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Ash Whiffin

@ashwhiffin.bsky.social

5K followers 1.4K following 260 posts

🪲 Entomologist, bonkers about beetles 🏛 Museum Curator 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Usually found turning over logs/stones or poking in dead stuff. (she/her) 🔗 https://linktr.ee/Ash_Whiffin

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 15d

Shhhh 🤫

*whispers* the moth meeting is in progress. They have very serious business to discuss.

Three Canary-shouldered thorn moths rest in a circle on my fingers, with heads all facing inwards.

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you so much Lynda! 🌼

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 4d

Thanks so much, Joanie! 😁

Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Alex Morss 🦇🏴‍☠️♾️ @alexmorss.bsky.social · 4d

We are all implicated in this UK-backed genocide & ecocide, against our wishes.

We must all stand up for the better world we wish to enjoy and share.

#N4P #Naturalists4Palestine

🧵

Naturalists for Palestine

Naturalists for Palestine is a call from individuals and organisations in the UK nature sector to stand for an end to the genocide in Gaza, and to the suffering and oppression of the people of Palesti...

naturalistsforpalestine.org

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Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Nature of Scotland Awards @naturescotawards.bsky.social · 5d

Lovely to see Ashleigh Whiffin on #GardenersWorld tonight. A very worthy finalist for the Outstanding Contribution award in this year’s #NatureOfScotland Awards! www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

2025 Nature of Scotland Awards Winners and Shortlist

Congratulations to all our finalists! The shortlist for the 2025 awards represents a cross-section of businesses, charities, the public sector and individuals working towards conserving the country’s ...

www.rspb.org.uk

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 4d

Back in June, we hosted a team from #GardenersWorld to share how we’ve been improving the grounds of the National Museums Collection Centre for biodiversity. 🎬 🐞🪰🌿🌼

Catch it here:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

#NMCCbiodiversity

Behind the scenes from our day of filming. Here I’m crouched down in one of the grassland areas looking at an orchid, with camera operator Gavin and producer Charlotte.

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Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Andy Banthorpe @vc30moths.bsky.social · 5d

@ashwhiffin.bsky.social excellent film just now on Gardeners World. Great encouragement to enhance the biodiversity of sites

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 4d

Thanks so much Andy! 😊🐝🐞🌱

Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies.bsky.social · 8d

Join our call for UK retailers to remove synthetic pesticides from sale, for a wilder, butterfly-filled future 👇
butterflyemergency.good.do/rescue-missi...

Join me in supporting the Remove Pesticides from UK Shelves Campaign

Join the Butterfly Rescue Mission Sign our open letter to UK retailers, asking them to remove synthetic pesticides from sale, for a wilder, butterfly-filled future for generations to come. The UK ...

butterflyemergency.good.do

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Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Scottish Environment LINK @scotlink.bsky.social · 7d

We're pleased that the @parliament.scot Rural Affairs and Islands Committee has backed proposals in the Natural Environment Bill to introduce statutory targets to restore nature.

Nature targets are a key demand of our Scotland Loves Nature campaign.

Read more:
www.scotlink.org/msps-back-na...

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 7d

You can find out more about our #NMCCbiodiversity work by tuning into Gardeners World this Friday, at 8pm on BBC TWO.

📺 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

John Tweedie @johntweedie.bsky.social · 7d

I really liked this short film with @ashwhiffin.bsky.social talking about the work being done to support biodiversity around the National Museums Scotland collections centre in Edinburgh. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcsd...

How a museum is encouraging local wildlife

YouTube video by Simon Dures

www.youtube.com

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 7d

Thanks so much for sharing! 🐞

Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Entomological Collections Network @entcollnet.bsky.social · 8d

Rain beetles are SO FLUFFY!

Now that we have your attention, don’t forget that Early-bird registration for #ECN2025 ends today. Don’t miss out!

➡️ www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-ecn-p...

📷 Pleocoma oregonensis, from Cornell University Insect Collection.

A pinned Rain beetle specimen (Pleocoma oregonensis) from the Cornell University Insect Collection. This chestnut coloured beetle is blessed with an exceptionally fuzzy undercarriage.

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 9d

Bugs to make you go “Ooooh!” 😲🤩

Sabrina Imbler @sabs.bsky.social · 9d

a question for bug enthusiasts: are there any other examples of bugs doing crazy body horror (body envy!??!) stuff like this? www.science.org/content/arti...

Beetle grows ‘termite’ on back to steal food

Puppet helps insect trick real termites into feeding it

www.science.org

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 12d

A most welcome visitor to our site this week… A Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), soaking up the late September sun. It’s the first one recorded on our patch since 2021!

#NMCCbiodiversity

A Painted Lady butterfly rests on a red brick wall in the sunshine.

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Reposted by Ash Whiffin

franz @franzanth.bsky.social · Feb 29

Absolutely nobody asked for this but I reformatted my animal yeetability thread into printable poster & zine files.

Introducing, the "Pocket Guide to Responsible & Sustainable Animal YEETING" featuring a revamped rating system. Download links below.

Poster showing various animals and their yeetability rating. For full rating, see the link in the reply. Intro text reads:

POCKET GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL YEETING
by franzanth

In this context, YEETING is defined as the act of throwing a “projectile” at a slightly upward angle with low initial velocity. The goal here is relocation, not destruction. Therefore, YEETING is ideally performed toward soft surfaces like leaves to minimize downward acceleration that might result in said projectile's discomfort.

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Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Prof Duncan Westbury @duncanwestbury.bsky.social · 15d

PLEASE READ! No more #BeeWashing. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Why saving the honeybee could be bad news for other bees

In this week’s newsletter: a conservation success story has a sting in its tail as wild pollinators pay the price

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Frank Ashwood @frankashwood.bsky.social · 14d

Are you researching the conservation, ecology or taxonomy of soil & litter invertebrates?

Submit your paper to this Special Issue of NZ Journal of Zoology, edited by me, @carlosbarreto.bsky.social & @barnesecodiv.bsky.social!

More info: www.royalsociety.org.nz/news/nzjz-so...

#SoilBiodiversity 🧪

A screenshot of a webpage making a call for papers announcement for a special issue of the New Zealand Journal of Zoology, focussed on soil and litter invertebrates. The page has a banner image photograph of a globular springtail facing towards the camera, with its head down, feeding on fungi on a decaying log.

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 14d

Aren’t they ☺️ They’re Canary-shouldered thorns (Ennomos alniaria). These ones came to our light trap in the Cairngorms, Scotland, but they can be found throughout the UK.

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 15d

Shhhh 🤫

*whispers* the moth meeting is in progress. They have very serious business to discuss.

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 15d

😍😍😍

Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Ainsley S @americanbeetles.bsky.social · 16d

Squid traps really delivered this weekend :)

A handsome Nicrophorus from the putrefying squid trap

A delightful Necrophila, also from the putrefying squid trap

Yet ANOTHER beautiful Nicrophorus, also from the same squid trap run for one single night in a tiny patch of second-growth forest in suburban Pittsburgh

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Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Jakob Jilg @weevil-see.bsky.social · Aug 8

I started a blog and my first post is online!
The posts will try to explore topics which are not typically covered by introductory literature and textbooks, e.g. because they are considered to be "too basic". Let me know what you think!

weevil-see.github.io/taxonomy/Ide...

Species Identifications: Common Pitfalls

Some thoughts about Identifications. How do we identify properly? How do we avoid mistakes?

weevil-see.github.io

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · Sep 5

Hooray!!!

Reposted by Ash Whiffin

Biological Recording Company @biologicalrecording.co.uk · Sep 5

🪲 Weevils! The UK boasts 600+ species, almost as many as birds! Join us on 13 Oct (7–8pm) for an entoLIVE with @markgurn.bsky.social to explore their ecology, habitats & quirky plant preferences. It is FREE!!! Don’t miss it! 🧪 🌎

🔗 Sign up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1491232379...

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Reposted by Ash Whiffin

The British Lichen Society @britishlichensociety.org.uk · Sep 5

An opportunity of a lifetime for budding lichenologists. The National Trust and the Royal Botanics, Edinburgh are offering a PAID lichen traineeship in #Scotland! The work programme looks fascinating and a great opportunity to develop skills. Deadline: 3/10/2025. www.asva.co.uk/jobs/trainee...

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