Shloop 𓅃
@bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
🇭🇰Nature photography w/ a TG | Volunteering at HKU School of Biological Sciences | interested in Lucanidae rearing and Vespinae ecology | He/they 🏳️🌈
Pinned
Shloop 𓅃
@bugwizardshloop.bsky.social
· Nov 30
I know the majority of my circle consists of entomologists, but I also wanted to revisit my pinning guide on Twitter. So now I’m not active there, here is a more comprehensive guide on how to start your own collection! Focusing on hard-bodied insects big enough to be pinned.
Perhaps even lesser known is that they come in blue. This is a specimen I got and it seems to be a much more uncommon aberration than purple individuals.
January 11, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Perhaps even lesser known is that they come in blue. This is a specimen I got and it seems to be a much more uncommon aberration than purple individuals.
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
People keep telling me they're "not good enough to submit" - I say, we don't gatekeep skill levels.
Sure, I use the books to scout for artists to hire/forward projects to, but our goal is to *encourage people to celebrate nature*.
This is why I insist on having kid & amateur artists each season.
Sure, I use the books to scout for artists to hire/forward projects to, but our goal is to *encourage people to celebrate nature*.
This is why I insist on having kid & amateur artists each season.
We present: The Art of #InverteFest - December 2025 Edition
A digital art book showcasing the work of 100 artists from around the world, in celebration of overlooked invertebrate fauna.
Thank you to the artists who contributed to our book!
Download: drive.google.com/file/d/1JCXz...
#Art #SciArt
A digital art book showcasing the work of 100 artists from around the world, in celebration of overlooked invertebrate fauna.
Thank you to the artists who contributed to our book!
Download: drive.google.com/file/d/1JCXz...
#Art #SciArt
January 7, 2026 at 11:48 AM
People keep telling me they're "not good enough to submit" - I say, we don't gatekeep skill levels.
Sure, I use the books to scout for artists to hire/forward projects to, but our goal is to *encourage people to celebrate nature*.
This is why I insist on having kid & amateur artists each season.
Sure, I use the books to scout for artists to hire/forward projects to, but our goal is to *encourage people to celebrate nature*.
This is why I insist on having kid & amateur artists each season.
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
Join me for tour of dinosaur palaeoart from paleolithic cave art, eccentric Oxford homemaker to Nazi-fighting Polish women and wet vultures. History of dinosaur art, by women. A free talk delivered at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Details below.
Details below.
January 6, 2026 at 12:21 PM
Join me for tour of dinosaur palaeoart from paleolithic cave art, eccentric Oxford homemaker to Nazi-fighting Polish women and wet vultures. History of dinosaur art, by women. A free talk delivered at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Details below.
Details below.
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
the Atlas beetle along with two other species belongs in the genus Chalcosoma, which means “bronze body”. This is a fitting name, considering they often have a bronze or metallic green sheen. But do you know they come in purple? I do, but I never expected to ever find one in the wild! #InverteFest
December 26, 2025 at 2:36 PM
the Atlas beetle along with two other species belongs in the genus Chalcosoma, which means “bronze body”. This is a fitting name, considering they often have a bronze or metallic green sheen. But do you know they come in purple? I do, but I never expected to ever find one in the wild! #InverteFest
the Atlas beetle along with two other species belongs in the genus Chalcosoma, which means “bronze body”. This is a fitting name, considering they often have a bronze or metallic green sheen. But do you know they come in purple? I do, but I never expected to ever find one in the wild! #InverteFest
December 26, 2025 at 2:36 PM
the Atlas beetle along with two other species belongs in the genus Chalcosoma, which means “bronze body”. This is a fitting name, considering they often have a bronze or metallic green sheen. But do you know they come in purple? I do, but I never expected to ever find one in the wild! #InverteFest
Happy #invertefest! I was going to tell everyone how much I love this beautiful Pseudophyllus titan I got, unfortunately she refused to eat and passed away today 😞 that’s just how bug keeping goes, isn’t it?
December 25, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Happy #invertefest! I was going to tell everyone how much I love this beautiful Pseudophyllus titan I got, unfortunately she refused to eat and passed away today 😞 that’s just how bug keeping goes, isn’t it?
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
Today I visited the Takeshima Aquarium in Gamagori, which specializes in deep sea animals. I saw giant isopods, spider crabs, deep sea octopus and all kinds of fascinating #invertebrates.
December 22, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Today I visited the Takeshima Aquarium in Gamagori, which specializes in deep sea animals. I saw giant isopods, spider crabs, deep sea octopus and all kinds of fascinating #invertebrates.
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
Rarely heard, less-seen, enjoy an ex-amplicant (note the girth of the forearm) the Oxapampa Poison Frog, Ameerega planipaleae & this one took me longer to find a photographic reference for than to paint & only one person had recorded the call at the time & was kind enough to share it for the book 🐸.
December 21, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Rarely heard, less-seen, enjoy an ex-amplicant (note the girth of the forearm) the Oxapampa Poison Frog, Ameerega planipaleae & this one took me longer to find a photographic reference for than to paint & only one person had recorded the call at the time & was kind enough to share it for the book 🐸.
#inverts 🕷️
In the little speck that is Hong Kong lives a tarantula.
Well, not a very big one. Phlogiellus is a genus of tiny tarantulas which can be found even in urban environments. Members of the genus can only be identified by dissection and this specimen appears to be P. bogadeki, described in 2016.
Well, not a very big one. Phlogiellus is a genus of tiny tarantulas which can be found even in urban environments. Members of the genus can only be identified by dissection and this specimen appears to be P. bogadeki, described in 2016.
November 15, 2025 at 2:42 PM
#inverts 🕷️
In the little speck that is Hong Kong lives a tarantula.
Well, not a very big one. Phlogiellus is a genus of tiny tarantulas which can be found even in urban environments. Members of the genus can only be identified by dissection and this specimen appears to be P. bogadeki, described in 2016.
Well, not a very big one. Phlogiellus is a genus of tiny tarantulas which can be found even in urban environments. Members of the genus can only be identified by dissection and this specimen appears to be P. bogadeki, described in 2016.
November 15, 2025 at 2:42 PM
In the little speck that is Hong Kong lives a tarantula.
Well, not a very big one. Phlogiellus is a genus of tiny tarantulas which can be found even in urban environments. Members of the genus can only be identified by dissection and this specimen appears to be P. bogadeki, described in 2016.
Well, not a very big one. Phlogiellus is a genus of tiny tarantulas which can be found even in urban environments. Members of the genus can only be identified by dissection and this specimen appears to be P. bogadeki, described in 2016.
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
#Invertober Day 4: Palm weevil (Rhycnhophorus)
October 8, 2025 at 4:28 PM
#Invertober Day 4: Palm weevil (Rhycnhophorus)
A few things for those engaging in the wildlife trade but care about conservation to make peace with:
While exotic pet trade helps understanding the habits of animals , it doesn’t directly help conservation.
This is a rhetoric I’ve seen a lot of herp keepers buy, but it’s crazy cope.
While exotic pet trade helps understanding the habits of animals , it doesn’t directly help conservation.
This is a rhetoric I’ve seen a lot of herp keepers buy, but it’s crazy cope.
October 1, 2025 at 6:21 PM
A few things for those engaging in the wildlife trade but care about conservation to make peace with:
While exotic pet trade helps understanding the habits of animals , it doesn’t directly help conservation.
This is a rhetoric I’ve seen a lot of herp keepers buy, but it’s crazy cope.
While exotic pet trade helps understanding the habits of animals , it doesn’t directly help conservation.
This is a rhetoric I’ve seen a lot of herp keepers buy, but it’s crazy cope.
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
Pristine areas see insect decline. New research points to climate change as a primary factor.
#Insects #Climate #Environment
#Insects #Climate #Environment
Insect populations drop even without direct human interference, a new study finds
Research published this month found that even in pristine, untouched areas, insect populations are still on the decline. Climate change is a likely culprit.
n.pr
October 1, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Pristine areas see insect decline. New research points to climate change as a primary factor.
#Insects #Climate #Environment
#Insects #Climate #Environment
Hello Bluesky.
Contrary to its name, i am typing this when Hong Kong is hit by a super typhoon.
Last Sunday, I got my hands on this gorgeous stag beetle (Odontolabis stevensi duivenbodei), endemic to Sangihe Island. I look forward to breeding them. #inverts
Contrary to its name, i am typing this when Hong Kong is hit by a super typhoon.
Last Sunday, I got my hands on this gorgeous stag beetle (Odontolabis stevensi duivenbodei), endemic to Sangihe Island. I look forward to breeding them. #inverts
September 23, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Hello Bluesky.
Contrary to its name, i am typing this when Hong Kong is hit by a super typhoon.
Last Sunday, I got my hands on this gorgeous stag beetle (Odontolabis stevensi duivenbodei), endemic to Sangihe Island. I look forward to breeding them. #inverts
Contrary to its name, i am typing this when Hong Kong is hit by a super typhoon.
Last Sunday, I got my hands on this gorgeous stag beetle (Odontolabis stevensi duivenbodei), endemic to Sangihe Island. I look forward to breeding them. #inverts
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
let me share a little story about a remarkable wasp that I encountered yesterday in our local deserts
I stumbled across her, and scrambled to get a few crappy photos .... but then realized that she had a burrow, perhaps a better photo op was possible ??
here she is at her burrow entrance.
I stumbled across her, and scrambled to get a few crappy photos .... but then realized that she had a burrow, perhaps a better photo op was possible ??
here she is at her burrow entrance.
September 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
let me share a little story about a remarkable wasp that I encountered yesterday in our local deserts
I stumbled across her, and scrambled to get a few crappy photos .... but then realized that she had a burrow, perhaps a better photo op was possible ??
here she is at her burrow entrance.
I stumbled across her, and scrambled to get a few crappy photos .... but then realized that she had a burrow, perhaps a better photo op was possible ??
here she is at her burrow entrance.
People often say that hummingbirds take the niche of insects, but few know that the closest actual analogue are paper wasps. I wont elaborate further.
September 1, 2025 at 12:58 AM
People often say that hummingbirds take the niche of insects, but few know that the closest actual analogue are paper wasps. I wont elaborate further.
Tonight I saw 3 moon moths (Actias ningpoana) in a single walk. This is the third brood of the year, with the last one coming in October.
#invertefest
#invertefest
August 30, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Tonight I saw 3 moon moths (Actias ningpoana) in a single walk. This is the third brood of the year, with the last one coming in October.
#invertefest
#invertefest
In my trip to Taiwan I visited a few beetle stores including Insect Jungle, which offers an incredible variety of pet beetles and supplies. They include Rhaetus westwoodi, one of the most prized stag beetles, and Dynastes satanas which is rare in the wild, among other uncommon species. #invertefest
August 27, 2025 at 1:50 PM
In my trip to Taiwan I visited a few beetle stores including Insect Jungle, which offers an incredible variety of pet beetles and supplies. They include Rhaetus westwoodi, one of the most prized stag beetles, and Dynastes satanas which is rare in the wild, among other uncommon species. #invertefest
For #invertefest here’s a lovely specimen of what is IMO one of the coolest stag beetles in Taiwan - Neolucanus maximus. Found at midnight when summer comes to an end, their unique mandibles have earned the nickname “dragon’s tooth” given by enthusiasts.
August 26, 2025 at 6:26 PM
For #invertefest here’s a lovely specimen of what is IMO one of the coolest stag beetles in Taiwan - Neolucanus maximus. Found at midnight when summer comes to an end, their unique mandibles have earned the nickname “dragon’s tooth” given by enthusiasts.
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
Bug time!! Got this one done just in time for #Invertefest ~
August 26, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Bug time!! Got this one done just in time for #Invertefest ~
With larvae weighing over 250 grams and adults weighing only a quarter of its larval weight, Megasoma rex is the heaviest insect in the world.
It is split from Megasoma actaeon in 2018, based on small morphological differences and geographical isolation.
#invertefest
It is split from Megasoma actaeon in 2018, based on small morphological differences and geographical isolation.
#invertefest
August 25, 2025 at 11:15 AM
With larvae weighing over 250 grams and adults weighing only a quarter of its larval weight, Megasoma rex is the heaviest insect in the world.
It is split from Megasoma actaeon in 2018, based on small morphological differences and geographical isolation.
#invertefest
It is split from Megasoma actaeon in 2018, based on small morphological differences and geographical isolation.
#invertefest
Leaf insects are one of the rarest phasmids in HK, with no specimens in museums and only a few photos online. They have been high on my wishlist, then I saw what looked like a bizarre assassin bug. I still couldn’t believe what I found.
Happy #InverteFest !!!!
Happy #InverteFest !!!!
August 24, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Leaf insects are one of the rarest phasmids in HK, with no specimens in museums and only a few photos online. They have been high on my wishlist, then I saw what looked like a bizarre assassin bug. I still couldn’t believe what I found.
Happy #InverteFest !!!!
Happy #InverteFest !!!!
Reposted by Shloop 𓅃
American carrion beetles, which carry the unfortunate name of Necrophila americana! These were hard to get photos of, between how active they were and how much the rabbit carcass they were likely looking to lay some eggs in was stinking :P
#Silphidae #beetles #coleoptera #insects #bugs #photos
#Silphidae #beetles #coleoptera #insects #bugs #photos
August 18, 2025 at 10:59 PM
American carrion beetles, which carry the unfortunate name of Necrophila americana! These were hard to get photos of, between how active they were and how much the rabbit carcass they were likely looking to lay some eggs in was stinking :P
#Silphidae #beetles #coleoptera #insects #bugs #photos
#Silphidae #beetles #coleoptera #insects #bugs #photos
