Théotime Colin

Temperature as an early warning signal of honeybee colony failure How to identify ecological systems at risk of failure is a central question of modern biology and agriculture. Due to human impacts and global change,…

We developed a simple method to detect bee colony failure using a single temperature sensor per hive and that is not dependent on the season. Tested on 96 bee colonies from three apiaries.

#honeybee #beeresearch #science #sensors #ecology

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Australian honeybees are under attack by mites and beetles. Here’s how to keep your backyard hive safe Varroa mites and small hive beetles are threatening Australian honey producers. Here’s how backyard beekeepers, and everyday honey lovers, can help.

Varroa mites are spreading across Australia—posing a serious threat to honeybee colonies. Here's what beekeepers can do to protect their hives.

#bee #honeybees #varroa #australia #agriculture

theconversation.com/australian-h...

We don't know much about these odd-looking Zasphinctus ants, except they seem to raid other ant nests, steal their larvae and eat them... Their narrow elongated bodies probably help them enter small galleries.

#ants #myrmecology non #armyants #fourmis #science

Finally found a nest of Polyrhachis semiaurata, definitely one of the most beautiful ant species. It's really hard to take good photos of them because of their iridescence and general body shape.

#ants #fourmis #myrmecology #entomology

Nous lançons "Chroniques Sauvages", une collection chez Tana dédiée au comportement animal 🐾
Dans le premier opus, Mathieu nous embarque dans le monde des insectes 🐝🪳et nous fait voyager de son rucher toulousain aux terres irradiées de Fukushima 😱
#Science #Ecologie

A velvet work, close-up on the head.

A velvet work, close-up on the head.

A velvet work, close-up on the head.

A Velvet Worm. They can spit adhesive slime to capture a prey. Velvet worms have short, stubby legs called lobopods, that don't have joints. They have a really complex muscular system that allows them to move, partly by changing the pressure of the fluids inside their limbs.

(7/12) Megaponera has some amazing adaptations. Here’s a raiding party returning home. Note how the large workers carry the termites, and the small ones don’t? However, two of the large workers are carrying small workers instead. Megaponera rescues injured combatants and even disinfects the wounds.

Pony ants often have amazing metallic colours to help other animals like me remember how painful their sting is. It works just fine. This is Rhytidoponera confusa.

#ants #fourmis #myrmecology #nature #wildlife

Thanks Laten :)

The intricate cuticle of a Botany Bay Diamond Weevil is a complex blend of trying to be seen by other weevils, trying not to be seen by weevil-eaters, and preventing parasitic mites from attaching.

#weevils #entomology #nature #bugs #macro

The head of a queen of Epopostruma wardi

A queen ant, Epopostruma wardi

Epopostruma wardi, one of my favorite ant species because of the unusual triangular shape of their head.

We don't know too much yet about their biology.

#ants #fourmis #myrmecology #insects #bugs #nature #macro

Wow, just wow.
V different approach reveals numerous problems in Scientific Reports - cf deevybee.blogspot.com/2024/10/an-o...
I do hope @springernature.bsky.social will start to publish reviewer reports and editor info as we suggested

Mayriella overbecki worker and larvae

Mayriella overbecki worker and larvae

Mayriella overbecki worker and larvae

Mayriella overbecki is one of the smallest ant species living in Australia (~2mm). They have large grooves on their heads, called antennal scrobes, to protect their antennae when in danger.

#ants #macro #macrophotography #myrmecology #insects

Close up on the scales of the wings of a moth

Close up on the scales of the wings of a moth

Endoxyla encalypti moth on bark

Endoxyla encalypti moth on a tree

More pics !

Close-up on the head of a moth

Close up on the scales of the wings of a moth

Close up on the scales of the wings of a moth

Close up on the scales of the wings of a moth

This Endoxyla encalypti moth got attracted and "trapped" by the lights of a train station. Light pollution is still a big issue.

Took close-ups of the scales on the wings and moved the moth to a darker place.

#moth #lepidoptera #macro #macrophotography #science #nature #entomology #insects #bugs

They are gigantic !

Hi Caitlyn, sure :)

Close-up on the body of a caterpillar.

Close-up on the prolegs of a caterpillar.

General view of a large caterpillar.

Ultra close-up of a spiracle.

Probably the largest caterpillar I have found so far (Chelepteryx collesi or batwing moth), perfect for close-ups of the prolegs and their claws, and the spiracles that open up to the tracheal system of insects.

#macro #nature #science #macrophotography #lepidoptera #entomology #insects #bugs

Hi Frank, would you mind adding me?

Fair enough, I feel like this too most of the time but removing noise is one of the applications where AI makes a bit more sense to me. Either way, great photos, mirrorless cameras are a game changer.

That looks great ! Lightroom/Camera raw has a new AI denoise feature that is quite useful for bird and macro shots where increasing the ISO is unavoidable. I know how that sounds but since trying it I always use it for my best shots.

A beetle deposits pollen on the pistil of a flower.

A beetle deposits pollen grains on the pistils of a flower, close-up macro picture.

There are many non-honeybee insects that pollinate flowers, but not a lot of images showing it clearly. I got lucky to accidentally catch this beetle literally depositing pollen on a flower's pistil.

#pollination #insects #bugs #photography #science #pollen

A close-up of the head of a honeybee on a hive frame.

A #honeybee from one of my research hives, which are currently packed with hive sensors to help me understand how temperature and humidity correlate with colony health.

#bee #beekeeping #entomology #science #apiculture #macro #photography

Ah I don't, I'll try to take one and send it to you. It is good for extreme close-ups in the field (what I am mostly interested in), for larger insects there are probably cheaper and lighter options using a cobra flash.

For those wondering, #Nikon Z7ii and 4xR1 flashes with #Laowa 5x macro, everything held in place on a smallrig camera cage with a handle and a magic arm. Also a focusing light and a lot of packaging foam to diffuse the light.

Two small ants and their brood.

Anyone able to confirm Colobostruma elliotti for these minuscule #ants I found today south of Sydney, #Australia?

There are barely any photos of this group, they are so small and hard to photograph.

#myrmecology #entomology #antsofaustralia #ant #macro #macrophotography

🐝 We're currently advertising three PhD projects to study bees at Bristol University, UK. Two focus on foraging behaviour, ecology & nutrition, one on parasitic bees and their impact on indigenous stingless beekeeping in Peru.

Feel free to share: www.socialinsect-research.com/opportunitie...

What a beautiful bee !

Thanks Michael. Our project looked at using bacterial attractants and physical traps to create reliable pesticide free long-term control solutions for hive beetles. We may not come immediately with a practical solution, but I am hopeful that we will make useful contributions.

Hi Lars, would you mind adding me? I am interested in social insect ecology and agroecology, working at Macquarie Uni.