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PJ Liesch

@wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social

380 followers 320 following 48 posts

Entomologist, director of University of Wisconsin Insect Diagnostic Lab, and science communicator. An enthusiast of all things related to insects, bogs, running, coffee, sauna, the Northwoods, and mountains. Views my own. #LifeofanEntomologist #wibugs

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Nov 22

Hi folks—a quick introduction!👋

I'm PJ – an #entomologist at UW-Madison. I'm the director of the UW Insect Diagnostic Lab and also a science communicator + educator.

When not working on insects, I'm out running, taking sauna, hiking, biking, wandering a bog, or visiting in Lake Superior.

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · 4d

Some really tiny (~1 mm) Platygastrid wasps associated with whiteflies.

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · 19d

The lovely Halloween Pennant dragonfly 🎃

Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 20d

Beautiful, spooky wings of the "Halloween Pennant" dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) 🎃

seen near water - June, July - NE OK

PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Sep 24

Took the quiz to find out that I’m a Platygastrid wasp 🤘

Matt Bertone @bertonemyia.bsky.social · Sep 23

Dark taxa are extremely diverse organisms that remain largely undescribed due to small size, subtle differences, & few experts.

Take this quiz to find out what you are - I'm a gall midge! whatdarktaxonareyou.static.domains/insect-quiz....

by @vivianfeng.bsky.social & @flyliceresearch.bsky.social

A dark, hairy gall midge fly on a white sheet. It has long legs and antennae and a red neck.

Quiz results showing I'm a gall midge or cecidomyiid

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Sep 19

Seems about right 🤷🏻‍♂️

PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Sep 8

Chagas disease and kissing bugs have been in the news lately. I'll just leave this here:

#chagasdisease #kissingbugs

Infographic describing the appearance of the eastern condone kissing bug, which does not occur in Wisconsin or the Upper Midwest, and a common look-alike—the western conifer seed bug.

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Reposted by PJ Liesch

Ainsley S @americanbeetles.bsky.social · Sep 4

MOST importantly, I found a single specimen of Macrocilix nr. maia in the unsorted/pro tempore section, the magnum opus of visual ecology

A white drepanid moth that looks like a bird poop with two flies eating it

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Sep 2

Back from vacation on the shores of Lake Superior and digging myself out of a pit of emails, just like this ant getting out of an antlion nest. At least my risk of getting eaten is much lower… #entomology

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Reposted by PJ Liesch

Entomological Society of America @entsocamerica.bsky.social · Sep 2

Learn all about Asian longhorned beetles in a new special collection from Environmental Entomology!

Articles cover biology, behavior, natural enemies, survey tools, eradication methods, and more: academic.oup.com/insect-scien... @oxfordacademic.bsky.social

The graphic includes text that reads, “New Special Collection. Asian Longhorned Beetle. Read Now,” as well as publication title, “Environmental Entomology.” It also includes logos for Oxford University Press and the Entomological Society of America. There is a photo offset in a circle of the Asian Longhorned Beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Photo courtesy David Coyle, Clemson University. Forestry and Environmental Conservation, South Carolina.

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Aug 21

There are white grubs and then there’s this heckin chonker I found while building a fence last weekend. Larva of the stag beetle Lucanus capreolus.

Safely placed it back down amongst the mulch. #beetles #Coleoptera #WisconsinBugs

Reposted by PJ Liesch

C.pedrielli.ph @carlo1962.bsky.social · Aug 15

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Reposted by PJ Liesch

Jeremy Hemberger @jhemberger.bsky.social · Aug 13

🐞 🐝 I'm recruiting students to join my lab at the University of Minnesota! Hoping to bring on 2-3 MS or PhD students (MS a pre-req for PhD students). Take a peek at the opportunities available and feel free to reach out with questions. Please share widely!

jhemberger.github.io/ibug_lab_web...

Opportunities – UMN iBUG Lab

jhemberger.github.io

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Reposted by PJ Liesch

Caroline S. Chaboo @cschaboo.bsky.social · Aug 13

Goczał, Beutel & Gorb. 2025. Formation of #beetles #elytra and the most spectacular animal #radiation in the history of Earth. #evolution doi.org/10.1093/zool...

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Aug 12

By default, I automatically repost awesome #scorpionflies 🤩
#Mecoptera

C.pedrielli.ph @carlo1962.bsky.social · Aug 12

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Reposted by PJ Liesch

Dave Coyle @drdavecoyle.bsky.social · Aug 12

Large chunks of people's favorite trees seemingly go leafless overnight this time of year, usually thanks to caterpillars. Our paper (w/ @kellyoten.bsky.social & #nobluesky Robert Jetton) in @entsocamerica.bsky.social's JIPM highlights several species in the SE US: academic.oup.com/jipm/article...

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Aug 12

I think the greenish one is the limited edition, Baja Blast flavor

PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Aug 10

I was wondering the same. That August 2018 flood was a crazy event. Totally wiped out the creek bike path near my house.

PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Aug 10

Invertebrates rule, vertebrates drool…

Gwen Pearson @bug-gwen.bsky.social · Aug 10

FYI my numbers in my article came from the Catalog of life; you can see that mammals don't even show up on the pie chart of animal species. It's Arthropods all the Way Down. www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/N

A pie chart of all species in the Kingdom Animalia. About 3/4ths of the pie is arthropods; Mammals are just listed in with "other", which includes reptiles, birds, amphibians, and ... other others :)

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Reposted by PJ Liesch

Yale Environment 360 @yalee360.bsky.social · Aug 7

Insects and spiders are declining in tropical forests around the world, even in areas untouched by logging, mining, or farming.

In these places, new research posits, more potent El Niños are driving the losses.

More Intense El Niños May Be Driving Loss of Tropical Insects

e360.yale.edu

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Aug 8

Big blue bees are the BEST!

Dr Will Leo Hawkes @willleohawkes.bsky.social · Aug 8

A blue bee! This is the blue carpenter bee, Xylocopa tumida.

I was SO excited to find this animal just before dawn at Trus Madi Entomology Camp in Borneo.

So full of beauty.

PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Aug 6

This is what happens when Scolytines run into the wall a few too many times without a helmet on.

Ainsley S @americanbeetles.bsky.social · Aug 6

Today we are imaging Cnestus, because it’s the bestus

Testing out a new(ish) camera setup with one of nature’s most perfect beetles

Cnestus mutilatus, winner of Flattest Butt 2025

PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Aug 6

Parenting: it’s like Fight Club, except you get to talk about it on social media 🤷‍♂️

Reposted by PJ Liesch

Matt Bertone @bertonemyia.bsky.social · Aug 5

Fluffy.
Sparkly.
Adorable.

These are not the things you usually say about a fly, but here we are.

Let this little creature warm your heart 🥰

#Psychodidae #Setomima nitida
North Carolina, USA (w/ @dradriansmith.bsky.social)

A small fly sits on a green leaf. It looks like a moth, with a very fluffy head and thorax to the right, and dark, fluffy wings held roof-like behind it. The wings are adorned with scattered, small, icy blue scales.

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Reposted by PJ Liesch

Evelyndroid's Aperture Séance and Spooky Spood-Finding 🏳️‍⚧️🕷️ @apsciencebylyn.bsky.social · Aug 5

These are definitely Hymenopterans, don't worry about it

Large fuzzy black and white bumblebee mimic robberfly clutching a dry stalk looking intently for snacks

Large red and black wasp mimic robberfly with black wings, perched on a spiky dried flower of some sort, also looking intently for snacks

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PJ Liesch @wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social · Aug 4

Last Friday’s Wisconsin Insect Fest at Olbrich Botanical Gardens was a huge hit. Looking forward to seeing what we come up with for next year:

#entomology #outreach #insects

Outreach booths hosted by University of Wisconsin-Madison department of entomology

A guided walking tour to visit bee houses at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Reposted by PJ Liesch

Cory S. Sheffield 🇨🇦🐝🌺📸🎸🎨 @corysheffield.bsky.social · Aug 4

Animals as beautiful as these greenbottle flies (Lucilia sp.) are likely in your back yard at this moment! #diptera #insects #macrophotography #backyardbugs

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