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parasitoidrex.bsky.social
Jess Awad
@parasitoidrex.bsky.social
1.4K followers 580 following 210 posts
Entomologist specializing in parasitoid wasps and dark taxa. Leiden, Netherlands.
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parasitoidrex.bsky.social
Jess Awad @parasitoidrex.bsky.social · Feb 12
Gall midges and their parasitoids are abundant, megadiverse, and very hard to identify! Such "double dark taxa" systems present special challenges for ecology and agriculture. 🧵🧪🐙 @smnstuttgart.bsky.social @marinamoser.bsky.social @krogmann.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/aesa...
Untangling host specialization in a “double dark taxa” system
Abstract. Platygastrine wasps (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) are parasitoids of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). They and their hosts are exceptionally
doi.org
Reposted by Jess Awad
patrickjansen.bsky.social
Are you a PhD-level #wildlife ecologist committed to research and education for #biodiversity and nature restoration?
Our group at @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social has a #vacancy for an assistant professor!
Deadline for applications is February 19.
Please spread the word.
www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
Restoring nature and reversing biodiversity loss are urgent societal challenges. Utrecht University invites applications for an Assistant Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Nature Restoration. In this role, you contribute to help solve these challenges through research and education by linking fundamental wildlife ecology to biodiversity recovery and nature restoration. As an Assistant Professor, you will join a young, enthusiastic team that is eager to make an impact. You will help strengthen the team’s mission to connect fundamental wildlife ecology with the challenges of nature restoration in human-dominated multifunctional forest landscapes, especially in north-western Europe. Your research will focus on restoration-relevant themes, such as wildlife responses to anthropogenic change, the effectiveness of conservation interventions, and the contribution of wildlife to biodiversity recovery and nature restoration. Close collaboration with colleagues within and beyond Utrecht University is an important part of this role, as well as building sustainable partnerships with conservation practitioners and policymakers. You will combine fieldwork, experiments and biomonitoring (e.g. using sensor technologies) with laboratory, statistical and theoretical approaches. There is ample opportunity to initiate research projects and to acquire funding. In education, you will teach in the Biology programs, develop and coordinate a new course, and supervise research projects of BSc, MSc and PhD students.
January 7, 2026 at 6:54 AM
Reposted by Jess Awad
britmycolsoc.org.uk
Open for applications: Massee Arts Grant: up to £5000 to support novel arts projects focused on fungi. For artists from all disciplines & all geographic locations who can help us encourage engagement and learning about mycology. Find out more & apply here: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/massee-arts-...
Black and white photo of an actor in the centre of a woodland of tall tree trunks, accompanied by a musician in a long coat playing a violin. Credit: Jack Parris, 2025 Massee Arts Grant awardee. https://www.instagram.com/jackparrisd/
January 16, 2026 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
jittebug.nl
#ElkeDagEenInsect

Zombie! Dit lieveheersbeestje is grotendeels verlamd en zit ook vastgeplakt met wat zijde, maar zal wel verdedigend reageren wanneer verstoord... Waarom? in dat zakje zit een ontwikkeld wespje dat als larve *in* de kever zat, en nu een bodyguard heeft...

#Entomologie #Entomology🐞
January 19, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
emilyjaneart.bsky.social
I really think we click 🪲❤️🪲

Click beetle Valentine's Day cards are now back in stock in my Etsy store!

emilyjaneartstudio.etsy.com/listing/1854...

🐡 #art #invertebrate #insect #beetle #bugsky #illustration #smallbusiness #card
A card on a bookshelf. Two click beetles stare at each other lovingly with a heart between them. The text reads I really think we click. Signed by Emily Jane Foster.
January 8, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
aglaia.bsky.social
Nomineer jouw favoriete / bijzondere / bizarre / grappige insect hier: insectvanhetjaar.com/verkiezing/n... en misschien wordt dat één van de 5 kandidaten die meedingen naar de titel Insect van het Jaar 2026!
Nomineren - Insect van het Jaar
Nomineren Schuif een insect naar voren Nomineer snel jouw insectenheld, nog:
insectvanhetjaar.com
January 18, 2026 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Jess Awad
neolycus.bsky.social
🚨 New paper! 🚨 We sequenced the mitochondrial genome of Hypocephalus armatus, a rare mole beetle endemic to Brazil’s Cerrado & Caatinga, helping clarify its long-mysterious evolutionary placement. First paper of the year with colleagues from UFRJ: academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
Mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic mole beetle, Hypocephalus armatus Desmarest, 1832 (Coleoptera: Chrysomeloidea)
Abstract. The mole beetle, Hypocephalus armatus Desmarest, 1832, is an enigmatic insect with an uncertain phylogenetic placement. Hypocephalus armatus is e
academic.oup.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
dipteracourse.bsky.social
Join us in Costa Rica for Fly School IV! Applications are now open. Visit dipterists.org/fly_school.h... for application & info. @dipterists.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @teamdiptera.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @bertonemyia.bsky.social @ariannatc.bsky.social @phorid.bsky.social
Willistoniella sp., ropalomerid fly (Ropalomeridae). Photo taken at Fly School 2024 by @bertonemyia.bsky.social Limoniinae,bobbing crane fly (Tipulidae). Photo taken at Fly School 2024 by @bertonemyia.bsky.social Stilt-legged fly (Micropezidae). Photo taken at Fly School 2024 by @bertonemyia.bsky.social Lauxaniid fly (Lauxaniidae). Photo taken at Fly School 2024 by @bertonemyia.bsky.social
January 13, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
scottpegan.bsky.social
Over 1.4 million views (🤯) of this #ZeFrank video that features some of our lab’s work on gall wasps and parasitoid wasps! (And many others, too!)

youtu.be/ANyJVMhOpkk
True Facts: Parasitoid Wasps
YouTube video by Ze Frank
youtu.be
January 18, 2026 at 3:41 AM
Reposted by Jess Awad
dinalab.bsky.social
Remember how I said it is YEAR OF THE MOTH!?

PL Weng put together an awesome list of Moths that you can celebrate each week from February until Moth Week! Think of it as a fun #SciArt Challenge!

Get ready to make this year Mothy!

#moth #teamMoth #YearOfTheMoth
6 months of moths for 2026 Celebrate the Yer of the Moth by Creating Mothy Art every week from Febraury until Moth Week! 0. February 2 - The White Witch (Thysania agrippina) 1. February 9 - Bella Moth (Utetheisa ornatrix) *2. February 16 - Cryptoses choloepi (lives in sloth) 3. February 23 - Luna moth (Actias luna) 4. March 2 - Vampire moth (Calyptra thalictra) 5. March 9 - Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica 6. March 16 - Morgan’s sphinx moth (X. morganii) 7. March 23 - Death’s-head hawkmoth (Acherontia Atropos) 8. March 30 - Heterogynis penella 9. April 6 - The Nonconformist (Lithophane lamda) 10. April 13 - Water veneer (Acentria ephemerella) 11. April 20 - Monopis moth (Monopis laevigella) 12. April 27 - Astronomer Moth (Olethreutes astrologana) 13. May 4 - Police car moth (Gnophaela vermiculata) 14. May 11 - Discrete Chaperon (Cymbalophora pudica) 15. May 18 - Neighbor Moth (Haploa contigua) 16. May 25 - Green Marvel (Acronicta fallax) 17. June 1 - Four o'Clock Moth (Dysphania numana) 18. June 8 - Brahmin Moth, Indonesian owl moth (Brahmaea hearsyi) 19. June 15 - Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) 20. June 22 - Hornet moth (Sesia apiformis) 21. June 29 - Comet moth (Argema mittrei) 22. July 6 - Io moth (Automeris io) 23. July 13 - Rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) 24. July 20 (Start of Moth Week) - Plutodes cyclaria 25. July 21 - Musical mandolin moth (Rileyiana fovea) 26. July 22 - the Somber Carpet (Disclisioprocta stellata) 27. July 23 - Agreeable Tiger Moth (Spilosoma congrua) 28. July 24 - the Dubious Tiger Moth (Spilosoma dubia) 29. July 25 - the Scorched Carpet (Ligdia adustata) 30. July 26 (End of Moth Week) - the Drinker (Euthrix potatoria)
January 17, 2026 at 5:59 AM
Reposted by Jess Awad
jeh8i8.bsky.social
The FSCA is opening an OPS position sorting Lepidoptera in the McGuire Center! Please apply here:
jobs.myflorida.com/job/GAINESVI...
OPS BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST I - 42900373
OPS BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST I - 42900373
jobs.myflorida.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
aglaia.bsky.social
Gisteren een babykeversnoet, vandaag een andere, nu van een boktor (Cerambycidae). Gek genoeg kijken we met zijn allen veel minder naar larvale insecten, terwijl die doorgaans veel langer leven dan de adulten. Wel meer verborgen... #ElkeDagEenInsect
Cerambycidae
January 16, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
dwhitmore79.bsky.social
Sarcophaga basuto and S. spilogaster from the Drakensberg, SA (coll. Nov. 2023)

#Diptera #fleshflies #Africa
A large yellowish-golden male flesh fly from South Africa, pinned in lateral view with the terminalia extended, showing the characteristic ring-shaped phallus and red epandrium of this Afrotropical species, Sarcophaga basuto A yellowish-grey flesh fly from the Afrotropics: Sarcophaga spilogaster, boasting bright red terminalia and characteristic strong, dark markings on the crossveins of the wings. A very typically African species. The striking wing marking for a flesh fly has independently been expressed also in Muscidae and perhaps other, more distantly related families
January 16, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
jembrown.bsky.social
Applications are now open for the 2026 Workshop on Molecular Evolution (MOLE)!

www.mbl.edu/education/ad...

Claudia Solis-Lemus and I will be holding an informational session on Zoom next Wed (1/21) from 10:30-11:30 AM Central for those interested:

lsu.zoom.us/j/4968115684

Deadline to apply: 1/26
Workshop on Molecular Evolution | Marine Biological Laboratory
The workshop serves graduate students, postdocs, and established faculty from around the world seeking to apply the principles of molecular evolution to questions of anthropology, conservation genetic...
www.mbl.edu
January 16, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
tannisdavidson.bsky.social
It was buzzing in @uclgrantmuseum.bsky.social today with #WaspLove on full display with a visit from Shona and Tam Reppe and @waspwoman.bsky.social herself! See World of Wasps exhibition before it closes on Jan 24.
Waspy dressed visitors flank UCL’s wasp woman Seirian Sumner in front of Peter Ayres’ wasp nest sculptures in the Grant Museum of Zoology.
January 16, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
fitentsocamerica.bsky.social
Coming up in a few days! Make sure to RSVP!
entsocamerica.bsky.social Entomological Society of America @entsocamerica.bsky.social · 11d
How can we create accessible and engaging digital classrooms? Join us Tuesday, January 20 for this ESA webinar hosted by the @fitentsocamerica.bsky.social Student Subcommittee. Panelists from #TAMUEntomology will share design tips, retention strategies & more.

RSVP: www.entsoc.org/events/webin...
The graphic includes white text on a green background that says, “ESA Webinar. Creating Accessible and Engaging Online Courses in Entomology. Tuesday, January 20 2 p.m. ET.” It also includes an image of an insect and the ESA logo.
January 16, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
aglaia.bsky.social
Nomineer nu jouw favoriete soort voor de verkiezing Insect van het Jaar! Vroege Vogels roept er ook toe op, dus dan moet het zeker. ☺️ www.bnnvara.nl/vroegevogels...
Wie wordt het 'Insect van het Jaar' van 2026? - Vroege Vogels - BNNVARA
Elk jaar kiest Nederland zijn favoriete insect. Dit jaar kan iedereen tot 1 maart een insect nomineren, met mooie prijzen te winnen. De verkiezing helpt mensen insecten beter te begrijpen en waarderen...
www.bnnvara.nl
January 12, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
timcurran.bsky.social
Meet the springtails: little-known fantastic beasts that live everywhere on Earth
theconversation.com/meet-the-spr...

Ping @frankashwood.bsky.social
Meet the springtails: little-known fantastic beasts that live everywhere on Earth
These tiny critters have shaped the health of our planet for hundreds of millions of years.
theconversation.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
hsauquet.bsky.social
We've just created an exciting new Phylogenomics Botanist role to join our vibrant team at Botanic Gardens of Sydney and help us build the NSW Plant Tree of Life! Applications close 26 Jan 2026: iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/phylogen...

#botanicgardens #nswflora #nswptol #phylogenomics
January 13, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Reposted by Jess Awad
ashwhiffin.bsky.social
Steven Hammer, one of our regular collection users, co-developed a new #insect pinning block, with staff and volunteers from the museum.

It’s 3D-printed and open source, so you can try it for yourself:
cults3d.com/en/3d-model/...

#ECN2025
Entoblock step
An improved pinning block for entomological collections. It has five steps at different heights for quick and accurate label setting. The steps are visible from both sides, making it suitable for lef...
cults3d.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
fotoyaaf.bsky.social
En de rups van de #koninginnenpage mag er uiteraard ook wezen!

#vlindermaand
Caterpillar of old world swallowtail butterfly on it's host plant, wild carrot. The image is taken in the late evening, with the sunset behind the caterpillar.
January 10, 2026 at 7:47 AM
Reposted by Jess Awad
camglamresearch.bsky.social
Call now open for Visiting Fellowships in our Natural History Humanities programme! Building long-term collaborations with early career researchers on Cambridge GLAM collections.

@camunivmuseums.bsky.social @theul.bsky.social @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social
www.ccc.cam.ac.uk/initiatives/...
Natural History Humanities - Collections Connections Communities
www.ccc.cam.ac.uk
January 9, 2026 at 8:27 AM
Reposted by Jess Awad
jeffontherock.bsky.social
Chocolate Tube Slime Mold (Stemonitis sp) on a spruce tree cone. The slime mold is about 1.5cm wide.
#slimemold #fungifriends
Photo of a spruce tree cone laying flat on a mossy forest floor. A mature, brown chocolate tube slime mold is attached to the top of the cone.
January 8, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
aglaia.bsky.social
In de winter is het ook mogelijk om insecten te zoeken, achter schors bijvoorbeeld. Daar vind je dan overwinterende dieren, zoals deze slakkenaaskever (Phosphuga atrata) die niet per se blij was met de verstoring. #ElkeDagEenInsect
Phosphuga atrata
January 8, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
saskyavn.bsky.social
Starting soon:
January 8, 2026 at 12:19 PM
Reposted by Jess Awad
taxonfoundation.bsky.social
For 2026 we have space for new community science projects in the Netherlands or abroad. So if you are a team of neighborhood nature enthusiasts who need expert help with biodiversity inventories, please drop us a line.

#scicomm #insects #Biodiversity #communityscience #citizenscience #urbannature
January 7, 2026 at 11:20 AM