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Dr Morgane Merien

@morganemerien.bsky.social

830 followers 470 following 79 posts

Science Communicator at Canterbury Museum, presenter of Bug Hunter on TVNZ+, Entomologist, research on camouflage & colour in NZ stick insects 🌿💚she/her 📍Ōtautahi, Aotearoa New Zealand

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Nov 10

Lil’ intro-Kia ora my name is Morgane Merien. I’m an entomologist & science communicator, working at Canterbury Museum. My main goal in life is to convert everyone into a bug lover 💚🐛 In my current job at the Museum, I work on many different areas (not just insects) which is super fun! Follow along!

Excerpt from my PhD graduation with my thesis abstract shown.

Me standing in front of a digital screen which advertised a meet and greet session ahead of the new season of my show Bug Hunter

Behind the scenes of shooting Bug Hunter

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Reposted by Dr Morgane Merien

Heather Hendrickson @drhhnz.bsky.social · 23d

This year I have the pleasure of watching stick insect hatch from their tiny eggs! These are native species Acanthoxyla inermis according to @morganemerien.bsky.social very cute! #NZLabLife #Insects en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acantho...

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · 22d

When the fit matches the book! 🍄

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Jun 24

Shhh 🤫 my cat’s show is on…

Grey and white cat standing in front of a Perspex cage with plants and stick insects in it. Cat is looking at cage as if watching tv.

Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · May 17

Proud of France, but sad to see Latvia being so shafted.. also feel sad for Iceland #Eurovision

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · May 17

#Eurovision has a way of grinding down your sense of normality, to the point where you see an Italian puppet mouse delivering votes, and only register surprise by the fact they gave 12 points to the UK entry.

A puppet mouse gives the results of the Italian jury

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · May 17

The stars are for those who sung in their home language. I give extra points for that. This year was a good year for less English songs!

Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · May 17

My #Eurovision top 6 are: 1. Latvia 2. Estonia 3. Sweden 4. Luxembourg 5. Armenia 6. Austria. Obviously France is in my top because I love Louane, but I can’t vote for my own country!

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · May 17

My thoughts so far! Latvia has definitely been my fave right now #eurovision

Reposted by Dr Morgane Merien

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · May 17

“Keep it straight guys, said no one ever at Eurovision” with a Swiss deadpan did in fact send me

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Apr 3

Very much enjoyed today’s Strands! 😁😉

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Frank Ashwood @frankashwood.bsky.social · Mar 8

This gorgeous creature is the prickly stick insect (Acanthoxyla prasina), one of New Zealand's 23 species of stick insect.

Huge thanks to @morganemerien.bsky.social for pointing this out on a recent University of Canterbury field trip - it's great fun teaching entomology!

#Invertebrate 🧪

A photograph of a brown stick insect standing on a tree stump, with its head and front legs raised in the air.

A photograph of the head of a brown stick insect, with its black and yellow patterned compound eyes in focus.

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Feb 21

Ngāokeoke Velvet worm is the New Zealand bug of the year for 2025! Congratulations to the champion! www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

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Reposted by Dr Morgane Merien

Stacy Farina @stacyfarina.bsky.social · Jun 3

Do you work in ecology/evolution? Did you do a study that is too small to publish as a full manuscript? Negative results? Part of a larger effort? Consider publishing in microPublication Biology: EEB!

www.micropublication.org/journals/bio...

Short papers, one figure. And we peer review! Please RT

microPublication - Get Your Data Out, Be Cited

www.micropublication.org

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Reposted by Dr Morgane Merien

becca laurie @imbeccable.bsky.social · Jan 8

it genuinely sucks that basically nothing on the internet works well anymore. search? barely works. social media? filled with garbage engagement-bait designed to game the algorithm. news websites? pages that refresh at random or so covered in video ads that it’s impossible to read stories

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Dec 17

When you take a new route on your walk, you unlock new houses to view and that’s pretty fun.

Reposted by Dr Morgane Merien

Sensory Ecology Lab @sensoryecology.bsky.social · Dec 12

“When low on water, some plants make high-pitched clicking noises, inaudible to humans. Female moths… appear to key in on the distressed din and steer clear in order to lay their eggs on plants that will better feed their caterpillars after hatching”

#scicomm

www.sciencenews.org/article/thir...
🧪

The screams of thirsty plants may prompt some moths to lay eggs elsewhere

Female moths may pick up on the ultrasonic wailing of distressed plants and opt to lay their eggs on different, healthier plants.

www.sciencenews.org

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Reposted by Dr Morgane Merien

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · Dec 9

'When Notre-Dame reopened on 7 December, it was thanks, in part, to the efforts of 175 researchers with expertise across a range of disciplines: acoustics, art, data, history, archaeology, anthropology.' Example of why blue-skies research matters for 'real-life' problems we've not yet imagined. 1/2

The academics who helped breathe new life into Notre-Dame

Five years after a devastating fire, the Paris cathedral has finally reopened, with the help of a vast team of researchers

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Dec 9

Also I think you may have tagged the wrong Rob!

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Dec 9

Yesss I definitely will! 😊

Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Dec 9

Yessssss! They make such good pets, and such an easy upkeep! Love love love 💚💚💚

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Heather Hendrickson @drhhnz.bsky.social · Dec 9

I have NZ native stick insects in a terrarium in my office and I could not be more pleased. Fascinating wee beasts! Many thanks to Mike for his stick insect hunting leadership! #StickFriends @adzebill.bsky.social
@robcruickshank.bsky.social @morganemerien.bsky.social

An upturned terrarium that has wild NZ plants in vases and a mesh screen for ventilation.

A close up of the terrarium. Many native NZ plants are visible and a single brown stick insect feasts on Kabila in the centre. Very hard to see though!

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Dec 1

The long wait is over- #Bug of the Year 2025 nominee list is now live! Voting opens January 1st, so you have until February to decide on your top three nominees & place your votes! Winner announced on Valentine’s Day! 💚 Who will steal the crown from Kahukura?
bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/2025-bug-of-...

A photo collage of the 2025 bug of the year nominees.

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Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Nov 28

Those sound awful!!!

Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Nov 28

I think that definitely needs to be my next move. Need to find a GP first! 🙃

Dr Morgane Merien @morganemerien.bsky.social · Nov 28

Really? I’m 29, can it start this early? 😞