this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2024
635 points (99.4% liked)

Science Memes

11021 readers
3609 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
all 38 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 64 points 8 months ago (4 children)

So...ok, I'm missing something, then. How does the population get energy into the system, then? They don't photosynthesize, somebody has to eat SOMEthing at SOME point, or they won't have any energy at all for.....activities.

[–] Pyro@programming.dev 95 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

The caterpillar stage. Wikipedia says that's 6-7 weeks long.

[–] androogee@midwest.social 24 points 8 months ago

Become alive. Eat until I literally dissolve into goo. Become alive again. Fuck. Die.

[–] nezbyte@lemmy.world 61 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Energy is from fat stores created while a caterpillar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_moth

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 36 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Oh that makes so much sense. I completely forgot about metamorphosis.

[–] nonfuinoncuro@lemm.ee 6 points 8 months ago

GOD dammit I almost forgot about 177013

[–] Kedly@lemm.ee 6 points 8 months ago

I was in the same boat, thank you for asking my first thought as well xD

[–] Bezier@suppo.fi 9 points 8 months ago

I hear they gather the energy during the caterpillar stage.

[–] popcap200@lemmy.ml 6 points 8 months ago

I googled it. They have energy stored from when they were caterpillars.

[–] NounsAndWords@lemmy.world 34 points 8 months ago

Man, caterpillar heaven looks pretty rad.

[–] FrostyCaveman@lemm.ee 17 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Think I killed one of these in Dark Souls

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 8 points 8 months ago

Got a cool magic spear from it, too

[–] Gabu@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago

PRAISE THE ~~SUN~~ LAMP!

\ 🦋 /

[–] abfarid@startrek.website 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

What happens if we put them on IV? How long will they last? Will they go full Mr. Meeseeks? What are you doing over there, scientist?! We need answers!

[–] variants@possumpat.io 7 points 8 months ago

They will just mate nonstop

[–] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 13 points 8 months ago
[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] androogee@midwest.social 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Mrw butterflies don't have toes

Quentin Tarantino depressed

[–] Wiggle_Hard@hilariouschaos.com 9 points 8 months ago

Some people made this a lifestyle

[–] morrowind@lemmy.ml 7 points 8 months ago

Also see: mayfly

[–] TankieTanuki@hexbear.net 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Has anyone bothered to ask if it has other interests?

[–] inverted_deflector@startrek.website 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

A lot of insects live for years as their "larval" or nymph form and then come out into the more recognizable "adult form" just to mate and die. In a lot of ways their larval form is their actual form with their adult lifestage being just a flash in the pan to continue the species.

[–] orphiebaby@lemm.ee 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

You sure "years" isn't a stretch? Non-rhetorical, I thought it was months at best.

Cicadas can stay underground for up to 17 years for example and dragon fly larva live 2 years just to come out of the water and grow wings for a few months.

[–] ezchili@iusearchlinux.fyi 4 points 8 months ago

Also getting combined with glowshrooms for invisibility potions

[–] rimjob_rainer@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 8 months ago

Pretty normal lifestyle for many lifeforms.

[–] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 months ago

Hey look it's me, not eating because depressed but also doing the very healthy thing of engaging in too many dating apps to find sex...

[–] Kuori@hexbear.net 2 points 8 months ago
[–] D61@hexbear.net 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

pretty much all moths, right?

[–] stebo02@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 8 months ago (3 children)

if they don't eat, where do they get the energy to create offspring?

[–] figaro@lemdro.id 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Good question, it all actually comes from the great predecessor moth who imbued its children with the energy needed to carry on for generations. This singular imbuement of life has carried them for the last four thousand years, and it is unknown when it will run out. When that time comes, the Luna moth will be no more.

[–] stebo02@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Almost bit the onion. For those looking for the real answer: they eat and gather energy reserves when they're a caterpillar. As a moth their only purpose is indeed reproduction so they use up those reserves.

[–] Morgoon@startrek.website 2 points 8 months ago

Also from cum

"The bursa copulatrix receives, stores, and digests the spermatophore and other substances transferred by the male during copulation,"

[–] D61@hexbear.net 3 points 8 months ago

The larvae is where they do nothing but eat and grow and eat some more. Then they turn into flying sex organs.

[–] MonkderZweite@feddit.ch 1 points 8 months ago

Stored from being a larvae i guess.

[–] radicalautonomy@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)
[–] orphiebaby@lemm.ee 0 points 7 months ago

I wish the quality of this pic weren't so awful