Join us at the University of Central Florida! 🍊🚀🌴

We’re seeking an Assistant Professor of Plant Physiology! We’ve got growth chambers, hoop houses, greenhouse space, an arboretum, and students chomping at the bit for more plant courses!

#PlantPeopleFTW #IAmABotanist

jobs.ucf.edu/jobs/assista...

It was a joy to see the crickets durning my visit! You have a great collection.

Using Bayesian neural networks and evolutionary modelling, we show that trophallaxis evolved twice in ants: 130 million years ago when flowering plants became more abundant and ants began harvesting sugary liquids from plants and their insect partners, and again in others ~90 million years ago.

Yes! It is interesting. I’m grateful for Chris Smith’s stable isotope work on that front. I’ve even seen foragers cutting and harvesting big mushrooms. I guess they take all they can get with so many troublemakers and larvae to feed.

I concede. Sometimes beetles disappoint.

Thank you! Beetles never disappoint.

Thanks, Alex!

It really is heavenly there. Thank you!

Nope! The ants attack them readily. We don’t suspect that they mimic any ant signals.

New research article! 📰

Kwapich @pogonokwap.bsky.social et al. revealed that H. dorsalis larvae parasitize P. badius colonies by intercepting insect prey meant for ant larvae🪲
doi.org/10.1007/s000...

#InsectesSociaux #SocialInsects #Kleptoparasitism #InsectBehavior #Myrmecology #BeetleLarvae #ants

Read all about these parasitic beetles here: nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

The ants divide transport tasks across the vertical strata of their giant, subterranean nests. Hymenorus dorsalis exploit this sequential caching behavior, and snatch insects set down by ant foragers, before they are collected by younger ant workers. 2/n

My lab has a new paper in @insectessociaux.bsky.social. We found that alleculine beetle larvae consume most insect prey collected by Florida harvester ant workers, and occur in up to 63% of nests. 1/n

A couple of favorite An'ts from last weekend: Holcencyrtus nugget wasp, and a silly little mopey thrips (Phlaeothripidae). Carry on, tiny friends 🖤

Very nice!!

I'm looking for a graduate student (master's level) to join my lab starting Fall 2025. If you know any undergraduates interested in termite behavior and evolution, please let them know!

I would love to be on this list! Thanks.

It was a pleasure to have you here. Everyone is still buzzing about your excellent talk. Please visit us and the palm trees again, any time! 🪰🐜🧬

Rhodamine B in their food will work wonders. It fluoresces — but should be disposed of carefully based on the label.