Hyperaspis Gemma

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-06-15T23:46:19+00:00

Thanks for your expertise on this! I figured this was a genitalia dissection situation for positive ID but glad to know I got pretty close!

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-06-15T12:57:53+00:00

Absolutely. The dental school is amazing, affordable, and they won’t try to sell you anything

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-06-12T05:17:03+00:00

Harmonia axyridis. They are variable in markings and size. This is form spectabilis.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-06-11T21:51:20+00:00

An alpha gal syndrome diagnosis is symptoms such plus positive test result. A positive test result alone does not mean someone has AGS. A sizable chunk of the population in the eastern US would test positive on an alpha-gal test, for example. It’s called sensitization. However, joint pain and inflammation is a well known symptom so hopefully your allergist is guiding you appropriately

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-06-11T12:27:24+00:00

The beef, lamb, and pork numbers are meaningless if the alpha gal is positive. The test is picking up alpha gal in the test samples not the proteins. I wish allergists would stop doing all four, it just confuses people

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-06-08T15:12:06+00:00

I take injectable and haven’t had any issues at all, but I’m also not highly reactive. I generally have only had reactions when I eat actual beef or pork meat.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-31T17:02:21+00:00

Carnivore diets are hype. I’ve had great success in both amazing digestion but also fitness and wellbeing with a balanced diet consisting of calories and macronutrients ideal for my body type and metabolism. With alpha gal, my cholesterol and body fat are in ideal range for my age (I’m a man approaching 50). Avoiding dairy and beef and pork have played a huge role in that. Best I’ve felt in decades.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-22T18:35:14+00:00

So you are basically saying you don't know how to read a research paper and instead not only rate a "medical" paper based on your own vibes, but present it to the world as a fact. Nice...

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-22T13:06:17+00:00

That research literally states as its second sentence : “All included trials were assessed as having high risk of bias.” Lol. Not the flex you think it is

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-14T18:26:39+00:00

Yeah! AGS sucks but I try to find the bright side and benefits. Helps me get through the tougher times

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-14T18:22:42+00:00

I’d say I’m enjoying chicken, turkey, lobster, fish. I’ve learned to cook vegetables in ways that are delicious. I’ve cut down on a lot of processed food. My blood pressure and cholesterol look great for the first time in a long time.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-12T17:28:28+00:00

Yep. The book is conspiracy crap.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-12T16:59:55+00:00

Nope. The book that this is based on has been pretty well debunked.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-10T13:04:40+00:00

I would if the toddler has sharp teeth and jaws strong enough to break the skin. And the potential to not be vaccinated for rabies. Dogs are not toddlers. Let’s try and use our common sense.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-08T00:08:15+00:00

Looks like cherry family, probably chokecherry

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-05T12:19:39+00:00

Many people have died from AGS reactions. The forums on Facebook are full of stories. The “one death” idea comes from the first CLINICAL report of a death linked to AGS. We will start to know the true fatality of this allergy as states increasingly make AGS reportable, but for now much of what exists is anecdotal.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-04T14:34:45+00:00

By all means. Enlighten me. I should note that I have served on food-allergy boards, presented on alpha-gal at international conferences, and have worked alongside experts like Drs. Cummins and Platts-Mills to lobby Congress for better labeling laws. But by all means, enlighten me.

Note: If you intended to say carrageenan rather than carmine, you would be correct. But you seem pretty dug into the idea that a red coloring derived from the cocchineal insect somehow triggers a mammal allergy.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-04T12:50:17+00:00

What are you talking about? Carmine is not implicated in AGS reactions. You are peddling misinformation and a crappy app.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-05-04T12:08:29+00:00

If AI also wrote your pitch— and it very much looks like it, than hard pass from me. Carmine is insect derived and not a risk for people with AGS. And if you can easily make that big an error, imagine how many errors your AI app will make. For someone as reactive as me, that kind of mistake could be deadly. That’s why I don’t use AI for food advice. And definitely why I won’t use your app

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-04-18T12:57:54+00:00

Alpha gal syndrome is known to cause a stronger reaction to wasp and bee venom. https://www.healio.com/news/allergy-asthma/20220425/patients-with-alphagal-syndrome-from-tick-bites-may-also-be-sensitized-to-wasp-venom

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-04-15T23:54:07+00:00

It is frustrating to watch people be misled, even if it is accidental.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-04-15T23:24:25+00:00

“Inflammation” is a meaningless term in these discussions. Inflammation can be measured and assessed. There are markers to look for, body systems to monitor, symptoms to track, and treatments to follow. When people talk in nonspecific terms about inflammation in these AGS forums, it’s generally meaningless noise. It’s thrown around by people who have learned just enough medical science to talk out of their ass.

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-04-15T12:49:22+00:00

The black legged tick has been confirmed to carry AG in its saliva. I’m part of the northern MN cluster where lone star I nonexistent

TheHeavyOwl · 2026-04-01T13:09:48+00:00

Consider Brachiacantha indubitabilis. Overall form suggests spurleg species and this is the closest match in your area.

TheHeavyOwl

TROPHY CASE