Scienceray has a great, photo-heavy feature on the humble gall, a kind of woody egg-sack that incubates a parasite — bacteria, mites, fungi and insects. They can look utterly Martian, or like something from the realm of faerie. And they can get to be the size of cats.
The Abnormal, Gruesome Gall – Alien Invader in Your Yard
(Thanks, RJ!)
(Image: Too many galls, a Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike photo from anemoneprojectors' photostream)
- Parasite turns ants into juicy berries to entice hungry birds …
- Being a Parasite Vector Isn't All Puppies and Unicorns
- Sacculina are Pretty Much My Favorite Parasite
- Cat parasite rules our lives
- Kids book about parasites: WHAT'S EATING YOU?
- Brain parasite disrupts fear
- Mood-altering cat parasites make women friendly and …