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Play-like behavior exhibited by the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Jun 8

In vertebrates, play is often seen as highly relevant for animal welfare. Studying the implications of this behavior for Drosophila well-being could be a great thing to propose for our current CFP round! www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro...

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Jun 8

Fascinating paper by @wolfhuette.bsky.social and colleagues from a few months back.

www.cell.com/current-biol...

Triphan et al. show flies seeking the sensation of repeated, play-like carousel visits, even if two carousels provide spatially and temporally dissociated spinning. They propose how this voluntary pas...

www.cell.com

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Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Jun 8

only 7 days left to submit an EOI to our first call for proposals 😱

If you work on #arthropods 🪲🐜🪳🦐🦗🦂🐝 of any kind and want to study their welfare scientifically, we have 💰for you!

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 7

Our first RFP is open! www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro...

Expressions of interest are due by June 15th. Applications in any area of insect welfare are welcome, but see our website for more information on our priorities. Questions welcome -- feel free to email or comment here.

Application Timeline: Expressions of Interest are due on June 15, 2025. Invitations to submit full proposals will be sent by June 30, 2025. Full proposals are due on July 31, 2025. Notifications of a...

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Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · May 26

Only 20 days left until Expression of Interest submissions closes! We can't wait to see your proposals!

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 7

Our first RFP is open! www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro...

Expressions of interest are due by June 15th. Applications in any area of insect welfare are welcome, but see our website for more information on our priorities. Questions welcome -- feel free to email or comment here.

Application Timeline: Expressions of Interest are due on June 15, 2025. Invitations to submit full proposals will be sent by June 30, 2025. Full proposals are due on July 31, 2025. Notifications of a...

To Puddle or Not To Puddle: Review Highlights Unanswered Questions About Butterfly Behavior

Reposted by Arthropoda Foundation

Entomological Society of America @entsocamerica.bsky.social · May 13

New on Entomology Today: Many butterfly species often congregate in puddles, rotting organic matter, or other moist surfaces. A new review on "puddling" in butterflies details current knowledge on this nutrient-gathering behavior but also shows how much remains unknown about why they gather.

A new review on "puddling" in butterflies details current knowledge on this nutrient-gathering behavior and how much remains unknown about why they gather.

entomologytoday.org

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Reposted by Arthropoda Foundation

Jeff Sebo @jeffsebo.bsky.social · Apr 30

Happening today!

Jeff Sebo @jeffsebo.bsky.social · Apr 9

The NYU Wild Animal Welfare Program is thrilled to be hosting an online talk with Meghan Barrett called "Wild Insect Welfare: Mitigating Harms to the Very, Very Many." The talk will be Wed April 30 at 12:30pm. RSVP below. Please share!

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Wild Insect Welfare: Mitigating Harms to the Very, Very Many. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Terrestrial arthropods like insects are among the most abundant animals on our planet. New research suggests that some of these animals, especially at the adult life stage, may be sentient. If they ca...

nyu.zoom.us

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Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 22

Wild bees* are great! If you're interested in studying their welfare scientifically, check out our CFP!

www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro...

*honeybee welfare projects would also be eligible for funding, although not a priority this funding round.

Saimi Hanma ⚔️ @saimihanma.bsky.social · Apr 17

I'm painfully tired of honey bees still getting the most attention when they're not native to North America. They're basically livestock and outcompete our native bees. We do NOT need more urban hives.

So please, let's some some of our glorious wild bees for a change!

#Invertebrates

a shiny metallic green sweat bee on white yarrow flowers

a chonky, pollen hauling in flight digger bee hovering in front of a pink red flowering currant flower

a fuzzy bee covered in pollen on top of the cone part of a cone flower

a hovering mason bee with a pollen hat and booties in front of a yellow flower

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 19

Studies that compare different approaches to insect population control from a welfare perspective, or seek to produce new, higher-welfare approaches, would be relevant for our CFP! www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro...

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 19

Humanity often seeks to reduce insect populations, and most of the methods we have to do so probably cause a lot of suffering if those insects are sentient.

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 19

Here's another example of a topic that might be interesting to study from a welfare angle: how can we manage insect populations in a friendlier way?

Climate, Ecology, War & More by Dr. Glen Barry, BigEarthData.ai @bigearthdata.bsky.social · Oct 19

Officials discover highly invasive 'spongy moth' wreaking havoc on trees: 'I knew right then that we were doomed'
->The Cool Down | #Tree #Forest | More info from EcoSearch

Reposted by Arthropoda Foundation

Entomological Society of America @entsocamerica.bsky.social · Mar 25

As funding and workforce disruption harms U.S. science, the ESA Member Support Fund will pay affected entomologists' membership dues, allowing beneficiaries to maintain access to ESA member benefits and stay connected to the insect science community. buff.ly/mSnq5tP

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Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 15

One might examine the physiological processes involved, time to death for the spotted-wing Drosophila, as well as any welfare consequences that might accrue for the wasp.

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 15

Wasp-based biological control is commonly promoted for environmental reasons. But how does biological control compare to other methods of pest insect control when examined through a welfare lens?

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 15

I'll be posting a few examples of research questions it would be cool to see proposed for our current RFP (www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro...) to help folks get a sense of our funding interests and priorities.

Lindsay Lindhult, PhD @lindzeamays.bsky.social · Apr 8

😱 Maggots in your blueberries? Theres a wasp for that! Meet Ganaspis kimorum, a tiny parasitoid wasp and fruit superhero!

G. kimorum is a bio control agent of the spotted wing Drosophila, a problematic fruit pest in the US.

For Rutgers entomologist Cesar Rodriguez-Saona.

Lindzeamays.com

🐡🕷️🎨🫐🧪

Digital painting of parasitoid wasp, Ganaspis kimorum.

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Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 15

🤩

Domenic Pennetta @domenicpennetta.bsky.social · Apr 1

Do you have a favorite #bug? 🪲 Let me know in the comments! In the meantime, enjoy four digital illustrations of insects I shared last month! ✨

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #invert #arthropods #bugsky #insects

Digital illustration of an adult common cotton stainer bug, Dysdercus suturellus. Art by Domenic Pennetta.

Digital illustration of a male scorpionfly, Panorpa communis. Art by Domenic Pennetta.

Digital illustration of the checkered beetle, Trichodes alvearius. Art by Domenic Pennetta.

Digital illustration of a black and yellow Mud Dauber, Sceliphron caementarium. Art by Domenic Pennetta.

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 15

Do you know a scientist working with insects with an interest in welfare? Please send them our way!

We'd appreciate any effort to boost our reach so we can get lots of cool applications :)

Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 7

Our first RFP is open! www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro...

Expressions of interest are due by June 15th. Applications in any area of insect welfare are welcome, but see our website for more information on our priorities. Questions welcome -- feel free to email or comment here.

Application Timeline: Expressions of Interest are due on June 15, 2025. Invitations to submit full proposals will be sent by June 30, 2025. Full proposals are due on July 31, 2025. Notifications of a...

Motivational trade-offs as evidence for sentience in bees: a critique

Reposted by Arthropoda Foundation

Vivek Nityananda @viveknityananda.bsky.social · Apr 8

A recent paper argued that bees trade off reward to avoid pain. Jenny Read and I re-analyzed their data and argue that the paper's analysis is flawed. We've written up a constructive critique of the work with some modelling and recommendations. 🧪

Read on:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Establishing if insects feel pain can have far-reaching consequences for insect husbandry, commercial pollination and scientific research. Research in this field therefore requires careful experiments...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Arthropoda Foundation

Jeff Sebo @jeffsebo.bsky.social · Apr 9

The NYU Wild Animal Welfare Program is thrilled to be hosting an online talk with Meghan Barrett called "Wild Insect Welfare: Mitigating Harms to the Very, Very Many." The talk will be Wed April 30 at 12:30pm. RSVP below. Please share!

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Wild Insect Welfare: Mitigating Harms to the Very, Very Many. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Terrestrial arthropods like insects are among the most abundant animals on our planet. New research suggests that some of these animals, especially at the adult life stage, may be sentient. If they ca...

nyu.zoom.us

5 4

Reposted by Arthropoda Foundation

Royal Entomological Society @royentsoc.bsky.social · Apr 10

Join the entomological community at @unistrathclyde.bsky.social for #Ento25, with opportunities to present your research in #InsectScience 🦋

Huge discount for RES members so join today, save more when you register before the earlybird deadline: 4 July 🔽

buff.ly/gTnJkvN

@uofglasgow.bsky.social

Advertisement for Ento25 registration and abstract submission featuring people at a previous Ento conference

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Arthropoda Foundation @arthropodafound.bsky.social · Apr 7

Our first RFP is open! www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro...

Expressions of interest are due by June 15th. Applications in any area of insect welfare are welcome, but see our website for more information on our priorities. Questions welcome -- feel free to email or comment here.

Application Timeline: Expressions of Interest are due on June 15, 2025. Invitations to submit full proposals will be sent by June 30, 2025. Full proposals are due on July 31, 2025. Notifications of a...