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kitenet.bsky.social
Mostly insects and biological recording, UK-based (he/him) https://linktr.ee/kitenet
487 posts 1,548 followers 484 following
Prolific Poster

The latest issue of Field Mycology is out now, thanks to the efforts of @clareblencowe.bsky.social and her team. It's open access, so anyone can read it #FungiFriends #MycoBookClub fieldmycology.org/index.php/jo...

Thanks to @naturelark.bsky.social for posting up #anthills I’d like to see more pics but I’m particularly interested in the plant communities (also fungi) that can occur on these mounds of ant magic! Ecologically, anthills in grasslands = diversity. They are also reliant on grazing. Much to say✔️

The first Tipula vernalis cranefly for me this year, which is a garden resident, plus a chance encounter with flatbug Aradus depressus for the first time in the garden - a flat bug day is always a good day 😀

Who wants to see a solar powered sea slug? One of many completely awesome finds on an Isle of Wight rockpool safari yesterday (run by brilliant local marine biologists Theo Vickers and Laura McConnell theovickersmarinewildlife.co.uk/rockpoolsafa...). More here www.instagram.com/p/DI_D6LJIAev/

As I crept closer to this Platystomos albinus, she rolled over and played dead. I set up a tripod and waited for her to give up the act! #beetles #insects #Coleoptera

Snout: www.blipfoto.com/entry/336287... #insects #invertebrates #hoverfly #CommonSnout #RhingiaCampestris #GardenWildlife #UKWildlife #NaturePhotography #NatureWriting #MacroPhotography #StingsNWings #SmallWonders

The four stages of a bloody-nosed beetle walking along a viviparous lizard

I've not seen an adult #damselfly yet this year, but at least one Large Red Damselfly has emerged from my garden pond, leaving behind this exuvia (shed skin) @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

Excellent footage of a female Thereva plebeja using her spine-tipped abdomen to dig in to the sand and (presumably) lay her eggs

Easy to overlook the beauty of common moths, but this is a lovely photo of Small Magpie #TeamMoth

We are sharing this networking event for Black researchers in the UK that is being organised by one of our trustees. It’s an excellent opportunity shorturl.at/MnP82

🚀 Just launched: our new *Dragonflies of the UK* e-learning course! Choose from 8 self-study wildlife courses incl. 🐝Bumblebees, 🐉Dragonflies & 🐕Detection Dogs... 🎥 Learn anytime, anywhere for just £10–£20! ✨ Which one will you try first? 🔗 courses.biologicalrecording.co.uk

If you are interested in the natural world and don’t already follow Lin, you should. Her threads are always well-researched and fascinating.

Less than a week until the Bucks Invertebrate Group conference! Sunday 27 April, Great Missenden. All welcome, please book your place beforehand. More info at sites.google.com/site/bucksin... @bucksinvertgroup.bsky.social

22 of 15 last night. This Cabbage Moth,Seraphim and Chocolate Tip were nfy, taking the garden year list to 65 #TeamMoth

Among last night's modest total of 13 species (23 individuals) was a new-for-garden Scarce Prominent, only the fourth time I've seen this anywhere since my first in 1995! Also showing were Maiden's Blush and Powdered Quaker. (Buckinghamshire) #TeamMoth

Good news! >6000 springtail records have been imported from iRecord and are now available on the NBN Atlas: species.nbnatlas.org/species/NBNS... Massive thanks to @duerden.bsky.social for his investment in verifying iRecord records. Keep them coming!

New to Britain! These springtails are Dicyrtomina signata, a European species that's never previously been seen in the UK. I found these while out and about in Wanstead Park, London (with @josscarr.bsky.social, @nmaybury4.bsky.social). One to look out for!

Recently, I found these weevils in a freshwater sample that was particularly dense in duckweed (mostly Spirodela polyrhiza). They are duckweed weevils! They walk around on the floating platform of duckweed and their larvae mine within the leaves! Cool that even the tiniest of leaves have leaf miners

Now 750 signatures away from 100,000. Thank you!

The weather is a bit mixed this weekend but #pollinator FIT Counts might be possible in sheltered, sunny spots. Here's a Green-veined White butterfly enjoying a rather wind-swept dandelion. This is a target flower for FIT Counts - read more on the PoMS blog ukpoms.org.uk/delightful-d...

🦜 30 Years of Garden BirdWatch! 🌿 Join Susan Jones from @_BTO for an exciting webinar on 16 May! Learn how 10,000+ volunteers help shape bird conservation through Garden BirdWatch. 🦉🌍 @bto-gbw.bsky.social 🔗 Book now: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1002992566... #NatureLovers #Birdwatch #Conservation

The first Sphaerophoria scripta (Common Twist-tail hoverfly) that I've seen this year, making the most of a sunny dandelion

Love these spectacular craneflies 😍

I’m now peddling my wares as a full-time freelance ecologist in south of England and Scotland. I design wildlife monitoring and management plans, and I can provide training for wildlife survey volunteers. Don’t hesitate to get in touch! #rewilding #conservationecology #biologicalrecording

Caddisflies, art and science 🙂 (and pollution ☹️) - a fascinating thread

It's an incredible honour to be awarded the John C. Marsden medal from the @linneansociety.bsky.social for my PhD research on phenology, moths... and some very hungry caterpillars 🌳🐛 Thanks to all my friends and mentors at @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social, but especially @allyphillimore.bsky.social!

I'm bumbling along the Northumberland Coast Path for @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social! 🐝👣 & along the way, I’ll be sharing my bumblebee sightings with @nenature.bsky.social’s North East Bee Hunt 📝🔎 Please share, or donate if you can, to support my ‘North-bumble-land’ Walk this June! ⤵️

We’ve landed on Bluesky! 🐉✨ Here to share the beauty of dragonflies, conservation updates, and ways you can help protect these incredible insects. Follow us for news, ID tips, and stunning sightings! #BritishDragonflies

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is full of risks for nature. We need to ask our MPs to pause part 3 of the Bill and rethink the rushed and flawed assumptions. Read my blog to find out more. www.hiwwt.org.uk/blog/debbie-...

Really enjoying watching the male Hairy-footed Flower Bees (Anthophora plumipes) hurtling around, knocking into each other and having a go at anything remotely bee-like in search of a female or just removing the opposition! This one was taking a rest for a few seconds...

Our first post on Bluesky - a georgeous female adder basking, celebrating all the hard work and efforts by our partners and volunteers on the Cannock Chase National Landscape adder conservation project to create and connect habitat including some rather impressive hibernation structures.

Great capture of this part of the bee-fly life cycle #BeeFlyWatch

Join us!

Was lucky enough today to find the "green socks" Peacock Beetle (Elaphrus riparius) at Saltwells NR. Last year in a slightly different habitat at about the same time of year we found the "blue socks" one. Very pleased to have both on site. It's all down to the habitat management by the wardens.

DYK we have a website (find the link in our bio) which is full of identification tips! In the resources section find handy infographics commissioned by WildflowerHour lead @botanybeck.bsky.social especially for the #WildflowerHour community, like this amazing violet ID by @naturelark.bsky.social 😀

Four of the 15+ species of bee that @neilmoths.bsky.social and I recorded at a Chilterns farm yesterday, many from blossom on Blackthorn, pear and apple, and lots of mining activity on farm tracks and bare ground #pollinators #ento

Spotted an oil beetle excavating a tunnel in a molehill this week to lay her eggs. @mole-hills.bsky.social

Wonder Weeds: Dandelions. Written by @vannabartlett.bsky.social five years ago, in another warm, sunny spring. arthropedia.co.uk/wonder-weeds... #spring #wildlifegardeningl

Enjoyed an online meeting of the Bucks Invertebrate Group this morning, & it was a good omen- when I went outside into the sunshine the first thing I saw was a Dotted Bee-fly 😍 the 1st garden record was in 2024 so it's great to see it again this year, enjoying the forget-me-not flowers #BeeFlyWatch