BookWyrm
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  • BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    I'm a day late because I've been pretty busy recently, and the map is a lot shorter than I would like, but it should still be fun
    Daily Dose of Nature #40:
    Spined Micrathena, or Micrathena gracilis, is a species of orb-weavers (Araneidae) native to North and Central America. Another common name is the Castleback Orbweaver. This spider spins a moderately large web, but is itself relatively small. Its venom is harmless to humans.

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    -Escape Room Status (8/24/24)-
    Well past my initially projected end, work is flowing well.
    I've got a number of projects in the next couple of weeks, so I might be absent for a little while (more on that when it happens).
    Sidenote, terraforming is kinda fun (though I'm still awful at it)​
    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    Here's a little enigmatic teaser for you:
    1724473712169.png
    Daily Dose of Nature #39:
    Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family (Fabaceae). The genus contains four species of wooding vines that are native to Eastern Asia, Northern Iran, and Southern Canada and Eastern United States, though they have been introduced to many European countries. It is a commonly planted ornamental because of its fragrant purple or white flowers.

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    Fun fact about Wisteria, the largest Wisteria in the world is the Sierra Madre Wisteria in Sierra Madre, California, but the oldest Wisteria in existence is in :red:uchiyama City in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is called Sainokami no Fuji, and is estimated to be over 1,200 years old. (Wikipedia)
    Glasia 森の魔王🌳
    Glasia 森の魔王🌳
    Difference between :red2:aceae and fabaceae
    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    :red2:aceae is the Beach family (so Beaches and Chestnuts), and Fabaceae is the Bean family (including Peas, Redbuds, Locusts(the trees), and most other plants with seed pods).
    The only similarity is their name, and they are not closely related. (but it can be confusing)
    Daily Dose of Nature #38:
    The Harlequin Cabbage Bug, or Murgantia histrionica, is a black stinkbug of the family Pentatomidae. I only have the nymph here, but these insects are active all throughout the summer, feeding on Brassicas like Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Spouts, Turnips, etc., which can cause issues to farming infrastructure.

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    Fun fact about this insect, researchers have injected radioactive phosphorous into the back of their hearts to investigate their circulatory system (by tracking the progression of radioactivity). (Wikipedia)
    Daily Dose of Nature #37:
    Pelecinus polyturator is a parasitoid wasp in the family Pelecinidae. The family contains only one living genus (Pelecinus) which contains three species in the Americas. The earliest known fossils from this family are from the Jurassic, and the group was highly diverse during the Cretaceous.

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    Fun fact about Pelecinus polyturator, it is considered parthenogenic, which is a form of asexual reproduction in which the eggs don't need to be fertilized by a male to develop. (Wikipedia)
    Daily Dose of Nature #36:
    Promachus rufipes, the Red-Footed Cannibal, or Bee Panther, is a species of Robber Fly.
    That's where the Wikipedia article ends. (Wikipedia)
    Robber flies are powerfully built, short and stout, and wait in ambush to attack flying prey. They're like if dwarves could fly and had a taste for other insects.

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    They seem to appear everywhere in the world (except Antarctica), and some species have even developed in Alpine and Tundra biomes. Fun fact about Robber Flies, after catching their prey, they will inject it with paralyzing and liquefactive saliva, before "drinking" the insides, much like spiders if they could fly and attack moving targets. (Wikipedia)
    I just found the most infuriating thing in math: optimal square packing

    Packing Unit Squares in Squares

    This is the most efficient way of stuffing 17 squares in a small space:
    1724120275997.png

    I hate it so much
    Daily Dose of Nature #35:
    Papilio glaucus, or the Tiger Swallowtail, is a species of butterfly native to Eastern North America.

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    9/6/24: Terradle in 3
    9/5/24: Terradle in 2
    9/4/24: Terradle in 9
    9/3/24: Terradle in 3
    9/2/24: Terradle in 6
    9/1/24: Terradle in 3
    8/31/24: N/A
    8/30/24: Terradle in 8
    8/29/24: Terradle in 7
    8/28/24: Terradle in 5
    8/27/24: Terradle in 5
    8/26/24: Terradle in 5
    8/25/24: Terradle in 9
    8/24/24: Terradle in 6
    8/23/24: Terradle in 4
    8/22/24: Terradle in 4
    8/21/24: Terradle in 7
    8/20/24: Terradle in 6
    8/19/24: Terradle in 3
    -Escape Room Status (8/19/24)-
    I am making more progress, though it's not anything groundbreaking.
    I stayed up way too late assembling one of the most satisfying contraptions I've made, and I don't regret it. (yet)

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    The wiring is actually pretty simple and compact, and getting stuff like this to work is normally a nightmare but it wasn't this time, it just fell into place and worked on the first try.
    It's nice when my brain doesn't decide to put wire in the wrong spot.
    I thought I was done making circles, but I guess these ones don't really count (they're too small).​
    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    I don't really have a plan on when I'll begin extensive testing, but that doesn't worry me. I've got time (for now)​
    Daily Dose of Nature (not rule) #34:
    Rudbeckia hirta, or the Black-Eyed Susan, is a North American flowering plant in the Aster family (Asteraceae). Native to Eastern and Central North America, it has been spread to all 48 contiguous states and all 10 provinces of Canada, as well as in China for some reason.

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    In addition to playing a beneficial role in almost any scenario, it is toxic to cats when ingested, so don't get a vase of these if your feline enjoys flower chewing. Fun fact about this plant, it is the state flower of Maryland, and it matches (half of) the flag quite well. (Wikipedia)
    Daily Dose of Nature #33:
    Monotropa uniflora, also known as the Ghost Pipe, Ghost Plant, or Indian Pipe, is an herbaceous perennial flowering plant native to temperate regions of Asia, North America, and Northern South America.

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    Fun fact about the Ghost Plant, instead of using chlorophyll to create energy from sunlight, this plant is a parasite, using the fungal networks with which trees and mushrooms exchange nutrients to steal them like a bunch of little white highway robbers. (Wikipedia)
    Daily Dose of Nature #32:
    Oncopeltus fasciatus, or the Large Milkweed Bug, is a medium-sized Hemipteran (true bug) in the Ladaeidae family. It is distributed throughout North America from southern Canada to the Caribbean and Costa Rica. As the name might suggest, Milkweed is its preferred food, but I found this one on Dogbane, which looks similar.

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    -Escape Room Status (8/15/24)-
    I thought I was going to finish the thing soon, but then I realized how quickly I'd done what I have so far, and decided to make it larger (because there's like a month and a half left).​
    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    One thing that I've done with this one is limit the number of ridiculously over-engineered technical puzzles, in favor of simpler, easier to make, more plentiful, (more fun), and generally less burnout-inducing ones, which has really helped.
    Circles are fun to make, but I believe I'm done with them now.​
    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    I found a texture bug with blocks adjacent to painted dirt, and another with the top of painted cages, both of which I reported.
    So far I think this is the one I've had the most fun building, which is surprising considering the number of menial tasks this one has entailed.​
    Daily dose of Nature #31:
    Apocynum, commonly referred to as Dogbane or Indian Hemp, is a small genus of flowering plants native to North America, temperate Asia, and Southeastern Europe. It got its name from the greek words for "Dog" and "Away", because it was used to poison dogs.

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    Fun fact about Dogbane, it contains cymarin, which is a heart stimulant and was formerly used to treat cardiac arrhythmia in humans. (Wikipedia)
    Daily Dose of Nature #30:
    The Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis), is a species of Praying Mantis native to East Asia. It is considered slightly invasive in Eastern North America, in which it has spread after being accidentally introduced in a nursery in Philadelphia. The mantis primarily feeds on other insects (including each other), but may also consume frogs, lizards, and even hummingbirds.

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    Two fun facts about mantises, (1) There are two martial arts styles created to mimic the movements of the Chinese Mantis. The two styles are Praying Mantis Kung Fu, and Southern Praying Mantis. (2) The spots on the eyes that look like pupils are actually not. They're actually an optical illusion to deter predation. (Wikipedia)
    Daily Dose of Nature #29:
    Ground Ivy, Creeping Charlie, Creeping Jenny, Gill-Over-the-Ground, Alehoof, Tunhoof, Catsfoot, Field Balm, or Run-Away-Robin (Glechoma hederacea) is a creeper (the plant, not the mob) in the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is used for salads around the globe, having been carried there by European settlers (of course).

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    It is considered an aggresive invasive plant in some parts of North America, and the extensive root system makes it difficult to remove by hand. Fun fact about whatever you call this thing, it is one of those plants that has been in the field of European medicine long enough to acquire a number of uses to which it is ill suited to say the least.
    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    It has been used, for example, to treat eye infections, tinnitus, kidney diseases, stomach ailments, fevers and influenza, liver problems, and a host of other varied and unrelated maladies on which its affect is unknown. (Wikipedia)
    Daily Dose of Nature #28:
    The Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) is a species of Scarab Beetle native to Japan. It is considered invasive in North America and Europe due to the lack of natural predators. The beetle is harmful to a number of plants including Grapes, Canna Lilys, Crape Myrtles, and Roses (I found this one on a Box Elder Maple, though we do have issues with our Grapes too).

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    They are not an exceedingly dangerous invasive, as they are relatively easy to control and eradicate. Fun fact about Japanese Beetles, several predators and parasatoids have been introduced to the United States for biocontrol, including a parasitic wasp and a parasitic fly which are well established with good results. (Wikipedia)
    Daily Dose of Nature #27:
    Oxalis dillenii is a species of flowering plant in the Wood Sorrel family (Oxalidaceae), it can be found worldwide, but likely originated in North America. The genus (Oxalis) contains over 550 species. Numerous species in this genus have been cultivated for food (tubers and leaves) in Columbia, India, New Zealand, and by some Native Americans.

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    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    Edible tubers are not produced by all species, but the leaves, flowers, and seed pods of most species are edible and taste acidic (because they contain Oxalic Acid).
    BookWyrm
    BookWyrm
    Fun fact about some species of Oxalis, they are considered hyperaccumulators of copper, meaning they can grow in and imbibe copper-rich soils, which may prove useful when planting in polluted areas. (Wikipedia)
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