Dinesh Rao
@dinrao.bsky.social
Spider behaviour; predator prey interactions, colouration, webs. Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico.
Raospiderlab.org
#mefite
Raospiderlab.org
#mefite
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
This is amazing! "a large cruciform cache containing the earliest known directional color symbols in Mesoamerica" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Landscape-wide cosmogram built by the early community of Aguada Fénix in southeastern Mesoamerica
The cosmogram of Aguada Fénix built over the landscape between 1050 and 700 BCE rivaled the extents of later Mesoamerican cities.
www.science.org
November 7, 2025 at 2:36 PM
This is amazing! "a large cruciform cache containing the earliest known directional color symbols in Mesoamerica" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
i want to go to there
World's biggest spiderweb discovered inside 'Sulfur Cave' with 111,000 arachnids living in pitch black
www.livescience.com/animals/spid...
www.livescience.com/animals/spid...
World's biggest spiderweb discovered inside 'Sulfur Cave' with 111,000 arachnids living in pitch black
A giant colonial spiderweb in a sulfuric cave on the border between Greece and Albania may be the largest ever found — and it was built by spiders we didn't know liked the company of others.
www.livescience.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:07 PM
i want to go to there
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
New #PhD ad alert!
Interested in wild #bee #cognition and #brains in different #bumblebees? Want to live in #Newcastle and the beautiful north-east of England?
Check out this project with me, @lenariab.bsky.social and Sarah Scott. Contact me for further information.
iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
Interested in wild #bee #cognition and #brains in different #bumblebees? Want to live in #Newcastle and the beautiful north-east of England?
Check out this project with me, @lenariab.bsky.social and Sarah Scott. Contact me for further information.
iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
The cognitive ecology of wild bumblebees
iapetus.ac.uk
October 28, 2025 at 11:22 AM
New #PhD ad alert!
Interested in wild #bee #cognition and #brains in different #bumblebees? Want to live in #Newcastle and the beautiful north-east of England?
Check out this project with me, @lenariab.bsky.social and Sarah Scott. Contact me for further information.
iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
Interested in wild #bee #cognition and #brains in different #bumblebees? Want to live in #Newcastle and the beautiful north-east of England?
Check out this project with me, @lenariab.bsky.social and Sarah Scott. Contact me for further information.
iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
Bookmarked this for teaching but also for my own kid when he's old enough.
"You'll probably forget most of what you learn, especially if you don't end up using it repeatedly in future. What you will always have, though, is the mind that taking the courses made."
"You'll probably forget most of what you learn, especially if you don't end up using it repeatedly in future. What you will always have, though, is the mind that taking the courses made."
October 23, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Bookmarked this for teaching but also for my own kid when he's old enough.
"You'll probably forget most of what you learn, especially if you don't end up using it repeatedly in future. What you will always have, though, is the mind that taking the courses made."
"You'll probably forget most of what you learn, especially if you don't end up using it repeatedly in future. What you will always have, though, is the mind that taking the courses made."
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
super cool study found human artifacts in Bearded vulture nests, incl. "weaponry like a crossbow bolt and wooden lance, decorated sheep leather, and parts of a slingshot....a shoe made from twigs and grass is ~675-years-old." link to paper: doi.org/10.1002/ecy..... www.popsci.com/environment/... 🧪🌍🦉
Multi-generational vulture nests hold 700 years of human artifacts
Crossbow bolts, sandals, slingshots, and more.
www.popsci.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:06 PM
super cool study found human artifacts in Bearded vulture nests, incl. "weaponry like a crossbow bolt and wooden lance, decorated sheep leather, and parts of a slingshot....a shoe made from twigs and grass is ~675-years-old." link to paper: doi.org/10.1002/ecy..... www.popsci.com/environment/... 🧪🌍🦉
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
🕷️#Arachnews alert! 🦂
New Foelix (the definitive reference for general spider biology, a must-have for every arachnologist & arachnophile) just dropped.
Now called Spider Biology, this is an completely rewritten & updated version of the Biology of Spiders (2011).
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
New Foelix (the definitive reference for general spider biology, a must-have for every arachnologist & arachnophile) just dropped.
Now called Spider Biology, this is an completely rewritten & updated version of the Biology of Spiders (2011).
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Spider Biology
This attractive book covers all aspects of spider biology and will appeal to general readers interested in spiders as well as specialists (arachnologists).
link.springer.com
August 18, 2025 at 4:24 PM
🕷️#Arachnews alert! 🦂
New Foelix (the definitive reference for general spider biology, a must-have for every arachnologist & arachnophile) just dropped.
Now called Spider Biology, this is an completely rewritten & updated version of the Biology of Spiders (2011).
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
New Foelix (the definitive reference for general spider biology, a must-have for every arachnologist & arachnophile) just dropped.
Now called Spider Biology, this is an completely rewritten & updated version of the Biology of Spiders (2011).
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
AI abuse to skirt copyright law - macro photography by @nickybay.bsky.social
Not only does AI steal photographers' work, it gets them wrong and introduces features that don't exist.
#wildlifephotography
www.nickybay.com/ai-abuse-to-...
Not only does AI steal photographers' work, it gets them wrong and introduces features that don't exist.
#wildlifephotography
www.nickybay.com/ai-abuse-to-...
AI Abuse to Skirt Copyright Law - Macro Photography by Nicky Bay
In the past week, a number of prominent nature photographers showed how their photographs were being stolen and mangled into "AI-nonsense", deceiving countless others into believing the made-up storie...
www.nickybay.com
July 27, 2025 at 7:22 PM
AI abuse to skirt copyright law - macro photography by @nickybay.bsky.social
Not only does AI steal photographers' work, it gets them wrong and introduces features that don't exist.
#wildlifephotography
www.nickybay.com/ai-abuse-to-...
Not only does AI steal photographers' work, it gets them wrong and introduces features that don't exist.
#wildlifephotography
www.nickybay.com/ai-abuse-to-...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
Why do treehoppers look so weird?! Our latest paper, out this week in @pnas.org, suggests a perhaps unexpected reason - static electricity ⚡ We show that treehoppers can detect the electrostatic cues of predators and that their crazy shapes may boost their electrosensitivity! doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Electroreception in treehoppers: How extreme morphologies can increase electrical sensitivity | PNAS
The link between form and function of an organism’s morphology is usually apparent
or intuitive. However, some clades of organisms show remarkable ...
doi.org
July 24, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Why do treehoppers look so weird?! Our latest paper, out this week in @pnas.org, suggests a perhaps unexpected reason - static electricity ⚡ We show that treehoppers can detect the electrostatic cues of predators and that their crazy shapes may boost their electrosensitivity! doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
We all have our favourite colours, but Adam Blake & Jeff Riffell have discovered that mosquitos can change their favourite colour, preferring to land on green when they smell flowers or dirty pond water, but love every colour when they smell dirty socks
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
July 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM
We all have our favourite colours, but Adam Blake & Jeff Riffell have discovered that mosquitos can change their favourite colour, preferring to land on green when they smell flowers or dirty pond water, but love every colour when they smell dirty socks
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
We’ve been on a deep dive in the museum archives this week and you would not believe the letterhead game some of these gentlemen had
July 8, 2025 at 2:24 PM
We’ve been on a deep dive in the museum archives this week and you would not believe the letterhead game some of these gentlemen had
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
Foundations: please step up and take over the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). This is an absolutely essential scanned archive of all of the old journals and books from the 1500s to about 1920. Has been indispensable for my research.
about.biodiversitylibrary.org/call-for-sup...
about.biodiversitylibrary.org/call-for-sup...
Call for Support: – About BHL
about.biodiversitylibrary.org
July 2, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Foundations: please step up and take over the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). This is an absolutely essential scanned archive of all of the old journals and books from the 1500s to about 1920. Has been indispensable for my research.
about.biodiversitylibrary.org/call-for-sup...
about.biodiversitylibrary.org/call-for-sup...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
Why do imperfect mimics (such as many hoverflies) exist? We created 3D printed replicas of flies, wasps and our own custom intermediates and then "asked" various predators what they thought of our 3D stimuli. Read all about it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Mapping the adaptive landscape of Batesian mimicry using 3D-printed stimuli - Nature
Birds have an excellent ability to learn to discriminate harmless insects from those that they mimic on the basis of subtle differences in appearance.
www.nature.com
July 2, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Why do imperfect mimics (such as many hoverflies) exist? We created 3D printed replicas of flies, wasps and our own custom intermediates and then "asked" various predators what they thought of our 3D stimuli. Read all about it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Probably a habronattus jumping spider
June 30, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Probably a habronattus jumping spider
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
What puzzles can the Vera Rubin Observatory help solve?
In just its first 10 hours of observations, the Vera Rubin observatory discovered more than 2000 new asteroids. What else will it teach us?
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
In just its first 10 hours of observations, the Vera Rubin observatory discovered more than 2000 new asteroids. What else will it teach us?
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
Ask Ethan: What puzzles can the Vera Rubin Observatory help solve?
In just its first 10 hours of observations, the Vera Rubin observatory discovered more than 2000 new asteroids. What else will it teach us?
bigthink.com
June 27, 2025 at 10:55 AM
What puzzles can the Vera Rubin Observatory help solve?
In just its first 10 hours of observations, the Vera Rubin observatory discovered more than 2000 new asteroids. What else will it teach us?
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
In just its first 10 hours of observations, the Vera Rubin observatory discovered more than 2000 new asteroids. What else will it teach us?
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
PhD position open with Dr. Jutta Schneider and @mherberstein.bsky.social in Hamburg, on sub-social behavior in crab spiders 🕷️ It even includes field work in Australia! Application deadline is 15 July, more info at the link:
www.uni-hamburg.de/en/stellenan...
www.uni-hamburg.de/en/stellenan...
June 24, 2025 at 1:46 PM
PhD position open with Dr. Jutta Schneider and @mherberstein.bsky.social in Hamburg, on sub-social behavior in crab spiders 🕷️ It even includes field work in Australia! Application deadline is 15 July, more info at the link:
www.uni-hamburg.de/en/stellenan...
www.uni-hamburg.de/en/stellenan...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
"Part of our task in the face of generative AI is to make an argument for the value of thinking – laboured, painful, frustrating thinking."
activehistory.ca/blog/2025/06...
activehistory.ca/blog/2025/06...
On Generative AI in the Classroom: Give Up, Give In, or Stand Up
Edward Dunsworth Two approaches dominate discussion about how professors should handle generative “artificial intelligence” in the classroom: give up or give in. Give up. Faced with a powerful new …
activehistory.ca
June 11, 2025 at 12:37 PM
"Part of our task in the face of generative AI is to make an argument for the value of thinking – laboured, painful, frustrating thinking."
activehistory.ca/blog/2025/06...
activehistory.ca/blog/2025/06...
Reposted by Dinesh Rao
Interested in arachnid silk structures? Read this editorial by our @matjazgregoric.bsky.social, @dinrao.bsky.social, and André Walter, and see what articles appear in the new research topic at Frontiers in Arachnid Science.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/ara...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/ara...
Frontiers | Editorial: Function and diversity of arachnid silk structures
Silk has independently evolved multiple times among arthropods, but only spiders and spider mites use silk throughout all stages and aspects of their lives (...
www.frontiersin.org
June 11, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Interested in arachnid silk structures? Read this editorial by our @matjazgregoric.bsky.social, @dinrao.bsky.social, and André Walter, and see what articles appear in the new research topic at Frontiers in Arachnid Science.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/ara...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/ara...
currently reading The Ten Thousand Things, by Maria Dermoût, I found this book the traditional way, tucked away in an unexpected second hand bookstore , just like in the olden days youmightaswellread.com/2019/02/01/m...
May 17, 2025 at 4:45 PM
currently reading The Ten Thousand Things, by Maria Dermoût, I found this book the traditional way, tucked away in an unexpected second hand bookstore , just like in the olden days youmightaswellread.com/2019/02/01/m...
New review paper out in collaboration with @pipilika.bsky.social : The relevance of goal directed movement for insect pest control. The paper is part of a special issue on behavioural ecology and pests www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The relevance of goal directed movement for insect pest control
Efficient locomotion is a fundamental feature and requisite of all insects. Some insects, such as mosquito larvae, travel just a few centimetres, wher…
www.sciencedirect.com
May 6, 2025 at 2:13 AM
New review paper out in collaboration with @pipilika.bsky.social : The relevance of goal directed movement for insect pest control. The paper is part of a special issue on behavioural ecology and pests www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Paraphidippus aurantius
May 2, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Paraphidippus aurantius
@waynemaddison.bsky.social Any idea what this is ? Veracruz, Mexico www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Typical Jumping Spiders (Subfamily Salticinae)
Typical Jumping Spiders from Coatepec, Ver., Mexico on April 25, 2025 at 07:13 PM by dinrao
www.inaturalist.org
April 26, 2025 at 1:36 AM
@waynemaddison.bsky.social Any idea what this is ? Veracruz, Mexico www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Don't have an invertebrate artwork to post for #InverteFest?
I got you covered. I teamed up with multiple experts to create guides to comprehend various invertebrate anatomy.
Links to the full posts in the reply below.
I got you covered. I teamed up with multiple experts to create guides to comprehend various invertebrate anatomy.
Links to the full posts in the reply below.
April 25, 2025 at 6:08 PM