Oliver Poole
@ollypoole.bsky.social
PhD student researching migrant biology at the University of Exeter Cornwall 🪰🔬💪🧬 https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/40094-oliver-poole
Long-distance runner 🏃♂️⛰️
Long-distance runner 🏃♂️⛰️
Presented my paper www.researchgate.net/publication/... at the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Biological Recorders Conference @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social today.
Showing how key pollinator groups respond to urban enhancements, hopefully encouraging other councils to follow suit!
Showing how key pollinator groups respond to urban enhancements, hopefully encouraging other councils to follow suit!
March 29, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Presented my paper www.researchgate.net/publication/... at the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Biological Recorders Conference @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social today.
Showing how key pollinator groups respond to urban enhancements, hopefully encouraging other councils to follow suit!
Showing how key pollinator groups respond to urban enhancements, hopefully encouraging other councils to follow suit!
After devouring all the aphids, the larvae have dispersed from their feeding site to pupate. This is the final stage before adult emergence. Not much to do now but patiently wait.
Below is a small individual which in the next week will eclose as an adult hoverfly!
Below is a small individual which in the next week will eclose as an adult hoverfly!
March 24, 2025 at 1:20 PM
After devouring all the aphids, the larvae have dispersed from their feeding site to pupate. This is the final stage before adult emergence. Not much to do now but patiently wait.
Below is a small individual which in the next week will eclose as an adult hoverfly!
Below is a small individual which in the next week will eclose as an adult hoverfly!
Spent the week #microCT scanning marmalade hoverfly muscles in the SHArD lab @uoearchhist.bsky.social! Getting good 3D reconstructions from the terabyte of data generated…
I’m trying to work out if #muscle morphology differs between #migrant and non-migrant types of this species through #ageing.
I’m trying to work out if #muscle morphology differs between #migrant and non-migrant types of this species through #ageing.
March 7, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Spent the week #microCT scanning marmalade hoverfly muscles in the SHArD lab @uoearchhist.bsky.social! Getting good 3D reconstructions from the terabyte of data generated…
I’m trying to work out if #muscle morphology differs between #migrant and non-migrant types of this species through #ageing.
I’m trying to work out if #muscle morphology differs between #migrant and non-migrant types of this species through #ageing.
Slowly but surely my hover babies are hatching... Let the aphid devouring begin!
Episyrphus larvae can hunt up to 1000 aphids each to provide nutrients vital for growth and pupal development.
See the video below of a successful hunt! 🐛🌐
Episyrphus larvae can hunt up to 1000 aphids each to provide nutrients vital for growth and pupal development.
See the video below of a successful hunt! 🐛🌐
March 1, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Slowly but surely my hover babies are hatching... Let the aphid devouring begin!
Episyrphus larvae can hunt up to 1000 aphids each to provide nutrients vital for growth and pupal development.
See the video below of a successful hunt! 🐛🌐
Episyrphus larvae can hunt up to 1000 aphids each to provide nutrients vital for growth and pupal development.
See the video below of a successful hunt! 🐛🌐
Ever wondered what hoverfly sperm look like? 🪰💡… Well, me neither!
But as you might imagine, they are really tiny: around 15 microns. 🔬 That’s approximately 100 times smaller than a 1mm measurement you’d find on a ruler. 📏
Female marmalade hoverflies store sperm (left pic) in spermathecae (right).
But as you might imagine, they are really tiny: around 15 microns. 🔬 That’s approximately 100 times smaller than a 1mm measurement you’d find on a ruler. 📏
Female marmalade hoverflies store sperm (left pic) in spermathecae (right).
February 21, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Ever wondered what hoverfly sperm look like? 🪰💡… Well, me neither!
But as you might imagine, they are really tiny: around 15 microns. 🔬 That’s approximately 100 times smaller than a 1mm measurement you’d find on a ruler. 📏
Female marmalade hoverflies store sperm (left pic) in spermathecae (right).
But as you might imagine, they are really tiny: around 15 microns. 🔬 That’s approximately 100 times smaller than a 1mm measurement you’d find on a ruler. 📏
Female marmalade hoverflies store sperm (left pic) in spermathecae (right).
Now we can see eggs laid over the denser areas of aphid blooms it’s time to wait several days for them to hatch into larvae 🐣 that will be hungry for our little green friends 🐛
Inside the small oval shaped eggs, critical developmental phases are occurring so it’s best to leave them to it.
Inside the small oval shaped eggs, critical developmental phases are occurring so it’s best to leave them to it.
February 19, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Now we can see eggs laid over the denser areas of aphid blooms it’s time to wait several days for them to hatch into larvae 🐣 that will be hungry for our little green friends 🐛
Inside the small oval shaped eggs, critical developmental phases are occurring so it’s best to leave them to it.
Inside the small oval shaped eggs, critical developmental phases are occurring so it’s best to leave them to it.
With several fecund female Episyrphus balteatus hoverflies now on our coriander, we might see some egg laying over the next few days - given these flies are happy with the aphids!
The warm indoor temperature and presence of aphids should provide sufficient cues to signal oviposition (egg laying).
The warm indoor temperature and presence of aphids should provide sufficient cues to signal oviposition (egg laying).
February 19, 2025 at 9:01 AM
With several fecund female Episyrphus balteatus hoverflies now on our coriander, we might see some egg laying over the next few days - given these flies are happy with the aphids!
The warm indoor temperature and presence of aphids should provide sufficient cues to signal oviposition (egg laying).
The warm indoor temperature and presence of aphids should provide sufficient cues to signal oviposition (egg laying).
Aphids tucking into your plants at home?
Try a natural biological control agent (feed them to aphidophagous hoverflies).
Follow this post for progress on aphid eradication via their natural predators!
Try a natural biological control agent (feed them to aphidophagous hoverflies).
Follow this post for progress on aphid eradication via their natural predators!
February 17, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Aphids tucking into your plants at home?
Try a natural biological control agent (feed them to aphidophagous hoverflies).
Follow this post for progress on aphid eradication via their natural predators!
Try a natural biological control agent (feed them to aphidophagous hoverflies).
Follow this post for progress on aphid eradication via their natural predators!