are family, they love each other, but despite their relationship being highly featured in this game, the fact that Sega and the writer himself do not use this chance to strictly clarify the nature of their relationship is telling.

And you might be saying: "Tumblr user hadesknockedupintheunderworld, what about that alt text from that image of Shadow and Maria that's on the English Sonic social media?"

To which I say: "What of it?"

In the face of so many recent depictions of their relationship as highly ambiguous, with there being clear romance parallels to draw from if one wanted to, what does one single piece of evidence mean against that?

One can't look at that dedication all creators around these two have to make their relationship ambiguous (while also presenting them as having a very very strong bond) and simply say that they're clearly only ever meant to be read as sibling-like. And to say that they are 100% only meant to be siblings "or you're wrong" is to go against (at least one of) the creator of these characters own stated intentions to allow people to draw conclusions and interpret as they wish. Period.

I think I've made it pretty clear that means you can interpret their relationship however you want. It doesn't even have to be either siblings or lovers! Personally, I take a qqp approach myself (where the exact nature of their relationship is confusing, and all that is clear and solidified is that the two have an intensely strong bond, want as much time together as they can, and wish to make the other happy).

But it's wrong to act like one of many possible interpretations is 100% obviously canon when the facts themselves contradict that kind of thing (just as it's wrong to harass people over something so trivial as that).

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[bpod-bpod]

Developing in Technicolour

A tagging and tracking system called palmuscle for monitoring the growth and fate of around 5000 fast myofibers [muscle cell] as zebrafish larvae develop. The analysis finds larval and adult myofibers are distinct – larval ones are removed by a process called autophagy

Read the published research article here

Video from work by Uday Kumar and colleagues

Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica Taipei, Taiwan

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in The EMBO Journal, June 2024

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

[identifyingsharksinposts]

While some may find it funny to joke about the rise of "cocaine shark" and how researchers have legitimately found cocaine in sharks' systems, this does not mean the situation itself is humorous in any way. The impact that humans have on the environment is becoming more and more evident everyday, and this is yet another facet.

A bit of background for those who are unaware, along with an article that provides more insight and helpful statistics.

Sharpnose sharks in Brazil were found to have high levels of cocaine in their system, about 100 times the normal amount found in any other studied aquatic creatures.

It is believed that these sharks were able to ingest cocaine through two main factors. 1. Smugglers are dumping cocaine into the ocean and 2. Humans that ingest cocaine have traces of cocaine through their digestive excretions, which goes through sewage systems and right back into the ocean.

Now, while it may seem funny to make jokes about how "cocaine sharks" will parallel the events of the film "Cocaine Bear", this is actually nowhere near the case (ignoring the fact that the aforementioned film was also stunningly inaccurate). The way that cocaine affects sharks and other aquatic animals is extremely different from how it affects humans.

The general consensus seems to be that cocaine acts more as an anesthetic for fish, whereas it acts as a stimulant for humans. There are a few studies done on the effects of cocaine on fish, some of which I will link below.

All in all, it's very obvious that cocaine has not and will not have any positive affect on fish. It will also not make them go crazy and "kill more people" as I have seen some hopping on the "cocaine shark" trend suggest. No, there are not "more shark attacks" this year (which is already a false statement in itself) because of sharks' ingestion of cocaine. No, sharks are not going to turn on humans because of the damage we have done to the environment— contrary to the fourth installment of the Jaws franchise, sharks cannot hold grudges. What we should be focusing on is the regulation of humans' environmental impact. We should be spreading awareness and actually factual information rather than doomposting, spreading misinformation and turning a genuine crisis into another "cocaine bear" fad.

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Primrose Moth

Schinia florida

The primrose moth is part of the family Noctuidae or the family of owlet moths. It was described by French lawyer and entomologist Achille Guenée in 1852. This moths earns its name from the evening-primrose, which hosts and feeds the larvae.

Description This moth has a pink head with pink filiform antennae. Their bodies are a pale yellow or cream with a pink underside. The forewings are pink with a large pale yellow edge on the outer margin. inside the pink area are pale yellow markings with a larger spot of pale yellow by lower thorax. The hindwings are cream or white with a pale yellow underside.

Average wingspan: 31.5 mm (≈ 1.2 in)

Diet and Habitat Primrose moth caterpillars eat evening primrose, biennial gaura and other members of the Onagraceae family. The larvae eat the seeds and flowers of these plants rather than the leaves. This species is found in continental North America in temperate regions. It’s range spans from southern Canada and almost all regions of the United States. This moth reaches up to Alberta and eastern Washington state. In the East and West, this Spence’s goes as far as North Carolina and Utah respectively. They do not live in the lower southwestern United States. They are found in open meadows and on the prairies of the Great Plains of eastern North America. They also like fields, clearings, and wastelands.

Mating The primrose moth mating season coincides with the blooming season of the primrose plant, whose buds are hosts to the moth’s eggs. The eggs hatch 4-5 days after being laid. These caterpillars burrow into the ground to pupate and spend the winter. There is only one generation per year.

Average of 114 eggs laid per female

Predators This species is preyed on by birds and bats.

Fun Fact During the day, adults hide and camouflage themselves in partially closed primrose flowers, and they are strictly nocturnal.

(Source: Wikipedia; Moth Identification; Pacific Northwest Moths; Fishers Island Conservatory; Outside My Window; Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 1970, 282-287; Butterflies, Moths, Dragonflies & Damselflies of Dayton, Ohio)

[trollblivion-ooc]

How would your ocs react if they met a younger version of themselves? :> - The Woofer (Canis)

hey, you. good question vvvvv

cherie: uh oh. bad times immediately. its like staring at something he meant to kill, but knowinh its still a very real and horrifying thing/memory. ouhhhh.

coleop: pretty chill, listens to Younger-Him ramble abour bugs. doesnt have the heart to tell him that the thing he loves most actually ruins his life for a few weeks. and the coming years.

cogito: eating the larva immediately

cosmos: theyre pretty identical, except YoungerCosmos is definitely more oblivious to everything going on around him. cosmos would show him the abundance of blood hes collected (wont talk about corallite)

akrine: its like staring at a closeted baby gay (its literally that) akrine is just kind of awkward about the whole interation

noraxi: in. love. like that is a younger sister in Noraxis eyes. immediately showering YoungerNoraxi in tips and advise about upcoming things- also breaks that egg to speed up the process🏳️‍⚧️

corallite: oh its like looking in a warped mirror. not going in depth on this

magnus: there is no “younger self” here

luciel: silly jokester staring at his traumatized hatchling self. is super quiet about it but nice and tries to at least cheer the poor thing up

endur (consci):

uh. Consci meeting younger endur is like when Piranesi (susanna clarke) figures out the truth and reads the old journals

its absolutely devastating and confusing, earth (moon) shattering even, its purely awful. because like Younger Endur actually has a lor of knowledge but the warp to Beforus smashed up his memory bank pretty badly. so its scary honestly

[i-do-not-have-a-name-for-it]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* june 13th, thursday [day 002/100] ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

100 days of productivity

🎧: malía - pop star

today i played munchkin - a cardgame - with my sister. i also journaled and studied japanese (using the course of ufscar - curso básico de japonês 1). unfortunately, i didn't journal in japanese, because i'm stil a begginer. i used my friend's sticker in the page. i watched some minutes of dirty computer then i got a headache and went out to play volleyball with my sister. When I came back i read special (written by ryan). i read memórias póstumas de brás cubas with the creator of the bookclub i'm a member of and with my sister dani at night. i'm enjoying the book, even though it is hard to understand. now i'll read anne quiangala's new text (about the first ep of acolyte) and maybe one chapter of o segredo das larvas (written by volp) i'm thinking of making my own challenge, because i have some farming themed (dinkum and stardew valley inspired) "projects" i'm working on.

habit tracker:

exercised (for 30min in the afternoon - played volleyball)

drink water (drank 4 cups of water)

socialize (played munchkin with dani and participated on google meet)

[arbitrarycategories]

Hi! I was lurking through the reblogs on a post and you mentioned something about mosquito repellent plants? Can I pleeeeease hear you infodumb about that I'm so tired of them

This is all from memory so may be a little inaccurate and I will not be citing sources, but I have written a paper on this (in high school so it’s not in any databases) and all my sources had to be from peer reviewed journals so this IS academically informed.

Okay

SO first off: most mosquito-repellent plants work by releasing chemical agents that may smell good to US but smell very bad to the mosquitoes. The problem with this is that these oils tend to be released as globules that cling to the plants with fairly high surface tension, so unless the plants are disturbed somehow (wind or animals/humans) the oil isn’t released into the air and it does fuck all to actually repel mosquitoes.

That said, the best accessible mosquito-repelling plant is a plant called LEMONGRASS. If you live in the states then Home Depot sells this usually. If you don’t live in the states then idk, check your local garden center. I live in Texas and our lemongrass dies every winter but tends to come back on its own in the spring, and it smells really good to humans. You can also throw the dead grass into the yard and mow over it to release extra scent.

The most EFFECTIVE mosquito-repellent plant is something called lemon-eucalyptus which is a lab-created crossbreed produced somewhere in either Australia or New Zealand. I don’t remember which I just remember being super mad that I couldn’t get my hands on it for experiments. Anyway there’s a special compound in the oil this plant produces that lemongrass shares. I don’t remember the name of it but mosquitoes hate it. Plant lemongrass :)

If you can’t get your hands on lemongrass, rosemary will also repel mosquitoes, though there’s not much academic literature about this one and various mom-blogs all contradict each other about its effectiveness. It’s pretty smelly (good to humans bad to bugs!) and will repel a variety of insects.

Citronella contains a compound used in current commercial bug repellent, so it is also good to plant! I could never get mine to be very big though. You can also buy torches (like decorative tiki torches) with citronella oil in them which are designed to repel bugs by releasing the oil in the smoke.

Mint will also repel insects and mice though I could never narrow down if mosquitoes were among the list of insects that mint repels! Pro tip: PLANT MINT IN POTS. DO NOT PLANT MINT DIRECTLY IN THE GROUND. It will take over everything <3

Lastly, basil and thyme are reported to be insect repellents! I have not tested these myself (I tried but there were Circumstances) but a variety of home-blogs say that these work. I found basil in an academically sourced list but found no proof of thyme working. I despair at the lack of academic literature on this topic. Anyway.

Also, did you know you can purchase mosquito larvae on Amazon? It’s about $10 USD for 100 larvae.

If you choose to disturb your plants yourself to release the oils then be ready to have very strong smelling hands. Also, if you get your hands on cheesecloth (lightweight) you can see simple sleeves and boil one of these plants, then dip the cloth in the boiled water. The oil from the plant will soak in and the cloth will smell like it once dry. Idk how long these last because I never properly tested them, but I kept some in a drawer for a year and they were still pretty smelly. If you wore them out and about they would probably last about a month before the small wore off. Cheesecloth is extremely light so it shouldn’t be much of a bother in the summer, however idk how well they would hold the oil if you got sweat on them.

It’s also important to note that different hormones are capable of attracting or repelling bugs, so some plants may not be strong enough to get the job done if you’re particularly bug-attractive (I am rip). Also if you’ve ever noticed that you get a ton of bug bites but a friend doesn’t then may not be random. They may be repellent, and you may be attractive. This fact blew my mind when I learned it. Go forth and repel bugs!!!!

[dumpster-lizard]

Some friends from my server helped me envision this so here we go babes:

We all know the gibdos from totk, right?

Clearly inspired by the undead versions from other games, but the game takes an interesting turn by making them a sort of hive insects, with a queen and nests. Which was disappointing at first. Its like they wanted to make them undead (the only hint at this is the "Wrath of the Executed" snippet from a Yiga journal) but didn't want to commit to the more human redead/Gibdo designs from any other zelda game.

Again, disappointing. But not a total loss. Because the thing about hive insects is that their hives are typically full of larvae. And considering the totk redeads still carry some resemblance to corpses... it's not hard to imagine how they reproduce. Berserk has a very similar concept to this, only it's... a bit more disturbing.

I imagine, similar to this, the queen is the only true "insect," and does something to "process" the deceased into new drones. They are cocooned, have something supernatural done to them, and emerge later as fully formed gibdos. The magic involved in theirs and the queens creation is so intricate, that elemental magic can destabilize them. Anything else is useless.

They attack in massive numbers for the express purpose of multiplying. Any casualties are carried off upon retreat.

Also its a shame they dont scream so i think they should sound like cicadas

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Vida's Sheep Jumping Spider: researchers believe that these tiny spiders developed their "woolly" appearance as a way to mimic lacewing larvae or scale insects

The scientific name for this species is Oviballus vidae, but it has also been referred to as the "sheepy jumping spider" or "Vida's jumping spider." It was discovered in 2015, and first described (in a formal context) back in 2020.

As this article (PDF) describes:

Recently, two new salticids, R. legitima and Oviballus vidae were described from South Africa, and suggested to be mimics of either scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) or lacewing larvae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), due to their white colouration and the presence of peculiar tufts of white setae on the body.

The possibility of [scale insects] being the model is supported by Oviballus vidae being regularly collected from plants with woolly scales, although the movements of O. vidae quite closely resemble those of chrysopid larvae.

In fact, a fourth species of possible scale mimic, a new Rhene species, was recently discovered in a collection of salticids from southern Mozambique, indicating that this phenomenon may be more widespread than has previously been known or even suspected.

O. vidae was named after Vida van der Walt, the photographer who captured some of the first images of these spiders back in 2015, just after the species was discovered by Dr. Galina Azarkina. Vida van der Walt also took the photographs that appear in this post.

Sources & More Info:

Arthropoda Selecta (scientific journal): Rediscovery and Redescription of Rhene cooperi, another possible mimic of scale insects (PDF)

Spider Club of South Africa: Two New Species Named After SA Photographer (PDF, with the relevant info on page 5)

Field Guide to the Spiders of South Africa: Section on Vida's Sheep Jumping Spider

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from National Geographic:

Dragonflies, those colorful bugs zooming around like mini-helicopters, are more than just a spectacular sight. These iridescent predators may also be the best way to detect where and how mercury—a toxic metal for both people and wildlife—is accumulating in our environment, a new study says. 

Scientists have often used fish or birds as harbingers of mercury contamination. But dragonflies are an even better indicator. For one, their larvae develop in almost any type of water body, including tiny desert potholes or muddy marshes that can’t support larger animals. Plus, it’s cheaper, easier, and more accurate to analyze mercury in insect larvae than it is in fish or birds.

The World Health Organization lists mercury as one of the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern, and the metal exists in our atmosphere at a concentration of about 450 percent higher than natural levels due to humans' industrial activities, including coal burning and cement production. (Read about an effort to track mercury in the Amazon.)

Since 2009, more than 7,000 citizens and researchers have collected dragonfly larvae from 150 U.S. national parks as part of the Dragonfly Mercury Project, which is run by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service. This community science effort, now the nation’s largest assessment of mercury contamination, has analyzed tens of thousands of dragonfly larvae. 

In doing so, scientists have discovered surprising patterns in how mercury moves through the landscape, including where concentrations of this harmful metal are the highest.

This successful research effort shows dragonfly larvae should be the gold standard for detecting mercury, saysCollin Eagles-Smith, a USGS research ecologist and science lead for the Dragonfly Mercury Project who co-authored a study on the topic recently in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

[dailydoseofweb]

Dear Journal,

Sometimes I feel as if I was given these bugs as a distraction. But I do not know why.

For example: I spent over four hours searching for a loose caterpillar and getting increasingly more worried when I could not locate them. Only for my darling Joe to point out, “What’s on your shirt, dumbass?”

So embarrassing.

When did it even do that?

Sure enough, I found the little creature attempting to wriggle into my breast pocket. How long had it been on me? I feel relief but the thought also sends a shudder of disgust through my body.

Regardless, I have placed the smallest larva back with it’s siblings. As well as added more foliage for the eating.

[nexus-nebulae]

whenever i see hollow knight theorists talk about the grubs i almost never see anyone mention certain things that i always think about so i'm just gonna infodump and see if these theories make any sense? I'm going to be such a nerd about taxonomy and real-life bugs. also note that i haven't genuinely studied this shit in school, i am running purely on wikipedia and Autism™

First things first: they're grubs. They're larvae. They're not finished growing, and as we see from the charm they give, they metamorphose into some form of flying being. It's not clear what, but if the Elegy charm in any way resembles what a Grubberfly actually looks like, then they would seem to have multiple wings and a thick, tapered body (with no apparent legs). We also know that the process of being eaten by the Grubfather involves some form of metamorphosis- either of the Grubs, or even the Grubfather itself. You can even hear them making noise within Grubfather, meaning they're not dead (yet. we don't know if they Will Be Eventually).

most of the time "grub" refers to beetle larvae, but... moth larvae can look pretty similar. grubs and caterpillars are often mistaken for one another. the main thing that gets me is the legs- the legs of the caterpillar are typically a lot thicker and better for movement. whereas most grubs have thinner, typically segmented legs and often can barely even move around with them. We see the grubs in hallownest with relatively thick legs- most other bugs in hallownest just get black lines for legs- and they're able to move incredibly freely.

Now- there's a lot of types of bugs in hallownest, which means a large variety of larval stages. We've got moths, obviously, which are caterpillars. We've got mantises, which have no larval stage and instead hatch directly into nymphs (So, the Mantis Youth enemy is likely a nymph). Baldurs are like woodlice, or isopods, meaning intstead of larvae they have manca, which essentially look just like tiny versions of the adult (e.g., the regular Baldur compared to the Elder Baldur). Bee larvae are simple white grubs, which are typically sealed inside of the surrounding honeycomb until they metamorphose. Spiders hatch as spiderlings, which we see plenty of in-game (and, before the Lifeblood update, Deeplings would even actually pop out of eggs when broken).

We have flukes, which seem to moreso resemble maggots, or fly larvae. The tiny flukes we see at the entrance to Flukemarm are clearly the youngest of the larvae (despite the Flukefey being labeled as such in the Hunter's Journal- the larvae in the walls aren't considered an enemy type in the Journal, however, so were likely not considered). Despite the fact that the Flukes more often resemble worms, we know they are not, as some varieties have legs or wings. Annelids (true worms, like earthworms, leeches, etc) never have legs, much less wings. Meaning the flukes are most likely arthropods, and thus most likely are something close to flies.

And then we have creatures that are in completely different phylums to arthropods, such as the jellyfish (cniderians), snails and slugs (molluscs), and mushrooms (fungi. not even in the animalia kingdom).

But by far the most common type of bug in Hallownest are beetles. Beetles are some of the most diverse insects on the planet even in real life, and in Hallownest it's no exception. We see plenty of beetles based on real life- Dung Defender being a dung beetle, the Nailsmith being a rhinoceros beetle, Willoh being a giraffe weevil. Most other insects in hallownest mostly resemble beetles than other insects, with hard, plated shells and often visible elytra (the hard shell casing that covers the wings). Because beetles are so abundant, and because most other insect species in the game tend to keep within their own separated groups, "grub" most likely became the colloquial form of "baby" within Hallownest. Therefore, these Grubs might not even be grubs at all, but another form of insect larvae that was labeled as grub due to its similarity to beetle young.

We never see any direct inclusions of the young of the Moth Tribe nor the various beetles found around hallownest. There is only a single known caterpillar seen in-game, and that is Marmu. It is not known if she is connected to the Moth Tribe or not, however Marmu's design was based on a Puss Moth caterpillar, of which the real-world equivalent grow up to be similarly fluffy moths to the ones seen in the Moth Tribe. The visual similarity between Marmu and the Grubs is striking- and they even sound remarkably similar, meaning they could be of related species.

Now, back to actual Hollow Knight Lore™:

We know that the Collector is definitely related to the Kingsmoulds, as they are both made of void and have the same body template. All Moulds were made as servants to the king, and do not seem to have their own motivations or interests. The Collector, however, definitely has a personality, ranting and raving about how much it loves the Grubs.

The corpse holding the Love Key in Queen's Gardens is a Husk Dandy, or one of the high elite of Hallownest. It was clearly a high-ranking member of society, and may have had some connections with Lurien, or even the Pale King himself. The Tower of Love was most likely this Dandy's tower, and it was likely the one who began the collection of grubs, with the Collector as some form of assistant (thank you mossbag for this one).

Now, the Dandy's Dream Nail dialogue says "Too long spent together... we become as one...". This, paired with the black streaks around the Dandy's eyes as well as the Void particles seen around the corpse, leads most people to assume that the Collector being made of Void somehow started to physically affect the Dandy, leading to its death. But what if it weren't simply one-way? What if, somehow, the Collector started to mirror the Dandy- if the Dandy was enthusiastic enough about its work, then the Collector may have become obsessed as well due to this.

We also know that the Pale King was attempting to snuff out almost everything he could about the Radiance. The Moth Tribe were apparently born from the Radiance, either metaphorically or literally. While the Moth Tribe did reject the Radiance and follow the Pale King, some moths still chose to remember their old god, until, according to the seer, "all of Hallownest began to dream of that forgotten light". Somehow, this hushed worship of the Radiance could have led to the infection taking hold in the world.

From what I could find, it was not entirely clear if any of the Void experiments began before or after the beginning of the Infection. The Collector could have been created any time in between the creation of Hallownest to its fall- it could be an early, perhaps unfinished form of a Kingsmould- it could be a typical Kingsmould that was altered in some way- it could be a late, more adavnced form of Kingsmould with traits unlike the other more typical Kingsmoulds (for example, it has a voice, where seemingly no other Void being does whatsoever).

Another thing to note- it's not made clear what kind of power exactly the Elegy charm draws from. Because of the Grubsong charm's connection to Soul, one might assume it is also Soul energy, however the slash doesn't draw from the Knight's Soul meter and any charms that directly affect spells or Soul use (other than Grubsong) don't have any sort of affect on the Elegy charm when equipped together.

So, my theory:

The Grubs are actually caterpillars, created by the Radiance in her return to Hallownest. The Pale King, or someone underneath him, noticed the appearance of these bugs and decided to study them- that, or they already knew of the bugs' connection to the moths and thus decided to trap them. The Dandy was the one in charge of this, the head researcher who collected and researched them. The Collector was a Kingsmould gifted to the Dandy by Lurien (or even the Pale King himself) to help with research- and perhaps, if they knew about the Radiance connection, also as a form of extra security (The vessels were Void beings created to contain the Radiance. The Collector is a Void being who obsessively contains Grubs. There's a reflection there). The Collector may have even specifically been granted a voice in order to be able to communicate with the Dandy.

Over time, the Dandy and the Collector being around each other so much caused them to start to become one. Not just in the Dandy becoming somehow infected with Void, but also in the Collector's obsession with the Grubs. This ultimately led to the Dandy locking the Collector in the Tower of Love and attempting to run away with the key before succumbing to the Void in the Queen's Gardens.

Being an experiment specifically created by the Pale King and his court, the Collector likely had some form of "programming" by the court to complete its intended tasks. Unlike the Kingsmoulds' simple programming to Defend the Pale King, instead the Collector's would have been to collect or trap bugs. It could have even been the case that the Collector was the Dandy's field agent- going to collect the Grubs itself so as to not put the Dandy in danger. We can even see this in its attacks- it doesn't necessarily slash at you, but instead makes a grabbing motion. Perhaps the Collector was programmed to Contain and Protect, with protect applying both to the Dandy and the collected specimens (a dead grub is no use for research, now is it?). However, now there seems to be some sort of bug in the programming (pun not intended) where the Collector doesn't seem to distinguish between what it should or shouldn't collect- we see bottles of Vengeflies and Aspids and Baldurs, and even the player's Shade, but these are only ever found within the Tower of Love where the Collector is locked away. It's likely it was the Dandy's orders that told the Collector exactly what to collect, and without those it simply overdoes its programmed task.

Unfortunately, the Knight eventually comes along and destroys the entire operation before we can find out the real truths regarding the Grubs. Hopefully the Grubberflies aren't actually tiny Radiances.

[thoughtlessarse]

As part of the race to combat global insecticide resistance, new research shows that the same CBD people use to treat a variety of ailments is also extremely effective at killing mosquito larvae. The study, published in the journal Insects, found that hemp leaf extract – which contains the active ingredient cannabidiol, or CBD – kills mosquito larvae from two different strains of the yellow fever mosquito within 48 hours, one that was resistant to typical insecticides and another that was not. “Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world, mainly because as adults they serve as vectors of disease,” said Erick Martinez Rodriguez, lead author of the study and a graduate student in entomology at The Ohio State University. “It’s very important to be able to control these pests at an early stage, when they are at the most vulnerable.” Unlike adult mosquitoes that can fly across great distances and transmit disease by biting, mosquito larvae are aquatic organisms often found in standing water. Conventional synthetic insecticides are critical chemical tools for killing mosquito larvae populations, but their rampant overuse has led to both insecticide resistance and other detrimental effects on the environment. Inspired by previous Ohio State research that discovered that the bark properties of a plant native to Madagascar worked as a natural mosquito insecticide and repellent, Martinez Rodriguez sought to determine if hemp could act as a viable and safe alternative to current biopesticides.

continue reading

[scientificinquirer-blog]

Hemp shows high promise as potential natural insecticide

s part of the race to combat global insecticide resistance, new research shows that the same CBD people use to treat a variety of ailments is also extremely effective at killing mosquito larvae.  The study, published in the journal Insects, found that hemp leaf extract – which contains the active ingredient cannabidiol, or CBD – kills mosquito larvae from two different strains of the yellow…