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Post by billhammond on Aug 18, 2021 13:49:35 GMT -5
 NewsweekThere's a new bug invading New York City and the surrounding region. Spotted lanternflies, while not directly harmful to humans, are giant, colorful pests that have the potential to wreak havoc on the area's crops—and officials are advising locals to destroy any that they encounter. The insects are native to China and Southeast Asia, and they were first seen in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014. Since then, their population has slowly been on the rise, with spotted lanternflies having also been identified in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Notably, the species is highly colorful, making them easy to spot. "They have red hind wings with black spots, have a black head, and a yellow abdomen with black bands," said the New York Department of Agriculture. "Their grayish forewings have black spots with a distinctive black brick-like pattern on the tips." The pests are equipped with "piercing mouthparts" which allow them to suck sap from a wide range of plant species, leaving the plants weak and vulnerable. "This intense feeding just saps the energy from plants, and that makes it tough for some of them to thrive," explained entomologist Amy Korman to NJ Spotlight News. The pests pose such a threat, in fact, that New York City officials are recommending that residents step up and assist in the eradication efforts themselves. "Harming our city's wildlife is prohibited, but in an effort to slow the spread of this troublesome species, we are putting out a one-time call: if you see a spotted lanternfly, please squish and dispose of this invasive pest," said the city's Department of Parks and Recreation. In neighboring New Jersey, where the number of spotted lanternflies is also increasing, residents have been given similar advice: "If you see a spotted lanternfly, help us Stomp it Out!" said the state's Department of Agriculture on its website. After killing the bugs, government agencies are telling people to take a picture of the specimen and the location where it was found, then immediately report the sighting—in New York, for example, spotted lanternfly sightings can be reported to the Department of Agriculture's SLF response survey. Residents are also being advised to get rid of the species' egg masses, explained community horticulture educator Susan Ndiaye to the Times Union. She instructs anyone who encounters an egg mass to "scrape them off" whatever surface they're found on "and destroy them." What makes the spotted lanternfly particularly unsettling is the fact that it has a wide range of potential hosts—meaning that the pests can thrive drinking the sap of several important plant species, explained the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM). The biggest concern regarding the spotted lanternfly is the threat it poses to agriculture, with "grapes, hops, apples, blueberries, and stone fruits" all being at risk. Spotted lanternflies can't fly far, but, as planthoppers, they spread via "human activity." "They lay their eggs on vehicles, firewood, outdoor furniture, stone, etc. which are inadvertently transported to new areas, causing the insect to spread," said the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. |
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Post by Cosmic Wonder on Aug 18, 2021 15:04:41 GMT -5
Hey Matt. Lunch is served.
Mike
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Post by Marshall on Aug 18, 2021 15:46:51 GMT -5
I’m suspicious of the insect lab in Wuhan.
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Post by millring on Aug 18, 2021 17:19:42 GMT -5
"Bug squishing" sounds just like "bucks wishing".
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Post by coachdoc on Aug 18, 2021 19:25:39 GMT -5
Got nothing. They are pretty, though.
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Post by Dave Poor on Aug 18, 2021 23:05:37 GMT -5
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Post by howard lee on Aug 19, 2021 7:36:16 GMT -5
There are certain neighborhoods in New York I'd advise these bugs not to try and invade.
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Post by billhammond on Aug 19, 2021 7:44:14 GMT -5
There are certain neighborhoods in New York I'd advise these bugs not to try and invade. pourquoi? |
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Post by howard lee on Aug 19, 2021 8:12:17 GMT -5
There are certain neighborhoods in New York I'd advise these bugs not to try and invade. pourquoi?
Because they'll get their little bug butts kicked.
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Post by jdd2 on Aug 19, 2021 18:19:14 GMT -5
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Post by howard lee on Aug 20, 2021 6:46:16 GMT -5
Quite perceptive of you, Professor. Casablanca's script provides one with many good lines for handling a multitude of situations.
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Post by jdd2 on Aug 20, 2021 7:19:13 GMT -5
I taught a pseudo film studies seminar for a while, used a 10-part AFI/PBS series called american cinema/american culture (dates to about 1995, 100th anniversary of cinema). Casablanca is classic hollywood style, used (excerpts) in that series, and then we watched it, too. In some lost folder on another computer I have some materials for it--quizzes to match certain lines with the characters who said them, the different names Rick is called and by who, who drinks what, all the kinds of hats throughout, what brand Rick smokes, eye color, the number rick suggests for the couple to bet on, where laszlo was hiding when Ilsa heard he was alive (in paris), and so on and on. The AFI series was weak in that it only started in the 30s, and just didn't mention anything earlier. I did a couple minor papers on Méliès, and the Lumières, and had one going on Edison and the americans that never got finished.
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Post by howard lee on Aug 20, 2021 23:29:26 GMT -5
I taught a pseudo film studies seminar for a while, used a 10-part AFI/PBS series called american cinema/american culture (dates to about 1995, 100th anniversary of cinema). Casablanca is classic hollywood style, used (excerpts) in that series, and then we watched it, too. In some lost folder on another computer I have some materials for it--quizzes to match certain lines with the characters who said them, the different names Rick is called and by who, who drinks what (a lot of champagne cocktails), all the kinds of hats throughout, what brand Rick smokes (Camel? Lucky Strike? Pall Mall?), eye color ("Are my eyes really brown?"), the number rick suggests for the couple to bet on (22 black), where laszlo was hiding when Ilsa heard he was alive (in paris) (in a boxcar at the train station), and so on and on. The AFI series was weak in that it only started in the 30s, and just didn't mention anything earlier. I did a couple minor papers on Méliès (have you seen Martin Scorcese's film, "Hugo?"), and the Lumières, and had one going on Edison and the americans that never got finished.
I took several courses in film noir in college. I couldn't get enough.
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Post by jdd2 on Aug 21, 2021 17:02:09 GMT -5
I took several courses in film noir in college. I couldn't get enough. [/div][/quote] A few of the scripts I made for the AFI series. The series used to be on youtube, but apparently the good versions there are now gone (or buried). Hollywood styleStudio systemThe starFilm in the TV ageFilm school generationThere's a part on noir, too (also westerns, romantic comedy, and combat films, as genres), but we only had so much time, and noir is harder for second language learners. I do have a script for it, but it's really rough. All of these started as captures from a closed caption system, and then over the years I polished/tweaked them. There are still a few flaws (maybe someone is mis-identified, and how I did the excerpts may be questionable), but overall these are very accurate. The Star and the Film School Generation were the most accessible. |
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