02 Saturday Jul 2022
There are two picture-winged flies that live exclusively on Burdock, using the plant for their larvae to munch on. The Banded burdock fly (Terellia tussilaginis) is one (see my blog Burdock beasties, August 2020) and today’s featured fly is the other. This is Tephritis bardanae, a tiny fruit fly that can be found flapping its speckled wings on Burdock any time from spring through to autumn. Apparently, the larvae make a gall, so I’m going to revisit this particular plant to check for those.
30 Saturday Nov 2019
Tags
British wildflowers, Burdock, burdock seed head, Burdock seed hooks, Lesser burdock, Velcro inspiration
Did you ever wonder who invented velcro? Maybe you already know this story? Here’s what the official VELCRO® website has to say:
It began with a burdock burr, a tiny seed covered in hundreds of ‘hooks’ that naturally catch onto the microscopic loops that cover fur, hair and clothing. The burr was an unassuming marvel of nature and a minor headache for man, until one day in 1941 when the burdock burr, Swiss engineer George de Mestral, and his dog crossed paths on a hunting trip in the Alps. … Inspired by the burr, de Mestral created the world’s first hook-and-loop fastener.
I got snagged by a couple of Burdock burrs when I was out walking today, which is what inspired me to prepare this blog.
