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Reposted by Steph Skipp

Norfolk Ponds Project @norfolkponds.bsky.social · Aug 25

Hello @bsky.app. we are Norfolk Ponds Project - a science-led partnership NGO focused on pond restoration & #ghostpond ressurection. We aim to educate, lobby & inspire others on ponds. We used to Tweet & had 5000+ followers. ***Please follow & help us achieve the same here***!!!

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Aug 25

That’s great to hear! I hope they are doing well 😃🪵

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Aug 25

Lovely pics 👌

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Aug 25

Woah! 😍🦓

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Derek Binns @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · Aug 20

A male Oligosita pallida parasitoid wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found in the garden birch tree.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae

tiny yellow wasp with black markings along its sides, head and antennae are to the left, fringed wings are held at 60 degrees above body

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Aug 9

In prep for the #Bioblitz at Mote Park today, we set up a few bottle vane traps in lovely old oaks. Highlights so far included Thanasimus formicarius, Tomoxia bucephala, and the chalcid wasp, Astichus arithmeticus 🌳 @kentfieldclub.bsky.social

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martinswarren.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social · Jun 22

Look what arrived yesterday hot off the press. The amazing Alpine flower book by my good friend Bob Gibbons. Published posthumously it is a wonderful legacy of one of the greatest modern botanists. It was a privilege to have shared many European tours with him @saveplants.bsky.social

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Jun 22

Must have felt good to have been part of a successful trip, congrats on your records. Interesting that they were in thyme clumps, they seem to be happy in quite a few different situations.

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Jun 21

I hate to ruin the mystery, but the bug is an immature Ilyocoris cimicoides 😊 The Thrips remains nameless though…

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Mark Webster @crepidodera.bsky.social · Jun 3

I thought yesterday was good when I found a posing Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn. But as they say about busses - today I found another 4 of them at Coombeswood in a field of Hogweed and to cap it off - a Hazel Leaf-Roller - and it's only the 3rd June as well ! What next ?

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Jun 21

Thanks Derek! 😊 It was an exciting moment!

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Jun 21

Been hoping to find this species for a few years, and yesterday it finally happened! Sat in a patch of nettles by the River Dove in the Peak District, I peeled some loose bark from a log and was delighted to spot these tiny ball-rollers! Armadillidium pulchellum ❤️

A brown and orange woodlouse with whitish flecks along its body stands on a piece of wood with a linear, wrinkled texture.

An orange and brown woodlouse with white flecks is rolled into a ball while being held between a finger and thumb.

I am looking excitedly at the camera while pointing to a tiny woodlouse on a log.

I am sitting on a train wearing my customised hoodie with a drawing of a woodlouse and the words ‘Armadillidium pulchellum’ printed on the front.

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · May 14

I’m afraid I’m no expert at these but that sounds like a good bet. Any water dock around?

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Royal Entomological Society @royentsoc.bsky.social · May 12

Who’s joining us for the #LloydOfTheFlies Wetland Bug Hunt?

We're partnering with Aardman and @wwtworldwide.bsky.social to bring you a completely unique and exciting way to explore our wonderful wetlands between 5 April - 1 June 🪰

buff.ly/bFvfe0q

#WWTLloyd #KidsDaysOut #VisitLondon #ThingsToDo

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Reposted by Steph Skipp

Mark Webster @crepidodera.bsky.social · Apr 19

Really like the name "Pleasing Fungus Beetles" (Erotylidae), even the scientific name is from the Greek for darling. This one (Triplax aenea) was found with several others hiding in the gills of an old Oyster fungi at Leasowes NR. Common but they hide during the day so not many records.

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Mark Webster @crepidodera.bsky.social · Apr 23

You really wouldn't think it, but it's a Rove Beetle. A very impressive looking one at that. Scaphidium quadrimaculatum found under loose bark on a fallen Ash tree, feeding on white fungus. At Leasowes NR.

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Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · Apr 8

Went back to the allotments where I spotted a Blue Mint Beetle and saw 5 without much effort. One appeared to be a gravid female, chomping on a mint leaf. 1st UK breeding record was apparently from 2012. I found 14 records from Kent on iRecord, plus others further afield. #KentNature #beetles

A metallic blue beetle, seen side-on, with a distended abdomen. It is feeding on a leaf on a mint plant, and other leaves also show feeding damage.

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Reposted by Steph Skipp

Vanna Bartlett @vannabartlett.bsky.social · Apr 20

A great day out in the Norfolk Brecks yesterday, managed to find a #harvestman and a #pseudoscorpion in woodland by Lynford Water. Rilaena triangularis aka the spring harvestman and Neobisium carcinoides. More dots to add to the distribution maps. #arachnids

A pale brown harvestman with a dark saddle speckled with white spots on the underside of fallen branch.

A small, shiny dark brown pseudoscorpion in a brown plastic tray. Its pedipalps are held out in front of it and they end in formidable looking claws.

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Apr 20

Saw this crazy slime mould while on the BMIG field meeting last week. It was under a log in wet woodland. I think it’s Metatrichia floriformis. If you look closely, you can spot a globular springtail clambering around on it ❤️

Hundreds of slime mould spore bodies, which look like pins with shiny, black, spherical heads emerging from some wood. In some areas of the image, you can see fluffy encrustations or brick-red spores covering the slime mould.

A close-up of pin-head-like slime mould bodies emerging from damp wood. In the centre of the image, a round, yellow springtail reaches out with its front legs to climb from one sphere to another.

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Apr 20

Recently, I found these weevils in a freshwater sample that was particularly dense in duckweed (mostly Spirodela polyrhiza). They are duckweed weevils! They walk around on the floating platform of duckweed and their larvae mine within the leaves! Cool that even the tiniest of leaves have leaf miners

Three tiny grey weevils in a line. The wing cases of the weevils have pale scales in a patchy pattern over the surface. The legs have black upper sections (femurs) and red lower sections (tibiae).

One grey weevil on its side on a white background. You can see the minute pale scales arranged in a pattern over the upper and lower surface of the weevil’s body.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · Apr 18

Throwback, while I make new art, and grapple with reality.

#ProjectAnimalia (my daily #animalart project)
Day 49: Green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans)

#sciart #medart #dailyart #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #lynxspider #spider #arachnid #spiderart

Realistic illustration of a Green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans) on a white background

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Reposted by Steph Skipp

Josie @leafyjosie.bsky.social · Apr 3

Spotted some wasp-banded comb horns this morning in the orchard 💛🖤 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

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Reposted by Steph Skipp

Per Smiseth @persmiseth.bsky.social · Mar 3

Collection of beetles found during tonight’s visit to Easter Craiglockhart Hill, #Edinburgh, with @lukeholman.bsky.social & Warren Maguire. Logs & tree trunks searched after dark. Species found include False Ladybird (Endomychus coccineus) …

False Ladybird (Endomychus coccineus) larva.

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Steph Skipp @stephskipp.bsky.social · Apr 7

Looks like it to me! 😃😮

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Reposted by Steph Skipp

Dave Appleton @applewildlife.bsky.social · Apr 1

After @stephskipp.bsky.social pointed out that my post about two Acrotriches found together by suctioning my lawn involved both atomaria and sitkaensis, I had another quick go with the suction sampler. Once again it seems I have both species. At least I think so - tricky little beasties!

Male Acrotrichis sitkaensis, a very tiny oval black beetle.

Aedeagus of the Acrotrichis sitkaensis. The top is flat and the sides relatively parallel. At some angles the sides even looked a little concave in the upper half.

Male Acrotrichis atomaria, another very tiny oval black beetle. This one has one of its antennae broken.

Aedeagus of the Acrotrichis atomaria. This is much more rounded in the upper half compared to the sitkaensis.

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