Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA19734 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 31 Jul 2000 19:01:53 +0100 Message-Id: <4.3.1.0.20000731132124.00eedd50@pop3.htcomp.net> X-Sender: mmills@pop3.htcomp.net X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 4.3.1 Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 13:59:29 -0400 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: "Mark M. Mills" <mmills@htcomp.net> Subject: Hymenoepimecis Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
The July 20 issue of Nature has an interesting article on the
Hymenoepimecis wasp (Costa Rica). The female Hymenoepimecis lays her eggs
in spiders temporarily paralyzed by her sting. The larvae hatch and feed
off the spider. Unlike more common 'mud-dabber' wasp, who move the spider
to a nest, the Hymenoepimecis let the larvae manage creation of their
developmental environment.
The larvae hatch and a few weeks later inject something into the
spider. That evening, the spider host builds a hanging structure rather
than its usual insect catching web. With the web constructed, the larvae
kill and eat the spider, weaving a cocoon into the hanging structure. Even
if the larvae are plucked off, the spider continues to spin hanging
structures for a day or two.
The drug (or drugs) injected by the larvae has not been isolated. Other
wasps use dopamine variants, so it is possible the substance is psychoactive.
This sequence reminds me of the metaphors generally used to describe
'Gatherer-meme' actions. One might say the larvae are acting like
memes. The larvae override the genetic instincts of the spider, causing a
non-genetic artifact to be created. The new artifact is produced by a
reaction to environmental forces. The artifact is then used to advance the
survival of the meme (hymenoepimecis), not the host.
Alternatively, one can use the neural meme framework. Assuming the drug is
psychoactive (big guess), the drug may short circuit genetically
established neural circuits driving web creation. Thus, the drug creates a
new neural firing sequence (neural meme). The new firing sequence produces
the non-genetic web (hanging structure).
Most would discount these usages since 'culture' in the human sense fails
to be involved. On the other hand, the wasp might be construed to be a
dominant part of Costa Rican spider 'culture.' Surely, eveyone would agree
the wasps (as culture) greatly modify the genetically programmed live style
of the spiders.
Mark
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