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elaphrornis.bsky.social
A naturalist on the prowl. (New here, same handle on Twitter/X)
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Planted by Mrs W in our backyard as a herb in 2008, this sage plant has been going strong for the last 17 years, putting on a spectacular display of flowers around this time.

More details coming soon, but mark your calendars ... Breakout meeting for @systbiol.bsky.social‬ The Society of Systematic Biologists - will be Jan 9-11 in Baton Rouge! Topic is 'The Importance of Natural History Collections' @jembrown.bsky.social is primary host/organizer ssb2026.github.io

When we were very young! The subtitle of a book expected later this year made me recall seeing “pan-species listing” in a blog post by a young @jamesimcc.bsky.social years ago, which led me to James’s YouTube channel, a charming record of his development as a naturalist! 😊🦔🦉🐌🐞🐜🐛 youtu.be/OVmb5a9hXU4

1/2 #specieaday no. 607 is Leptura quadrifasciata. This incredibly early animal was seen in London yesterday (my next earliest record was the 23rd June!). Typically a July saproxylic longhorn beetle. Not rare but you never see lots of them.

It's exciting to see our research paper being highlighted by @cp-oneearth.bsky.social on UN Biodiversity Day. Combining species locality data from scientific sources and social media can help identify biodiversity protection status and the most critical conservation areas. doi.org/10.1016/j.on...

A *Syrphus* larva devouring an *Aphis viburni* aphid from a leaf curl on a Guelder-rose, collected on 19 May. It was the largest of nine larvae found in total—and what an appetite it has! - Montrose, Angus #Hoverflies @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

To protect the nature all around us, we first need to understand it a lot better — and sharing photos to iNaturalist can help with that. To celebrate #BiodiversityDay, here are just five of the *many* iNat observations that have made a direct impact on science over the years. 🧵⤵️

Happy #InternationalBiodiversityDay! DYK? The Biodiversity Heritage Library contains over 63 million pages of knowledge about the Earth's #biodiversity: biodiversitylibrary.org #ILoveBHL #BHLib #IDB

This is called Rugosa Rose in some books but I prefer the alternative English name Beach Rose, botanical name Rosa rugosa. (Maybe a bit too late for #WildflowerWednesday) #NatureNYC

Yellow Salsify (Tragopogon dubius), a dandelion like flowerhead but grass like leaves, with long green phyllaries extending beyond the yellow ray florets, stem swollen below flowerhead. #WildflowerWednesday #NatureNYC

Wet & windy today, lower than usual temperatures, too. Yesterday was sunny & warmer, managed to see a few wild plants in flower in time for #WildflowerWednesday. Bittersweet Nightshade, Solanum dulcamara. #NatureNYC

#WildFlowerWednesday is tonight May 21, starting at 8 pm Eastern.

🆕 Over 16,000 #biodiversity articles from across the #journals we publish on our #ARPHA #publishing #platform are now discoverable & accessible in the @biodivlibrary.bsky.social! 👍 Future papers will be added upon publication. ℹ️ Read more on our blog: blog.pensoft.net/2025/05/20/p....

Always a pleasure to come across a Golden-fringed Mason Bee (Osmia aurulenta) nest! This is one of 3 UK bee species to nest in empty snail shells. A female had just finished pasting leaf mastic over the entrance to the shell when I came across her yesterday at Porth Neigwl. #SolitaryBeeWeek

Another video clip of a male Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab displaying, from Saturday. #NatureNYC

2058: A Terrible Parable The Species Hall of Fame with Quentin Wheeler open.substack.com/pub/qwheeler...

Things I see on my way to work. #NatureNYC

Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab. Marine Park Salt Marsh, Brooklyn. #NatureNYC

Sometimes I see a photo of an insect or spider on @inaturalist.bsky.social & I am instantly transported to the rocky hill streams in the rainforests of Sri Lanka which I used to know. Euscelimena gavialis by Gintautas Steiblys. www.inaturalist.org/observations...

Just a fly.

The Entomological Society - keeping the lights on I'm troubled by the ongoing demise of traditional wildlife groups, the sort that (used to) meet in a village hall once a month. I observe them gradually blinking out, one by one. ajcarthropoda.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-...

Brooklyn birds from the #globalbigday Birdathon last Saturday. Our team saw 118 bird species in Brooklyn, NYC in 12.5 hours - even lunch at L&B Spumoni Pizza got us a peregrine! I also got my first Kings County Broad-winged Hawk. #bird

Published today! A Field Guide to Urban Plants 🌼 'Beautifully illustrated with accessible language, this is a brilliant companion for urban botanical wanderings.' - Leif Bersweden Learn more ➡️ loom.ly/iLvURRw #botany #fieldguide #urbanplants #plantid #planttaxonomy

Wildly Successful Plants: A Handbook of North American Weeds by Lawrence J Crockett (1977), at @archive.org . Crockett was a biology professor at City College @cuny.edu & a past president of @torreybotanical.bsky.social. In memoriam (2010): www.larrycrockettinmemoriam.org archive.org/details/wild...

Not in flower yet, these plants are too young, yet I was glad to find this clump of Hedge Bedstraw (Galium mollugo).

No shortage of Black Medic (Medicago lupulina), a plant of weedy sidewalk spaces & waste areas. #WildflowerWednesday #NatureNYC

Where do shepherds get their purses from? Coach? Louis Vuitton? Available only in green. Capsella bursa-pastoris. #WildflowerWednesday #NatureNYC

Found a few small Thale Cress aka Mouse-ear Cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants. In addition to the gently curving fruits the leaves forming the basal rosette have a characteristic texture, “pimply” with forked trichomes. #WildflowerWednesday #NatureNYC

The rain & stuff kept me from botanizing the last few days, so the plants I did find are from sidewalk spaces, tree pits, etc., like this Red Clover. #WildflowerWednesday #NatureNYC

This Red-headed Cardinal Beetle flew in and posed briefly on a Buttercup at Marden Meadows, then flew off again. #WildWebsWednesday

On my way to a forensics conference today in Birmingham and I managed a bit of urban botany - Little Robin (Geranium purpureum), prob new to (no DDb records) the city, in two different locations. Another Mediterranean species rapidly moving north. @bsbiengland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Getting lost in the stacks is highly recommended, whether accidentally or intentionally. 📚Look what I found in @laguardiacc.bsky.social Library! pelagicpublishing.com/products/ani... link.springer.com/book/10.1007... @pelagic.bsky.social & @springernature.com

The Osprey is a familiar bird of prey in my part of #Brooklyn #NYC in Marine Park, but evidently not a common sight near Green-Wood Cemetery. From Matthew Wills’ blog: matthewwills.com/2025/05/14/r...

Lesser Chickweed (Stellaria apetala = Stellaria pallida) is probably often misidentified, easy to see how. “Much like S. media in aspect, but with pale, yellowish-green foliage…” (Gleason & Cronquist, 1991.) “Very similar to S. media but with paler, yellowish-green leaves…” (Rhoads & Block, 2007)

Yesterday the NatureSpot Team had an outing and we came across Broom bushes infested(?) with hundreds if not thousands of Heterocordylus tibialis. Which was nice. #Bugs #Hemiptera #Miridae #VC55 #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem

A tiny bit of magic on the underside of a milkweed leaf, a Monarch Butterfly egg. #invert

British Springtails: How Many Species Are There? Join @jamesimcc.bsky.social on 15 July as he reveals how genome data and citizen science are rewriting UK biodiversity. 🎟️ Book FREE: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1359900281... @royentsoc.bsky.social @fieldstudiesc.bsky.social @nbntrust.bsky.social 🌱 🌍 🧪

“From shrew to elephant: a handy field guide to [Sri Lanka’s] land mammals” Malaka Rodrigo on Asoka Yapa’s new book in The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka) www.sundaytimes.lk/250511/news/...

#biodiversity #geography Old drains and railways are full of life. Here’s how to make the most of these overlooked green spaces theconversation.com/old-drains-a...