| Alistair 2007-10-13, 6:55 pm |
| On 6 Oct, 18:24, Robert <n...@e.mail> wrote:
> On Sat, 6 Oct 2007 08:43:39 +0000 (UTC), docdw...@panix.com () wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> It's like pot .. kettle .. black. You didn't criticize your Sainted Grandmother for
> failure to qualify the percentage of people jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge nor their
> survival rate. I don't fault others for unqualified generalizations. It's a human trait.
> The ability to generalize with inductive logic was an evolutionary development that helped
> humans advance in a world of incomplete information. For example, 'Don't mess with bees,
> they sting.' overlooks stingless bees in the Meliponini tribe.
>
> Trivia: Only female bees have a stinger, whose technical name is ovipositor. Its primary
> function is laying eggs, not defense.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Trivia part deux:
Bee stings are barbed and, unless the bee takes care removing the
ovipositor from your flesh, it will usually rip out it's entrails.
Bees are reluctant to use their stings.
Wasps are also stingers but are not barbed therefore they are much
more ready to sting.
Hoverflies, which resemble wasps even unto a pointy but stingless
abdomen, do not sting. Can anyone tell me how I can distinguish
(safely) between a wasp and a hoverfly?
|