Early birthday gift that arrived on Diwali. Very thoughtful and I love it!

#Green = The best colour in the world!
#Nematode = The best animal in the world!

Thank you, my friend Jordan Bretl! #UFBugs

Vector Potential Index: Bridging competence and contribution as an integrative measure of relative transmission capability 1. Vectorial capacity (VC) is a powerful tool for estimating a species’ importance in the transmission of vector-borne pathogens and predicting impacts of specific control measures on the transm...

Pushing fwd on some sci - new preprint led by @amelybauer.bsky.social! Vector competence + host use matters for VBD transmission hazard, and her new index is a handy way to provide insights across disease systems.🦟🐦 #UFBugs #IFAS #FMEL #diseaseecology www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-5...

Predicting suitable habitats for the Brazilian peppertree biological control agent Pseudophilothrips ichini (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in Florida Invasive plants are rapidly entering new ecosystems due to globalisation, increased trade, and frequent disturbances of natural habitats. Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi, known as the Brazilian peppe...

Hot off the press! New article out of the #MinteerLab on predicting suitable habitats for one of the biological control agents for the invasive Brazilian peppertree from recent Masters grad Emily Le Falchier! #UFBiocontrol #UFBugs url6649.tandfonline.com/ls/click?upn...

Assessing Pseudophilothrips ichini (Hood) development when reared on Brazilian peppertree grown in brackish environments: Biocontrol Science and Technology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access

New paper out of the #Minteerlab from our postdoc, Dr. Telmadarrehei! These data show that the Brazilian peppertree thrips should survive in areas with brackish water. This is good news for control of Brazilian peppertree in mangroves! #UFBugs #UFBiocontrol www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's T. C. Emmel Seminar by @LMDiepenbrock!

#UFBugs

One of the best things about working at @UF is having @UFNATL right out the back door! Here are 4 of 13 butterfly species seen there during lunchtime this week...

Monarch
Red-banded Hairstreak
Ceraunus Blue
Long-tailed Skipper
#UFBugs

Honey bees 🐝 on Puerto Rico are very special! They:
☑️Lack Viruses!
☑️Lack Colony Collapse disorder!
☑️Are resistant to varroa mites!
☑️Display reduced aggressiveness though of African descent!

Fun facts delivered by Dr. Jose Marcelino 🐝 #UFBugs

I made a new friend today @UF @UFNATL!
This buckeye just eclosed from its pupa and its wings were still too soft to fly!
#UFBugs

With 32 butterfly species recorded on the @UF campus in February, this is the earliest spring I've seen in north Florida @UFNATL ! #UFBugs

Even though it's a common skipper on lawns and sports fields in the SE USA, Copaeodes minima is so tiny that most people will never see it! It's North America's smallest skipper! Flying now in north Florida and @UF #UFBugs

Which is my favorite antlion species, you ask? That's easy- it's Glenurus gratus!
entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/neuropter...
Today in north Florida
#UFBugs

Even though Prepona laertes is an exotic species in Florida, it is one of our most spectacular butterflies!
www.freshfromflorida.com/content/download/72906/1...
#UFBugs

Mischocyttarus mexicanus is the ultimate gateway wasp! You can get right up in their faces and they always keep their cool... ;)
#UFBugs

There are quite a few Cloudless Sulphurs (Phoebis eubule) & Gulf Fritillaries (Agraulis vanillae) flying south today in N Florida!
#UFBugs

Interested in moths of south Florida and the Florida Keys?
Check out this great new online resource!
http://www.keysmoths.com/emotional
#UFBugs

Hey! Wanna grab a bite to eat and hang out for a while?

Robber fly (Diogmites sp.) with Hymenoptera for lunch!
Today in Florida.
#UFBugs

The last annual brood of buckeye butterflies (Junonia coenia) in northern Florida is maturing- larvae are easy to find right now!
#UFBugs

Long-haired caterpillars have been a thing since long before there were long-haired cats!
Little Metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis)
#UFBugs

Syngamia florella is one of my favorite local moths!

today in Florida
#UFBugs https://t.co/XfK0d11qZs

Not much quality nectar left in northern #Florida, but lots of skippers are feeding at what little remains!
#UFBugs https://t.co/q0ijIvn8jI

It's still swamp skipper season here in #Florida!

Dion Skipper
(Euphyes dion)
#UFBugs http://t.co/HKhFOy5P96

♂ Delaware Skipper sporting the classic jet fighter pose...
(Anatrytone logan)
Florida
#UFBugs http://t.co/WdBGf6EDoP

Found this little cutie on my bathroom floor last night :)
(Centruroides hentzi)
#UFBugs http://t.co/094tuqEvd8

Cajoling ♂ Buckeye (R) and inattentive ♀ (L)
(Junonia coenia)
Citrus Co., Florida
#UFBugs http://t.co/AK5W6DnSh0

My new favorite fly- with its bluish halteres!
Hedriodiscus trivittatus
(Stratiomyidae), Florida
#UFBugs http://t.co/2Aj8aq2Jhg

Saw lots of bugs eating bugs this weekend!
#UFBugs http://t.co/XFfaqkFBL1

Rarely seen in the USA, this Bahamian Swallowtail (Heraclides andraemon) graced us with her beauty last week!
#UFBugs http://t.co/2B2IBm03Le

This stunning Schaus' Swallowtail from last week on Elliott Key was marked and released!
#UFBugs #Conservation http://t.co/GnpAZsCET1

Since you're probably tired of Florida butterfly pics, here's a cool FL moth! Composia fidelissima!
#UFBugs http://t.co/BHszv9q1ii

The Julia butterfly (Dryas iulia largo) has THE coolest eyes!
Elliott Key, FL
#UFBugs http://t.co/a1v4Qycj7U