Wayne's Trivia Notes #47
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 Wayne's Trivia Notes #47   © W.P. Armstrong    All Facebook Notes & Images   
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Wayne's Trivia Note #990

As I have stated many times, my 15,000+ images would be a valuable resource on a college server. I have plants, lichens, fungi, insects, spiders & many more biological topics, many of which were peer-reviewed by professors in the United States & other countries. In fact, my images have appeared in many academic publications. Note: My entire hand-coded website, including 15,000+ images, occupies only 2.6 Gigs.
www.waynesword.net
   Wayne's Word   

Wayne's Trivia Note #991

My Wayne's Word hippo logo dates back to a hippo refrigerator magnet from a student in a summer biology class over 3 decades ago. It evolved into an extensive collection of almost 1000 hippos, including the latest: A Hippo Wedding. In fact, prior to its online debut at Oregon State University, Wayne's Word was a comedy newsletter with a staff of hippos. It was only sent to special friends & colleagues who understood my humor.

   Original Wayne's Word Hippo Staff   

Wayne's Trivia Note #992

Each new year's day I calculate how many days have passed since day 1 of 3rd millennium (1 Jan 2001). I could have also used minutes or seconds. Why I do this, I have no idea. The calculation is relatively simple; however, you need the number of years since day 1 plus the number of leap years when Feb had 29 days. 2028, 2032, 2036, 2040, & 2044 are leap years. They are also presidential election years in the U.S. when we have a chance to vote out horrendous administrations.

Wayne's Trivia Note #993

Mystery Spider? It seems unlikely that cobweb spider (lower left) made the small orb web (red circle). According to AI, several genera of tiny spiders can share a larger spiders web. Called "kleptoparasites", they steal small insects that larger spiders miss. AI also states that tiny orb weaver spiderling may build it first web in messy web of larger, older cobweb spider. I need to verify this with an arachnologist.

   See Minute Kleptoparasitic Spider Resembling Dew Drop   

Wayne's Trivia Note #994

In my Plant ID classes at Palomar College I gave students unknown weeds to key out in lab using Jepson Manual, a great way to learn botanical terminology. Flower heads in above image are almost as small as ordinary pin heads & the flowers are microscopic. AI photo ID identified it in seconds; however, you must upload good image. Is my dichotomous plant key method obsolete like slide rules! Should smart phones be banned in plant id classes? Or, just use tested plants that AI doesn't know!

Wayne's Trivia Note #995

To trick AI, I submitted image of a few unopened cleistogamous henbit flowers & AI still identified it in seconds. This plant also produces regular 2-lipped flowers typical of mint family (see insert upper left). The cleistogamous flowers never open & are self pollinated. This clever survival tactic insures seed production early & late in the season when insects are not available.

Wayne's Trivia Note #996

Latest tiny ant on recent walk. I can still spot these minute ants at my age. They often require entomologist colleagues specializing in ants to verify my IDs. My obsession with ants & natural history topics in my 996 Facebook Notes is an escape mechanism. It is how I cope with these unprecedented times in our government without taking mood-altering drugs.
   See Remains of Major Workers in Pheidole Nest North of The Salton Sea   
   Palomar College Pheidole Nest: Major Head, Origin of Major & Charles Darwin   

Wayne's Trivia Note #997

Follow-up to previous Pheidole facebook note. Here is image of remarkable major worker with enormous head the size of entire body of minor worker. It's hard to believe they are the same species. In fact, Charles Darwin discussed this phenomenon in his "Origin of Species" & even questioned natural selection. I found it crawling on my knees along dirt road north of Salton Sea. Several people stopped their cars & asked if I was OK!

Wayne's Trivia Note #998

Pheidole major & minor worker from Willcox, Arizona on my way to New Mexico.

Wayne's Trivia Note #999

View from Twin Oaks Valley: Orange Snow Moon setting in west. In five minutes it disappeared behind neighbor's house. Low in the horizon, longer wavelength red & orange light plus dust particles in atmosphere produce color.

Wayne's Trivia Note #1000

Facebook Trivia Note #1000. Wayne's Word in Twin Oaks Valley attracts a lot of animals.

Wayne's Trivia Note #1001

Tried new delicious vegetable Valentine's Day 2026 at local Sprouts Market.

Wayne's Trivia Note #1002

Story about alligator purse sent to my mother 80 years ago. Moral of story: "I should have saved the purse.

Wayne's Trivia Note #1003

Testing Mushroom Photo With Deadly Traits Using AI Image ID


Unverified Amanita Species With Deadly Traits.

The above California mushroom has traits of a deadly species in genus Amanita. I did not assign a species name because it has not been verified. AI Photo ID for above image shows images of edible Amanita velosa. According to Mushrooms Demystified (1986) by David Arora, A. velosa is not a good choice for beginning mushroom hunters because of its similar appearance to the deadly "Death Angel" (A. ocreata). It also resembles the "Death Cap" (A. phalloides), another deadly species reported from California. It is interesting to note that a subsequent submission of my image to AI identified above image as the deadly A. phalloides. So which species is correct: Your life could depend on correct ID.


Amanita velosa
 The left photo of Amanita velosa came from the book California Mushrooms by D. E. Desjardin, M. G. Wood & F. A. Stevens (2015). It resembles my above image of mushroom with deadly traits, particularly the remnants of universal veil on the umbrellalike cap. When I submitted the photo of A. velosa (left image) from California Mushrooms to AI several names were listed, including deadly A. phalloides and edible A. velosa. AI also included a warning that correct ID is very important. So obviously, images of these mushroom species resemble each other. [The California State Health Dept. reports 4 deaths & 40 hospitalizations (with 3 liver transplants) between Nov. 2025 & Feb. 2026, mostly from consumption of A. phalloides.]

The truly deadly amanitas, including death cap (A. phalloides) and death angel (A. ocreata) contain deadly polypeptide called alpha-Amanitin that inhibits the vital enzyme RNA polymerase. This causes cell death & irreversible liver damage. Deaths & liver transplants are documented for eating deadly amanitas. I am not a mushroom expert, and I WOULD NOT EAT MUSHROOMS that exhibit deadly traits shown in my image. In addition, I would not rely soley on AI for deadly mushroom image ID, especially with poisonous, evanescent traits that often fade away or disappear with age! Several other similar-appearing species contain psychoactive muscimol and ibotenic acid, but not alpha-Amanitin.
Simplified Diagram of
Protein Synthesis

Alpha Amanitin blocks "Transcription", a vital cell function at the molecular level. This is where a gene (DNA section) produces a strand of Messenger RNA that codes for a specific amino acid sequence (protein). Without protein synthesis, cells & organs (liver) cannot function. A very compex chain of chemical events that may culminate in death of the one who ate mushroom.

Wayne's Trivia Note #1004

Massive Argentine ant fatalities after recent heavy rains (17-18 Feb 2026) at Wayne's Word. They don't know how to build raft like fire ants in my bathroom! I originally tried my bathtub, but containment of all these stinging ants was a slight problem.

Wayne's Trivia Note #1005

I would never eat a gill mushroom that I don't recognize. Although relatively few are deadly, some can make you very sick (gastrointestinally). Even the genus Boletus in this image has some poisonous relatives like Satan's Bolete (Boletus satanus = Rubroboletus satanus). BTW, Wayne's Word was originally at OSU.

   See Boletus satanus on Palomar Mountain   

Wayne's Trivia Note #1006

I love the Pacific Northwest & Canada; however, the diverse Calif. flora is truly amazing. There are so many unique trees, shrubs & wildflowers that grow no where else on our planet. I spent a lifetime exploring the entire state, photographing the endemic species, some found only in a single mountain range or isolated desert canyon. Even the remarkable "Silver Sword Alliance" in the Hawaiian Islands had its origin in a California plant that rafted to these islands.

   Images For Lecture On Calif. Flora   

Wayne's Trivia Note #1007

March 3 lunar eclipse over Twin Oaks Valley caused by Earth's shadow on the moon. Although my timing was correct, a marine cloud bank moved in and obscured the reddish coloration called "blood moon." See following time exposure image taken in 2022 with Nikon SLR & 300 mm telephoto lens.

   Blood Moon Over Twin Oaks Valley   

Wayne's Trivia Note #1008

I finally identified a shrub at my home with the help of AI image ID. A Palomar student gave me the shrub about 30 years ago. I kept submitting improved images & AI responded each time with possible matches. Finally I got a perfect match: Archibaccharis salmeoides from Guatemala! Note: Accurate AI image ID ideally requires submission of very good images.

Wayne's Trivia Note #1009

Many years ago my students presented me with a magical seed from India containing 12 minute carved elephants good for 12 wishes. I was familiar with the seed because the tree was common on the Caribbean Island of St. John. Over the years I received some fascinating email from people who also possessed this magical seed. One was from a soldier in Iraq who wanted to buy one for his daughter. Apparently she had one but unfortunately lost it years ago. I sent him a replacement!
   Magical Seeds From India