A Marsh Fritillary butterfly, brightly coloured with orange, cream and brown chequered wings, sits on a background of green plants
📢2 great jobs in #NatureRecovery at Butterfly Conservation, closing soon! Conservation Manager Wales, and Project Manager with PeacePlus Nature project in Northern Ireland. Challenging & exciting roles putting you at the heart of efforts to save butterflies & moths. butterfly-conservation.org/jobs 🦋
UKBMS volunteers have walked a total of >1.5 million kilometres since 1976 at more than 7,600 sites to produce this incredible dataset.
That’s the equivalent of walking 40 times around the world – or to the moon and back twice.
Latest annual results: www.ukbms.org
3/3
Sad but unsurprising results. Also amazing to see the community dedication for so many records! My research in #urban #butterflies found a few specialists in MK, making urban nature even more important future conservation and reducing biodiversity loss.
WEEK ONE!
The UKBMS surveys officially kick off today 🎺 🥳 🦋
If you're taking part, check the weather and choose a good day for your survey this week - temps above 13degrees, sun and light winds are best. Weeks run from each Wednesday to the following Tuesday this year.
Good luck!
Good luck Tace!! Hope the delay isn’t too long
New PhD position: Butterfly Evolution at High Elevations 🦋⛰️🧬
The project aims to understand the rapid evolution and adaptation of Andean white butterflies using genomics.
DEADLINE: May 8, 2026
Start: Autumn 2026 (Czechia)
More info: pavelmatos.wordpress.com/join-us/
If, for whatever reason you wish to put yourself through it, my thesis is now online! #butterfly #ecology #conservation #PhDone
oro.open.ac.uk/109027/
One of the excluded systematic reviews is the York systematic reviews commissioned as part of the Cass Review itself. NHS England excluded from its evidence review a systematic review produced for the very process this evidence review is supposed to implement. It's a joke.
BREAKING: THERE'S ONE POINT IN IT. LABOUR 28% REFORM 27% Fieldwork date: February 2026 Fieldwork source: OPINIUM/BYLINE TIMES Piomoted by holle lodiey on tenor a the loodurroy, ooh 01 22 kush vo h 38eel Locoon, Stiv95
Gorton and Denton by-election result Candidates gaining more than 1% of the vote Party Candidate Change Vote share since 2024 Green Hannah Spencer 41% A +28% Reform UK Matt Goodwin 29% A +15% Labour Angeliki Stogia 26% * -25% Conservative Charlotte Cadden 2%1 • -6% Lib Dem Jackie Pearcey 2%1 -2% Turnout: 47.5%
Yeah?
Are you an relatively new to field ecology and data collection? Or are are you supervising students? Our guide for effective field data collection is now published in @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social! We also include a printable poster with a visual overview of the guide
doi.org/10.1111/2041...
Setup for the NISF talks
Social media interview prep!
NISF
I’ll be doing my talk at @niscifest.bsky.social at 4pm today. A few of my colleagues are here too, with the first speaker starting in 15 mins! Come along if you’re interested. #NISF #NorthernIreland #Ecologi
Come to Hamburg and do a PhD on insect/spider traits with me!
In a few weeks I’ll be talking about #biodiversity loss, ecological restoration and urban #butterflies including the restoration work we are doing at the @openlivinglabs.bsky.social at the Northern Ireland science festival in Belfast! #NISF.
It’s free! nisciencefestival.com/event/how-to...
Oh, I see haha. They’re just straight up selling plastic food now since it’s unavoidable I guess!
A worrying lunch, max. Was this part of the sandwich or just comes with in glass of water now?
LAST CALL 🐞
The #ForestInvertebrates SIG brings together research on trees, invertebrates & urban ecosystems.
📅 5 March
📍 Hyde Park Learning Centre
🌱 Optional field visit on 4 March
Submit your research abstracts by 5pm today (30 Jan) for a chance to join the programme 🔽
Utterly ridiculous. Segregated ponds is a new low. Glad this was stopped.
I love her. James named her “Thing” cos she’s got a tim burton vibe and looks like the Addams family hand haha.
Vitalius chromatus tarantula drinking
Vitalius chromatus drinking from a higher angle to show the red abdomen
I can’t stop buying #tarantulas any time I want… #Vitaliuschromatus. She must have been pretty thirsty!
From soil to canopy, urban trees support rich invertebrate life 🌿
Join our #ForestInvertebrates SIG on 5 March 2026 for interdisciplinary talks, research case studies & discussion.
📝 Abstracts welcome – Deadline 30 January
🚶 Optional field visit: 4 March
👉
A small spiderling (sling) species Birupes simoroxigorum
A small spiderling (sling) species Dolichothele rufoniger
Buying one new tarantula after a decade really opened the flood gates… unbelievably addictive hobby. Welcome slings of #Birupes simoroxigorum and #Dolichothele rufoniger #tarantula #spider #bugsky. Will stop buying them soon/probably/eventually…
It’s cute! Did you draw this with a pen? It’s great
Nice to be starting 2026 with our new paper with @sei.org on making #CitizenScience biological recording more inclusive @savebutterflies.bsky.social doi.org/10.5334/cstp...
Love this!
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens peering over its wet waiting for its prey.
Creeping over the edge waiting for the cricket… I love this #spider, it’s so colourful and active #tarantula #Chromatopelmacyaneopubescens
Sounds so frustrating, I'm sorry to hear that. Keep going, though, I am always so pleased to see other NB people in academia!
I’m pretty much in the same position. I’ve got some temp work for now but nothing long-term on a liveable salary. 200 seems like a lot though, are you looking for ento stuff or just any ecology role?
Hope you find something soon!
Well colour me suprised, turns out no one cares except massive bigots. Who knew. 👇🏻
I get the same joy out of the use of the word “bug” to incorrectly describe insects and spiders. Our PhDs were worth it after all!
