Kieran Anderson

So I have the worry sensation that this might be a Braconid of the Rogadinae, I think maybe in the genus Aleiodes @gavinbroad.bsky.social @jasboparai.bsky.social?

A rather optimistic attempt with the trap last night, but two striking Mottled Umbers (plus a surprising variety of flies) as reward.
Tonight looks more suitable so will doubtless try again.
VC 11, SW Hants

#teammoth

The black and yellow of a large wasp, the European Hornet. On a cork mat with pins holding its legs in place as it 'sets'.

I am aware of how strange it is to be excited to find a dead hornet, take it home and stick a pin through it.

It's doesn't mean I'll stop doing it though.

It dwarfs all the other hymenopterans I have specimens of. A giant predator of the insects.

@sorbynathissoc.bsky.social
@ynuorg.bsky.social

A Raaco storage drawer containing a mix a steel hex nuts sits to the left of the image. Against a white paper background, with some black on white labels for various metric hex nut sizes.

I fear for all of us there comes a time, when in the dead of night unable to find the damned precise part, we must accept our lives have reached a point when we must label our nuts. #raaco

Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷

First & last flies featured in #FliesofBritainandIreland – Wasp-banded Comb-horn Ctenophora flaveolata & Deer Warble Fly Hypoderma diana. Nearing completion due late Jan/early Feb 2026. Pre-order now bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Pictures of the plant, the seeds, the Bontebok, an antelope that makes the real dung, and the dung beetle.

Rare Earth will be back on air soon & in preparation for a programme on Darwin, Wallace & evolution, I found this ace example of evolutionary adaptation. The plant C. argenteum makes seeds that look & smell like dung, so dung beetles roll them away, bury them, then lose interest. Free seed planting!

The voices of trans people must be heard in Parliament.️‍‍ I’ve urged full scrutiny of EHRC’s guidance, which risks undermining their rights. Lib Dems call on the Government to protect everyone fairly and ensure people aren’t excluded from safe facilities or public life.

Fungus Recorder Online Survey This survey is being conducted by the Biological Recording Company on behalf of the British Mycological Society. The survey does not collect any personal or identifying information, ensuring that al...

The British Mycological Society are surveying all fungi recorders as part of a review on how they share their data. It would be great if anyone who records fungi could complete it (you don't have to be a prolific fungi recorder or BMS member to take part).
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

A selection of wildlife and plant ID guides on white background with a hand lens, sound recorder, notebook, bat detector and binoculars.

Hello Bluesky - The 'Supporting Local Recording Fund' for Hampshire is OPEN. Get up to £350 to train, run wildlife recording activities or even buy equipment! Deadline, 31st January 2026. More information here: www.hants.gov.uk/landplanning... #BiologicalRecording #Ecology

The latest edition of Flora News, the newsletter of the Hampshire Flora Group, is now available for FREE.

As packed with botanical interest as Hampshire is packed with amazing plants! @bsbibotany.bsky.social

hantsplants.uk/floranews.php

Microscope image in side view of a point-mounted black wasp, with smoky black wings and pink abdomen, against a neutral gray field background.

This is just such an improbable pink color for a wasp. Digonogastra, from west Texas, specimen in the UT insect collection.

I’d rather keep it public here, as this isn’t an issue unique to me, so the answers are better in a forum thats accessible.

It’s rubbish value for money BENHS provides access to a library, a fantastic journal with regular articles focused on supporting ID’ing British species, field meetings, etc. At nearly same price with the RES, you get a discount and electronic access to Antenna, it’s very little in comparison.

Fantastic news that associated memberships qualifies for the discount, I didn’t know that, but yes at the moment £16 can be prohibitive, compared to for example BENHS membership, at about a £10 more.

Why is the PB release delayed following the HB and e-book publication? Seems designed to channel sales to the more expensive editions. What will the PB price be? Will the RES ensure that the info about the PB is communicated at the same time as the HB releas?

That’s useful to know, there wasn’t any information that there would be a paperback release, it’s not listed on the CABI page for the release for example, will you add that asap, otherwise there’s a risk people will buy the HB thinking it’s the only physical option

Yup, that’s my guess.

Its easy for the RES to promote itself with hollow words in the strategy 2025-2028, but sad to see when it comes to actions the RES is going backwards
#entomology #diptera

How does this square with the stated aims of the Strategy 2025 - 2028 in seeking to advance the themes from the Grand Challenges for Entomology, especially tackling the taxonomic deficit and bridging the gap between professionals and amateurs. While locking away a key works behind unaffordable cost?

RES membership is already expensive, prohibitively so for some, so if your already struggling to afford RES membership already, its a bit twisted to say, well you just need to join to get a discount. #entomology #diptera

Nothing in your response deals with why you've doubled the price of this book compared to other similar length books, like the Mycetophilidae or Ichneumon handbooks. #entomology #diptera

Its WORLD WASP DAY!

WTF @royentsoc.bsky.social, the new Dolichopodidae handbook is £125!!! So much for Entomology being accessible. Will any of our societies @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @britentsoc.bsky.social @amentsoc.bsky.social be stepping up and challenging the RES over this? #diptera #entomology

Conference organizers: If you want people who work outside of academia (or financially secure company), to give a talk at your conference bc you value their expertise, it's unreasonable to make them pay for registration. Artists/Nonprofit folks do not have the funding to pay you to share expertise.

That’s what they call a landslide!

Zack Polanski elected leader of The Greens

‼️Zack Polanski elected leader of The Greens

This 👇

Most of the image is filled by a boom, Starfinder Second Edition Player Core, with another similarly coloured book partially visible on the left hand side, against a dark and blue background.

It’s here! Starfinder 2E in the wild! Cannot wait to play this… #RPG #Starfinder

The next game for the Portsmouth Pathfinder Society is up, for Sunday 27th July at Dice Portsmouth. New players always very welcome and no previous experience of a RPG or Pathfinder is needed. warhorn.net/events/pompe... #Pathfinder #PathfinderSociety #RPG