RE: https://mastodon.scot/@kim_harding/115984446339509467
#Sarcoptes #scabiei var. hominis (#Astigmata, Acariformes) is a skin-#parasitic #mite that feeds on human #epidermal cells. Infection typically occurs via adult, mated #females.The mite has #subspecies found on both #domestic and #wild #animals. The #evolutionary direction was via #humanancestors to humans and from there #spreading first to domestic animals and then to wild animals (see ref).
© #StefanFWirth 2026
Reference
R. W. Currier er al. (2012): https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06364.x
“Every major change in
#economics has been associated with some way of adding value in society until we reach
#neoliberalism, which is fundamentally different from all the others because it is
#parasitic, based upon rent
#extraction and not upon value creation.”
https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2026/01/25/neoliberalism-is-dying-whats-next/
Neoliberalism is dying: what’s next?
Are we living through the end of the neoliberal era?
I think we are, and I think the moment it became undeniable was Mark Carney’s speech at Davos.
Neoliberalism wasn’t an accident. It was a deliberate ideological project built around the myth that “freedom through markets” would deliver freedom for everyone. Instead,...
Blushing bracket (Daedaleopsis confragosa) or roodporiehoutzwam in Dutch. A bright red specimen contrasting with the green moss. It is parasitic, prefers to grow on injured willow and consumes both lignin and cellulose and in the end leaves a soft white powder where there was once wood. This is called white rot.
#fungi #mushroom #mycology #winter #moss #forest #germany #eifel #red #green #contrast #snow #parasitic #rot10-Dec-2025
The evolutionary mysteries of a rare #parasitic plant
New study maps the strange #genomes of Asia-Pacific Balanophora species, giving new insights into the #evolution of parasitic #plants and an unconventional role of #plastids.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1109271
#science #ecology
The evolutionary mysteries of a rare parasitic plant
At the base of mossy trees, deep in the mountains of Taiwan and mainland Japan or nestled in the subtropical forests of Okinawa, grows what most might mistake for a mushroom – but what is actually a very unique plant with some of the smallest flowers and seeds in the world. With no chlorophyll to photosynthesize with and no root system to supply it with water from the ground, Balanophora has evolved a series of extreme traits to survive entirely as a parasite on the roots of specific trees. Some species and populations produce seeds only without fertilization (obligate agamospermy) – which is exceedingly rare in the plant kingdom.
Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Kobe University, and the University of Taipei have now joined forces to survey Balanophora across its sparse and inaccessible habitats, upending our understanding of photosynthesis loss in land plants, obligate agamospermy, and the role of the plastids.
Our latest research investigates how the African #catfish, a cornerstone species in #aquaculture, responds to naturally acquired #parasitic #infections: doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70131 #JFB
http://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70131
Flying Parasitic Worms Use This Superpower to Ambush Prey Midair
The "worm-charging mechanism" of parasitic nematodes illustrates the wildest physics on the tiniest scales.
Andropogon false-smut (Epicoccum andropogonis) growing on a grass spikelet. The fungus is feeding on the sugary exudate of a parasitic fungus (Claviceps sp.) that is infecting the plant.
#fungus #fungi #grasses #monocots #parasitic #saprobic #nature #plants #botany #mycology #macrophotographyGolden ear (Naematelia aurantia) parasitizing false turkey tail (Stereum hirsutum). I really wanted to take this log home but people were looking. Rose Valley, PA, USA.
#fungi #fungus #mushrooms #log #parasitic #mycology #biology #natureWe also saw some ghost pipes while out hiking in the forest. These were all under 6" in height. They were growing in small bunches of twos, three and a smattering of fours in various stages of development.
#PerennialPlant #GhostPipes #Parasitic #GhostPlant #Nature #Hiking #Illinois
Nice patch of dodder (Cuscuta sp.) at the restored meadow in the Crum Woods (Swarthmore College). No flowers yet so species ID is hopeless.
#swarthmore #dodder #parasite #parasitic #botany #plants #cuscuta #nature #vines #convolvulaceae #ricohgriiix
Stefan F. Wirth
Alexandra Beekers 🏳️🌈🌍
Jette
michael
The FSBI
Steve Dustcircle 🌹
Colin Purrington
Jimijamflimflam
