Free Essays on Bitter Harvest

Think back to when you were a child and the areas in which you lived, played and socialized. Remember if you will, the â€Å"territories† which you and your gang of friends called yours. This territory may have been an alley behind your house, a set of trees on an abandoned lot or even a fort you and your friends built- whatever your territory was, you felt you had the sole rights to it. No other children were going to come into your territory and take it away and if they tried, it was not without a fight. A group of children across from my house have a fort that they have set up and play in. This fort had been vacant for many years- left to whoever stopped or dropped in. See, at one time, there were a group of children who played there periodically, but they seem to have lost interest and moved away. Well, just a few weeks ago, another group of children came to the fort and started really making it quite the spectacle. Day after day, hour after hour, I saw these children at their fort making improvements. They play that they are farmers, reaping crops from the fields of dry crested grass and they set up shops to help with the harvest of those crops. They barter and trade with one another and seem to have the same set of beliefs. Each child gets off the bus at 3:30 and heads to the fort for a couple hours and at 6:30 each day, these children leave for supper and don’t return until the bus drops them off from school the next day. They seem to have similar lives, beliefs a nd aspirations for their fort. A few weeks ago, I witnessed something interesting about the fort across from my house; I noticed a new gang of children hanging out near the fort. Although they were not the same children that I see day after day, they were similar in race and stature. Although they were similar, I can tell there was a difference. The difference seemed to be in their aspirations for the fort and beliefs in how they govern the fort... Free Essays on Bitter Harvest Free Essays on Bitter Harvest Think back to when you were a child and the areas in which you lived, played and socialized. Remember if you will, the â€Å"territories† which you and your gang of friends called yours. This territory may have been an alley behind your house, a set of trees on an abandoned lot or even a fort you and your friends built- whatever your territory was, you felt you had the sole rights to it. No other children were going to come into your territory and take it away and if they tried, it was not without a fight. A group of children across from my house have a fort that they have set up and play in. This fort had been vacant for many years- left to whoever stopped or dropped in. See, at one time, there were a group of children who played there periodically, but they seem to have lost interest and moved away. Well, just a few weeks ago, another group of children came to the fort and started really making it quite the spectacle. Day after day, hour after hour, I saw these children at their fort making improvements. They play that they are farmers, reaping crops from the fields of dry crested grass and they set up shops to help with the harvest of those crops. They barter and trade with one another and seem to have the same set of beliefs. Each child gets off the bus at 3:30 and heads to the fort for a couple hours and at 6:30 each day, these children leave for supper and don’t return until the bus drops them off from school the next day. They seem to have similar lives, beliefs a nd aspirations for their fort. A few weeks ago, I witnessed something interesting about the fort across from my house; I noticed a new gang of children hanging out near the fort. Although they were not the same children that I see day after day, they were similar in race and stature. Although they were similar, I can tell there was a difference. The difference seemed to be in their aspirations for the fort and beliefs in how they govern the fort...

10 Fascinating Facts About Aphids

10 Fascinating Facts About Aphids As the joke goes, aphids suck. And while this is both literally and figuratively true, in some respects, any entomologist will tell you that aphids are interesting and sophisticated insects. Aphids Poop Sugar Aphids feed by piercing the phloem tissue of the host plant and sucking up the sap. Unfortunately, sap is mostly sugar, so an aphid must consume a lot of sap to meet its nutritional requirement for protein.  Much of what the aphid consumes goes to waste. The excess sugar is eliminated in the form of a sugary droplet called honeydew. An aphid-infested plant quickly becomes coated in the sticky excretions. Sugar-Loving Ants Tend to Some Aphids Anyone who has battled sugar ants in their kitchen can tell you that ants have a sweet tooth. Ants are therefore very fond of bugs that can poop large quantities of sugar. Aphid-herding ants will care for their adopted aphids, carrying them from plant to plant and milking them for honeydew. In exchange for the sweet treats they get from the aphids in their care, they provide the aphids with protection from predators and parasites. Some ants even take the aphids home to their nest during the winter months, keeping them safe until spring. Aphids Have a Lot of Enemies Im not just talking about gardeners, either. Aphids are slow, theyre plump, and theyre sweet to eat (presumably). A single plant can host hundreds or even thousands of aphids, offering predators a real smorgasbord of snacks. Aphid eaters include lady beetles, lacewings, minute pirate bugs, hoverfly larvae, big-eyed bugs, damsel bugs, and certain stinging wasps, among others. Entomologists even have a term for the many insects that feed on aphids – aphidophagous. Aphids Have Tailpipes Most aphids have a pair of tubular structures on their hind ends, which entomologists describe as looking like tiny tailpipes. These structures, called cornicles or sometimes siphunculi, seem to serve a defensive purpose. When threatened, an aphid releases a waxy fluid from the cornicles. The sticky substance gums up the mouth of the predator in pursuit and is thought to trap parasitoids before they can infect the aphid. Aphids Sound an Alarm When Theyre in Trouble Like many insects, some aphids use alarm pheromones to broadcast a threat to other aphids in the area. The aphid under attack releases these chemical signals from its cornicles, sending nearby aphids running for cover. Unfortunately for the aphids, some lady beetles have learned the aphid language, too. The lady beetles follow the alarm pheromones to locate an easy meal. Aphids Fight Back Aphids may look defenseless, but they dont go down without a fight. Aphids are expert kickboxers and will pummel their pursuers with their hind feet. Some aphids bear spines that make them challenging to chew on, and others are merely thick-skinned. Aphids are also known to go on the offensive, stabbing the eggs of predatory insects to kill their enemies in vitro. If all else fails, aphids stop, drop, and roll off their host plant to escape predation. Some Aphids Employ Soldiers for Protection Although not common, certain gall-making aphids produce special soldier nymphs to protect the group. These female guards never molt into adulthood, and their sole purpose is to protect and serve. Aphid soldiers are fiercely committed to their job and will sacrifice themselves if needed. Soldier aphids often have burly legs with which they can detain or squeeze intruders. Aphids Lack Wings (Until They Need Them) Aphids are generally apterous (wingless), and unable to fly. As you might imagine, this can put them at a considerable disadvantage if environmental conditions deteriorate, since they arent very mobile. When the host plant becomes a little too crowded with hungry aphids, or if its sucked dry and theres a lack of sap, the aphids may need to disperse and find new host plants. Thats when wings come in handy. Aphids will periodically produce a generation of alates – winged adults capable of flight. Flying aphids dont set any aviation records, but they can ride a wind gust with some skill to relocate. Female Aphids Can Reproduce Without Mating Because aphids have so many predators, their survival depends on their numbers. A quick and easy way to boost the population is to dispense with the nonsense of mating. Female aphids are parthenogenetic, or capable of virgin births, no males required. Like Russian nesting dolls, a female aphid may carry developing young, which are themselves already carrying developing young. This significantly shortens the development cycle and increases population numbers rapidly. Aphids Give Birth to Live Young You might expect a bug that seems so primitive to lay eggs like more other insects do, but aphids are pretty sophisticated when it comes to reproduction. There isnt time to wait for eggs to develop and hatch. So aphids practice viviparity, giving birth to live young. The aphids eggs begin to develop as soon as ovulation occurs, without any fertilization. Sources: Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity, by Stephen A. MarshallEncyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition, edited by John L. CapineraAphid Ecology: An Optimization Approach, by Anthony Frederick George Dixon