#parasitic — Public Fediverse posts

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

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

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

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

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

10-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

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 #macrophotography

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

The #firebug #Pyrrhocoris apterus is widespread throughout much of #Palearctic. Adults and the five nymphal stages tend to #aggregate. They are #soildwellers and feed on plant #seeds, occasionally also on insect eggs. Some mite species can be on the bugs, with the #parasitic #mite #Hemipteroseius adleri being particularly specialized for it.

© #StefanFWirth #Berlin 2025

in my #YouTube video about a tree (2025)
https://youtu.be/wZqDuEFu8Nk?si=0HLyBsc4VjzGKvok

#Photo

P. apterus Bln, 2020, new edit 2025 © S. F. Wirth

Solution: #zerotolerance = do not go soft on #parasitic #influencers and #narcissistic #tourists who flout the local #laws. ⚖️👮‍♂️

Dodder bursting out of a host stem to flower. They don't usually reside inside other plants so this was worth a pic. Normally they just wrap around another plant and send in root-like haustoria to suck the juices out, like the situation you can see on the left. #cuscuta #dodder #convolvulaceae #parasitic #parasite #plants #botany #biology

#IndianGhostPipe - #MonotropaUniflora

Herbaceous, #perennial flowering plant.

It can't generate its own chlorophyll & is #parasitic - specifically #mycoheterotroph. Its #symbiotic #fungi hosts are in the #Russulaceae family.

Through the fungal web of #mycorrhizae, #GhostPipe roots sap food from where the host fungi are connected to the #photosynthetic #trees. Clustered node roots of this plant are covered in hairs called #cystidium. The #cystidia found on these roots allow easy attachment to #FungiHyphae. As it's not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments, like understories of forests.

#Indigenous #Cherokee peoples feature the "pipe plant" in some of their #CreationStories. The legend states that the plant was named "Indian pipe" due to a group of chiefs quarreling without resolution, while passing a pipe around during the dispute; the Great Spirit then turned the chiefs into the plant, as they should have smoked the sacred pipe after making peace with each other. The plant is said to grow wherever friends have quarreled.

Native to #PacificNorthwest & a few other areas too.

#NotAFungi #PlantIdentification #PlantLovers #ParasiticPlants #InterestingPlants #Wsanec #Saanich #PNW #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #cascadia #LearnAboutPlants #Bloomscrolling #StrangeFlowers #ForestPlants #YYJ #Nature #WildPlants #NativePlants

LOSING HOPE
parasitic economy murders the future

#capitalism #parasitic #losinghope #nofuture #directaction #takeaction

@ruisan I’d call it a reciprocating license.

And I’d call licenses where you can take without giving back parasitic licenses.

#licenses #reciprocating #parasitic

A secret war between cane #toads and #parasitic lungworms is raging across Australia https://theconversation.com/a-secret-war-between-cane-toads-and-parasitic-lungworms-is-raging-across-australia-223461

A biological invasion modifies the dynamics of a host–#parasite arms race https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2023.2403

"When the first #CaneToads were brought from South America to #Queensland in 1935, many of the #parasites that troubled them were left behind. But deep inside the #lungs of at least one of those pioneer toads lurked small nematode #lungworms."

The #organisms that cause visceral #leishmaniasis, a potentially deadly version of the #parasitic disease that most often affects the skin to cause disfiguring disease, appear to have a secret weapon
#Microbiology #Medical #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2023/09/mcb09292302.html

#Parasitic plant convinces hosts to grow into its own flesh—it's also an extreme example of genome shrinkage https://phys.org/news/2023-09-parasitic-convinces-hosts-fleshit-extreme.html

#Balanophora #genomes display massively #ConvergentEvolution with other extreme #holoparasites and provide novel insights into parasite–host interactions https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-023-01517-7

"unlike some other #ParasiticPlants, Balanophora induces the vascular system of their host plant to grow into a tuber, forming a unique underground organ with mixed host-parasite tissue."

#Scientists show how #parasites turn marsh-dwelling brown #crustaceans into neon zombies https://phys.org/news/2023-08-scientists-parasites-marsh-dwelling-brown-shrimp.html

#ParasiteManipulation of host phenotypes inferred from transcriptional analyses in a #trematode-#amphipod system https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.17093

"#SaltMarshes are home to tiny crustaceans called amphipods that keep a low profile... But when amphipods are infected with a #parasitic #worm, they turn bright orange and lose their tendency to run for cover when exposed."

#Scientists believe they have #discovered a #new #parasitic #fungus which #preys on trapdoor #spiders in #Brazil ’s Atlantic #rainforest .

The #rare #organism , which is purple, belongs to a group of #fungi that #infect #invertebrates & take over the host. A closeup image shows the fungus wrapped around the body of a #TrapdoorSpider , poking out of the burrow from which the #arachnid grabs insects.

https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/17/parasitic-fungus-that-infects-and-kills-spiders-discovered-in-brazil-aoe

#NewDiscovery #Science #Amazon #BreakingNews #SaveTheRainforest

#Scientists believe they have #discovered a #new #parasitic #fungus which #preys on trapdoor #spiders in #Brazil ’s Atlantic #rainforest .

The #rare #organism , which is purple, belongs to a group of #fungi that #infect #invertebrates & take over the host. A closeup image shows the fungus wrapped around the body of a #TrapdoorSpider , poking out of the burrow from which the #arachnid grabs insects.

https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/17/parasitic-fungus-that-infects-and-kills-spiders-discovered-in-brazil-aoe

#NewDiscovery #Science #Amazon #BreakingNews #SaveTheRainforest

#Scientists believe they have #discovered a #new #parasitic #fungus which #preys on trapdoor #spiders in #Brazil ’s Atlantic #rainforest .

The #rare #organism , which is purple, belongs to a group of #fungi that #infect #invertebrates & take over the host. A closeup image shows the fungus wrapped around the body of a #TrapdoorSpider , poking out of the burrow from which the #arachnid grabs insects.

https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/17/parasitic-fungus-that-infects-and-kills-spiders-discovered-in-brazil-aoe

#NewDiscovery #Science #Amazon #BreakingNews #SaveTheRainforest

#Scientists believe they have #discovered a #new #parasitic #fungus which #preys on trapdoor #spiders in #Brazil ’s Atlantic #rainforest .

The #rare #organism , which is purple, belongs to a group of #fungi that #infect #invertebrates & take over the host. A closeup image shows the fungus wrapped around the body of a #TrapdoorSpider , poking out of the burrow from which the #arachnid grabs insects.

https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/17/parasitic-fungus-that-infects-and-kills-spiders-discovered-in-brazil-aoe

#NewDiscovery #Science #Amazon #BreakingNews #SaveTheRainforest

@loren I have Australia's largest bee for you: Megachile monstrosa.

Marked as sensitive as it may appear scary, but this solitary bee uses her huge mandibles to dig a nest in solid wood.

In the last photo, you can see her enlarging a knot hole while a gasteruption wasp (parasitic) waits for an opportunity to lay her egg on the bee's egg. Wood shavings were falling on me as I took this photo from below.

#WesternAustralia #Bees #Megachile #Gasteruption #Wasps #Parasitic #Nesting #Nature

After reading this, I’ll admit to going down a lampreys-as-cuisine rabbit hole:

“This medieval English king died from eating too much of this horrific, #parasitic fish”

https://www.salon.com/2023/01/28/this-medieval-english-king-from-eating-too-much-of-this-horrific-parasitic-fish/

I definitely disagree with the “horrific” description of these #amazing #animals in the headline title, although a few of the meals made from it tend in that direction.

E.g. “… #lamprey stew, made with lumps of lamprey boiled in its own blood and mixed with rice.”

🥣 https://i.stuff.co.nz/life-style/302569/Lunching-on-lamprey

In a invited presentation I will summarise our ongoing research @PaleoParaDive on constraining the deep #origin and #evolution of #parasitic #flatworms with #fossil evidence and novel #cophylogenetic methods:
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0432 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42484-8_7
https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icac050 #paleobiology #paleoparasitology #EvolutionaryBiology

It will be my first time in Brazil and look forward to it and meeting new colleagues.