Mark Brown
@markjfbrown.bsky.social
Bees, ants, parasites, and pollinator conservation for work. Professor and Director of the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge University. Nature, opera, fantasy novels, family, and reading for play 🐜 🐝 🦠 🏳️🌈
My first queen 🐝 of the year, foraging hard in the beautiful @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social also carrying lots of lovely Parasitellus mites who will help keep her nest clean once she founds it
January 31, 2026 at 6:34 PM
My first queen 🐝 of the year, foraging hard in the beautiful @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social also carrying lots of lovely Parasitellus mites who will help keep her nest clean once she founds it
Someone had punting plans this morning
January 28, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Someone had punting plans this morning
Natural history museums can remind us of what we have lost, and thus amplify and empower conservation of species that still exist. This case shows the original ‘penguin’ - the Great Auk - and the iconic Dodo 🦤 - both of which were driven to extinction by Homo sapiens @zoologymuseum.bsky.social
January 27, 2026 at 9:42 AM
Natural history museums can remind us of what we have lost, and thus amplify and empower conservation of species that still exist. This case shows the original ‘penguin’ - the Great Auk - and the iconic Dodo 🦤 - both of which were driven to extinction by Homo sapiens @zoologymuseum.bsky.social
This week’s museum specimen is our narwhal skeleton (Monodon monoceros). As the scientific name suggests, this animal should have one tusk, but ours has two! I wonder what this meant for it when it was alive, before it ended up in our Museum 🤔
January 20, 2026 at 2:55 PM
This week’s museum specimen is our narwhal skeleton (Monodon monoceros). As the scientific name suggests, this animal should have one tusk, but ours has two! I wonder what this meant for it when it was alive, before it ended up in our Museum 🤔
Everyone needs breakfast
January 15, 2026 at 8:56 AM
Everyone needs breakfast
My weekly Museum post - this week is cleaning week, to make sure our specimens, particularly the skeletons, are dust-free. Expert work being done by Kane and Bethany - not sure I should be trusted with a duster yet 🤣 @zoologymuseum.bsky.social
January 14, 2026 at 11:06 AM
My weekly Museum post - this week is cleaning week, to make sure our specimens, particularly the skeletons, are dust-free. Expert work being done by Kane and Bethany - not sure I should be trusted with a duster yet 🤣 @zoologymuseum.bsky.social
In honour of my new job as Director of the University Museum of Zoology at Cambridge University, this is the first of a series of weekly posts celebrating our amazing collection. And what better to start with than the Fin Whale, who will welcome you when you come to visit! @zoologymuseum.bsky.social
January 6, 2026 at 6:57 PM
In honour of my new job as Director of the University Museum of Zoology at Cambridge University, this is the first of a series of weekly posts celebrating our amazing collection. And what better to start with than the Fin Whale, who will welcome you when you come to visit! @zoologymuseum.bsky.social
After seeing loads of dead sand dollar tests in my life (for which I already feel lucky), it was a joy to see a live one today doing its thing on Manuel Antonio beach in Costa Rica
December 18, 2025 at 2:52 PM
After seeing loads of dead sand dollar tests in my life (for which I already feel lucky), it was a joy to see a live one today doing its thing on Manuel Antonio beach in Costa Rica
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed after spending the morning with hundreds of nesting Olive Ridley Turtles at Playa Ostional 😍
December 13, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed after spending the morning with hundreds of nesting Olive Ridley Turtles at Playa Ostional 😍
Today’s beautiful stingless bees - Scaptotrigona pectoralis
December 12, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Today’s beautiful stingless bees - Scaptotrigona pectoralis
A leatherback turtle came to nest last night #besttracksever
December 11, 2025 at 3:02 PM
A leatherback turtle came to nest last night #besttracksever
The best kind of thirst trap
December 9, 2025 at 6:39 PM
The best kind of thirst trap
We wondered why these dragonflies were so insecure about egg-laying, until a frog surged forth! (Sadly not caught on camera) [Monteverde, Costa Rica]
December 9, 2025 at 2:18 AM
We wondered why these dragonflies were so insecure about egg-laying, until a frog surged forth! (Sadly not caught on camera) [Monteverde, Costa Rica]
Biggest stingless bee nest entrance I’ve ever seen! [normal-sized adult male hand for scale]
December 8, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Biggest stingless bee nest entrance I’ve ever seen! [normal-sized adult male hand for scale]
Inspiring to find community #pollinator conservation at work at Lake Arenal, Costa Rica
December 7, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Inspiring to find community #pollinator conservation at work at Lake Arenal, Costa Rica
I made a friend 😍 #socialinsect of the day #stinglessbee
December 6, 2025 at 8:52 PM
I made a friend 😍 #socialinsect of the day #stinglessbee
How to make them happy - count the birds 😍
December 6, 2025 at 8:36 PM
How to make them happy - count the birds 😍
#socialinsect of the day - beautiful Nasutitermes #termites look at the soldiers with their beautiful nozzle heads!
December 5, 2025 at 10:21 PM
#socialinsect of the day - beautiful Nasutitermes #termites look at the soldiers with their beautiful nozzle heads!
@waspwoman.bsky.social you asked for more, so here is today’s beautiful wasp nest, from Arenal Volcano National Park, CR🇨🇷 any ideas on genus/species? 🙏
December 5, 2025 at 12:43 AM
@waspwoman.bsky.social you asked for more, so here is today’s beautiful wasp nest, from Arenal Volcano National Park, CR🇨🇷 any ideas on genus/species? 🙏
A rather epic (albeit exceedingly nerdy) natural history highlight - this is how fast a sloth moves when it has to go down to the ground for its weekly poo - so lucky to see this 🤩
December 3, 2025 at 7:15 PM
A rather epic (albeit exceedingly nerdy) natural history highlight - this is how fast a sloth moves when it has to go down to the ground for its weekly poo - so lucky to see this 🤩
Ok, back to insects! What a lovely wasp nest - @waspwoman.bsky.social any idea on species? It was about the size of a 🎾
December 2, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Ok, back to insects! What a lovely wasp nest - @waspwoman.bsky.social any idea on species? It was about the size of a 🎾
Honorary invertebrate of the day (I know, but it’s so adorable) 3-toed 🦥
December 2, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Honorary invertebrate of the day (I know, but it’s so adorable) 3-toed 🦥
And a beautiful bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) 😍🐜
December 2, 2025 at 5:23 PM
And a beautiful bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) 😍🐜
Lovely Atta cephalotes 🍃 ✂️ 🐜 with hitchhikers to ward off the phorid flies at La Selva
December 2, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Lovely Atta cephalotes 🍃 ✂️ 🐜 with hitchhikers to ward off the phorid flies at La Selva
Highlight from a night walk at La Selva Research Station - the hanging traps of a gnat fly larva
December 2, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Highlight from a night walk at La Selva Research Station - the hanging traps of a gnat fly larva