Nick Collins
@calamacow75.bsky.social
Undergraduate FIW Major and Ent @ Virginia Tech 🦃
Aspiring Entomologist working on arthropod systematics and taxonomy + evolutionary ecology of aposematic coloration/mimicry under Dr. Paul Marek.
Love bugs, paleo, and all the nerd stuff!
Aspiring Entomologist working on arthropod systematics and taxonomy + evolutionary ecology of aposematic coloration/mimicry under Dr. Paul Marek.
Love bugs, paleo, and all the nerd stuff!
THIS IS SO COOL
May 29, 2025 at 11:58 PM
THIS IS SO COOL
Reposted by Nick Collins
December 14, 2024 at 5:30 PM
Mastophora phrynosoma 40 min sketch
December 13, 2024 at 11:26 PM
Mastophora phrynosoma 40 min sketch
Reposted by Nick Collins
Drew this pteromalid wasp during #Hymathon2024. Always wanted to draw something using teal and light pink - very iridescent, bubblegum, dental hygienist vibes 🩷🩵✨️
December 8, 2024 at 1:06 AM
Drew this pteromalid wasp during #Hymathon2024. Always wanted to draw something using teal and light pink - very iridescent, bubblegum, dental hygienist vibes 🩷🩵✨️
Reposted by Nick Collins
November 29, 2024 at 8:27 PM
One of my fav theropods, #Saltriovenator and I in front of the #MSNM this last Friday. Sadly there were shut down due to national strikes throughout the country but uhh, kinda understandable.
November 30, 2024 at 10:32 PM
One of my fav theropods, #Saltriovenator and I in front of the #MSNM this last Friday. Sadly there were shut down due to national strikes throughout the country but uhh, kinda understandable.
Reposted by Nick Collins
Herculean efforts by @jamiecweir.bsky.social in rearing 3,600 Winter Moth caterpillars to measure their growth and survival on nine different tree species 🐛🌳🐛🌳🐛🌳 link.springer.com/article/10.1... #teammoth
November 25, 2024 at 10:40 AM
Herculean efforts by @jamiecweir.bsky.social in rearing 3,600 Winter Moth caterpillars to measure their growth and survival on nine different tree species 🐛🌳🐛🌳🐛🌳 link.springer.com/article/10.1... #teammoth
Reposted by Nick Collins
Collecting DNA from the environment (environmental DNA, eDNA) is a useful method for tracking invasive species.
Researchers monitored yard waste destined to be shipped from Vancouver BC to Washington State and found evidence of 3 invasive insect pests. 🍂
🧪 🌎 🪲 🪳
academic.oup.com/jee/article/...
Researchers monitored yard waste destined to be shipped from Vancouver BC to Washington State and found evidence of 3 invasive insect pests. 🍂
🧪 🌎 🪲 🪳
academic.oup.com/jee/article/...
Using eDNA to play whack-a-mole with invasive species in green yard waste
Abstract. As large cities begin to overrun their landfill capacities, they begin to look for alternative locations to handle the waste stream. Seeing an op
academic.oup.com
November 27, 2024 at 5:54 PM
Collecting DNA from the environment (environmental DNA, eDNA) is a useful method for tracking invasive species.
Researchers monitored yard waste destined to be shipped from Vancouver BC to Washington State and found evidence of 3 invasive insect pests. 🍂
🧪 🌎 🪲 🪳
academic.oup.com/jee/article/...
Researchers monitored yard waste destined to be shipped from Vancouver BC to Washington State and found evidence of 3 invasive insect pests. 🍂
🧪 🌎 🪲 🪳
academic.oup.com/jee/article/...
Reposted by Nick Collins
Last week my two careers—racism scholar turned airline pilot—collided when Trump promised that his nominee for Secretary of Transportation "will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.”
Wait, what? 🧵 1/
Wait, what? 🧵 1/
Trump picks former congressman and Fox Business host Sean Duffy as next Transportation secretary | CNN Politics
President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday he has selected former congressman and recent Fox Business co-host Sean Duffy to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Transportation.
www.cnn.com
November 25, 2024 at 6:58 PM
Last week my two careers—racism scholar turned airline pilot—collided when Trump promised that his nominee for Secretary of Transportation "will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.”
Wait, what? 🧵 1/
Wait, what? 🧵 1/
As I go through old student collections, you’d be shocked by how many things labeled as #Coleoptera are #Hemipterans! This was labeled as “Coccinellidae” which is… wrong. This is likely a species of Galgupha within Thyreocoridae, also known as #ebonybugs. Could be G. ovalis, though I am unsure.
November 25, 2024 at 9:10 PM
As I go through old student collections, you’d be shocked by how many things labeled as #Coleoptera are #Hemipterans! This was labeled as “Coccinellidae” which is… wrong. This is likely a species of Galgupha within Thyreocoridae, also known as #ebonybugs. Could be G. ovalis, though I am unsure.
Reposted by Nick Collins
So, @frankashwood.bsky.social persuaded/reminded me that I should come back to Bluesky, especially after the exodus from Musk’s odious platform, as many people seem to have come here. So here’s a baby Holacanthella laterospinosa, which be of the amazing giant springtails from New Zealand…!
November 25, 2024 at 5:04 PM
So, @frankashwood.bsky.social persuaded/reminded me that I should come back to Bluesky, especially after the exodus from Musk’s odious platform, as many people seem to have come here. So here’s a baby Holacanthella laterospinosa, which be of the amazing giant springtails from New Zealand…!
Reposted by Nick Collins
Baltic isopods. Did this for pollinator week last year, a study showed that this species of aquatic isopod helps certain kinds of seagrass spread, making them one of the first known underwater pollinators!
November 24, 2024 at 7:32 PM
Baltic isopods. Did this for pollinator week last year, a study showed that this species of aquatic isopod helps certain kinds of seagrass spread, making them one of the first known underwater pollinators!
Reposted by Nick Collins
➡️Our new🪳🦟🐛🌱🍃SPECIES INTERACTION NETWORK critique & analysis tips! Let's debate & let us know if you disagree! Ask for PDF via nico.bluethgen@web.de
A Critical Evaluation of #Network Approaches for Studying Species #Interactions | Annual Reviews - go.shr.lc/4fph7q0
A Critical Evaluation of #Network Approaches for Studying Species #Interactions | Annual Reviews - go.shr.lc/4fph7q0
November 22, 2024 at 10:20 PM
➡️Our new🪳🦟🐛🌱🍃SPECIES INTERACTION NETWORK critique & analysis tips! Let's debate & let us know if you disagree! Ask for PDF via nico.bluethgen@web.de
A Critical Evaluation of #Network Approaches for Studying Species #Interactions | Annual Reviews - go.shr.lc/4fph7q0
A Critical Evaluation of #Network Approaches for Studying Species #Interactions | Annual Reviews - go.shr.lc/4fph7q0
Reposted by Nick Collins
2024 was a good year for getting to grips with #sawflies on Larch, and so next year can be all about adding some more dots to the distribution maps, as they're so poorly recorded in Yorkshire up to now. 🙂 #ento #yorkshiresawflies #symphyta #ukwildlife
November 23, 2024 at 4:28 PM
2024 was a good year for getting to grips with #sawflies on Larch, and so next year can be all about adding some more dots to the distribution maps, as they're so poorly recorded in Yorkshire up to now. 🙂 #ento #yorkshiresawflies #symphyta #ukwildlife
People aren’t big fans of grain pests but when it’s a #weevil, I can’t help myself. This is Sitophilus zemais, the greater rice weevil, they are absolutely adorable.
November 22, 2024 at 10:51 PM
People aren’t big fans of grain pests but when it’s a #weevil, I can’t help myself. This is Sitophilus zemais, the greater rice weevil, they are absolutely adorable.
Reposted by Nick Collins
Like every other academic, I'm deeply concerned and dispirited by how AI is flooding the university at every level. I'm particularly frustrated and dismayed by the move to use AI to, in most cases, replace peer note-takers. www.lsureveille.com/news/lsu-dis...
Reactions mixed after LSU Disability Services quietly replaces human note-taking with AI
LSU’s Office of Disability Services introduced a major change to its note-taking services this semester by replacing the student-peer note-taking system with Glean, an AI-powered program designed to t...
www.lsureveille.com
November 22, 2024 at 4:08 PM
Like every other academic, I'm deeply concerned and dispirited by how AI is flooding the university at every level. I'm particularly frustrated and dismayed by the move to use AI to, in most cases, replace peer note-takers. www.lsureveille.com/news/lsu-dis...
Been at the lab IDing tiny #hemipterans small guys are always good fun, but here are a few! (For more info check alt text)
November 18, 2024 at 10:43 PM
Been at the lab IDing tiny #hemipterans small guys are always good fun, but here are a few! (For more info check alt text)
Reposted by Nick Collins
Dainty little scallops on a walnut branch 🍄📷
November 17, 2024 at 2:13 PM
Dainty little scallops on a walnut branch 🍄📷
Reposted by Nick Collins
They're not just for Wednesdays: here is your Weekend Weevil. (A species of broad-nosed weevil, Emas National Park, Brazil). #insects 🐙🌿
November 16, 2024 at 6:04 PM
They're not just for Wednesdays: here is your Weekend Weevil. (A species of broad-nosed weevil, Emas National Park, Brazil). #insects 🐙🌿
Been getting quite a few followers lately so I thought I’d introduce myself! My name is Nick, and I am all about bugs, I work at the Virginia Tech insect collections and I am a full time student! I do a lot of insect ID and specimen work! Check out a few pics as of late!
November 15, 2024 at 1:05 AM
Been getting quite a few followers lately so I thought I’d introduce myself! My name is Nick, and I am all about bugs, I work at the Virginia Tech insect collections and I am a full time student! I do a lot of insect ID and specimen work! Check out a few pics as of late!
Reposted by Nick Collins
I also articulate skeletons, collect skulls and pin bugs on top of my other hobbies. A girl can never have too many.
October 23, 2024 at 11:56 PM
I also articulate skeletons, collect skulls and pin bugs on top of my other hobbies. A girl can never have too many.
Reposted by Nick Collins
It’s been a while since I’ve been active here!
Here’s some of my art as a reintroduction :)
Here’s some of my art as a reintroduction :)
October 21, 2024 at 4:12 PM
It’s been a while since I’ve been active here!
Here’s some of my art as a reintroduction :)
Here’s some of my art as a reintroduction :)
Reposted by Nick Collins
Tonight's #Paleostream #Flocking haul: a derpy Lambeosaurus, a Micraptor doing an impression of Kashaw, an Innovatiocaris hunting trilobites, and a Haplocheirus going "Meep Meep!". #paleoart #FossilFriday
October 19, 2024 at 2:38 AM
Tonight's #Paleostream #Flocking haul: a derpy Lambeosaurus, a Micraptor doing an impression of Kashaw, an Innovatiocaris hunting trilobites, and a Haplocheirus going "Meep Meep!". #paleoart #FossilFriday