Anjali Manoj

<ul>
 <li>
 
 Student Name:
 
 Anjali Manoj
 </li>
 <li>
 
 College/School:
 
 CMR National PU College, ITPL, Bangalore.
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen:
 
 
 Danaus genutia
 
 (the common tiger
 
 )
 
 butterfly
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen collected from:
 
 Kanakapura, Bangalore on 17th December, 2018
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen observed at:
 
 CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore on 23rd December, 2018
 </li>
</ul>
<div class="wp-block-image">
 <figure class="aligncenter is-resized">
 <img alt="image" class="wp-image-121091 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="121091" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="image" data-recalc-dims="1" height="292" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_120695/image.jpeg" width="438"/>
 <figcaption>
 
 Source: Internet
 
 </figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

 On the 17th of December, I collected the wings of a
 
 Danaus genutia
 
 (the common tiger
 
 )
 
 butterfly in order to continue my comparative study of the scales of various species belonging to the order Lepidoptera.


 Lepidopterans (which loosely translates to ‘scaly wings’) have scales present on the wings that play a role in thermoregulation . These scales may or may not be pigmented and diffract light to produce the different patterns that we see on the wings of butterflies and moths. Another surprising advantage that these scales provide is the ability to escape from spider webs as the scales detach easily making the wings slippery and thus, allowing for an easy escape.


 
 Danaus genutia
 
 (the common tiger
 
 )
 
 butterfly is quite commonly found across India. I obtained this specimen on a recent trip to Kanakapura, Bangalore. I took the “dust” from its wings and observed it under the foldscope and was a little surprised with what I saw.


 I have previously observed the scales of two moths – I have posted about this in a previous article- and what I observed was quite different (
 <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=96224">
 https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=96224
 </a>
 ). Below are pictures of the scales from two moth species.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 20181204_195837.jpg" class="gcloudimg" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_120695/20181204_195837.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized">
 <img alt="This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 20181206_135636.jpg" class="gcloudimg" data-recalc-dims="1" height="434" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_120695/20181206_135636.jpg" width="579"/>
</figure>

 Below is a picture of the scales from the butterfly.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="20181221_113713" class="wp-image-121088 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="121088" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1545392233","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"250","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="20181221_113713" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_120695/20181221_113713.jpg"/>
</figure>

 The difference between the scales of the wings of a moth and that of butterfly is quite clear. The scales on the moth appears to have sharper edges while that of the butterfly is smaller and more rounded off. I hypothesize that it is this fact that makes the dust of moth wings and thus, the moth itself a more potent allergen as compared to butterflies.

Scales of Lepidopterans

<ul>
 <li>
 
 Student Name:
 
 Anjali Manoj
 </li>
 <li>
 
 College/School:
 
 CMR National PU College, ITPL, Bangalore.
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen:
 
 Water Sample
 
 
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen collected from:
 
 Fish Pond at a household garden in Bangalore on 24th March, 2019
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen observed at:
 
 CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore on 25th March, 2019
 </li>
</ul>
<div class="wp-block-file">
 <a alt="VID-20190325-WA0007.mp4" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_138977/VID-20190325-WA0007.mp4">
 VID-20190325-WA0007
 </a>
 <a alt="VID-20190325-WA0007.mp4" class="wp-block-file__button gcloudimg" download="" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_138977/VID-20190325-WA0007.mp4">
 Download
 </a>
</div>

 On the 24th of March, I collected some water from a fish pond at my home in order to observe the microscopic world present in the water. The water was visibly teeming with life as was evident from the algal growth.


 When I observed a drop of the sample under the foldscope, I was astonished to see so many microscopic organism, invisible to the naked eye, swimming about. I was not able to obtain a clear video nor was I able to identify any of the organisms I saw but I was utterly fascinated to have found an entire ecosystem within the small pond at my home.

Life in a drop of water

<blockquote>
 
 <img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-39362 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="39362" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="" data-recalc-dims="1" height="169" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_39367/IMG-20180525-WA0001.jpg" width="300"/>
 
</blockquote>

 


 I, along with my fellow students at CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore, observed a mosquito in its larval stages under a foldscope on the 24th of March, 2018. It was still alive when we observed it and it was fascinating to see the organs within its translucent body move as we observed it. This particular mosquito larva was found in a fish tank at my home and we decided to use a few of them as samples to observe under the foldscope when we first assembled them. What surprised us the most was how easy it was to assemble the foldscope and also how the images we obtained of our slides bore a close resemblance to what we would have seen under a compound microscope. The image was so clear that we could even see the tiny hairs on the body of the larva!


 Below is a video of the mosquito larva that we saw.

<div class="video-player" id="v-Ny5mjN6z-1">
 <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" src="https://videopress.com/embed/Ny5mjN6z?hd=1&amp;loop=0&amp;autoPlay=0&amp;permalink=1" width="1000">
 </iframe>
 <script src="https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/plugins/video/assets/js/next/videopress-iframe.js">
 </script>
</div>

Live Mosquito Larva

<div class="mceTemp">
 <ul class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_40477" style="width: 225px">
 <img alt="" class="wp-image-40477 size-medium gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="40477" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_40816/IMG-20180609-WA0028.jpg" width="225"/>
 </ul>
</div>

 On 8th June, 2018, I, along with my fellow students of CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore, observed a section of a lotus root under the foldscope. The root was obtained from a lotus plant growing in pond near my home.


 On seeing the root without any aid, the root appeared spongy. When we observed it under the foldscope, our initial hypothesis was confirmed as air spaces between the cell layers became apparent.

Section of Lotus Root

<img alt="IMG-20180609-WA0037" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-40825 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="40825" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG-20180609-WA0037" data-recalc-dims="1" height="225" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_40824/IMG-20180609-WA0037.jpg" width="300"/>


 I, along with my fellow students of CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore, observed the epidermis of a Croton leaf on 8th June, 2018. The leaf used for the observation was that of a croton found in my garden. Care was taken to ensure that we use the epidermis from the part of the leaf that was completely non-green, ie. violet, in order to ascertain if green (chlorophyll-rich) cells would be found in these regions.


 As seen in the image above, the red and violet coloured cells that were dispersed among the green chlorophyll-rich cells were clearly distinguishable. Although the cells themselves could not be viewed with a greater level of magnification due to the limitations of using a foldscope, the image obtained was still remarkable and could be used to come to the conclusion that coloured cells are always found among green cells.

Epidermis of a Croton leaf

<ul>
 <li>
 
 Name of Institution:
 
 CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore.
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Student’s Name:
 
 Anjali Manoj
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen Observed:
 
 
 Aphis gossypii (Common Cotton Aphid)
 
 </li>
</ul>

 
 
 
 <img alt="IMG-20180727-WA0024" class="wp-image-53648 aligncenter gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="53648" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG-20180727-WA0024" data-recalc-dims="1" height="180" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_53646/IMG-20180727-WA0024.jpg" width="240"/>
 <img alt="IMG-20180727-WA0018" class="wp-image-53649 aligncenter gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="53649" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG-20180727-WA0018" data-recalc-dims="1" height="181" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_53646/IMG-20180727-WA0018-1.jpg" width="242"/>
 


 On the 24th of July, I, Anjali Manoj, observed a few specimens of
 
 Aphis gossypii
 
 that is commonly known as Cotton Aphids under the foldscope. We obtained these specimens from the base of the leaves of a
 
 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
 
 plant growing in the garden of our College.


 Aphids are common pests of agricultural crops. They are usually found on the underside of leaves or on the growing tips of shoots from which they suck they sap of the plant resulting in chlorosis and ultimately, premature death of the plant. Another reason why aphids are potentially harmful for crops is because they are vectors of crinkle,
 <a alt="Mosaic_virus" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_53646/Mosaic_virus" title="Mosaic virus">
 mosaic
 </a>
 and other virus diseases. The detrimental impact that aphids have is most commonly seen on vegetable crops such as courgette, melon, cucumber, aubergine and strawberry and on cotton, citrus and mallow.

Aphis gossypii (Common Cotton Aphid)

<ul>
 <li>
 
 Student Name:
 
 Anjali Manoj
 </li>
 <li>
 
 College/School:
 
 CMR National PU College, ITPL, Bangalore.
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen:
 
 Head and eye of insect belonging to order
 
 Hemiptera,
 
 family
 
 Reduviidae
 
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen collected from:
 
 Leimakhong, Manipur  on 2nd December, 2018
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen observed at:
 
 CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore on 4th December, 2018
 </li>
</ul>

 

<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-92767" class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_92767" style="width: 4160px">
 <img alt="20181204_115758" class="wp-image-92767 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="92767" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1543924678","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"450","shutter_speed":"0.071428571428571","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181204_115758" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_92759/20181204_115758.jpg" width="1000"/>
 <figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-92767">
 Compound eyes of Hemipteran
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 On the 4th of December, I observed an insect specimen that I had collected during my visit to Manipur along with my school on account of the Foldscope Twinning Programme with the DM College of Science. I dissected its head in order to observe the compound eyes under the foldscope. The visual that we obtained was remarkable and we were able to study the eyes along with the mouth parts.

Compound Eyes of Hemiptera Specimen collected at Manipur

<ul>
 <li>
 
 Student Name:
 
 Anjali Manoj
 </li>
 <li>
 
 College/School:
 
 CMR National PU College, ITPL, Bangalore.
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen:
 
 Unknown specimen of Kingdom Plantae Division Thallophyta
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen collected from:
 
 Shell of snail found at Loktak Lake, Manipur  on 2nd December, 2018
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen observed at:
 
 CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore on 6th December, 2018
 </li>
</ul>

 


 <img alt="20181206_145425" class="aligncenter wp-image-94243 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="94243" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544108064","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="20181206_145425" data-recalc-dims="1" height="1024" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_94218/20181206_145425.jpg" width="768"/>
 <img alt="20181206_145543" class="aligncenter wp-image-94242 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="94242" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544108143","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"300","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="20181206_145543" data-recalc-dims="1" height="1024" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_94218/20181206_145543.jpg" width="768"/>
 <img alt="20181206_145343_HDR" class="aligncenter wp-image-94241 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="94241" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544108022","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"150","shutter_speed":"0.03030303030303","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="20181206_145343_HDR" data-recalc-dims="1" height="1024" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_94218/20181206_145343_HDR.jpg" width="768"/>


 On the 6th of December, I extracted a part of what I presume to be algae growing on the shell of a snail that I had found in the water near the banks of Loktak Lake, Manipur. When seen with the naked eye it appeared as a green circle of diameter ~2mm with a brown center. When observed under the foldscope, the green regions showed minute, chlorophyll-rich hair like structures originating from the brown center.


 Below is a picture of the snail on whose shell, the above specimen was found to be growing.


 <img alt="20181206_145725" class="wp-image-94240 size-medium aligncenter gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="94240" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544108245","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"150","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="20181206_145725" data-recalc-dims="1" height="225" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_94218/20181206_145725.jpg" width="300"/>

Unknown Algal Specimen from Loktak Lake, Manipur

<ul>
 <li>
 
 Student Name:
 
 Anjali Manoj
 </li>
 <li>
 
 College/School:
 
 CMR National PU College, ITPL, Bangalore.
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen:
 
 Soil Sample from
 
 ‘Phumdi
 
 ‘, the floating vegetation on Loktak Lake
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen collected from:
 
 Loktak Lake, Manipur  on 2nd December, 2018
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen observed at:
 
 CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore on 6th December, 2018
 </li>
</ul>

 <img alt="20181204_185915" class="aligncenter wp-image-94322 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="94322" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1543949954","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.01","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181204_185915" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_94316/20181204_185915.jpg" width="1000"/>


 <img alt="20181204_190332" class="aligncenter wp-image-94325 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="94325" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1543950212","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"2450","shutter_speed":"0.03030303030303","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181204_190332" data-recalc-dims="1" height="563" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_94316/20181204_190332.jpg" width="1000"/>


 On the 2nd of December, I collected a sample of the dark, humus-rich, fine-particled soil from one of the
 
 phumdis
 
 , the floating vegetation on the Loktak Lake in Manipur. The appearance of the soil is blackish and clayey and it has a very high water retention capacity. I was informed by the locals that it is laden with the nutrients deposited in the lake as a result of siltation and hence is extremely fertile and well-suited for agriculture. The objective of our study was to determine the size of the particles of the soil. We passed it through sieves of various sizes and have come to the conclusion that the size range of the fine particles of the soil is between 0.005mm to 0.3 mm. When observed under the foldscope, it becomes very clear just how minute each soil particle is.


 Below is a picture of the soil sample and the sieves used for the above mentioned study.


 <img alt="20181206_140137" class="aligncenter wp-image-94319 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="94319" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544104897","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181206_140137" data-recalc-dims="1" height="1333" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_94316/20181206_140137.jpg" width="1000"/>


 Below is a picture of the
 
 phumdi
 
 on the Lokatk Lake where I collected the sample.


 <img alt="20181202_154224" class="aligncenter wp-image-94344 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="94344" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1543765344","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0026246719160105","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="20181202_154224" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_94316/20181202_154224.jpg" width="1000"/>

Soil Sample from Floating Vegetation on Loktak Lake, Manipur

<ul>
 <li>
 
 Student Name:
 
 Anjali Manoj
 </li>
 <li>
 
 College/School:
 
 CMR National PU College, ITPL, Bangalore.
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen:
 
 Two Lepidopterans (moths) belonging to different species
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen collected from:
 
 Leimakhong, Manipur and Loktak Lake, Manipur  on 2nd December, 2018
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen observed at:
 
 CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore on 6th December, 2018
 </li>
</ul>

 <img alt="20181204_200834" class="aligncenter wp-image-96225 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="96225" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1543954113","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="20181204_200834" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_96224/20181204_200834.jpg" width="1000"/>


 <img alt="20181206_134744" class="aligncenter wp-image-96233 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="96233" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544104064","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="20181206_134744" data-recalc-dims="1" height="1333" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_96224/20181206_134744.jpg" width="1000"/>




 On the 7th of December, I collected the dust from the wings of the moths to to a comparative study of the two moth species. Moths belong to the order Lepidoptera (which loosely translates to ‘scaly wings’) have scales present on the wings that play a role in thermoregulation. These scales may or may not be pigmented and diffract light to produce different patterns.


 I collected the two moths (as seen in the pictures above) that are morphologically different. The first one had smaller eyes and a hairy body with thicker legs. The second one had big eyes and thin legs. Both of them had brown wings but with different patterns.


 I obtained the dust from both moths and viewed them under the foldscope to see if there was any difference between the two. When viewed with the naked eye, the dusts appear as a metallic, silky and fine powder. But under the foldscope, the image obtained was quite the contrary.


 <img alt="20181206_135636" class="aligncenter wp-image-96241 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="96241" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544104596","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"350","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181206_135636" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_96224/20181206_135636.jpg" width="1000"/>
 <img alt="20181206_135156_HDR" class="aligncenter wp-image-96240 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="96240" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544104316","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.03030303030303","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181206_135156_HDR" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_96224/20181206_135156_HDR.jpg" width="1000"/>


 The above image is of the dust taken from the first moth. The particle are narrow with sharp edges.


 <img alt="20181204_195837" class="alignnone wp-image-96238 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="96238" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1543953517","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"1350","shutter_speed":"0.071428571428571","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181204_195837" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_96224/20181204_195837.jpg" width="1000"/>
 <img alt="20181204_200233" class="alignnone wp-image-96239 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="96239" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1543953753","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"2200","shutter_speed":"0.1","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181204_200233" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_96224/20181204_200233.jpg" width="1000"/>


 The above image is of the dust taken from the second moth. The particles are larger with jagged edges.


 Moth dust is usually of the size range of a few microns. They are allergens and could result in severe reactions if inhaled especially skin irritations and respiratory distress.

Comparison of the Dusts of two Species of Moths from Manipur

<ul>
 <li>
 
 Student Name:
 
 Anjali Manoj
 </li>
 <li>
 
 College/School:
 
 CMR National PU College, ITPL, Bangalore.
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen:
 
 
 Salvinia
 
 sp.
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen collected from:
 
 Loktak Lake, Manipur  on 2nd December, 2018
 </li>
 <li>
 
 Specimen observed at:
 
 CMR National PU College at ITPL, Bangalore on 7th December, 2018
 </li>
</ul>

 <img alt="20181206_142113" class="alignnone wp-image-97359 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="97359" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544106072","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"2200","shutter_speed":"0.1","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181206_142113" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_97303/20181206_142113.jpg" width="1000"/>
 <img alt="20181206_142225_HDR" class="alignnone wp-image-97361 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="97361" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1544106145","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"150","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"6"}' data-image-title="20181206_142225_HDR" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_97303/20181206_142225_HDR.jpg" width="1000"/>


 On the 2nd of December, I had collected a leaf and root hair of floating aquatic plant specimen near one of the ‘
 
 phumdis
 
 ‘ of the Loktal Lake at Manipur. I later identified the plant specimen as a member of the genus
 
 Salvinia
 
 .


 I discovered that members of the
 
 Salvinia
 
 genus are water ferns and in most places, they are invasive species. At Loktak Lake, I found numerous members of
 
 Salvinia
 
 and this seems to confirm that they are indeed invasive.


 Members of this genus have leaves with spiny hair-like structures. They do not possess true roots. The root-like structures that I observed under the foldscope are actually modified leaf structures that look and function like roots.
 
 Salvinia
 
 grows in still water bodies like ponds, lakes and slow-moving rivers. It especially thrive in areas that are rich in decaying organic matter. This is probably why it is very commonly seen at the Loktak Lake near the ‘phumdis’ as all the conditions required for them to thrive are met here.


 The pictures above are of the
 
 Salvinia
 
 specimen that I collected from Loktak Lake. The first picture is of the adaxial leaf surface as viewed under a foldscope. The hairy surface is clearly visible in this image. The second image is of a single root hair as viewed under a foldscope.


 Below is a picture of the Loktak Lake close to where I obtained the specimen.


 <img alt="20181202_131550" class="alignnone wp-image-97479 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="97479" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"LG-M700","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1543756549","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.701","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.000871839581517","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="20181202_131550" data-recalc-dims="1" height="750" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_97303/20181202_131550.jpg" width="1000"/>

Anjali Manoj

Earth

Posts

Unknown Algal Specimen from Loktak Lake, Manipur

Soil Sample from Floating Vegetation on Loktak Lake, Manipur

Comparison of the Dusts of two Species of Moths from Manipur

Aquatic Fern found at Loktak Lake, Manipur

Scales of Lepidopterans

Life in a drop of water

Live Mosquito Larva

Section of Lotus Root

Epidermis of a Croton leaf

Aphis gossypii (Common Cotton Aphid)

Compound Eyes of Hemiptera Specimen collected at Manipur

Unknown Algal Specimen from Loktak Lake, Manipur

Soil Sample from Floating Vegetation on Loktak Lake, Manipur

Comparison of the Dusts of two Species of Moths from Manipur

Aquatic Fern found at Loktak Lake, Manipur

Scales of Lepidopterans

Life in a drop of water

Live Mosquito Larva

Section of Lotus Root

Epidermis of a Croton leaf

Aphis gossypii (Common Cotton Aphid)

Compound Eyes of Hemiptera Specimen collected at Manipur

Unknown Algal Specimen from Loktak Lake, Manipur

Soil Sample from Floating Vegetation on Loktak Lake, Manipur

Comparison of the Dusts of two Species of Moths from Manipur

Aquatic Fern found at Loktak Lake, Manipur

Locations

Statistics

Type of Sample

Foldscope Lens Magnification