Mia Croft (she/they)
@miacroftento.bsky.social
PhD Researcher @newcastleuni.bsky.social @ForagingEcology.bsky.social investigating impacts of artifical light at night on ecological networks, using eDNA and nutritional analysis 🧬🔬🌿🐛🐜🪲🦗🦋🪳🐝🐞🕷
Reposted by Mia Croft (she/they)
A common type of ant in Europe breaks a fundamental rule in biology: its queens can produce male offspring that are a whole different species
go.nature.com/467N16m
go.nature.com/467N16m
‘Almost unimaginable’: these ants are different species but share a mother
Nature - Ant queens of one species clone ants of another to create hybrid workers that do their bidding.
go.nature.com
September 7, 2025 at 10:47 AM
A common type of ant in Europe breaks a fundamental rule in biology: its queens can produce male offspring that are a whole different species
go.nature.com/467N16m
go.nature.com/467N16m
Had such a great time at #EcoNet2025 and met some really amazing researchers from this awesome international community. Bring on EcoNet 2027 in Brazil! 🇧🇷
September 5, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Had such a great time at #EcoNet2025 and met some really amazing researchers from this awesome international community. Bring on EcoNet 2027 in Brazil! 🇧🇷
Having a fantastic time at #EcoNet2025 with so many impressive and inspiring talks
September 4, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Having a fantastic time at #EcoNet2025 with so many impressive and inspiring talks
Carabids, rove beetles and spiders 🕷 isolated from a dry pitfall trap for dietary metabarcoding 🧬
August 27, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Carabids, rove beetles and spiders 🕷 isolated from a dry pitfall trap for dietary metabarcoding 🧬
Set some dry pitfall traps with a couple handfuls of LECA to catch live predators for dietary metabarcoding 🧬 the LECA provides shelter from predation (including within-trap) 🪲
August 27, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Set some dry pitfall traps with a couple handfuls of LECA to catch live predators for dietary metabarcoding 🧬 the LECA provides shelter from predation (including within-trap) 🪲
Funnels are working well to reduce small mammals mortalities in pitfall traps 🐁 just cut the narrow end shorter and you can even drop a sample pot with solution into the cup for easy collection 🪲
August 26, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Funnels are working well to reduce small mammals mortalities in pitfall traps 🐁 just cut the narrow end shorter and you can even drop a sample pot with solution into the cup for easy collection 🪲
Adding charcoal-plaster bases to feeding arenas, ready for some beetle bioassays soon 🪲
August 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Adding charcoal-plaster bases to feeding arenas, ready for some beetle bioassays soon 🪲
Reposted by Mia Croft (she/they)
Despite having seen my fair share of these #spiders at this point, I've only found two yellow morph Misumena vatia and they really are gorgeous 🌟💛☀️
May 22, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Despite having seen my fair share of these #spiders at this point, I've only found two yellow morph Misumena vatia and they really are gorgeous 🌟💛☀️
Excited to learn some practical techniques in Metabarcoding for Diet Analysis & eDNA in a 2-day workshop with @nerc-eof.bsky.social starting today 🧬
May 20, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Excited to learn some practical techniques in Metabarcoding for Diet Analysis & eDNA in a 2-day workshop with @nerc-eof.bsky.social starting today 🧬
Reposted by Mia Croft (she/they)
Hi everyone, I am launching a community science scheme "Spider Spies" where we are asking you, to send us pictures and if you're keen and able samples of Misumena vatia, the Flower Crab Spider to investigate their interactions with their host flowers and the invertebrate community around them.
May 19, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Hi everyone, I am launching a community science scheme "Spider Spies" where we are asking you, to send us pictures and if you're keen and able samples of Misumena vatia, the Flower Crab Spider to investigate their interactions with their host flowers and the invertebrate community around them.
This maple trunk was covered in snipefly, Rhagio scolopaceus, drinking sap at Gibside, Northumbria
May 17, 2025 at 4:28 PM
This maple trunk was covered in snipefly, Rhagio scolopaceus, drinking sap at Gibside, Northumbria
Fantastic time at the Light Pollution As A Driver Of Insect Declines symposium at University of Exeter, with a great range of talks, useful workshop on measuring light, collaborating on a paper, meeting lots of amazing researchers and sharing ideas, plus nighttime rockpooling on Falmouth beach 🏖
May 15, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Fantastic time at the Light Pollution As A Driver Of Insect Declines symposium at University of Exeter, with a great range of talks, useful workshop on measuring light, collaborating on a paper, meeting lots of amazing researchers and sharing ideas, plus nighttime rockpooling on Falmouth beach 🏖
My lighting rigs are up! Ready for the first round of data collection soon
April 28, 2025 at 12:16 PM
My lighting rigs are up! Ready for the first round of data collection soon
Reposted by Mia Croft (she/they)
We had a great time last week putting up experimental lamp posts at one of the university's experimental farms for @miacroftento.bsky.social's upcoming artificial light experiments! We even had a mining bee digging its hole near ours - perhaps setting up their own lamp posts! 💡🐝
April 28, 2025 at 12:07 PM
We had a great time last week putting up experimental lamp posts at one of the university's experimental farms for @miacroftento.bsky.social's upcoming artificial light experiments! We even had a mining bee digging its hole near ours - perhaps setting up their own lamp posts! 💡🐝
Had a go at painting iridescence, which was surprisingly difficult! Cyclommatus elaphus, an Indonesian stag beetle 🎨
April 5, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Had a go at painting iridescence, which was surprisingly difficult! Cyclommatus elaphus, an Indonesian stag beetle 🎨
Fantastic to see tawny mining bees emerging from the bare earth patch in our garden after the long British winter
April 4, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Fantastic to see tawny mining bees emerging from the bare earth patch in our garden after the long British winter
Choosing my artificial light study sites with some beautiful established field margins and hedgerows at Cockle Park Farm, Northumberland
February 8, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Choosing my artificial light study sites with some beautiful established field margins and hedgerows at Cockle Park Farm, Northumberland
Buglife mention light pollution as a crucial neglected issue in insect declines, and urge the Government to take action without delay
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
UK conservation goals insufficient to save ants and bees, says expert
Science committee chair calls for monitored species to include groups such as moths, lice and hymenoptera
www.theguardian.com
February 8, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Buglife mention light pollution as a crucial neglected issue in insect declines, and urge the Government to take action without delay
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Mia Croft (she/they)
Our Agricultural and Forest Entomology special issue on advances in insect biomonitoring was published today!
🌾🪲🔍🪰🌲
Explore new and upcoming advances in our ability to detect, identify and characterise insects in production systems!
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14619563...
🌾🪲🔍🪰🌲
Explore new and upcoming advances in our ability to detect, identify and characterise insects in production systems!
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14619563...
January 7, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Our Agricultural and Forest Entomology special issue on advances in insect biomonitoring was published today!
🌾🪲🔍🪰🌲
Explore new and upcoming advances in our ability to detect, identify and characterise insects in production systems!
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14619563...
🌾🪲🔍🪰🌲
Explore new and upcoming advances in our ability to detect, identify and characterise insects in production systems!
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14619563...
Great opportunities for internships with an entomology survey and an ant survey in the alps!
December 9, 2024 at 12:02 PM
Great opportunities for internships with an entomology survey and an ant survey in the alps!
Exciting PhD opportunity with my research group! Please share 🪲🐛
🚨PHD OPPORTUNITY!🚨
Join us in Newcastle University to assess carabid beetle ecosystem services and foraging ecology, and develop new methods for inferring interactions between beetles and their food! 🪲🍽️💻
iapetus2.ac.uk/studentships...
Join us in Newcastle University to assess carabid beetle ecosystem services and foraging ecology, and develop new methods for inferring interactions between beetles and their food! 🪲🍽️💻
iapetus2.ac.uk/studentships...
Assessing ecosystem service trade-offs in omnivorous generalist beetles using network inference, molecular dietary analysis and nutritional networks
iapetus2.ac.uk
December 2, 2024 at 2:25 PM
Exciting PhD opportunity with my research group! Please share 🪲🐛
Reposted by Mia Croft (she/they)
Check out the latest special from The Naked Scientists on animals, featuring an interview with me about our recent paper on spider nutrition in @oikosjournal.bsky.social! Listen in here: www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/int... and check out the full episode for some incredible animal insights!
Spiders choose their most nutritious next meal
Putting in the legwork for a balanced diet...
www.thenakedscientists.com
November 27, 2024 at 12:50 PM
Check out the latest special from The Naked Scientists on animals, featuring an interview with me about our recent paper on spider nutrition in @oikosjournal.bsky.social! Listen in here: www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/int... and check out the full episode for some incredible animal insights!
Reposted by Mia Croft (she/they)
5 #Entomology #StarterPacks are full
go.bsky.app/Fq2CQNw
go.bsky.app/7CaCbMC
go.bsky.app/JVRwhS1
go.bsky.app/2nEuqKX
go.bsky.app/VDorcVS
Six?
Nominate: grad students, early career, colleagues around the world, equity deserving
#entomología
#entomologie
#Invertebrate
#Arthropod
🪲🐞🐜🐛🦟🪳🦋🐝🦗🪰🕸️
go.bsky.app/Fq2CQNw
go.bsky.app/7CaCbMC
go.bsky.app/JVRwhS1
go.bsky.app/2nEuqKX
go.bsky.app/VDorcVS
Six?
Nominate: grad students, early career, colleagues around the world, equity deserving
#entomología
#entomologie
#Invertebrate
#Arthropod
🪲🐞🐜🐛🦟🪳🦋🐝🦗🪰🕸️
November 23, 2024 at 12:23 PM
5 #Entomology #StarterPacks are full
go.bsky.app/Fq2CQNw
go.bsky.app/7CaCbMC
go.bsky.app/JVRwhS1
go.bsky.app/2nEuqKX
go.bsky.app/VDorcVS
Six?
Nominate: grad students, early career, colleagues around the world, equity deserving
#entomología
#entomologie
#Invertebrate
#Arthropod
🪲🐞🐜🐛🦟🪳🦋🐝🦗🪰🕸️
go.bsky.app/Fq2CQNw
go.bsky.app/7CaCbMC
go.bsky.app/JVRwhS1
go.bsky.app/2nEuqKX
go.bsky.app/VDorcVS
Six?
Nominate: grad students, early career, colleagues around the world, equity deserving
#entomología
#entomologie
#Invertebrate
#Arthropod
🪲🐞🐜🐛🦟🪳🦋🐝🦗🪰🕸️
Reposted by Mia Croft (she/they)
The taxonomic biases in biodiversity data are growing over time. The amount of data we are collecting is growing, but the biases get bigger. We need to make a conscious effort to study the understudied!
#SciComms #Science #Taxonomy
🧪 image from Troudet et al 2018
@natureportfolio.bsky.social
#SciComms #Science #Taxonomy
🧪 image from Troudet et al 2018
@natureportfolio.bsky.social
November 19, 2024 at 9:54 AM
The taxonomic biases in biodiversity data are growing over time. The amount of data we are collecting is growing, but the biases get bigger. We need to make a conscious effort to study the understudied!
#SciComms #Science #Taxonomy
🧪 image from Troudet et al 2018
@natureportfolio.bsky.social
#SciComms #Science #Taxonomy
🧪 image from Troudet et al 2018
@natureportfolio.bsky.social
Reposted by Mia Croft (she/they)
4 #Entomology #StarterPacks have filled!
go.bsky.app/Fq2CQNw
go.bsky.app/7CaCbMC
go.bsky.app/JVRwhS1
go.bsky.app/2nEuqKX
Drive for Five!
Nominate widely: grad students, early career, colleagues around the world, equity deserving
#entomología
#entomologie
#Invertebrate
#Arthropod
🪲🐞🐜🐛🦟🪳🦋🐝🦗🪰🕸️
go.bsky.app/Fq2CQNw
go.bsky.app/7CaCbMC
go.bsky.app/JVRwhS1
go.bsky.app/2nEuqKX
Drive for Five!
Nominate widely: grad students, early career, colleagues around the world, equity deserving
#entomología
#entomologie
#Invertebrate
#Arthropod
🪲🐞🐜🐛🦟🪳🦋🐝🦗🪰🕸️
November 21, 2024 at 5:29 PM
4 #Entomology #StarterPacks have filled!
go.bsky.app/Fq2CQNw
go.bsky.app/7CaCbMC
go.bsky.app/JVRwhS1
go.bsky.app/2nEuqKX
Drive for Five!
Nominate widely: grad students, early career, colleagues around the world, equity deserving
#entomología
#entomologie
#Invertebrate
#Arthropod
🪲🐞🐜🐛🦟🪳🦋🐝🦗🪰🕸️
go.bsky.app/Fq2CQNw
go.bsky.app/7CaCbMC
go.bsky.app/JVRwhS1
go.bsky.app/2nEuqKX
Drive for Five!
Nominate widely: grad students, early career, colleagues around the world, equity deserving
#entomología
#entomologie
#Invertebrate
#Arthropod
🪲🐞🐜🐛🦟🪳🦋🐝🦗🪰🕸️