Michael Caterino

A side-on photograph of a brown, round-bodied mite covered in long feathery spines.

A face-on photograph of a brown, round-bodied mite covered in long feathery spines.

It's week 3 of fatherhood, and today I was granted special dispensation from shopping, housework, nappies & feeding, to do some macrophotography!

The highlight was this Oribatid mite (N. spinulosa) sporting long defensive spines, which I've nicknamed the Hellraiser mite!

#SoilBiodiversity 🧪

Congrats on fatherhood, and on getting a little time to yourself for the bugs. It's a balancing act! Nice mite too.

Screenshot of title page from "Mallorquí, M.V., Vincent, J., Liston, A., Blagoderov, V. and Desmulliez, M.P. 2025. A novel passive selective cutting mechanism inspired by the ovipositors of sawflies. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/ae0aa4"

Here is the paper I am referencing:

iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

The tale of the wasp - Value in nature Stinging insects are among the creatures that entomologists always have to make excuses for. (‘Insects can be pretty, but why do they have to be so mean?!) If I can’t...

When a paper on surgical instruments inspired by sawfly ovipositors came out a few weeks ago, I knew I had to write about it:

mscaterino.pika.page/posts/the-ta...

#biodiversity #nature 🌐

Congrats!

Do you want to find out what David Sharp, the famous 19th century entomologist called “the most extraordinary male characters of any Coleopterous insect”? Come to my talk tomorrow at 2:05pm in Portland Ballroom 252.

Biodiversity and beer - Value in nature I recently wrote about the benefits of wild grape diversity for sustaining the wine industry. But, to be honest, I’m really more of a beer guy. Fortunately, there’s perhaps no...

In my off-hours from the annual Entomological Society of America meeting ( #EntSoc2025 ), I've been putting the finishing touches on a longer 'Value in nature' post on one of my favorite subjects, beer. Enjoy! #biodiversity #nature #beer 🌐

mscaterino.pika.page/posts/biodiv...

Shake your cane at them very angrily!

At least Delta and American are saying that passenger flights won't be affected. But no doubt a more stressful traveling day than usual. Good luck!

Yes! funding is from USFS, and they have mapped damages at high-res. Heavy wind-throw sites will be a priority, especially for listed species.

I will have an opening for a Ph.D. student (M.S. required) to begin Summer 2026, studying impacts to high Appalachian arthropod communities following Hurricane Helene.

I'll be at Ent. Soc. America meetings next week. Please point interested students my way.

More: sites.google.com/site/caterin...

Supercool deep dive into sawfly ovipositor functional morphology, with applications to surgical tools!

So lucky. I've only ever seen elvises on elvis farms.

You bet!

Evolution & magic predictive powers! - Value in nature As I was writing the other day it occurred to me  that there’s an awful lot of evolution and taxonomy between the lines of many of my posts. A statement...

Today's 'Value in nature' post is a bit of a sidebar. For readers not deeply versed in taxonomy, how do well-resolved classifications allow us to make informed predictions about important properties of species? #biodiversity #nature 🌐

mscaterino.pika.page/posts/evolut...

Twelve new species of the rove beetle genus Bibrax are described from Ecuador. Find out more about them here: doi.org/10.3897/zook...

@mcaterino.bsky.social #beetles #biodiversity #newspecies ‪

Photo of a brown scarab beetle on a white background. The wing covers have subtle ivory-yellow bands across the far ends. Actual size is about 1 cm, though there is nothing for scale in the photo.

Euphoria! This is both the proper genus name and the feeling associated with finding one (on a walk over to the library). Late in the year for this guy.

Euphoria sepulchralis, I believe.

Photo of three acorns lined up next to a US penny. A very small one, about half penny-size on the left, dark brown, with darker strips, and a petite cap. In the middle is a medium one, chestnut brown. On the left is the giant bur oak acorn, nearly covered by its densely fimbriate cap.

Side view of Clemson's Centennial Bur Oak, with a sign beneath: "The largest Bur Oak in South Carolina, Clemson University's Centennial oak, Quercus macrocarpa; Height 63 ft, circumference 16 feet 1 inch, Spread 141 feet, Trunk diameter (abh) 60 inches (in 2009).

Would you like your acorns in small, medium, or Xtra Large?

The giants are from Clemson's Centennial Bur Oak (the well-named Quercus macrocarpa), a spectacular tree.

Medium is white oak (Q. alba) and small is willow oak (Q. phellos).

Variety - the life of spice - Value in nature Future dinner table conversation? Father: “Johnny, could you please pass the pepper?” Precocious child: “I would, Dad, but last year’s entire pepper crop was wiped out by disease and you...

How protecting wild diversity will safeguard the future of flavor, this week on the 'Value in nature' blog:
#biodiversity #nature 🌐

mscaterino.pika.page/posts/variet...

Fantastic! Chris will be so thrilled.

I had been to this site 7 or 8 times before since moving here a couple months ago and never found anything. That's how it goes, usually. If a spot looks good, keep going back under different conditions and seasons.

Beautiful creatures!

The possibility of strengthening environmental law seems a distant hope in the current political landscape. But this paper lays out a strong framework for doing it, should the winds change. doi.org/10.1002/pan3...

Over 400,000 beetle species exist, but how are they related? 🐞
Join Dr @beetlequeen.bsky.social ( @nhm-london.bsky.social ) on 15 Feb 2026 for a FREE webinar exploring efforts to map the global Beetle Tree of Life & uncover biodiversity patterns.

👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mapping-th...

Will talk bugs for beer, tomorrow night (and, really, pretty much any time!)

Lovely to receive the first copies of my new book, "Life on a Little-Known Planet." Thanks to www.evangaffneydesign.com for the great cover design.

Always great to see the little things represented. Looking forward to reading it!

Looks amazing! Be safe and good luck!

They’re Huge, They’re Creepy, and They’re Back—An Expert’s Tips for Joro Spider Season An entomologist answers your questions about the Joro invasion this fall.

Joro spiders want 3 things: to not be touched or held, to not be in your house, and to not bite you.

Great new article by Gayoung Lee @gizmodo.com!

gizmodo.com/theyre-huge-...

Variety - the life of spice - Value in nature Future dinner table conversation? Father: “Johnny, could you please pass the pepper?” Precocious child: “I would, Dad, but last year’s entire pepper crop was wiped out by disease and you...

Just up on the 'Value in nature' blog, a look at how wild genetic resources can sustain and enrich the world of spices:
🌐 #biodiversity #nature

mscaterino.pika.page/posts/variet...