chekhovs gun hanging over my head

Hamza had a large family, including several young nieces and nephews. His brother and sister also suffer from a blood disorder, which makes a healthy diet very important.

In Gaza, food is still incredibly expensive and unstable, as well as medical supplies and housing expenses. When money is withdrawn or transferred, a lot of it is eaten up by fees. If you could help Hamza’s family during this deeply awful time, they’d be forever appreciative.

Maha and her family previously had a verified GFM to pay for basic necessities like food, medical care, and some form of shelter. Horrifically, the person running their former GFM has stolen from them and hijacked their campaign.

Below is Maha’s new GFM. Her previous GFM was vetted by el-shab-hussein and nabulsi on their vetted campaign master list, on line 163.

Maha has been hospitalized due to serious complications from an infected tooth. She is particularly vulnerable to this type of infection, which almost killed her last year. Thankfully her husband has returned from Egypt, but both he and Maha are unable to work and thus cannot pay for her hospital bills. They are over $700 usd in debt for her treatment and Maha is about to be kicked out of the hospital.

As I said, last year a very similar infection almost took Maha’s life. If she is expelled from the hospital, a worsened infection is an inevitability. She still has a high fever and needs to remain hospitalized. PLEASE help her continue life-saving treatment!!

Current: €1,679 out of €2,176 (1 June)

A stem cup from North China, late seventh or early eighth century. Silver with embossing, chasing, engraving and microscopic traces of gilding.

Each lacewing spends about 5 days maturing inside its cacoon, and then it cuts an opening in the top and emerges as a fully-developed adult.

Above: a common green lacewing emerging from its cocoon

Green lacewing larvae (genus Chrysopidae) are also known as "aphid lions," because they're voracious predators that often feed on aphids. They've also been known to prey upon caterpillars, leafhoppers, planthoppers, thrips, spiders, mites, and insect eggs, which is why they're widely used to help eradicate pests in agricultural contexts.

Once the lacewing nears the end of its larval stage, it builds a small cacoon out of silk and then tucks itself inside, allowing the pupal phase to begin. Its tiny green body is often partially visible through the thin, loosely-woven walls of the cacoon.

Above: a lacewing developing within its cocoon

These breathtaking photos of a lacewing climbing out of its cacoon were taken by a Danish photographer named Frederik Leck Fischer.

Above: the lacewing preparing to emerge

When the insect initially emerges, its wings and antennae are still compactly folded down against its body, and the wings have a dark, shriveled appearance that makes them almost unrecognizable.

Above: the fully-developed lacewing waiting for its wings to expand

The wings then gradually expand until they have reached their full size, which usually takes about an hour or two.

Above: the same lacewing just a few hours later

Fischer's photographs provide a stunning account of the entire process.

Above: close-up of a common green lacewing

This is a rewritten version of a post that I originally published three years ago.

Sources & More Info:

iNaturalist: Common Green Lacewing

University of California: Family Chrysopidae

Texas A&M: The Green Lacewing

Washington State University: Lacewings

Tennessee State University: Insect Predators: Green Lacewings (PDF)

Collected from webs of the Joro spider, a type of golden orb weaver. Yes, it's naturally that golden

This is from the support threads, not washed at all. The sticky inner web wasn't used, as it's goopy and full of debris. The support threads are also the longest and the strongest, so i can pluck off 1-2ft sections at a time (usually combining a few separate strands into one thread)

And some photos of the back + the hoop contraption, made with spare parts: