Mantophasmatodea!
April 19, 2002 5:31 PM   Subscribe

Mantophasmatodea! No, it's not some new sex position, it's a new order of insect life, the first one thus defined since 1914.
posted by WolfDaddy (10 comments total)
 
NewOrder is my favourite band ever..

other good neworder websites:
www.neworderonline.com
www.worldinmotion.net

Cool cool cool cool cool.
posted by Settle at 6:23 PM on April 19, 2002


Nice that they gave it a simple name so kids in schools can memorize it with ease.
posted by Postroad at 6:50 PM on April 19, 2002


A new type of bug? Man, that's so cool!
posted by spork at 6:54 PM on April 19, 2002


Some more links. This Nature article has pictures.

Walking sticks are of the order Phasmidae which belongs to the Neoptera group.
posted by vacapinta at 7:00 PM on April 19, 2002


The Reuters story illustrates the poverty of ordinary English for discussing technical subjects, and the weakness of popular science writing by ordinary journalists. The critter in question is called a 'bug' several times. It isn't. There are true 'bugs', and they belong to the order Hemiptera.

In any other context, the use of the word 'bug' for a random insect wouldn't call attention to itself, but when the subject is taxonomy, it just points up the writer's ignorance.

</entomological_quibble> We return you now to your discussion of current bands.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 7:00 PM on April 19, 2002


Slithy: are you implying that New Order is a current band?

I'm pretty disappointed by the pictures, though. I was hoping a new order of insects would have human heads or something.
posted by Eamon at 7:52 PM on April 19, 2002


They were recently in the dance charts, holding the number two position for a few weeks and sitting on the charts for months. Didn't you hear "Crystal"?

GETREADY was one of the most highly rated albums last year, according to many sources.

NewOrder has the highest selling 12" single of all time, by the way, Blue Monday, which has been rereleased something like 4 times, charting every time. Other large hits:
Confusion, Subculture, Perfect Kiss, Touched (by the hand of god), True Faith, 1963, Bizarre Love Triangle, Regret, Fine Time and of course the English FIFA song, World in Motion (Which features a rapping Gary Linekar if I am not mistaken). And I'm missing a few.

The greatest thing about being a New Order fan is that you cannot accuse them of being pretentious and obscure, because they were huge, and you can't accuse them of being pop crap, because they always made exceptional, perfect, beautiful unique music.

And of course, they always had the best album art of anyone ever. Their graphic designer, Peter Saville, is one of the original partners at Pentagram, I believe. Of course back in 1981 he was considerably more punk rock.

As easy it is to assume they are old and pathetic, they still lay it down thicker than anyone else. SO THERE.
posted by Settle at 8:29 PM on April 19, 2002


And KFC once wanted them to do an advertisement with a rapping KFC colonel. And they did an ad for Sunkist to the tune of "Blue Monday".
posted by Settle at 8:30 PM on April 19, 2002


Settle, you are one sick bastard. I am really beginning to take a shine to you.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:39 PM on April 19, 2002


The critter in question is called a 'bug' several times. It isn't.

I always wondered if certain insects (like, butterflies) would be bugs. I never questioned beetles or ladybugs being bugs but somehow calling grasshoppers bugs was a little more questionable. Okay, so flying bugs aren't bugs either, right? Also, do entomologists study arachnids or do they have their own scientists?

that is all.
posted by mdn at 7:47 AM on April 20, 2002


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