<![CDATA[“apterous”]]>“apterous”

Reading scientific literature I’m often unfamiliar with words.

“apterous” The heck?

The subway train was between stations. No internet. No search. Could I just go on reading and figure it out later? I hate doing that. Eventually the book would be so confusing I would give up.

THINK

It means “not-something” the context suggests a few things— but then I remember “Hemiptera” and that it has to do with wings!

“not wings!”

I’m feeling so smug and smart right now. ☺️🥁

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/7785b43a-f87e-454b-bdff-c0022d24936e/apterousRSS for NodeWed, 27 May 2026 13:47:15 GMTThu, 21 May 2026 12:11:02 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 13:38:02 GMT]]>@futurebird So it's a-pterus - that would have taken me a few moments, too 😝 it looks more like a word where the first syllable or two is missing.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://helvede.net/users/jwcph/statuses/116612837037600519https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://helvede.net/users/jwcph/statuses/116612837037600519Thu, 21 May 2026 13:38:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 13:34:39 GMT]]>@futurebird Now I'm wondering if ants can stomp! Or maybe I'm wondering if they can ever not stomp!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://friend.camp/users/ranjit/statuses/116612823730426569https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://friend.camp/users/ranjit/statuses/116612823730426569Thu, 21 May 2026 13:34:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 13:32:55 GMT]]>Then of course you have the hymenopterans — (the order of ants, sawflies bees and other wasps)

hymen here means something like “hinge” or “latch” because when these insects have wings they always have two pairs that can be latched together by a little spur so they work as a single pair.

The name means “latch-wing creature”

And you look at the average ant and ask “ma’am where are your wings?” then she gets mad and stomps off since that’s like asking if someone is pregnant— rude!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sauropods.win/users/futurebird/statuses/116612816930231385https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sauropods.win/users/futurebird/statuses/116612816930231385Thu, 21 May 2026 13:32:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 12:58:50 GMT]]>@futurebird Back to your future historian mind wander.
"We have discovered the mating habits of Homo Apterous."

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/Not_Dieter_Rot/statuses/116612682921972112https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/Not_Dieter_Rot/statuses/116612682921972112Thu, 21 May 2026 12:58:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 12:37:44 GMT]]>@futurebird The most common "pter" word is "helico-pter", but people don't see it because they tend to break it down as "heli-copter".

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mathstodon.xyz/users/OscarCunningham/statuses/116612599921304140https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mathstodon.xyz/users/OscarCunningham/statuses/116612599921304140Thu, 21 May 2026 12:37:44 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 12:33:13 GMT]]>@futurebird ahh, so when I describe the Aptera car looking like an airplane without wings, that's a far more accurate description than I thought!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://raphus.social/users/Jirikiha/statuses/116612582165227086https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://raphus.social/users/Jirikiha/statuses/116612582165227086Thu, 21 May 2026 12:33:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 12:29:28 GMT]]>@futurebird mm i also love when my brain contextually connects syllables of dead languages that i can neither speak nor read, to bits of meaning. Funny enough, your full mastodon handle makes me think of pterosaurs 😄

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/_mu/statuses/116612567423956229https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kolektiva.social/users/_mu/statuses/116612567423956229Thu, 21 May 2026 12:29:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 12:23:07 GMT]]>@futurebird Oh, that’s why Pterodactyl

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ohai.social/users/GreenSkyOverMe/statuses/116612542478745125https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ohai.social/users/GreenSkyOverMe/statuses/116612542478745125Thu, 21 May 2026 12:23:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 12:16:06 GMT]]>@futurebird Not sure about NYC rules, but you might now be required to stand up on the subway, speak the word clearly, spell it, and use it in a sentence.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/jmax/statuses/116612514884150800https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/jmax/statuses/116612514884150800Thu, 21 May 2026 12:16:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 12:14:56 GMT]]>@futurebird@sauropods.win so hemiptera — half-wing?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://outerheaven.club/objects/d01e7bd5-89bb-407f-a872-ecb1e11cd8aehttps://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://outerheaven.club/objects/d01e7bd5-89bb-407f-a872-ecb1e11cd8aeThu, 21 May 2026 12:14:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 12:14:19 GMT]]>@futurebird another example of how knowing some basic root words helps with learning!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://beige.party/users/GramrgednAngel/statuses/116612507892596066https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://beige.party/users/GramrgednAngel/statuses/116612507892596066Thu, 21 May 2026 12:14:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to “apterous” on Thu, 21 May 2026 12:14:06 GMT]]>@futurebird@sauropods.win it means ‘sort of Debian-y’

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.pikopublish.ing/notes/amj0odai6yds0whohttps://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.pikopublish.ing/notes/amj0odai6yds0whoThu, 21 May 2026 12:14:06 GMT