Marshal Hedin
@mhedin.bsky.social
1.4K followers 710 following 350 posts
devoted to the study & understanding of biodiversity, and public sharing of biodiversity knowledge and beauty. a "curator" of biological collections, and of the planet. Dad, Univ Prof
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mhedin.bsky.social
an amazing Habronattus jumping spider known only from a single spring in the bottom of an impossibly isolated and lonely desert valley
jumping spider with large central eyes, a white diamond sitting directly between the central eyes, all surrounded by a striking red mask which flows to the sides of the face, itself expanded laterally
mhedin.bsky.social
Hypochilus please 😬
Reposted by Marshal Hedin
ginnystibolt.bsky.social
#HabitatGardening includes stumps & logs. As trees die, they become habitat for many species of insects, fungi, lichens, and mosses. These, in turn, serve as food for animals further up the food chain, which creates habitat. For details, read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/08/snag...
Drawing of a stump & log on a dirt mound with 2 groups of mushrooms, 2 bunches of ferns, a green frog and an orange lizard. 
Text says, "What is a stumpery? It's an arrangement of logs and stumps created in a damp shady spot, then planted with ferns and other shade plants. A stumpery adds interest to your yars and can be habitat for forest-dwelling creatures like toads, turtles, salamanders and stag beetles. (Choose plants that are native to your area)"
mhedin.bsky.social
Congrats! Can you email me a copy?
Reposted by Marshal Hedin
forthespiders.bsky.social
Thrilled our paper is finally out! A great collaboration between @mcaterino.bsky.social, Ernesto Recuero, and myself. We looked at endemism in spiders in southern Appalachia (largely NC).

This is also likely the most species-rich phylogeny (although just COI-based) of linyphiids yet published!
mcaterino.bsky.social
High elevation litter spiders of southern Appalachia show less local endemism than other arthropods - ballooning by spiderlings apparently overcomes geographic isolation. A great collaboration with @forthespiders.bsky.social & Ernesto Recuero

doi.org/10.1636/JoA-... (if paywalled write me for pdf)
One fourth of a phylogenetic tree of southern Appalachian spiders, with photos of three representative taxa along the right side, Wadotes hybridus (reddish brown cephalothorax with zig-zag stripey gray and white abdomen), Neon nelli (large-eyed gray jumping spider), and Antrodiaetus sp. (a large-jawed mygalomorph trapdoor spider, light tan with a reddish abdomen. One fourth of a phylogenetic tree of southern Appalachian spiders, with photos of four representative taxa along the right side, Centromerus denticulatus and Centromerus tennapax (both mostly golden brown with gray abdomen, both males with enlarged palps), Bathyphantes bishopi (dark brown cephalothorax, long legs, dark gray abdomen), Tenuiphantes sabulosus (golden cephalothorax, long legs, pale dark-striped abdomen). One fourth of a phylogenetic tree of southern Appalachian spiders, with photos of four representative taxa along the right side, Collinsia sp. and Collinsia oxypaederotipus (both with light brown cephalothorax, pale legs, gray-green abdomen, both males with enlarged palps), Ceraticelus laetabilis (stout, with brown cephalothorax and lighter brown abdomen, palps slightly enlarged), Ceraticelus fissiceps (orange cephalothorax with distinctly enlarged dark snout, lighter abdomen). One fourth of a phylogenetic tree of southern Appalachian spiders, with photos of four representative taxa along the right side, Sisicus n. sp (not yet described, light brown round cephalothorax, with pale abdomen and legs, large male palps), Floricomus praedesignatus (dark tuberculate male cephalothorax, gray-green abdomen, pale legs), Blestia sarcocuon (anteriorly pointed cephalothorax, dark with long yellowish legs, impressive male palps), and Ceratinops carolinus (prolonged elevated, brown male cephalothorax, gray-green abdomen).
Reposted by Marshal Hedin
tjalamont.bsky.social
This is my friend Krystle Hickman’s gorgeous new book, which arrived today. Krystle is one the best, most dedicated photographers I know and a real inspiration to me. She is self taught and passionate, and has documented several previously undocumented behaviors. Buy this book! 🐝🐙🌿📷#invertebrates
A book cover titled, “The ABCs of California Native Bees” by Krystle Hickman. The cover has three horizontal rectangles, each with a photo of a different native bee species.
mhedin.bsky.social
Please email me, thanks!!!
Reposted by Marshal Hedin
almnh.bsky.social
Crikey! The Alabama Museum of Natural History has unveiled a new exhibit! Allow us to introduce our newest Cretaceous crocodilian, 𝘋𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴. These "terrible crocodiles" would have preyed upon both aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates, including larger dinosaurs!

#FossilFriday #UniversityOfAlabama
Reposted by Marshal Hedin
bryanccarstens.bsky.social
My department is searching for TT faculty in Arthropod Systematics evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldi... The museum community is vibrant with excellent training opportunities for graduate students and postdocs. And we have 500+ smart and ambitious biology majors at OSU looking for research opportunities.
mhedin.bsky.social
You can’t fool me, that’s a giant pill millipede!!
mhedin.bsky.social
Oh yeah, big fan of NC 👍
mhedin.bsky.social
Thanks !!!! Get any spiders??
mhedin.bsky.social
An Ammophila. Perhaps A wrightii, need to check more
mhedin.bsky.social
My pleasure 😊👍
mhedin.bsky.social
once her burrow looked exactly like the rest of the desert wash floor, imperceptible, without any evidence of her entombed baby food, then she was satisfied and moved off

i thanked her, as she certainly made MY day

curious how if we just go out there and wander around, we see cool shit
mhedin.bsky.social
nearing the end, she found a little stone? with a hole in it. this seemed to be the final cap. she continued to pile sand upon this, then occasionally would just latch on with her mandibles and tug really hard!

she seemed to be testing the structural integrity of the whole thing
mhedin.bsky.social
of course, she was also posing for me. here she is looking like a complete and total badass that she was!!

you can also see the rakes on her forelegs (at the tips) ... she used these to rake sand INTO the burrow, reversing her first move.

higher on the first leg are the sand carrying hairs
mhedin.bsky.social
and then she spent a lot of time looking for the perfect size little rocks. moving away, finding the little stone, then testing its size. pushing these down into the burrow

repeating, with 5-10 little pebbles, until the burrow was almost full up
mhedin.bsky.social
but she was just getting started. she first found what looks to me like the original burrow entrance sand plug? I could be wrong about this, but, hmmm ...
mhedin.bsky.social
ziiiipppp, she pulled the paralyzed caterpillar down ... and I missed that action shot! 100% epic fail ..
mhedin.bsky.social
she wasted no time in getting the caterpillar back to her burrow, not flying, but dragging the entire way. VERY quickly

here she is right at the entrance to the burrow (just below the head of the caterpillar).

cool how the caterpillar is almost exactly the same diameter as the burrow itself.
mhedin.bsky.social
then she moved off, and I kinda freaked out, as I thought I had lost her

but she was just looking for her stashed "booty", a caterpillar that she had stung previously, and left in a nearby mesquite shrub. perhaps 3 meters away.

here she is wrestling with her prize