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rosariolebronentomology.com
Armando Rosario-Lebrón
@rosariolebronentomology.com
2.5K followers 1.8K following 1K posts
UK based in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Entomologist 🇵🇷
Former ITAP.gov Invert chair and US Federal Employee
Former US Labor Union Leader
Film Ent: imdb.com/name/nm13959020/
Editorial admin at: https://www.sswento.org/
Board Member: circulodepr.org
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rosariolebronentomology.com
Armando Rosario-Lebrón @rosariolebronentomology.com · Apr 11
Given the recent devastation to US #entomology, this thread is a resource list for aspiring entomologists or those who’ve lost jobs. I invite others to add links they think might help. I won’t pretend this is easy, but there’s no better time to start. Open below to read: 🧪 #AcademicSky #science
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
apsciencebylyn.bsky.social
Rake-legged mite! Rake-legged mite! Rake-legged mite!

Bug had not been introduced to Rake-legged mites in person. We fixed that today. He played dead the entire time. 10/10 experience
Flat brown roughly triangular shaped mite with stubby black legs, the 1st pair of which has large spines on the inner side which resemble a metal rake. He's very small amongst the white sand grains
December 1, 2025 at 4:24 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Working on a talk for this week and ran across this beauty of a slightly fuzzy picture. An eriophyoid mite under SEM, nestled among plant stomata. These mites are microscopic plant parasites, often species-specific.
#invert 🪲🪳
High-magnification SEM image of an eriophyoid mite (Eriophyoidea), shown in dorsal view. The mite’s elongated, vermiform body is segmented with a series of ridged, leaf-like dorsal plates that taper to a narrow, pointed rear. Unlike most mites, eriophyoids have only two pairs of legs, which are visible at the front of the body, projecting laterally from a bulbous anterior region. The surface of the mite is highly textured, with a rough, micro-granulated appearance. The mite is situated on the surface of a plant, surrounded by clearly visible stomata. These stomata are small, elliptical structures with central pores, scattered across the background, emphasizing the extremely small scale of the eriophyoid. Fine hairs and irregular textures on both the mite and the plant epidermis are sharply defined thanks to the electron imaging technique.
December 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
What am I? A toad? No. An invasive that’s damaging wine and beer production across the U.S.? Yes.
Still don't know? Check the alt text.

🪲🪳 #Invertebrate #entomology🌿
Extreme close-up macro photograph of the head of a spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), an invasive planthopper species in the family Fulgoridae. The image focuses on the insect’s right side, revealing a large compound eye with a mottled texture and earthy coloration. Below the eye is a strikingly red, textured sensory structure that resembles a tiny strawberry, sharply contrasting against the brown, leathery exoskeleton. Fine sensory hairs cover parts of the head and thorax. The image’s high detail and rich lighting highlight the lanternfly's alien-like appearance. Set against a deep black background for dramatic contrast.
April 30, 2025 at 12:16 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
In Swansea?
Want to hear me ramble on about mites for half an hour in a pub?

Join me on Thursday Dec 4th for a fun talk on these critters.

www.eventbrite.com/e/talking-re...
Talking Research December
We have another TR lined up! You know the drill, see you in HB at 5pm ish!
www.eventbrite.com
December 1, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
nickybay.bsky.social
Meet bob the red velvet mite
November 1, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
nickybay.bsky.social
Blind cave spiders~

This occurs due to the process of regressive evolution. In an environment without light, vision provides no advantage in finding prey or avoiding predators. The loss of their eyes means that energy and resources once used for eyes are instead allocated to other traits.
November 23, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
nickybay.bsky.social
Phrictus quinquepartitus is what I'd call the dragon-headed lantern bug with the multiple tubercles lining its snout, or apical process.

Photographed in Belize
December 1, 2024 at 2:35 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Got to do crafts and hear some great speakers at @royentsoc.bsky.social the Outreach, Culture & Education Special Interest Group meeting in Edinburgh. Such a fun day 🪲🪳 #Invert #entomology
A brightly lit classroom scene shows a speaker standing near a white podium. He wears dark trousers, brown shoes, a patterned shirt, and a brown vest. He gestures with both hands while addressing a small audience. Two people sit in the foreground with their backs to the camera. One has long dark hair and a shirt covered in butterfly patterns while holding a bright orange device. Another has pink tinted hair and a yellow patterned sweater. A large monitor beside the speaker displays a detailed close up photograph of an ant head with the text Make BIG out of a little. The room has white walls, grey carpet, and overhead ceiling lights. Two handmade paper insects lie on a white tabletop. Both have simple black bodies made of cut paper and thin curved antennae. The top insect has four white wings with orange tips on the forewings. The wings are decorated with hand drawn brown dots and branching vein lines. The lower insect has the same wing shape but remains fully white except for brown shading and small drawn dots at the edges. The wings have delicate brown pencil lines showing vein patterns. Both crafts resemble stylized butterflies from the family Pieridae.
November 22, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
aussienews.bsky.social
The deadly bee parasite has been detected in South Australia again — this time in the state's south-east. #beekeeping #agricultural #pest #control #pests #horticulture
Varroa mite found at second site in South Australia
The deadly bee parasite has been detected in South Australia again — this time in the state's south-east. #beekeeping #agricultural #pest #control #pests #horticulture
www.abc.net.au
November 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
The Acarology Summer Program (71 years strong!) returns to Univ of Arkansas summer 2026:
Soil Acarology: May 25-June 12
Medical & Veterinary Acarology: June 15-20
Limited to ~15 students for personalized instruction.
Registration: training.uark.edu/portal/train...
#Entomology #bugsky #invert 🧪
Acarology Summer Program | Professional and Workforce Development | University of Arkansas
For 70 years, the Acarology Summer Program has trained researchers in mite identification, biology, and collection. Join this intensive, hands-on course to build your expertise in acarology.
training.uark.edu
November 19, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
natsca.bsky.social
The Rediscovery of a Challenger Expedition Specimen in William Herdman’s Zoology Museum Collection at the University of Liverpool (and how digitisation is transformative).

Written by Leonie Sedman, Curator of Heritage & Collections Care, University of Liverpool. Along with many other NatSCA…
The Rediscovery of a Challenger Expedition Specimen in William Herdman’s Zoology Museum Collection at the University of Liverpool (and how digitisation is transformative).
Written by Leonie Sedman, Curator of Heritage & Collections Care, University of Liverpool. Along with many other NatSCA members, I care for a mixed collection, meaning that one inevitably becomes something of a 'Jack of all trades’ missing out on the academic satisfaction created by specialisation. As a curator who finds collections research to be the most satisfying part of my job, it can be frustrating when that research is often only possible on a ‘need-to-know’ basis - usually when a new display or exhibition is being planned, or when the specimens are to be used in teaching.
natsca.blog
November 20, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social
Sedgwick Museum Lates: Behind the Scenes uncovered

Free, 18+ evening event.
Thursday 20th November, 6-9pm

Delve into our work behind the scenes. Featuring @jackdashby.bsky.social ‘in conversation’ as we discuss his book ‘Nature’s Memory, Behind The Scenes at the World’s Natural History Museums’.
A drawer of rocks. There are rocks of many colours from grey to orange to red to purple. They are arranged in a gradient. A drawer of shells. Most are spiral shells of a white colour sitting against the blue colour of the bottom of the drawer.
November 19, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
suedancey.bsky.social
www.field-studies-council.org/courses-and-...
Shropshire Ento Day - 18th January 2026
A day to enhance and share knowledge of invertebrates with exhibitions, sales, network and consultation time amongst speakers on entomological themes. Pre-booking essential via our website Please brin...
www.field-studies-council.org
November 11, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
ece2026tours.bsky.social
🎃 Halloween Special: The insect world has inspired some of the most terrifying stories. Parasitoid larvae growing inside live hosts, fungi turning ants into zombies, cannibalism and necrophagy… 🐜🐛🪳💀

Curious? Join us 👉https://www.ece2026.org/

#ECE2026 #Entomology #Science #Tours #Biodiversity
ECE 2026 - XIII European Congress of Entomology
It is our great pleasure to welcome you to Tours, France, in the heart of the Loire Valley, from June 29 to July 3, 2026.
www.ece2026.org
October 31, 2025 at 9:52 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
The Acarology Summer Program (71 years strong!) returns to Univ of Arkansas summer 2026:
Soil Acarology: May 25-June 12
Medical & Veterinary Acarology: June 15-20
Limited to ~15 students for personalized instruction.
Registration: training.uark.edu/portal/train...
#Entomology #bugsky #invert 🧪
Acarology Summer Program | Professional and Workforce Development | University of Arkansas
For 70 years, the Acarology Summer Program has trained researchers in mite identification, biology, and collection. Join this intensive, hands-on course to build your expertise in acarology.
training.uark.edu
November 19, 2025 at 8:06 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
I have two mite experts confirmed and coming next year to the UK and willing to run a very basic workshop. Does anyone in the UK know of a host organization that might be interested in hosting this?

#entomology #bugsky #invert
rosariolebronentomology.com Armando Rosario-Lebrón @rosariolebronentomology.com · 23d
Spider mite up close. Thinking about a public-friendly UK intro to Acari, similar to other ID workshops but a bit trickier since these animals are so small. Would need a good host site, and if there’s interest, I may bring experts from the US. Thoughts? 🪲🪳 #invert #entomology
Scanning electron microscope image showing a spider mite in extraordinary detail on a plant surface. The mite’s oval body is covered in delicate, rippled lines, with fine sensory hairs extending in many directions. Each of its eight legs bends forward and ends in small pads and claws that press into the plant’s textured tissue. The background reveals a landscape of ridges, pores, and plant fibers, with one larger plant hair crossing the frame. The grayscale tones emphasize every contour and make the mite appear sculptural, showing the structure and complexity of an animal far smaller than a grain of sand.
November 18, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
ajcann.bsky.social
Issus coleoptratus nymph.

#Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55 #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem
Issus coleoptratus nymph
November 7, 2025 at 3:56 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Pravia et al 2025 shows oribatid mites thrive where UK soils are rich in organic matter, moisture, and acidity (IE Wales). They are key decomposers, as vital as earthworms, yet almost unknown. Only a handful of people in the UK study them. doi.org/10.1016/j.ap...
#invert 🧪
A scatterplot showing how many species of oribatid mites appear in small soil cores taken across eight habitat types in the United Kingdom. Along the bottom are categories such as crops, tall grass, fertile grassland, infertile grassland, lowland woodland, upland woodland, moorland mosaic, and heath and bog. Each category is represented by many small colored dots, with each dot showing the number of mite species found in one soil sample. On the left, the agricultural habitats have tight clusters of low dots, usually one to three species, showing low diversity. As the chart moves to the right, diversity climbs. The woodland habitats show more dots spread upwards, many reaching five to ten species. The highest values appear in the moorland and bog habitats, where dots rise even further, reaching ten to fifteen species per core. Black circles with vertical bars in each category show the average and the uncertainty around that average. These black markers rise steadily from left to right. The visual trend is clear. Highly managed farmland has low diversity. Natural woodlands, organic rich soils, and wet acidic habitats support far richer oribatid communities. The figure communicates how habitat quality shapes the tiny decomposers living under our feet.
November 18, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
hollyhoye.bsky.social
Sometimes there’s too much going on in the world and you need to look at a large ridiculous bird for a minute.

shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)
April 8, 2025 at 1:29 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A corn earworm egg from one of our older papers under SEM.

#invert #entomology #lepidoptera #bugsky🌿
Grayscale scanning electron microscope image showing an extreme close view of a corn earworm egg, Helicoverpa zea. The egg fills most of the right side of the frame and looks like a tiny sculpted pumpkin or sea urchin shell. It is almost spherical but slightly flattened, with deep ridges that run from the base up toward the top in regular segments. At the very top center of the egg is an ornate, flower-like pattern. Around a small circular opening in the middle, a rosette of petal shaped plates is arranged in a tight ring. Fine, wrinkled lines radiate out from this rosette across the surface between the larger ridges, so the chorion looks both ribbed and delicately veined at the same time. On the left side of the image, partly out of frame, is a rounded section of insect cuticle that belongs to the corn earworm. It is studded with scattered sensory hairs that stick out at sharp angles, and a few small raised bumps that look like clusters of smooth domes. Several of the hairs are long and needle thin, casting narrow shadows on the surface below. Along the border where this body segment and the egg meet, you can see the egg sitting snug against the cuticle, as if tucked into a shallow pocket. The background is dark and featureless, which makes the pale egg and the adjoining body surface stand out in high contrast. The lighting and SEM rendering emphasize every tiny detail in relief, from the fine folds and pits in the egg shell to the texture of the insect cuticle and the edges of each hair, giving a sense of just how intricate this very small structure is.
November 17, 2025 at 9:10 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A beautiful orb weaver still active in the cold weather in England
🌿 #bugsky #Invert
A close view of an orb weaver spider centered in its web. The spider has a rounded abdomen with rich brown and cream markings that form a pattern across its back. Its legs are thick and covered with fine hairs that catch the light. The spider is positioned at the hub of a large symmetrical web made of fine silken strands that radiate outward in neat lines. Each section of the web shows clear structure with junction points that shine gently. The background is deep green with soft blurred patches that create a sense of depth and quiet space. The lighting highlights the spider’s body and the delicate threads of the web.
November 17, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
tjalamont.bsky.social
A cluster of, I think, earwig eggs (although I didn't see the mother, who typically would be guarding them). What I especially like are the micro-droplets of condensation; each egg is at most 1 mm., so the droplets are incredibly small. Shot at 2X, ten handheld images stacked. 🐙🌿📷 #Bugsky 🥚
A macro photo of a cluster of a few dozen tiny, pale-yellow eggs on damp earth. Each egg is dappled on top with micro-dots of condensation.
November 17, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
grays.art
Long-legged fly (size: ~3mm)
(Condylostylus mundus)

A very small fly that eats aphids.😇

Bonita Nature Place 11-5-25
Bonita Springs, Florida

#ColorADay #GreenSat #green #blue #BlueSkyArtShow #bright #eastcoastkin #bugSky #nature #macro #photography #macroPhotography #native #insects #diptera #art
Blue & green wee fly on lighter green leaf, dark green background.
November 15, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
grays.art
Bow-legged bug
(Hyalymenus longispinus)

on invasive Brazilian pepper tree
(Schinus terebinthifolius)

CREW Flint Pen Strand Trails
Lee County, Florida 11-12-25

Minor legume pest, eats seeds & fruits.

#stunDay #eastcoastkin #bugSky #native #florida #insects #nature #photography #macro #art #bugs
Long antenna, red eyes, burnt orange color, cream spots, and sharp shoulder spines, legs are long and slender, with the arcs of its hind legs being particularly noticeable, on a background of orange, green and red spheres.
November 16, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
tjalamont.bsky.social
Here is your Sunday Spider. (Small jumping spider, don't know the species, from the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.) 🐙🌿 #Bugsky
A macro photo of a jumping spider atop a piece of rotting wood against an out of focus green background. The spider is facing the camera but looking slightly downward. It has a near-black cephalothorax and legs, which all show a dark blue sheen. Its palps are fuzzy and cream-colored.
November 16, 2025 at 7:01 PM