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Andy Murray

@mesofauna.bsky.social

2K followers 440 following 120 posts

Macro photographer, writer and copy editor for FAO/Global Soil Partnership and runs chaosofdelight.org, a soil biodiversity website. I'm also on Instagram @soilanimals

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Dec 7

Just a shoutout for my website! #soilanimals #soil #macro #macrophotography

A Chaos of Delight

A photographic guide to soil animals, exploring the biology, biodiversity and unseen beauty of Collembola, mites, nematodes and the other soil mesofauna living beneath our feet.

www.chaosofdelight.org

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · 11d

Fucks sake. Another shameful, despicable decision by the fascistic orange shitheap in chief.

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · 15d

Fantastic

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · 20d

I regularly shoot at x8 and above of animals under 1mm. And genuinely, you just don’t really need 100 photo stacks. They look artificial and weird. The whole joy is to capture something real. A few photos stacked is wonderful but needs to be done sensitively.

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · 26d

It’s the sort of place that people with no taste, sense or aesthetics would want.

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Sep 8

As of last week it started to rain, finally, so I’m back!
I went out today and found this Tetranychus species of spider mite, complete with webbing, which you can just make out in the background. A stunningly beautiful colour. I can still take photos, which is a relief.
#mite #spidermite

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Sep 7

Amazing

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Sep 6

Grifts, surely?

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Sep 3

That looks genuinely fantastic.

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Apr 22

Always

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Apr 2

Thank you for what you did

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Mar 21

I hadn’t realised until this year, that they are extremely edible.

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Mar 14

Very, very jealous! That’s awesome

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Mar 11

Love these- I grew up with his sketchbook of birds, completely inspiring bird artist

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Feb 20

Thanks so much!

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Feb 13

Vote Giant Springtail!

There are only a few days left to vote giant springtail in the New Zealand Bug of the Year competition- the only soil animal in the competition. Look at his little face! #bugoftheyear #springtail

bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-20...

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Feb 13

Boo. Bad ant. Great shot though

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Feb 9

An old photo of a larval Phronia species of fungus gnat. I love it- it looks so like a koala, cute fly larvae are the way forwards… #cute #diptera #mycetophilidae

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Feb 9

Yo!

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Feb 2

Sure, but we already understand why. That’s what history shows us. It’s been obvious that what’s happened in the US was going to happen. We watched it all.

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Feb 2

As long as there is fascism and tolerance of Nazis, there isn’t a middle ground. That’s the point

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Feb 1

Another day, another Dicyrtomina saundersi, and one of the easiest springtails to photograph. While they're not often as robustly coloured as D. ornata, they do look rather similar, apart from the barred pattern on their rumps, which D. ornata don't have. #springtail #macro #soil #soilanimal

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Feb 1

This is a lovely Mycetophilidae (fungus gnat) larva I photographed yesterday in a very wet woodland in South Somerset, UK. We have had severe flooding in the area again this winter. Endless, it seems and not great for macro photography. However, some larval genera of fungus gnat love it… #macro

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Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Jan 30

Agreed

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Jan 30

Thanks so much!

Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social · Jan 29

Not long to go now. The New Zealand bug of the year voting has a few weeks left. So far, this amazing springtail, Holacanthella is doing really well. If you haven’t voted- if you could that would be great (just vote once, for Holacanthella!) bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-20...

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