Volker Rudolf
@volkerrudolf.bsky.social
Community Ecology | Phenology | Ponds| Professor of Ecology & Evolution @ Rice University. Editor-In-Chief @ The American Naturalist. Dad, husband, polliwog wrangler, baker of Bavarian pretzels, chicken owner. Typos are my own.
This is a reminder that @asn-amnat.bsky.social publishes abstracts in both English and your native language, using your native alphabet. You can see and read those online. Here is a screenshot of a great example. Love seeing this in my favorite journal.
November 14, 2025 at 3:47 PM
This is a reminder that @asn-amnat.bsky.social publishes abstracts in both English and your native language, using your native alphabet. You can see and read those online. Here is a screenshot of a great example. Love seeing this in my favorite journal.
Fun sighting this morning on Rice campus: the black witch moth. The bat shaped moth is the largest noctuid moth in North America (about 2x palm of your hand) is part of folk lore of many cultures in Latin America.
November 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Fun sighting this morning on Rice campus: the black witch moth. The bat shaped moth is the largest noctuid moth in North America (about 2x palm of your hand) is part of folk lore of many cultures in Latin America.
Wrapped up tue Halloween series with Frida
November 4, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Wrapped up tue Halloween series with Frida
my favorite Halloween tradition started at our house again: arranging our skeletons in fun ways until Halloween. We started with this one (I think we nailed the original face expressions…).
October 8, 2025 at 10:47 PM
my favorite Halloween tradition started at our house again: arranging our skeletons in fun ways until Halloween. We started with this one (I think we nailed the original face expressions…).
One of my weekend distraction is baking. Today home milled spelt sour dough.
September 28, 2025 at 5:48 PM
One of my weekend distraction is baking. Today home milled spelt sour dough.
Because of these differences across species, the hierarchy (ranking) of per-capita predation rates changes with temperature, indicating that temperature changes reshuffle relative differences in interaction strength in these food webs.
September 8, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Because of these differences across species, the hierarchy (ranking) of per-capita predation rates changes with temperature, indicating that temperature changes reshuffle relative differences in interaction strength in these food webs.
Interestingly, all but one continued to increase with temperature to a point where both prey and predator started to die of heat stress. So we mostly did not see humped shaped relationship with temperature for biological relevant temperatures.
September 8, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Interestingly, all but one continued to increase with temperature to a point where both prey and predator started to die of heat stress. So we mostly did not see humped shaped relationship with temperature for biological relevant temperatures.
Turned out, there was a lot of variation in how per-capita consumption rates scaled with temperature in both magnitude and shape of the response curve.
September 8, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Turned out, there was a lot of variation in how per-capita consumption rates scaled with temperature in both magnitude and shape of the response curve.
How variable are temperature effects on species interactions within a local community? Find out in our new paper led by @zoeyneale.bsky.social
"Thermal responses of feeding rates differ across co‐occurring predator species" esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
"Thermal responses of feeding rates differ across co‐occurring predator species" esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
September 8, 2025 at 2:25 PM
How variable are temperature effects on species interactions within a local community? Find out in our new paper led by @zoeyneale.bsky.social
"Thermal responses of feeding rates differ across co‐occurring predator species" esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
"Thermal responses of feeding rates differ across co‐occurring predator species" esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
One is not like the others… anybody knows what’s going on here? This is in east Texas.
September 4, 2025 at 3:25 PM
One is not like the others… anybody knows what’s going on here? This is in east Texas.
Came across this guy while sampling in east Texas. The Sculptured Pine Borer, the largest wood boring beetle in the US. These guys only use dead trees for reproduction so part of the recycling crew. 🧪
July 23, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Came across this guy while sampling in east Texas. The Sculptured Pine Borer, the largest wood boring beetle in the US. These guys only use dead trees for reproduction so part of the recycling crew. 🧪
I noticed this impressively large Dark Fishing Spider, bc I heard it moving on the tree!!! (It was about the size of the palm of my hand). While taxonomically belonging to “fishing spiders” which are typically semi-aquatic, this species is really a tree dweller.
July 8, 2025 at 12:49 AM
I noticed this impressively large Dark Fishing Spider, bc I heard it moving on the tree!!! (It was about the size of the palm of my hand). While taxonomically belonging to “fishing spiders” which are typically semi-aquatic, this species is really a tree dweller.
Lots of dragonflies out and about during monthly sampling.
Fun fact, when dragonflies, like this male Slaty Skimmer, perch they often adjust the position of their abdomen relative to the sun to regulate their body temperature . 🧪
Fun fact, when dragonflies, like this male Slaty Skimmer, perch they often adjust the position of their abdomen relative to the sun to regulate their body temperature . 🧪
June 29, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Lots of dragonflies out and about during monthly sampling.
Fun fact, when dragonflies, like this male Slaty Skimmer, perch they often adjust the position of their abdomen relative to the sun to regulate their body temperature . 🧪
Fun fact, when dragonflies, like this male Slaty Skimmer, perch they often adjust the position of their abdomen relative to the sun to regulate their body temperature . 🧪
Well you know what they say: When in Rome….
Thanks for convincing us & providing ear plugs!
Go #gravedigger
Thanks for convincing us & providing ear plugs!
Go #gravedigger
June 29, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Well you know what they say: When in Rome….
Thanks for convincing us & providing ear plugs!
Go #gravedigger
Thanks for convincing us & providing ear plugs!
Go #gravedigger
Great workshop this morning led by Mike Dawson on navigating scientific publishing and responsibility and opportunities we have at making it better. Includes great examples of long lasting impacts of society run journals (love seeing @asn-amnat.bsky.social at the top!) #Evol2025
June 20, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Great workshop this morning led by Mike Dawson on navigating scientific publishing and responsibility and opportunities we have at making it better. Includes great examples of long lasting impacts of society run journals (love seeing @asn-amnat.bsky.social at the top!) #Evol2025
Happy Father’s Day to those who celebrate
June 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Happy Father’s Day to those who celebrate
Even aquatic animal ecologists (like myself) stop to appreciate these Propeller flowers,or the purple pleatleaf. Strikingly beautiful flowers that apparently only last a a day!! 🧪
May 23, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Even aquatic animal ecologists (like myself) stop to appreciate these Propeller flowers,or the purple pleatleaf. Strikingly beautiful flowers that apparently only last a a day!! 🧪
Ever noticed how being sick used to be fun as a kid (miss school and watch cartoons all day) but as a grown up it sucks (feeling crappy but still have to work)? Well, at least I get to work from home & hang out with his eminence (& handsome) ruler of the house.
May 7, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Ever noticed how being sick used to be fun as a kid (miss school and watch cartoons all day) but as a grown up it sucks (feeling crappy but still have to work)? Well, at least I get to work from home & hang out with his eminence (& handsome) ruler of the house.
I love these little junk bugs, also know as garbage or trash bugs, but that seems rude. They are larvae of lacewing and carry this heavy load for camouflage and protection. Clever bugs! 🧪
April 28, 2025 at 7:43 PM
I love these little junk bugs, also know as garbage or trash bugs, but that seems rude. They are larvae of lacewing and carry this heavy load for camouflage and protection. Clever bugs! 🧪
Time cleanse! go enjoy the outside, maybe roll around a bit in some grass, like my dog…
April 24, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Time cleanse! go enjoy the outside, maybe roll around a bit in some grass, like my dog…
Dragonfly exuviae have always some prehistoric vibe to them. Makes sense since they have been around long before dinosaurs.
April 23, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Dragonfly exuviae have always some prehistoric vibe to them. Makes sense since they have been around long before dinosaurs.
I very much enjoyed the collaborative brainstorming on Temporal community structure at ETH Zürich. Big shout out to the best host ever (Janneke HRL) & her awesome group!!!
April 11, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I very much enjoyed the collaborative brainstorming on Temporal community structure at ETH Zürich. Big shout out to the best host ever (Janneke HRL) & her awesome group!!!
I missed European train rides… still the best way to travel!
April 4, 2025 at 10:15 AM
I missed European train rides… still the best way to travel!
For #salamandersaturday it’s one of my favorite, a little larvae of the mole salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum 😍🧪. Much prettier at that stage than at the adult stage. (Those are mm on scale bar, tiny dudes!)
March 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM
For #salamandersaturday it’s one of my favorite, a little larvae of the mole salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum 😍🧪. Much prettier at that stage than at the adult stage. (Those are mm on scale bar, tiny dudes!)