Perry Beasley-Hall, PhD
@pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.1K following 450 posts
entomologist researching biodiversity + taxonomy + evolution of weird, spindly things underground. #1 ensifera enjoyer 🦗 also: queer liberation 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ + neurodiversity 🧠 + solarpunk ☀️🌱 they/she 🌈
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pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
Say hi to Micropathus ditto and M. zubat, two #NewSpecies of cave cricket from forests in southern Tasmania! These crickets are threatened by climate change, land clearing, and logging. Giving them names is an important step towards their conservation. But why did we choose these ones? #bugsky 🧵 1/6
Micropathus ditto (female) in profile sitting on a cave wall. Superimposed in the corner is a sprite of the Pokemon Ditto.

Image credit Tim Rudman, source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/71119620 Macro photos of the morphology of Micropathus zubat, showing the head, ovipositor, and genital plates. Superimposed in the corner is a sprite of the Pokemon Zubat.
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
Just came across Ray Troll's artwork (trollart.com). So beautiful!
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
oh my god this is PERFECT

don’t talk to me until I’ve had my toxic blood spray
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
The koringkriek (Acanthoplus discoidalis) is a katydid found in southern Africa. Not only does the species have a powerful bite, it's also known to squirt toxic blood or throw up its stomach contents as a defense mechanism! #EverydayEnsifera

📸: Rudi Bosbouer
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
Does it help if they've very slow-moving and heavy? 🥺
Reposted by Perry Beasley-Hall, PhD
bhl-au.bsky.social
Happy #SquidAndCuttlefishDay!

We love checking in on McCoy’s “Prodromus of the zoology of Victoria” for images like these of the Australian giant cuttlefish. These images don’t, however, capture the cuttlefish’s ability to change colour & patterns quickly.

www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5220064
Reposted by Perry Beasley-Hall, PhD
ketanjoshi.co
So late to this, but this @bloomberg.com piece on the impact of sudden surges in power demand from new data centres on local electricity prices is really, really good - lots of original analysis.

So many still shrug this off as a non-issue. Tell it to these ppl

www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
a chart shwoing price impacts near data centres a photograph of a man sitting on some stairs o nthe street
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
Me too - my main concern is that the end product is clear/accessible so others can use it. This was with the European Journal of Taxonomy. I get the impression they're normally very thorough with this stuff and it was an unfortunate case of human error. Still sucks, though!
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
This means there are big sections of our key/figure legends/treatments etc. that are empty, nonsensical, or actively misleading for ID! No idea how they'll handle the corrigendum, but I just hope it isn't too messy. Super disappointed. I was really proud of this paper, too. ☹️ 2/2
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
The final proof was correct, but something went wrong when it was uploaded and the published version is different. It would have been okay-ish if my edits just weren't incorporated, but in the online version ANY text I edited has been completely deleted. 1/2
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
The Cook Strait giant wētā (Deinacrida rugosa) is an anostostomatid from New Zealand. It's one of the largest insects in the world! Major threats to this cutie include land clearing and predation by rats. It's listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. #EverydayEnsifera

📸: d_kluza (iNaturalist)
Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/6343096
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
Update: reached out to an ex-ICZN commissioner and he unfortunately confirmed that it can't be changed. Huge corrigendum time, I guess...
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
Calling #ICZN people: we had a #taxonomy paper come out w/ literally dozens of publisher errors. Told it can’t be fixed online as that’s against the Code & needs a lengthy correction notice. 😤 imo that would make it even less accessible - is it really our only option?
Reposted by Perry Beasley-Hall, PhD
cuttledreams.bsky.social
Bug time!! Got this one done just in time for #Invertefest ~
An illustration of the earwig Oreasiobia fedtschenkoi. It is swooping down wings outstretched. Around it is a wavy golden boarder and star shapes. The background is waves of pastel purples pinks and greens with glitter-like sparkles.
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
happy international lesbian day!
Maisy Mouse in overalls proudly holding a lesbian flag.

Photo credit POKOPIPO: https://x.com/POKOPIPO/status/1285841855280640001/photo/1
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
Cooloola monsters are weird, chunky insects endemic to South East Queensland, Australia. They're probably related to king crickets (Anostostomatidae), but not much is known about their evolution. The wingless females live permanently underground. #EverydayEnsifera

📸: Visit Gympie Region
A pale insect with tiny eyes digging underground. It looks almost like a fat potato with legs.

Source: https://www.visitgympieregion.com.au/great-experiences/wildlife/
Reposted by Perry Beasley-Hall, PhD
phazonharbinger.bsky.social
Nesoecia nigrispina are quite a chunky yet formidable species. #cricket #grasshopper #katydid #insect #bug #macro #wildlife
Reposted by Perry Beasley-Hall, PhD
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
The Wonderful World of Insects (1999) #oldinternet #bugsky
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/19990209121149/http://www.insect-world.com/main/six01.html
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
There are ~18,000 species of katydids, crickets, & allies worldwide - over 32,000 if you include questionable names. I thought it'd be fun to showcase some weird, beautiful, or unusual species daily. First up is Orophus tessellatus, a katydid from Central America! #EverydayEnsifera

📸: Karl Kroeker
A side profile of a katydid resembling a brown, crunchy leaf. The wings of the katydid even have veins!

Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/68304626