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Leaf Hoppers

11/29/2020

 
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What do insect poo and solar energy have in common? I present to you the humble leafhopper - the insect that is inspiring engineers for its ability to protect itself from its own poo. Say, what?! Stay with me, folks. This is exciting stuff!

Any maple syrup lovers out there? The bottle cap gets glued on and the rest of the bottle gets sticky if you don't clean off the bottle, right? Imagine if your excrement was that same consistency and you didn't have a way to clean yourself. No, on second thought let's not imagine that!

Leafhoppers (family Cicadellidae) eat the sap from plants. As a result, their excrement is very sticky. To make sure they aren't glued to a leaf by their own waste or stuck in a straightjacket made of poo, they produce brochosomes and spread them all over their bodies. Brochosomes resemble soccer balls (or buckyballs for all my fellow geeks out there who are still gleeful about the discovery of buckyballs in space). You could fit a few hundred brochosomes in the width of a hair. They're made in a special gland in the leafhopper, and the insect uses its legs to spread billions of them all over its body. The brochosomes are the ideal nonstick surface; they work so well that a water drop that lands on the insect will maintain a near-perfect spherical shape and not flatten at the point of contact.

Scientists have been studying brochosomes and they have begun simulating them in the lab. They are interested in not only the nonstick characteristics, but also the optical or antireflective properties. They believe manmade brochosomes might be applied in solar energy harvesting, imaging, and sensing devices.

Someday, you might be using equipment with advanced sensors while sitting in a room lit by more efficient solar energy, and it will all be because an insect had to protect itself from its own sticky poo. You're welcome.
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p.s. There are 20,000 types of leafhopper, and as you can see, they vary in appearance. More interestingly, scientists believe that the different leafhoppers may also differ in their brochosomes; they may have varied structural geometries with more fascinating properties. That means there may be more Sunday Squee write-ups like this from me in the future. Aren't you thrilled? No? Huh. Yeah, I'll show myself out. 😆
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National Camp Day!

11/19/2020

 
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​National Camp Day! Some of my favorite camping adventures have been in the Pacific Northwest, waking up to mountain vistas or gazing up at the stars before falling to sleep. There's nothing like sleeping in the great outdoors!
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Walking Stick!

11/15/2020

 
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I was thrilled to spot this Northern Walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata), even though I was walking rather briskly. It's funny how a little creature like this causes me to slow my pace, look closely, and remember that there are very cool things all around us no matter where we are.

There are about 3,000 species of walkingsticks worldwide, but only the Northern Walkingsticks are found in the northern part of North America. I was really fortunate to see this one since they are hard to find during the day. They are usually only active at night, and they typically mimic a twig, hiding in the leaves. They can remain motionless or just slightly sway in the wind for hours at a time. As you can see, they are harmless. They are exceptionally light on their feet; I could barely feel it as it walked across my arms and hands.
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Slow down and keep your eyes peeled for a surprise Sunday Squee when you're out and about today!

American Red Squirrel

11/8/2020

 
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I can relate to Dug from the movie "Up!": "Have you seen a bird? I am going to find one, and I am on the scent. I am a great tracker; did I mention that?! SQUIRREL!" 

I was watching some birds, waiting for them to land in the open when I saw this American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) staring at me. I love the expression on its face! 
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These squirrels are tiny, measuring about a foot long in total length including the tail. Their favorite foods are pine and spruce seeds, so they are often called "Pineys". They also enjoy the sap from maple trees. Who wants to join this squirrel for some syrup-covered pine nuts? 😆

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