#australian paper wasp

[ljsbugblog]

just for fun, a compilation of every wasp species I've seen drink from the pond so far.

Spider Wasp, genus Fabriogenia.

Potter Wasp, subfamily Eumeninae.

Potter Wasp, genus Paralastor.

Square-headed Wasp, subfamily Crabroninae.

Vase-cell Mud-dauber Wasp, Sceliphron formosum.

Square-headed Wasp, genus Pison.

Australian Paper Wasp, Polistes humilis.

[drhoz]

#2176 - Polistes humilis ssp. humilis - Southern Australian Paper Wasp

A species of Vespid found in the SE of Australia and which has, unfortunately, been introduced to northern New Zealand.

These wasps build paper nests as seen here under the awning of the picnic shelter, and have been known to re-utilize old nests. They're a eusocial wasp, and there are distinct behavioral differences between queens and workers, but the castes are anatomically identical. Like most social wasps, will defend the nest with their painful sting if they feel their sisters are threatened.

There are 11 different Polistes species found in Australia, and the Polistes humilis is the most common and widespread, although it and P. variablis can be difficult to tell apart and the latter has been considered a subspecies of humilis. The other recognised subspecies, P. humilis synoeus, can be found in Queensland and the SW of the continent.

The Rock, NSW

[elementalgod-aj]

Anthro Allies Remastered (Part 10)

Now the Third and Final Part of the Arthropods

Endoterygota

Emorrossa (Insect Queen)

Lord Hexagath (Insect King)

Sawfly

Buzza (Sawfly)

Team 

Stem sawfly

Horntail

Cedar wood wasp

Webbed Leaf

Xyelid

Megalodontes

Parasitic Wasps

Crimson the Abominable (Thistledown velvet ant)

The Hoard

P. Wood wasp 

Sirex Woodwasp

Ichneumon Wasp 

Gall wasp

Chalcid Wasp

Fairy wasp

Ensign Wasp

Crowned Wasp

Cuckoo wasp (Emerald wasp)

Velvet Ant (Cow killer)

Spider Wasp (Tarantula Hawk)

Tiphiid wasp

Scoliid wasp 

Mammoth Wasp

Cockroach wasp (Jewel Wasp)

Sand digger wasp

Cicada Killers

Ant hunter wasp

Bee wolf 

Aphid wasp

Eusocial Wasp

Queen Assaut

King Vespa

Prince Axe

Princess Strike

Warriors

Hornets

Yellow jackets

European wasps

Paper Wasps

Executioner wasps

Warrior wasps

Potter wasps

Hover wasps

Pollen wasps

Honey Wasp

Ants

Queen Amber

King Ore 

Prince Beryl

Princess Siafu

Special Forces

Acrobat Ant, Dracula Ant, Exploding Ant, Mafia Ant, Shining Guest Ant, Sugar Ant

Colony

Black Ants (Garden worker), Red Ants (forager worker)

Argentine Ants (Warrior), Erratic Ants (sun workers), Needle Ant (Warrior), Ghost Ant (Scout), Stink Ants (aphid and caterpillar farmer), cone ant (pest control)

Eciton Ants (Generals/Tanks), Driver Ants (Army)

Trap Jaw Ants (Trappers), Dinosaur Ants (Moon Worshippers)

Diving Ant (Swimmer), Honey Pot Ants (Food dealers), Crazy Ants (Wild cards), Amazon Ants (Raider), Carpenter Ants (Builders), Tree Ants (Warriors), Hodor Ant (Bouncer),  Giant forest ants (gladiators)

Leaf Cutter Ants (Builders), Weaver Ants (handmaidens and caretakers), Lemon Ants (mushroom growers), Pharaoh Ants (communication), Harvester Ants (harvesters), Pirate Ants (rogues), Raider Ants (raider), Electric ants (warriors), Fire Ants (Warriors), Big headed ants (Guard)

Bees

Queen Apidae

King Apo

Prince Kyle

Princess Pollen

Bee Hive

Dwarf/Asian Honey bee, Giant/European Honey Bee, Dog Bee, Sugar Bag bee (Honey makers), Carpenter bee (Builders), Bumblebee (Nectar collector),  orchid bee (Flower manager), Sweat Bee (workers), Long horned Bees (Workers), Digger Bees (nest builders), Mining Bees (Mining and Excavation)

Plasterer bee (builder), Polyester bee (cloth maker)

Carder bee (Collectors), Leafcutter bee( (Weaver), Mason bee (molder), Wallace giant Bee (blacksmith)

Pantaloon Bee (Guards)

Australian Bee (soldiers)

Daniel and Lyon (lacewing & antlion)

Xan (Snakefly)

Zip(Alderfly)

Grounder (Ground beetles)

Live wire (Telephone pole beetle)

Knock Knock (Deathwatch beetle)

Lucky (Ladybug)

Lumi-Nate (Firefly)

Adorn (Jewel beetle)

IronShell/Ira (Horned Scarab beetle)

Horns (Stag Beetle)

George Schmutz (Dung beetle)

Red Rover (Rove beetle)

Ballin (Boll weevil)

Waxer (Giraffe Weevil)

Twist (Stylops)

Twiddle (Stylops)

Harleigh (Butterfly/Moth)

Eugene (Monarch Butterfly)

Genevieve (Silk Moth)

Cassidy (Caddisfly)

Bethany (House/Horse Fly)

Pesky (Gnat/Midge) 

Zika (Mosquito)

Rome (Hover/Robber/Crane fly)

Sting (Scorpionflies)

Ichor (Fleas)

Previous/Next

(For More Information About The Earthdemons, Neo demons, The Anthro allies , the O'Kong family and more of theses characters as well as updates please visit the @the-earthdemon-hub for more)

[wooyukh]

i’m gonna cry i was going to bed and i was fixing my duvet and then when i lifted it up there was a SPIDER UNDERNEATH so i did the bravest thing i could and put a pot over it and then SOMEHOW put a paper under and now the upside down pot is on the ground and i was looking forward to being nice and comfy in my bed but NO now i’m too scared to so i’m sitting on the edge of my bed like what if there’s more spiders 😭😭 bcs there’s always so many spiders in london in august like i saw a huge one this morning in the house and my dad got rid of it like i’m not built for this i’m not australian the very thought of an insect makes me wanna cry and it was IN MY BED 😭😭😭😭 i cant sleep here now!!!!

oh my god what if it’s a girl and has a whole family in my room like imagine there’s a huge nest of spider eggs or however they reproduce in some corner under my bed ready to hatch and strike while i’m asleep and vulnerable 😭😭😭😭😭 noooo i cant do thisssss

and i can’t even ask my dad to get rid of it bc it’s 1:30am and he’s gonna yell at me for being awake omggg 😭😭😭 imagine it escapes from the pot while i’m sleeping oh no

i’ve literally found spiders in my bed before twice and like even the spider emoji freaks me out soooo maybe i shld js burn the house down and start afresh

aren’t cats supposed to kill insects or wtv why is my animal so useless he’s js like me fr

NO bc i would’ve cried 😭😭😭 i suggest washing ur sheets bc that’ll probably put ur mind at ease 😭 but hey at least u don’t get wasps in ur room! there’s a wasp in my room every 2-3 weeks and i always run downstairs and ask my aunt or uncle to kill it for me 😭

[pestfreenests]

Keeping Safe With Wasp Control Measures For Polistes Humilis In Autumn

As the warm hues of summer fade into the crispness of autumn, it’s not just the leaves that change – the behaviour of insects shifts as well. In Australia, one of the notable transitions is the heightened activity of Polistes humilis wasps. These social insects, commonly known as paper wasps, can become a nuisance around homes and gardens. However, with proper preparation and proactive Wasps Control in Geelong, Brighton and Mulgrave you can effectively control their presence and safeguard your living spaces.

Understanding Polistes Humilis

Polistes Humilis, commonly known as the Australian Paper Wasp, is a species of social wasp endemic to Australia. Identified by their slender bodies and distinctive paper-like nests, these insects thrive in urban and rural environments alike. As autumn approaches, these wasps tend to become more aggressive, seeking shelter in protected areas. Unlike solitary wasps, Polistes Humilis constructs communal nests, typically under eaves, in roof voids, or within shrubbery. Their nests, typically constructed from wood fibres and saliva, can house hundreds of individuals, posing a risk to human inhabitants due to their painful stings.

Behaviour and Threats:During autumn, Polistes Humilis colonies reach peak activity as they prepare for the colder months. These wasps can become highly aggressive when disturbed, posing a significant threat to humans and pets. Their stings, while painful, can also trigger severe allergic reactions in susceptible individuals.

Lifecycle:Understanding the lifecycle of Polistes Humilis is integral to effective control. In autumn, colonies reach their zenith, with the queen laying eggs that will develop into new workers. As temperatures drop, these colonies may become more defensive, seeking refuge indoors, thus increasing the risk of human encounters.

Implementing Preventive Measures

Before implementing control measures, it’s essential to identify potential nesting sites around your property. Inspect areas such as roof overhangs, outdoor furniture, and dense vegetation where Polistes humilis may establish their colonies. Early detection allows for timely Wasps Control in Brighton Geelong and Mulgrave, minimising the risk of infestation. Some of the important preventive measures that on can opt for are as follows:

Sealing Entry Points:Seal any gaps or cracks in the exterior of your home to prevent wasps from entering. Pay particular attention to areas around windows, doors, and utility openings.

Removing Attractants:Keep outdoor dining areas clean and free of food scraps, as these can attract foraging wasps. Additionally, secure garbage bins with tightly fitting lids to minimise access to food sources.

Trimming Vegetation:Regularly trim hedges, shrubs, and trees near your home to reduce potential nesting sites for Polistes humilis. Pruning foliage also improves visibility, making it easier to detect and address wasp activity.

Safe Nest Removal Techniques

In the event that a Polistes humilis nest is discovered on your property, it’s crucial to proceed with caution to avoid provoking the insects. Consider the following safe measures for Wasps Control in Mulgrave, Geelong and Brighton:

Night time Removal:Wasps are less active at night, making it an ideal time to remove nests. Wear protective clothing, approach the nest quietly, and use a flashlight with a red filter to minimise disturbance.

Deterrent Sprays:Several commercially available insecticide sprays are formulated specifically for wasp control. Follow the product instructions carefully and apply the spray directly to the nest for effective eradication.

Professional Assistance:If dealing with a large or inaccessible nest, consider seeking assistance from pest control professionals. They have the expertise and equipment to safely remove the nest without putting you or your family at risk.

As autumn unfolds across Australia, the presence of Polistes Humilis wasps poses a tangible threat to homeowners and outdoor enthusiasts alike. By understanding the behaviour and life cycle of these insects, along with implementing targeted Wasps Control in Geelong, Brighton and Mulgrave, individuals can effectively mitigate the risk of encounters and safeguard their surroundings. Whether through proactive nest inspections, professional assistance, or environmentally conscious strategies, mastering autumn in the face of Polistes Humilis challenges is within reach. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and ensure a pest-free season ahead. Remember, for comprehensive wasp control, always prioritise safety and consider consulting with pest management experts like Pest Free Nests for tailored solutions.

For any questions or to schedule a consultation, please contact us at Phone: 0478 244 888

[pestagon]

Pest Control Byron Bay NSW

Byron Bay is one of Australia’s most well-known coastal towns, with magnificent natural features including beaches, hinterland rainforest, spectacular coastal walks and a thriving arts and food scene. But Byron Bay is also home to many pests, and they can cause significant damage to homes and businesses. Pest control services can help you manage these pests and keep them from damaging your property.

Cockroaches, ants, spiders and rodents are common pests in the sub-tropical environment of Byron Bay. They can pose health problems by contaminating food, and they may damage your property by chewing through wires and other structures. If left uncontrolled, these pests can spread to other areas of your home and cause extensive damage.

A professional pest control Byron Bay NSW will use a range of effective strategies to eradicate these pests and protect your property.

Silverfish are insects that feed on starch and paper, and they can destroy precious books, photographs and anything else made from paper. They thrive in high humidity and will often appear in kitchen cupboards or bookshelves. A silverfish infestation can be difficult to get rid of, but a local pest control company will have the expertise to identify and treat the problem.

Bees and wasps can be a nuisance and a risk to your health, especially if you are allergic. They can cause serious harm if they come into contact with your skin, so it’s important to hire a local pest control expert to remove the bees or wasps safely. A local pest controller will also be able to handle any nests or hives in your garden.

Termites are the most destructive pests in Australia, but you can prevent them by protecting your property from moisture and having regular inspections. A specialist Byron Bay pest control service will inspect your property for signs of termites and recommend treatment options to stop them from destroying your home.

The team at BPI Far North Coast Building & Pest Inspections in Byron Bay are born and bred locals who know the area. They’re the best placed to perform a pre-purchase pest and building inspection on your prospective new home or business.

Pest-A-Gon is 100% Australian owned and operated. Over 35 years of industry experience. Proudly servicing all suburbs in and around the Far North Coast and Northern Rivers area.

[caracalliope]

@letmefixthatforyou to my great chagrin/delight, Justin has got a sizzling hot take on Australian bull ants.

Truth, like beauty, can be in the eye of the beholder. Pain truth comes in two flavors, imagined and realized. With stings, our imagination is vivid and strong, even if the sting pain is not realized. The paper wasp, Polistes instabilis, provides a real-life example.

insert a description of paper wasps vs. the honor and reputation of biologists, and then out of nowhere...

The Australian bull ants, sometimes called bulldog ants, are inch-long, lithe creatures with enormous eyes, long mandibles, and lightning speed. And they jump. Their uncanny behavior of turning their heads to follow observers adds to their mystique. In Australia, they are highly respected, if not outright feared, for their fabled stinging ability. Among all of Australia’s native insects, bull ants head the list of painful stingers. This is partly because Australia has no native honey bees, no hornets, no yellowjacket wasps, and their social wasps are mostly in the generally placid genus Ropalidia, a group similar to many Polistes paper wasps in Europe and the Americas, though generally milder in disposition. Hence, Australians lack comparisons between their bull ants and other painful stinging insects around the world. Given the background of stories about bull ants, I approached collecting them with some anxiety and caution. However, I didn’t know about their athletic abilities, something mentioned but frequently glossed over by writers of articles on these ants. As I collected some individuals from a nest, an alarm was sent and a boiling mass of ants issued from the colony. My athleticism didn’t match theirs, and the feared stings were realized. I was stunned, not by the pain, but by the low level of pain. The balloon of anticipation had been deflated. Why did the stings not hurt so much? The pain was less than the sting of a honey bee. Flare and swelling were also minimal, and the pain was short-lived. Had I been stung too many times and simply could no longer detect pain?

Justin came to Australia to have a good time, and he is feeling insufficiently attacked right now :(

HOWEVER, there is the bullet ant in Central+South America, which gets a whole chapter dedicated to how beautiful and special and powerful its sting is:.

Paraponera knows no fakery, it’s the real thing. Paraponera is the insect star in stories worthy of telling to one’s grandchildren and in the 2015 movie Ant-Man. If stung, you might not think you will live to see grandchildren, but, rest assured, no one has ever died from bullet ant stings. [...] I am often asked how I know bullet ants are the most painful of any stinging insect. Of course, this can never be answered with 100 percent certainty, as thousands of stinging insects have been described, with more awaiting discovery. Neither I, nor anyone else, have been stung by all of them. I have searched six continents (skipping Antarctica) over 40 years for stinging insects and never found any whose stings come even close to the pain level and duration of bullet ant stings. This is not from lack of specific search.

Let's start 2024 with a sting

Someone asked me for the complete Justin O. Schmidt sting index! Like a fool, I responded to their message and didn't save their username. So! Dear stranger, I hope you see this!

Screenshots are from The Sting of the Wild, a good book that everyone should read if they like bugs and/or descriptive science.

PAIN SCALE FOR STINGING INSECTS Note: CA = Central America; NA = North America; SA = South America.

[onenicebugperday]

@jjongs-tae-and-biscuits​ submitted: My friend sent me this for ID help bc they've seen a number of these around their house, but I've never seen them. We're in QLD, Australia. If anyone has good wasp/hornet ID sites they'd recommend, please let me know!! I'm sorry to be posting a photo of one no longer alive ;;

It’s an Australian paper wasp, Polistes humilis. I highly recommend the iNaturalist website (not the app, although that’s helpful sometimes if you’re taking photos of wasps to ID). Here’s a link to hymenopterans in Queensland, but obviously you can change your search to certain types of wasps or change the location!

[buginateacup]

I barely hit post on the last fic when a new idea came in

----------

The disguise watch was going to be fantastic. Miss Ritchi would never see it coming. He would lure her under the pretence of being one of her coworkers out into the crowded street, reveal himself in a flash of pyrotechnics and smoke bombs, and they would be away in the invisible car before she had the chance to call him an inconsiderate ass for interrupting her workday again.

If she was willing to leave the office for coffee, she should be prepared to suffer the possibility of being kidnapped. She was never gone more than an hour or two anyway. Honestly he didn't see what the problem was.

In the guise of Roxanne's friend and coworker Yumi Nakata, Megamind leaned on the side of the lovely, delightful, charming, witty Roxanne Miss Ritchi's cubicle and cleared his throat, preparing to make the offer of coffee. He'd spend twelve hours watching Yumi's weather reports to make sure he could correctly imitate her cadence and voice. Yumi's tinted shades sat on his nose, disguising the bright green of his eyes

It turns out he needn't have bothered. Roxanne looked up and flashed a smile that stopped him in his tracks. "Nearly done," she sang brightly, typing rapidly without looking at her screen, "Coffee time?"

Megamind nodded dumbly, still blinking away the aftereffects of her smile. Roxanne typed for a moment longer then hit save and shut her laptop triumphantly, grabbing her purse, "Let's go, I'm craving scones."

"Oh I could get those for you Roxaroo," Megamind jumped, he hand't noticed Hal Schtewart sneaking up behind them. Roxanne paused and looked flatly at him, "We're good thanks Hal"

"No seriously, no trouble!"

“Honestly, we’re fine.”

Megamind subtly knocked the 700ml energy drink in the cameraman's hand all over him, "Oh look at that," he cried in a passable attempt at Yumi's soft voice, "You better clean that up before the wasps in the courtyard are attracted by the smell. Their stings are quite painful you know"

Roxanne was fighting back a giggle as Schtewart rushed away yelping that he could feel them coming for him already.

"Yumi, I love you" Roxanne said seriously. She looped her arm through Megamind's and started tugging him downstairs and towards the little hole in the wall coffeeshop around the corner.

Oh. Oops. He thought she would go for the coffee cart that parked out front. That was where Minion was waiting. Hmm. Maybe they were getting takeaway? He could work with that. They would just start the show when they were nearly back to the office.

Roxanne chattered about nothing, sparing a moment to thank Megamind-as-Yumi again for his deft handling of Hal as they walked arm in arm to the tiny cafe. They waved at the barista who nodded and greeted them cheerfully, 

"Morning ladies," he called in a broad Australian accent, "The usual?" Roxanne pushed Megamind into what was clearly a regular booth and headed to the counter, "And scones please Nico"

Megamind fiddled uncertainly with the napkin holder. This hadn't been part of the plan. He didn't know enough of their friendship to fake a conversation. He'd have to let Roxanne lead. Hopefully Yumi wasn't much of a chatterbox.

Roxanne returned with two mugs, pushing a lethal black looking potion in front of Megamind "Be right back, prepare for bitching."

The actual Yumi, stuffed into the top drawer of her work desk, might have appreciated a reprieve from the weekly Roxanne whines about her lack of love life session. But she was also currently a cube so she didn't much in the way of an opinion on the matter. 

 Megamind sipped cautiously at the cup, hid a grimace and dumped eight packets of sugar into the bitter concoction when Roxanne headed back to collect their scones.

"You okay?" Roxanne asked when she returned with a split scone lathered in jam and cream, "You've been quiet,"

Megamind coughed on a sip of coffee, "Just ah..." he gestured at his throat, "Got a tickle, I'm being careful."

That seemed to set her mind at ease, Roxanne relaxed and sipped her coffee. "So I feel like this week will be a giant robot kind of week" she said conspiratorially.

"You think?" Megamind squeaked.

"Maybe," Roxanne shrugged, "I just have that feeling. There's always at least one big one every thee months, I think this will be it."

"Okay" Megamind nodded awkwardly, steam from the coffee fogging Yumi’s glasses. The Centipedinator wasn't really a giant robot so much as a collection of medium to large robots working in tandem. But it was concerning that Miss Ritchi had apparently figured out that he had a pattern he wasn't aware of himself.

Roxanne dumped two sugars into her coffee and stirred viciously before taking a large gulp "I swear to god if I don't get caffeine before that blue alien genius picks me up again..." she trailed off threateningly.

"You forgot incredibly handsome" Megamind said before he could stop himself. Fuck oops, he was really bad at this disguise thing. What help was a mask when you were still the same idiot underneath?

Instead of staring or laughing Roxanne put her hand in her face and groaned, "I know" she cried tragically, "God I'm pathetic."

She is anything but that, apparently Megamind’s expression on Yumi's face was enough to get the message across because Roxanne laughed.

"Will you be scared?" he asked hopefully, maybe he can consider this unexpected coffee session reconnaissance, find out what might actually make her scream.

"Scared of telling him I want to pin him to the control desk and peel him out of all that leather with my teeth maybe" Roxanne sighed.

Megamind spluttered coffee all over the table. What?

Roxanne grinned, handing him a pile of paper napkins "Sorry I shouldn't tease"

Teasing. Right. She was teasing. Evil Gods he is really bad at this disguise thing.

[ljsbugblog]

there are many nests of P. humilis around the house, but this is my first time seeing one drink from the pond.

Australian Paper Wasp (Polistes humilis).

[hexane-nightmares]

Also regarding venom, I've been stung by very few things but:

Bees are the official 2. For me really not bad, but I think I'm partly immunised by repeated stings. On the 1-10 I'd call it a 2.

Then I agree with the official paper wasp = 3. Definitely another level, both times I was stung were instant fire but not unbearable, no comparison to migraines. On 1-10 I'd say 6.

Bluebottle (Australian smaller species of Portuguese Man Of War) was astonishingly agonising, but I was young and may have had a low pain tolerance. Also I'm not sure it could be rated, as insect stings are meant to be single, but this delivered venom over a large sting area from several tentacles. 1-10: maybe 8.

Another point of comparison is my femural bone island, which gives randomised but mercifully very brief bursts in the 7-9 range. Never fully incapacitated, but close.

my toxic trait is having a complex about only being a 4 on the schmidt pain scale

[drhoz]

#2040 - Fam. Aulacidae

Photo by Patrick Wake

It appears that the last time anybody looked at the Aulacid diversity in Western Australia (back in 2004), there were 6 species, and all of them were new to science. And that was the first taxonomic study of Australian Aulacids in 50 years.

It's not a particuarly big family - a 2001 paper catalogued 48 species of Aulacus, and 106 species of Pristaulacus (both genera widely spread, worldwide), and two species of Panaulix is confined to sub-Saharan Africa. They parasitise wood-bring beetles in the Cerambycid and Buprestid families, and woodboring wasps in the Xiphydriidae, but all the ones from Australia that we know anything about target the beetles.

[whitepassingpocs]

I know your thoughts on the "white passing = white" sentiment on social media. However, I have also seen people (some white and some non MENA poc) saying that Middle Easterners and North Africans are also white and want to know what you think. It makes me bitter - especially since not all of us look white and face racism. Those of us who look white also have similar features as our visible siblings (though lighter skin). idk what to feel or do

(cont) I know I am otherized overall even with my appearance. But many MENA people are ethnically ambiguous and we never had one set look - even within our own families. I get a lot of passing privilege but have been told by white and non-white people in the past that I look like a poc as well. I hate the space this puts us in.

I hate the term "white passing" because it makes it seem like we are trying to pass as a different race than we are. The term specifically comes from "passing for white" in the African American context, which is really specific. I prefer saying that I am a "white perceived" poc or a poc "perceived as white". I know that is not everyone's opinion but I think it helps frame both the fact that I am involved in my culture and that I know that I benefit from colorism in my community bc of my yt looks

(cont) Even people I go to school with are following accounts who actively insist that MENA people are white. One account actually used outdated racial science and miscontextualized history to make her point and yt people just eat that up (WHILE STILL OTHERING US IN REAL LIFE). I am so tired of people telling me how we should identify our own oppression. We may not have the same race experience as Black or Indigenous people BUT we still face racism and race based trauma :/

I am sorry for typing so much. I just don't see erasing an entire group of racialized people as woke. :/

hello! there’s a lot to unpack here so i will do my best!

first of all i am Arab-Australian, so I do very much understand your frustration. the racial status of Arabs in Western countries is contentious and inconsistant and its designed that way deliberately to uphold white supremacy.

Many Arabs were forced to identify as white in the West to gain asylum in places such as North America and Australia. However, while we were white on paper, we are not treated as white, especially in a post 9/11 landscape. but legally and historically Arabs were classified as white in order to enter the USA. here in Australia, many Arabs claimed whiteness by saying they were christian in order to be accepted as part of the White Australia policy.

Racial identity is very complex. you need to remember that there are different racial contexts outside the usa and while the term “white passing” may have originated in the AA community in the USA, here in Australia the term WASP passing was also used. terms like “white passing” have also been used in Asian communities for decades. use whatever term you’re comfortable with, but u should maybe ask yourself why you have an issue with the term specifically being associated with Black Americans. 

Please, block those accounts/ppl gaslighting MENA peoples in regards to racism. its incorrect and a quick google would tell these people that. you aren’t responsible for their ignorance. direct your energy to supporting the MENA diaspora activists currently working to change the census status of MENA people to better reflect the communities’ experiences with racism. 

redirect your bitter energy into supporting people working to change what is angering you. also follow people who don’t racially gaslight and erase multiple ethnic cultural and historical communities. follow mena activists, influencers, etc. 

“white passing” is not identifying with your oppressor. its simply acknowledging you have a degree of privlege, due to systemic oppression. also it would serve you well to actually research race histories outside of the usa because it may help you understand how contextual labels are. 

hope this helps! x

[kyndaris]

Flower Trains and Musicality

Seeing an old bridge as we drove along the new Grafton Bridge towards the place we were staying at, my mother immediately wanted to find a way to get close and snap a photo. Put upon by my mother’s disappointment that she hadn’t been able to do it when we arrived, I made sure that, as we packed our bags ready for the next leg of our trip around northern New South Wales, to find a way to get underneath the rickety, single lane death trap for an opportunity with the camera. And as we greeted the morning joggers, it wasn’t long before we were back in the car to take a gander at the park that my grandmother visited a year and a half ago, when COVID-19 was still just a tickle in someone’s throat.

As it was not quite the season, the treas were mostly bare of the iconic purple flowers. My grandmother was quick to reminiscence about her time there, spent with a gaggle of other elderly ladies such as herself. Looking around, she was surprised to see a new playground that had recently popped up. True to form, both my mother and grandmother regressed to their childhood years as they swung on the swings and tried to make music out of colourful xylophones. Being the only adult there, I snapped a few shots and was eager to leave within minutes of arriving. After all, there was still a lengthy drive ahead of us and I wanted to get a good head start.

Our next stop on the tour of northern New South Wales was Armidale. The reason why? Because my mother was eager to take photos of the university campus. Along the way, we rested briefly at a lookout for the Guy Fawkes river. Terrified of the huge flying wasp-like insects, it took me a good long while to sit my tush down on the toilet seat. But I did! By the time I left the compost toilet, my mother had already scoped out the area and was heading down a nearby track to take a look at the scenery. She was followed by my grandmother, who admired the nearby waterfall that she felt was much more admirable than the one at Natural Bridge.

Once I had safely herded the two children back to the car, we were back on the road, winding through several road work projects, before we finally arrived at Armidale at noon. By now, we were hungry and so I, being a faithful navigator, searched up a few local restaurants. With a lot of choices vetoed, I decided to try Paper Tiger - a fusion of West and East. To my surprise, both my mother and grandmother were open to the choices and we had an excellent meal before we headed to the University of New England.

Driving around campus, my mother admitted that she had not taken a photo with the Hogwarts-esque building at the University of Sydney. As an alumni of the University of New South Wales, I was disheartened to hear her say how superior the architecture was at the rival university and tried to point out many of its flaws. Still, it did not deter her and there’s every possibility that one of these days, she’ll go visit the University of Sydney campus just to play Chinese tourist.

Most of the buildings around the University of New England was less than impressive. We did, however, stop by a Museum of Natural History. It had a tortoise display near the front and what appeared to be a dinosaur behind it. Unfortunately, it was closed. And so, we resumed our impromptu look around UNE. Satisfied that we had taken photos of the most prominent buildings, we started on the long journey to Tamworth: the home of Australian country music.

We arrived quite early. After checking in, summoning what little energy remained, we headed to the Golden Guitar. After snapping a shot of the sculpture outside the visitor information centre, my mother was adamant about seeing the Australian Standing Stones. To her dismay, she learned that they were NOT in Tamworth, but actually in Glen Innes.

In the end, she settled for the busts of many music greats at the Botanical Gardens of Tamworth, though she wasn’t very happy about it.

Our last day of travel was really a mad dash back to Sydney. Knowing that my friend had returned from Western Australia and was temporarily staying at Muswellbrook as they looked for more permanent lodgings due to the nature of her husband’s job, I also determined to drop by and say ‘hello.’ This we did. As we caught up, chatting about life and future career choices, we also looked out on the horde of bats that had set up home in the trees behind her hotel. It made me a little uneasy, wondering if there was a possibility of new diseases springing forth from the Australian country. 

COVID-19, while contained and subdued in Australia, was still threatening the livelihoods of many people around the world. Still reeling from the disaster of the pandemic, it was very easy to see the spread of more deadlier viruses. All trapped in those blind flying mammals.

An hour passed in quiet chatter before we were on the road again, reinvigorated for the last part of our journey home. In many ways, it was a mad dash. Three hours it took (trapped due to traffic once we had finally arrived in Sydney because of school zones), for us to finally arrive at our front door. But it was all worth it in the end as we unpacked and unloaded and I finally got to go back on my computer.

The trip around northern New South Wales had its ups and downs. After all, it wouldn’t have been a family trip if we didn’t have a few arguments along the way. While I didn’t get to spy on the Hemsworth family or stalk Zac Efron, I did get to see a few interesting things on my trip, as well as sneak in a bit of gaming. And while I don’t think I’ll ever feel a hundred percent comfortable in the country towns of Australia - I know that I’m no stranger to this country. Small pockets of diversity exist, even in the most far-flung places. True, Sydney probably has them all beat in terms of quality and authenticity of multicultural food, but it’s also nice to see friendly faces everywhere.

[sciencespies]

Guess which animal is in Australia's oldest rock painting, dating back 17,000 years

https://sciencespies.com/humans/guess-which-animal-is-in-australias-oldest-rock-painting-dating-back-17000-years/

Guess which animal is in Australia's oldest rock painting, dating back 17,000 years

In Western Australia’s northeast Kimberley region, on Balanggarra Country, a two-metre-long painting of a kangaroo spans the sloping ceiling of a rock shelter above the Drysdale River.

In a paper published today in Nature Human Behaviour, we date the artwork as being between 17,500 and 17,100 years old – making it Australia’s oldest known in-situ rock painting.

We used a pioneering radiocarbon dating technique on 27 mud wasp nests underlying and overlying 16 different paintings from 8 rock shelters. We found paintings of this style were produced between 17,000 and 13,000 years ago.

Our work is part of Australia’s largest rock art dating initiative. The project is based in the Kimberley, one of the world’s premier rock art regions. Here, rock shelters have preserved galleries of paintings, often with generations of younger artwork painted over older work.

By studying the stylistic features of the paintings and the order in which they were painted when they overlap, a stylistic sequence has been developed by earlier researchers based on observations at thousands of Kimberley rock art sites.

They identified five main stylistic periods, of which the most recent is the familiar Wanjina period.

Styles in rock art

The oldest style, which includes the kangaroo painting we recently dated, often features life-sized animals in outline form, infilled with irregular dashes. Paintings in this style are said to belong to the “Naturalistic” stylistic period.

The ochre used is an iron oxide in a red-mulberry colour. Unfortunately, no current scientific dating method can determine when this paint was applied to the rock surface.

A different approach is to date fossilised insect nests or mineral accretions on the rock surfaces that happen to be overlying or underlying rock art pigment. These dates provide a maximum (underlying) or minimum (overlying) age range for the painting.

Our dating suggests the main period for Naturalistic paintings in the Kimberley spanned from at least 17,000 to 13,000 years ago.

The oldest known Australian rock painting

Very rarely, we’ll find mud wasp nests both overlying and underlying a single painting. This was the case with the painting of the kangaroo, made on the low ceiling of a well-protected Drysdale River rock shelter.

We were able to date three wasp nests underlying the painting and three nests built on top of it. With these ages, we determined confidently the painting is between 17,500 and 17,100 years old; most likely close to 17,300 years old.

(Picture by Damien Finch. Illustration by Pauline Heaney)

Our quantitative ages support the proposed stylistic sequence that suggests the oldest Naturalistic style was followed by the Gwion style. This style featured paintings of decorated human figures, often with headdresses and holding boomerangs.

From animals and plants to people

Research we published last year shows Gwion paintings flourished about 12,000 years ago – some 1,000-5,000 years after the Naturalistic period.

(Pauline Heaney, Damien Finch)

Above: This map of the Kimberley region in Western Australia shows the coastline at three distinct points in time: today, 12,000 years ago (the Gwion period) and 17,300 years ago (the earlier end of the known Naturalistic period).

With these dates, we can also partially reconstruct the environment in which the artists lived 600 generations ago. For example, much of the Naturalistic period coincided with the end of the last ice age when the environment was cooler and drier than now.

During the Naturalistic period, 17,000 years ago, sea levels were a staggering 106 metres below today’s and the Kimberley coastline was about 300 kilometres further away, more than half the distance to Timor.

Aboriginal artists at this time often chose to depict kangaroos, fish, birds, reptiles, echidnas and plants (particularly yams). As the climate warmed, ice caps melted, the monsoon was re-established, rainfall increased and sea levels rose, sometimes rapidly.

By the Gwion period around 12,000 years ago, sea levels had risen to 55m below today’s. This would undoubtedly have prompted long-term adjustment to territories and social relations.

This is when Aboriginal painters depicted highly decorated human figures, bearing a striking resemblance to early 20th-century photographs of Aboriginal ceremonial dress. While plants and animals were still painted, human figures were clearly the most popular subject.

Reaching into the past

While we now have age estimates for more paintings than ever before, more work is continuing to find out, more accurately, when each art period began and ended.

For example, one minimum age on a Gwion painting suggests it may be more than 16,000 years old. If so, Gwion art would have overlapped with the Naturalistic period but further dates are required to be more certain.

Moreover, it’s highly unlikely the oldest known Naturalistic painting we dated is the oldest surviving one. Future research will almost certainly locate even older works.

For now, however, the 17,300-year-old kangaroo is a sight to marvel at.

Acknowledgements: we would like to thank the Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation, the Australian National Science and Technology Organisation, Rock Art Australia and Dunkeld Pastoral Co for their collaboration on this work.

Damien Finch, Postdoctoral Researcher, The University of Melbourne; Andrew Gleadow, Emeritus Professor, The University of Melbourne; Janet Hergt, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, The University of Melbourne, and Sven Ouzman, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, University of Western Australia.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

#Humans

[its-natalie-here123]

2020

We all know the horrific year of 2020. It has been a horrible year for everyone. But have you ever wondered everything that has happened this year?

First, we have January. The first few days of 2020 and there were already World War III threats. Yes, World War III threats. In all honesty, more people than not took this as a joke. It was all over Tik Tok and became a meme. It had started on January 8th, 2020 when the IRGC ( or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) had launched missile attacks on two different US/Iraq military bases housing U.S. soldiers in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani, an Iranian major general for IRGC. It was rare for the countries to have conflict on its own in general, even more so in a large conflict such as this. While no one was killed during the missile attack, 110 U.S. military personnel were injured during the attack. It is still being debated whether or not the U.S. and Iraq have made up or are still on bad terms.

Next, was the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The trial started on January 16th and ended on February 5. This trial would be the third impeachment trial in U.S. history. One of the reasons for the impeachment was that he was thought to have been pressuring Ukraine to dig up information on his democratic competition for the presidency election, Joe Bidon and his son, Hunter.

Meanwhile, a new strand of Coronavirus was slowly becoming bigger and bigger. At this time, the official answer is said to have come from bats. The Coronavirus (or official name Covid-19) had actually first been noticed in December of 2019. The first suspected case of Covid-19 was a 55 - year old man from Hubei, China. It had slowly started spreading until it became a pandemic, then epidemic on March 11, 2020. The first case of Coronavirus in the United States had been on January 20th, 2020. It got so bad at one point it got so bad, the U.S. had to go on lockdown and no one could leave their house unless they had papers saying they could. The only places that were open, were the places that were absolutely necessary. During the lockdown, and after, everyone had to wear masks, surgical masks or designed masks. And everyone had to be 6 - feet apart from each other. You could only travel in small groups of 10 people or less. When school started, everyone had to wear masks, social distance, and have their temperature checked before they entered the building. When the schools found out someone had the Covid- 19, they had to be quarantined immediately, and you had to stay home for 14 days after the symptoms were fully gone. If you come into contact with someone with the Coronavirus, you have to be quarantined for 14 days after you came in contact with that person. It was also mandatory for someone in contact to test for Coronavirus. Before, and a little bit after the lockdown, people had started panicking about the Coronavirus, leading them to buy out all of the toilet paper in all the stores, making the stocks completely empty of toilet paper, paper towels, and other toiletries. This caused Many stores to limit the amount of toilet paper people could buy, to 2 packs per visit. Because of the lack of toilet paper, people had started calling it, “The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020”. Other things people bought out was meat. People had bought lots of meat leaving only the bare minimum meats. Some other grocery items people bought were hand sanitizer, foods of all kinds, and water. The Coronavirus also had forced the Olympics and other major sporting events and more to close down or cancel.

The wildfire was also something big in 2020. The most known at the time, were the Australia wildfires and the wildfires in California. The australian wildfires are known as, “Worst wildlife disasters in modern history”. In January, the estimation of animals killed were 1.25 billion animals and 46 million acres of land was burned. 90,000 people were rushed out having to leave their homes. The California wildfires were also dangerous in their own right. Since the beginning of the year, there have been over 8,100 wildfires that have burned over 3.9 million acres in California. Over 96,000 residents have evacuated across the state.

The death of Kobe Bryant had come across as a huge surprise for everyone. Kobe Bryant was a world famous basketball player and had played for two decades. Kobe Bryant had won lots of awards, including having 20 seasons with the Lakers (making him have the most seasons anyone has ever played with one team), 17 time NBA All - Star 17 consecutive selections, and more. When he died, he was riding in a helicopter, he was also with his daughter. The crash had killed not only Kobe, But also 8 other people, including his daughter, who was 13 at the time. His death brought devastation to all his fans.

The death of George Floyd had the most reaction out of people. George Floyd was a 46 year old African - American. He was killed because he was being arrested for supposedly using a counterfeit bill, causing the police officer to put his knee on his neck for what was reported to be 8 minutes and 46 seconds. His death had made the whole country angry. Everyone was mad at the police and started protests. This became known as the Black Lives Matter, or BLM. The logo of BLM was a white background with black fist in the middle. Some of them include a black ring around the fist. Most of the people going to the protest were non - violent. Though, some of the protests were violent. Sometimes the police would aim at people, they would surround them and wouldn’t let them leave at times, they sometimes threw teargas at the protesters, and more. But as time went on, the protesters were more violent. They knocked down a statue of President George Washington, as he was known to be racist. The news had only shown the most violent parts of the protests for publicity, and yes, they did happen quite often, they, for the most part, were quite peaceful . Some were really fun for some people. In fact, 93% of the protests were peaceful. Some people also use these protests and the BLM to address other issues in America, such as herterosexism, sexism, classism, ageism, victim blaming, and much more.

Murder Hornets are also coming into the United states. Murder Hornets, or as they’re officially called, Asian Giant Hornets, originated from Japan and East Asia, but no one actually knows how they came to the United states at this time. Murder Hornets often like to eat bumble bees, and like their name suggests, can kill a person if they sting you multiple times. Similar to wasps, they don’t actually die from stinging you once. Murder Wasps are also the world’s largest hornet and wasp. Thankfully, these insects are not aggressive unless provoked.

While there are so many more events, good or bad, these are some of the biggest and history - making events in 2020. The year hasn’t even finished and so much has happened. I would say that I hope things get better, but every time someone says that, something really big or bad happens.

-Natalie Purvis

Made on October 2nd, 2020.

http://docs.google.com/document/d/1JfvvyhwVmX_uSxaL1dkKGhtNKkk-Mq_6TI-hVVAayQI/edit