Eventually, the bamboo stalks crackled and split under the heat. Children laughed and splashed in the muddy waters of the grove. Villagers were pounding sago and singing nearby. The air was alive with the sounds of birds and wind and river. He was entertained by the sight of red ants scrambling madly around the fire, competing over stray crumbs of sago pith and coconut flesh. Her three-year-old son, Fransiskus, sat beside us, giggling. Then she carefully placed the bamboos atop a small fire of dried juniper twigs and sago fronds to steam. 1 With her callused yet nimble hands, she patted the freshly leached sago starch into round, even-sized clumps, and slid them into chopped bamboo stalks, alternating sago with shredded coconut flesh, destalked papaya leaves, slivers of possum meat, and plump, writhing sago grubs. There are an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 ichneumonid species distributed worldwide, more than any other Hymenoptera family including ants and bees.Crouched ankle-deep in the mud, Marcella, a Marind woman in her late thirties from the Mirav village in rural West Papua, was teaching me how to cook sago. The Ichneumonidae, arguably the largest animal family, contains about 4,000 species in North America alone. The parasitic behavior of Ichneumon wasps was the inspiration behind the "Alien" movies’ "face-hugger" and "chest-burster" alien species. “I own that I see as plainly as others do…evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us…I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice.” The discovery of Ichneumonidae was so troubling to many that, in 1860, Charles Darwin wrote a letter to the American naturalist Asa Gray, saying: Note: both adult males and females are stingless, and feed on nectar. They are also known as “scorpion wasps” for the extreme length and curving motion of their segmented abdomens. Once a suitable host is found, females deposit eggs onto the unsuspecting insect larvae where, within ten days to several weeks, the ichneumonid larva kills the host by feeding on its body fluids before it emerges. The name “ichneumonid” comes from Greek words meaning “tracker” and “footprint.” And females do indeed hunt for suitable “hosts” by first identifying the organism’s food source. Ichneumonid wasps (family Ichneumonidae), are a widely distributed parasitoid wasp family within the order Hymenoptera. By taking the time to read about our featured Polli-NATION pollinator, you will not only learn about the many diverse species we call pollinators, but also discover what you can do in your daily life to help ensure their survival. Polli-NATION members include species like butterflies, wasps, flies, beetles, birds, bats, and more. With it, we will raise public awareness about these pollinators, their contribution to plant health and productivity and the preservation of natural resources, and the threats they face in their daily lives, including toxic pesticides and habitat loss. In order to raise awareness for the unsung pollinator heroes all around us, Beyond Pesticides created the Polli-NATION Campaign, which highlights the important work of a relatively unknown pollinator each month. In fact, one out of every three bites of food we take is made possible by pollinators. While they are crucial to pollinating many crops, it is important to note that bees aren’t the only pollinators working hard to provide the ecosystem services we rely on to support our food system. When it comes to pollination, bees tend to get all of the buzz. Statement: Beyond Pesticides Stands with Black Lives Matter.The 2022 National Forum Series Launches Beyond Pesticides’ Campaign to Eliminate Fossil Fuel-Based Pesticide Use Within the Next Decade.On Earth Day, Coalition Calls on NYC Parks Department to Set Up Demonstration Sites.Beyond Pesticides Makes Science-based Case that It Is Imperative to Phase Out Pesticides in a Decade.EPA's Pesticides Office Labeled as a Failure.Rodale Institute Honors 2021 Organic Pioneer Award Winners.Writing (e.g., Poems, Music, Short Stories).Action of the Week: Tell USDA We Need Honest, Informative GE/GMO Labeling.Pest Management Providers: Register Today!.Non-Target Insects and Beneficial Species.Model Policies for State and Local Action.Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management.Safety Source on Pest Management Providers.Golf, Pesticides, and Organic Practices.Center for Community Pesticide and Alternatives Information.BEE Protective: Pollinators and Pesticides.
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