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Reposted by Sofía Muñoz-Tobar

Michael Caterino @mcaterino.bsky.social · 11h

Please check out my new blog: 'Value in nature'. I plan to feature the innumerable ways biodiversity benefits us - ecosystem services in the widest sense.

The punchline to nearly every post: our future flourishing depends on preserving as much biodiversity as we possibly can.

mscaterino.pika.page

Banner image from mscaterino.pika.page. The background image is a pineapple growing at the tip of a bromeliad against a tropical forest backdrop. In the lower left is the caption 'Value in nature'.

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · 6d

Twenty two new species of beetles from Ecuador’s páramo and cloud forest offer a rare glimpse into ecosystems that remain largely unexplored. Species names pay tribute to sites, communities and cultural traits of the Ecuadorian Andes zookeys.pensoft.net/article/1583... #Biodiversity #Ecuador #bugs

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Reposted by Sofía Muñoz-Tobar

Michael Caterino @mcaterino.bsky.social · 6d

In her dissertation, @smunoztobar.bsky.social showed that there was a diverse radiation of Panabachia in high-elevation Andean páramo habitats (doi.org/10.3390/inse...).

Now most of these have proper names, with 22 species described in our latest paper, in ZooKeys: doi.org/10.3897/zook...

Plate of 10 dorsal photographs of new Panabachia species, with scale bars showing each to be roughly 1mm in length. They are somewhat typical pselaphine rove beetles, short-bodied, brownish-orange, with short elytra and clubbed antennae. The species are as follows: A. Panabachia pahuma; B. P. pastazae; C. P. romeroi; D. P. salebrosa; E. P. urbana; F. P. carltoni; G. P. patera; H. P. vigilans; I. P. perdita; J. P. ambulans.

Male genitalia photos of nine new Panabachia species. Most have a thin and curved median lobe with coiled lateral accessory sclerites. Two on the bottom are more rounded with fimbriate apices, while a third at bottom right is asymmetrical with a coiled lateral plate. The species are as follows: A. Panabachia papallacta; B. P. ananay; C. P. cayambi; D. P. cryptica; E. P. caranqui; F. P. patera; G. P. vigilans; H. P. perdita; I. P. ambulans.

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · 19d

A groundbreaking discovery from the Hollín formation in the province of Napo- Ecuador, gives an insight into Amazonian plant and arthropods biodiversity during the Cretaceous #Biodiversity #Ecuador www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Cretaceous amber of Ecuador unveils new insights into South America’s Gondwanan forests - Communications Earth & Environment

Cretaceous amber from the Ecuadorian Napo region provides exceptional evidence of a resinous forest ecosystem and diverse arthropod fauna in equatorial Gondwana, as revealed by integrated analyses of ...

www.nature.com

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Sep 6

Spotted this milkweed assassin bug (Zelus longipes) on Salvia plants at Quito's Botanical Garden, hunting for flies. Here the adult and immature #Quito #bugs #biodiversity #Ecuador

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ZooKeys @zookeys.pensoft.net · Sep 5

"The unknown is made up of small organisms, such as insects, mites, and crustaceans. These species are the nuts and bolts of ecosystems. And most of them have yet to be identified."

www.vox.com/down-to-eart...

The search for Earth’s most mysterious creatures is turning up extraordinary results

We still haven’t documented 90 percent of animals on Earth

www.vox.com

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Michael Caterino @mcaterino.bsky.social · Aug 29

Describen doce nuevas especies de escarabajos en Ecuador efeverde.com/describen-do...

Describen doce nuevas especies de escarabajos en Ecuador - EFEverde

Investigadores de instituciones de Ecuador y Estados Unidos describieron doce nuevas especies de escarabajos del género Bibrax (Fletcher, 1927), informó este miércoles el Instituto Nacional ecuatorian...

efeverde.com

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Aug 27

Here the Ecuadorian Hermit Crab (Coenobita compressus) from the coast of Esmeraldas-Ecuador #biodiversity #seashore #hermitcrab #Esmeraldas #Ecuador

Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Aug 26

#Ecuador #biodiversity #Pselaphinae #leaflitter #Clemson #INABIO

Michael Caterino @mcaterino.bsky.social · Aug 26

And yes, of course there are genitalia pictures. They are extremely variable for a group that doesn't vary all that much externally.

Photographic plate from the publication with 12 images of genitalia. There are lateral and dorsal views of each of 6 species. Most have an enlarged basal bulb, with an articulated and elongate median lobe. In some the median lobe is pretty elaborate, subdivided into multiple apices, flattened, or knobbed.

Photographic plate from the publication with 10 images of genitalia. There are lateral and dorsal views of each of 5 species. Most have an enlarged basal bulb, with an articulated and elongate median lobe. In some the median lobe is pretty elaborate, subdivided into multiple apices, hooked, or with a spiny apical sac.

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Aug 7

#Ecuador #biodiversity #beetles

Gil Wizen @wizentrop.bsky.social · Aug 6

I'll be returning to Ecuador soon, and what I am hoping to find again is one of the giant longhorn beetles like this Macrodontia cervicornis. It may look scary, but... well, IT IS actually scary! That is one feisty beetle that will not hesitate to snap its jaws at your soft sausage fingers. Chomp.

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Aug 3

Here's a subtropical beauty—Vanessa carye—spotted at the Quito Botanical Garden. This butterfly species ranges all the way from Venezuela down to Patagonia #lepidoptera #southamerica #ecuador #insects

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Jun 21

I have been enjoying watching the Andean Black Longhorn bee (Thygater aethiops) at Quito's Botanical Garden. Here the male and female over a shrubby Fuchsia (Fuchsia paniculata) #nativebees #biodiversity #insects #Ecuador #JardinBotanicodeQuito

Male and female of Thygater, over flowers at the Jardín Botánico de Quito

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Jun 10

I was really lucky to spend the day in Antisana National Park and enjoy this amazing ecosystem #paramo #Biodiversity #Ecuador

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Jun 10

Here Humboldt's house at Antisana National Park, Province of Napo, Ecuador from our last visit #paramo #Biodiversity

Casa de Humboldt it was a resting site that Humboldt used before trying to climb Mt Antisana

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Jun 2

Here a Narrow-banded Dartwhite (Archonias flisa) from Quito's Botanical Garden #Biodiversity #Ecuador #insects #JardinBotanicodeQuito

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Nathan Harness @nathanharness.bsky.social · May 26

A weevil at Wildsumaco in Ecuador. Easily found by following the trail of glitter he leaves behind everywhere he goes.

But really- this glitter weevil is always amazing to see and a real wonder of the world. Endless forms most beautiful, indeed.

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · May 23

Here is some of the diversity of potatoes 🥔🌿 and tubercules from the highlands of #Ecuador 🇪🇨

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Nathan Harness @nathanharness.bsky.social · May 21

A portrait of the charismatic Crayola Katydid (Moncheca sp) hanging out at Wildsumaco in Ecuador. Having held SO many similar (Copiphorini) katydids, it’s jarring to be met with these bright, in your face colors. Other than being purple this guy, and his green relatives, are excellent grass mimics

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · May 20

Happy world bee day 🐝🐝 #Biodiversity #Ecuador #nativebees #Xylocopa #JardinBotanicodeQuito

Xylocopa pollinating a Lamiaceae at the Botanical Garden in Quito

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · May 15

Trichoceros (Orchidacea) is an amazing example of bug mimicry #biodiversity #mimicry #Ecuador #JardinBotanicodeQuito

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Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · May 7

Hello new followers, in addition to birds I spend the warmer months chasing bugs. Here is a fun one for #FlyWeek, a stalk-eyed fly found in the Ecuadorian cloud forest.
(Richardia stylops), El Septimo Paraiso Lodge, Ecuador

A fly with a blue abdomen, yellow thorax, head, and legs, red eyes, and clear wings with black markings. It has a hammerhead shaped head with red eyes at the ends of eye stalks. The fly is standing on the underside of a leaf.

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Gil Wizen @wizentrop.bsky.social · Apr 2

Have you stopped to appreciate a cockroach lately? Cockroaches get a lot of unjustified hate for simply existing. Species like this yellow glass cockroach (Chorisoneura sp.) from Ecuador can be charming if you take the time to view them in a positive light. I think it's beautiful!

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Mar 22

Astylus bourgeoisi, a common soft winged flower beetle found in the Ecuadorian highlands #Beetles #Ecuador #Biodiversity #Andes

Astylus bourgeoisi found in Parque Bicentenario, Quito Ecuador

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Gil Wizen @wizentrop.bsky.social · Mar 19

A beautiful pill scarab that I found in dead leaves in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Ceratocanthine are known for their ability to conglobate: rolling into a nearly perfect ball to avoid predators. They use the ball-mode even during inactivity - perhaps it's a way for them to rest too.

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Sofía Muñoz-Tobar @smunoztobar.bsky.social · Mar 17

#Ecuador #Biodiversity #Beetles

Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · Mar 17

Here are some lovely green beetles for St Patrick's Day. ☘️

Thistle Tortoise Beetle (Cassida rubiginosa) Pennsylvania; (Dircema sp.) Ecuador; (Tribe Doryphorini) Ecuador; (Platycoelia sp.) Ecuador

A flat green beetle with a pair of small eyes peeking out from under the pronotum and a pair of antennae emerging at the same spot. Two cute beetle feet can also be seen reaching out from under the pronotum. It is walking around on a plant.

A snazzy beetle with dark green elytra edged in yellow. It is standing on a leaf.

A bright green beetle with gold antennae. It is clinging to a plant stalk and has a fruit fly sitting on its back.

A light green beetle clinging to the bark of a tree.

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