Interesting idea, the iNat app AI does NZ moths ok thanks to the heaps of reference images, but can't handle multiple things

Tricky tortricids!

Yeah it gets stuck in a cycle, a few bad IDs and it thinks everything is a common earthworm. But if there are characters visible in photos and good identifiers then the model adapts well over time

It'll be the AI suggestion that does this, but it can be trained. The model for Lepidoptera in NZ is really good now, but it's been trained by identifying things. Same with millipedes. Once you correct it things improve a bit.

The Wellington, New Zealand entomology branch is looking for international speakers who would be interested to talk to enthusiast and professional entomologist a like. We got some amazing talkers off science Twitter, how's Bluesky going to compare???

Yeah fair, not a nice way to die. Can buy them over the counter here in NZ too

Is the term "nasty chemicals" helpful? 2nd generation rodenticides have been essential to many eradications of rodents, and it is possible to draw attention to their over availability/overuse without endangering other efforts overseas.

I think it can be overused in places right? But yeah an outright ban seems misguided!

Pretty bad news for some inverts too!

From 7 science agencies to 4. How long before we come full circle back to 1? Bring back #DSIR

A ngaio weevil on a ngaio leaf on Takapourewa, NZ

Do you want to make a huge impact on the conservation of a critically endangered species in 2025? Voting for the ngaio weevil in the NZ Bug of the Year shorturl.at/WOvMe will get it precious publicity + possibly funding to help find out what it needs to recover........Please share to save a species!

🐌🐜🕷MAY THE BEST BUG WIN 🐛🪰🦋

Voting for the 2025 New Zealand Bug of the Year competition AND submissions for the poetry contest are both live today!

Place your votes for the top three bugs you think deserve to win. It's pretty hard to pick just 3 for me honestly.

That dot in Northland!

Is the site up yet?

ngaio weevil

Entomological Society of NZ has its third celebration of invertebrates beginning today - I will be campaigning for the ngaio weevil, a large (30 mm) flightless weevil found on one island in Aotearoa/NZ bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz

Optimist: the cup is half full

Pessimist: the cup is half empty

Taxonomist: describes both cups as different species, an error which isn't picked up for 150 years.

Pint-sized crustacean named after New Zealand brewery to boost interest in marine life Tiny isopod is dubbed Pentaceration forkandbrewer in push to engage community with climate-threatened life in local waters New Zealand scientists have named a tiny snowflake-like crustacean after a Wellington brewery, in an attempt to boost the public’s interest in local marine life. The roughly 1.5mm marine isopod was found in the silty depths off New Zealand’s southern east coast. It helps decompose organic material that drifts to the seabed. Continue reading...

Pint-sized crustacean named after New Zealand brewery to boost interest in marine life

Revisiting the paradigm of anhematophagy in male mosquitoes Female mosquitoes are reproductively obligate bloodfeeders which feed on vertebrate blood to obtain nutrients required for egg production (driving transmission of vector-borne pathogens in the process...

So. Here it is. The ABSOLUTELY nuttiest study we have ever done in my 25+ years as a scientist working on mosquitoes

"Revisiting the paradigm of anhematophagy in male mosquitoes"

Let's dive into the paper

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

I'll email a copy through.

I've always wanted to quantify NZs research spend on Honey bees.

Assessment of moth diversity in the Zealandia ecosanctuary through a community science initiative A collaborative project involving researchers and citizen scientists was conducted in the Zealandia ecosanctuary (Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand) during 2019–2022 to investigate Lepidoptera biodi...

A big thanks to all those who contributed to our moth research project, paper #1 published!

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

If you need a copy to read reach out to me. More work to come, next up a comparison to historical records done in the late 19th, early 20th records!

Not seen the spider one before, what group forms bodies like that??

You'll be very proud, I signed up to Wikipedia to fix an annoying typo. Next, I'll be delving into references???! Who knows

Did enjoy the worm shots!

Saw dozens of your #boty2024 in Te Kopahou reserve, Wgtn. A real stronghold.

Nice no stress, got to make the most of summer :)

Nice were they taking photos or doing a bit of collecting? Hope you got a still warm night!

NZ votes the red admiral butterfly ‘bug of the year’ – how to make your garden its home The native red admiral is less common than it used to be, but we can all help threatened bug species by ensuring they have the right habitats to thrive in.

Kahukura is crowned Bug of the Year 2024! ❤️🎉🐛🧪

theconversation.com/nz-votes-the...

inaturalist.nz/taxa/205977-... is the ladybird for scale??

You can get a Masters/Post grad at Vic. But there are entry level positions and quite a bit can be learnt on the job too