Larvae
hideIn Roman mythology, the larvae or lemures (singular lemur) were the spectres or spirits of the dead; they were the malignant version of the lares. Some Roman writers describe lemures as the common name for all the spirits of the dead, and divide them into two classes: the lares, or the benevolent souls of the family, which haunted and guarded the domus or household, and the larvae, or the restless and fearful souls of wicked men. But the more common idea was that the Lemures and Larvae were the same. They were said to wander about at night and to torment and frighten the living.
On May 9, 11, and 13, the Lemuralia or Lemuria, the feast of the Lemures, occurred, when black beans were offered to the Larvae in the hopes of propitiating them; loud noises were also used to frighten them away.
Lemurs were so named by Linnaeus for their large eyes, nocturnal habits and unearthly noises they make at night. Some species of lemur were identified by their calls before scientists had seen individuals. Linnaeus also coined the modern use of the word 'larva' to denote the caterpillar stage in the life cycle of insects.
For more information about Larvae, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with larvae
Butterfly payload to launch Nov. 16 on space shuttle
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 10, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
When NASA's space shuttle Atlantis launches for the International Space Station on Nov. 16 it will carry a University of Colorado at Boulder butterfly experiment that will be monitored by thousands of K-12 ...
Studies show marine reserves can be an effective tool for managing fisheries
Nov 09, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Studies conducted in California and elsewhere provide support for the use of marine reserves as a tool for managing fisheries and protecting marine habitats, according to biologists at the University of California, Santa ...
Scientists examine how common pesticide mixes may affect bee die-offs
Oct 29, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Since reports of widespread bee die-offs began to surface in October 2006, researchers have investigated possible reasons ranging from hive-infecting mites to cell phone-tower radiation. They have yet to ...
Tiny UK parasitoid wasp discovered
Oct 20, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new species of parasitoid wasp that feeds on a common whitefly pest has been discovered in the UK by a Natural History Museum scientist.
Mauritana locust infestation spreading to Morocco: UN
Oct 16, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
0
An invasion of crickets in Mauritania has spread to Morocco and the western Sahara, and could worsen if there is strong rainfall in coming weeks, the United Nations warned Friday.
House-infesting brown dog tick becoming resistant to common pesticides, experts say
Sep 23, 2009 |
2 / 5 (1) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- It's bad enough that the Southeast is bedeviled by a tick that doesn't mind taking up residence inside homes. But now researchers say they believe the brown dog tick has developed resistance ...
Photoswitches shed light on spontaneous free swimming in zebrafish (w/ Video)
Sep 16, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A new way to select and switch on one cell type in an organism using light has helped answer a long-standing question about the function of one class of enigmatic nerve cells in the spinal cord.
New thread in fabric of insect silks
Sep 10, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- The aptly named silk worms long appeared to have the monopoly on insect silk production, but now scientists are revealing that the world of insect silks is highly complex.
Using insects to test for drug safety
Sep 08, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Insects, such as some moths and fruit flies, react to microbial infection in the same way as mammals and so can be used to test the efficiency of new drugs, thereby reducing the need for animal testing. Dr Kevin Kavanagh ...
Aphids saved from gruesome death by virus-infected bacteria
Aug 20, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
The term "beneficial virus" sounds like an oxymoron. But for pea aphids under attack by parasitic wasps, carrying infected bacteria is the difference between life and a slow death, according to new research. ...
New orchid deception found: wearing the scent of hornet's prey
Aug 06, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Orchids are famous for their deceptions. Most of those with nothing of value to offer their pollinators lure them instead with the scents of more rewarding flowers or potential mates. Now, a report published online on August ...
Restoring a natural root signal helps to fight a major corn pest
Aug 03, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
1
A longstanding and fruitful collaboration between researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, together with contributions from colleagues in ...
Flies avoid a plant's poison using a newly identified taste mechanism
Jun 30, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Many plants protect themselves from hungry animals by producing toxic chemicals. In turn, animals rely on detecting the presence of these harmful chemicals to avoid consuming dangerous plant material. A paper, published in ...
Larvae shun the light
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Jun 22, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Drosophila larvae avoid light during the foraging stage of their development. Research published in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience shows that both 5-HT (serotonergic) and corazonergic neurons have a role in reg ...
Midge keeps invasive mosquito in check, aiding native mosquitoes (w/Podcast)
Jun 04, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
0
In a drama played out across the southeastern U.S. in containers as small as a coffee cup, native and invasive mosquito larvae compete for resources and try to avoid getting eaten. One of the invasive mosquitoes, ...
