Gall wasp

Gall wasps, also called gallflies, are a family (Cynipidae) of the order Hymenoptera and are classified with the Apocrita suborder of wasps in the superfamily Cynipoidea. Their common name comes from the galls they induce on plants for larval development. About 1300 species of this generally very small creature (1-8 mm) are known worldwide, with about 360 species of 36 different genera in Europe and some 800 species in North America.

Features

Like all Apocrita, gall wasps have a distinctive body shape, the so-called wasp waist. The first abdominal tergum (the propodeum) is conjoined with the thorax, while the second abdominal segment forms a sort of shaft, the petiole. The petiole connects with the gaster, which is the functional abdomen in apocritan wasps, starting with the third abdominal segment proper. Together, the petiole and the gaster form the metasoma, while the thorax and the propodeum make up the mesosoma.

The antennae are straight and consist of two or three segments. In many varieties, the backside of the mesosoma appears longitudinally banded. The wings are typically simply structured. The female's egg-depositing ovipositor is often seen protruding from the tip of the metasoma.

Gall (Native American leader)

Gall (c. 1840–December 5, 1894) Lakota Phizí, (gall bladder) was a battle leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota in the long war against the United States. He was also one of the commanders in the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Early years

Born in present-day South Dakota around 1840, and orphaned, Gall was said to receive his name after eating the gall of an animal killed by a neighbor.

An accomplished warrior by his late teens, Gall became a war chief in his twenties. As a Lakota war leader in the long conflict against United States intrusion onto tribal lands, Gall served with Sitting Bull during several battles, including the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.

Battle of the Little Bighorn

Since the early 1980s, archaeological researchers conducted battlefield excavations after a major grass fire. Historians have been studying accounts by participating Indians and tribal oral histories. Based on these elements, a contemporary reassessment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn has given Gall greater credit for several crucial tactical decisions that contributed to the Sioux and Cheyenne's overpowering defeat of the five companies of cavalry led by Custer of the 7th Cavalry.

Gallu

In Sumerian and Akkadian (Babylonian and Assyrian) mythology, the Gallus (also called gallu demons or gallas [Akkadian: gallû]) were great demons/devils of the underworld.

Role in mythology

Gallu demons hauled unfortunate victims off to the underworld. They were one of seven devils (or "the offspring of hell") of Babylonian theology that could be appeased by the sacrifice of a lamb at their altars.

Inanna (or Ishtar) was freed by gallu demons sent by Enki while she was on a journey to the underworld. An especially fierce gallu demon, the monstrous Asag, was slain by Ninurta using the enchanted mace Sharur.

Other uses

The word gallu may also refer to a human adversary, one that is dangerous and implacable.

See also

References

W.A.S.P.

W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982 by Blackie Lawless, who is the last remaining original member of the band. They emerged from the same Los Angeles scene that spawned Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Dokken, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Guns N' Roses and others. The band's popularity peaked in the 1980s, yet they continue to record and tour, making them one of the most enduring of the West Coast heavy metal bands. W.A.S.P. gained notoriety for their shock rock themed image, lyrics and live performances. They have sold over 12 million copies of their albums.

The band was a prominent target in the mid-1980s of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), an organization that pushed for warning labels on recorded music. The band immortalized its fight with the PMRC on the song "Harder, Faster" from their 1987 live album, Live...In the Raw. "I Wanna Be Somebody" was the most successful single from W.A.S.P.'s debut album and it was ranked at No. 84 in VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs of All Time. Their most recent album, Golgotha, was released in 2015.

Wasp (film)

Wasp is a short film (26 minutes) written and directed by Andrea Arnold. Released in 2003, it stars Natalie Press as a struggling single mother determined not to let her four young children prove an obstacle in the pursuit of rekindling a relationship with an old ex-boyfriend Danny Dyer. Dartford (Arnold's hometown) is the setting.

It is available on the Cinema 16: World Short Films and Cinema 16: European Short Films (US Special Edition) DVDs, and as a bonus feature on the Fish Tank DVD in the UK.

Plot summary

Zoe, rapidly descending a flight of stairs, baby in hand, and three other children in tow. Zoe gets into a physical altercation with the neighbour. Tensions remain high as the two women and their children shout at one another and hurl insults.

They all head home, with the children asking for chips. A man then pulls up in a car and is curious as to who the children are. Zoe tells him that they belong to a mate of hers and she is just looking after them. He asks her if she would like to go for a drink. Zoe agrees to meet him.

Hank Pym

Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27 (Jan. 1962). The character, a scientist that debuted in a standalone science-fiction anthology story, returned several issues later as the original iteration of the superhero Ant-Man with the power to shrink to the size of an insect. Alongside his crime-fighting partner/wife Janet van Dyne, he goes on to assume other superhero identities, including the size-changing Giant-Man and Goliath; the insect-themed Yellowjacket; and briefly the Wasp. He is a founding member of the superhero team the Avengers.

Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books, Hank Pym has featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such as animated films; arcade and video games; television series and merchandise such as action figures and trading cards. Michael Douglas portrays the character in the 2015 Marvel Studios film Ant-Man.