Armando Rosario-Lebrón
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rosariolebronentomology.com
Armando Rosario-Lebrón
@rosariolebronentomology.com
2.5K followers 1.8K following 1.1K posts
UK based in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Entomologist 🇵🇷
Former ITAP.gov Invert chair
Former US Labor Union Leader
Film Ent: imdb.com/name/nm13959020/
Editorial admin at: https://www.sswento.org/
Board Member: circulodepr.org
Views are personal.
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rosariolebronentomology.com
Armando Rosario-Lebrón @rosariolebronentomology.com · Apr 11
Given the recent devastation to US #entomology, this thread is a resource list for aspiring entomologists or those who’ve lost jobs. I invite others to add links they think might help. I won’t pretend this is easy, but there’s no better time to start. Open below to read: 🧪 #AcademicSky #science
rosariolebronentomology.com
The sunsets really never get old around here in Wales.

🌿 #nature #wales
A wide view of the Gower coast in Wales at sunset. Rocky limestone cliffs curve out into the sea, their faces lit with warm golden light beneath a partly cloudy blue sky. Low green shrubs and grass cover the foreground, leading the eye toward the cliffs and the shoreline below. The ocean stretches across the right side of the image, with small white waves rolling toward the coast. A few houses sit far in the distance on the clifftop, emphasizing the scale and openness of the coastal landscape.
January 26, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
A net-winged beetle (possibly Lycostomus sp?) in Arizona after recent rains. The vivid orange contrasts beautifully with delicate water droplets covering its rostrum.

#Coleoptera #Invert 🪲🪳🌿
A close-up, detailed macrophotograph of a vivid orange net-winged beetle, possibly in the genus Lycostomus, perched vertically on a slender green stem. Its segmented black antennae are clearly visible and adorned with tiny hairs. Numerous clear water droplets cling to the beetle's elongated face (rostrum) and legs, enhancing the brilliant orange coloration and intricate textures. The beetle appears glossy and fresh, highlighting the rainy conditions from which the beetle has just emerged. The background is dark, providing stark contrast and emphasizing the subject sharply.
July 13, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
A pholcid (cellar) spider having a snack of another spider. People often miss how zany and comical the eyes look on these. Always feels like they’re making eye contact mid-bite.
#bugsky #invert 🌿
A sharp, detailed macro photo of a pholcid spider (cellar spider) mid-meal, feeding on another spider. The pholcid's long, spindly legs are stretched out across the frame, each leg covered in fine hairs and tiny joints with reddish tones. Its small body is nestled in a silken web along a rough, earthy surface. The spider’s head is just visible, facing the camera with its distinct, tightly-clustered eyes that give it a zany, almost comical expression, like it's making direct eye contact while eating. The prey spider is tightly wrapped in silk, its body collapsed inward, clearly in the process of being consumed. Strands of web stretch throughout the scene, catching the light and giving a sense of chaos and tension. Bits of dirt and debris cling to the silk and stone surface around the pair, adding realism and context to the scene. The photo is rich with texture and detail, especially in the spider's legs, eyes, and the crisscrossed threads of its web.
July 25, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
Have another Ambush Bug (Phymata) for your Monday.

#entomology 🪲🪳🌿 #hemiptera
An extreme close-up macrophotograph of a Phymata ambush bug, directly facing the camera. The bug's pale, creamy-yellow exoskeleton is highly detailed, covered in tiny bumps and granular textures. Its prominent, bulbous compound eyes sit on either side of the head, flanking the sharp, pointed mouthparts clearly visible in the center. The raptorial forelegs, held tightly folded beneath its face, are distinctly segmented with vibrant yellow and black markings, appearing muscular and powerful. Its antennae extend horizontally outward, elegantly curved and segmented, contrasting sharply against the deep, dark background. The bug rests amid small, white flower petals and stamens, enhancing its camouflage and emphasizing the predatory nature of this remarkable insect.
June 30, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
louisathelast.bsky.social
BREAKING: This dog is named Susan From Accounting
A very cute but forlorn looking brown and white puppy with big eyes and floppy ears, sitting on a forest themed blanket. Facebook post message: “Central PA Humane Society: Susan from Accounting is a 4 month old female. We were told she is a Beagle/Australian shepherd mix”
January 17, 2026 at 3:49 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Finally heading back to London. Delayed due to an incident with an air strike and Venezuela that closed the airspace I needed to get home.
Queensboro bridge looking over the Manhattan skyline. Full daylight. The sun shining on the buildings over the east river
January 16, 2026 at 11:38 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Another successful Octavitas charity fundraiser in Washington DC.
Thank you to everyone who donated. Your generosity helps us continue advancing our charitable mission throughout the DC region.
#Puertorico
For more info circulodepr.org
We would definitely welcome some volunteers in the DC area!
The image shows a lively group gathered inside an event space, standing close together as if posing during a social moment at the fundraiser. The room appears modern and functional, with neutral colored walls and large windows behind the group. The windows have horizontal blinds that are partially lowered, suggesting the event is taking place in the evening or after daylight hours. Overhead lighting provides an even, warm illumination across the room without dramatic shadows. The people are arranged in a tight cluster, filling most of the frame, which gives the impression of a crowded and well attended gathering. Their attire ranges from elegant dresses to dark suits, indicating a formal or semi formal occasion. Each person wears a tall woven straw hat with textured fibers extending upward, adding a strong visual theme that feels cultural and celebratory. The hats are substantial in size and draw attention upward, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose among the group. Body language throughout the group is open and affectionate. Several people have their arms around one another’s shoulders or backs, and everyone is smiling. This closeness suggests community, support, and shared enjoyment of the event. The background remains simple and uncluttered, keeping the focus on the people and their expressions. Overall, the event space feels welcoming and organized, serving as a comfortable setting for a cultural fundraiser centered on connection, pride, and collective support.
January 12, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
royentsoc.bsky.social
🎄 #InsectAdvent Day 16 is for the tiny but mighty #Thysanoptera, pollinators, herbivores & important ecological players.

#FunFact: #Thrips are tiny - 1–3 mm long. Many feed on plants or fungi, & are much more ecologically diverse than their size suggests.

🔗
Classification of Insects - Thysanoptera
Microscope slide preparation of thrips (c) Luis Fernandez Garcia
buff.ly
December 16, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
mikemelton.bsky.social
Another alien in my yard. I think this is a Desmiphora fasciculata, a species of longhorn beetle. At @casabentbill.bsky.social #CostaRica

#bugsky #nature #insects
Hairy black-and-orange beetle resting on a green leaf, shown in close-up from above.
December 16, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
ajcann.bsky.social
14 Spot Ladybird, Propylea quattuordecimpunctata.

#Beetles #Coleoptera #VC55 #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem
14 Spot Ladybird, Propylea quattuordecimpunctata
December 12, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
Safety pins and lapel symbols can start a conversation. Turning them into action is how they matter. If you can, consider volunteering in your community or helping a disadvantaged person this season. Many people struggle through the holidays and who knows, maybe you'll change someone's life.
December 12, 2025 at 8:40 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Safety pins and lapel symbols can start a conversation. Turning them into action is how they matter. If you can, consider volunteering in your community or helping a disadvantaged person this season. Many people struggle through the holidays and who knows, maybe you'll change someone's life.
December 12, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
psyllobora22.bsky.social
Have a listen!
December 6, 2025 at 10:01 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Can't pass up a chance to talk about mites in a pub!
It's been a whirlwind. Edinburgh, Reading, London and Cardiff talks in one month!
I feel like an Acari and Hemiptera evangelist at this point.

Thank you to everyone in the UK for making me feel at home.
A cozy pub interior with warm yellow lighting and stone walls. At the front of the room a speaker stands near a doorway. The speaker is a person with shoulder length hair and glasses. They wear a burgundy sweater and hold their hands together while addressing the audience. Above them a large screen shows a slide titled “Mites Everywhere: A Fun Walk Through the Mite World.” The slide displays four highly detailed and brightly colored mite illustrations in red, green, and orange. Each mite has distinct textures such as bristled legs, segmented bodies, and fine hair like structures. Below the screen is a chalkboard style menu with cocktail names and drawings in various colors. Patrons sit in the foreground listening to the presentation.
December 7, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
the-episiarch.bsky.social
A tick... on an ELECTRIC EEL???
That's like finding a cymothoid isopod on an elephant
#Invertebrate 🧪
entomologytoday.org/2025/12/03/t...
Ticks on an Eel: Museum Specimen is a First of its Kind
Two ticks found on an 1873 electric eel specimen mark the first recorded case of ticks parasitizing a fish—but only documented just this year.
entomologytoday.org
December 5, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
Demodex mites live in your facial pores and have lost some of the genes that respond to daylight. They cannot make their own melatonin, so they use the melatonin your skin releases at night as a cue to crawl out and mate on your face.

You're never truly alone. ❤️

🧪 #entomology #invert 🪲🪳
December 5, 2025 at 11:10 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Demodex mites live in your facial pores and have lost some of the genes that respond to daylight. They cannot make their own melatonin, so they use the melatonin your skin releases at night as a cue to crawl out and mate on your face.

You're never truly alone. ❤️

🧪 #entomology #invert 🪲🪳
December 5, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
🪲🪳 Somewhere nearby, the forest was torn away by the power company. A concrete slab remains, the last oasis for the undergrowth. Here: a red snout mite (Bdellidae) and an Archaeognathan. Two alien arthropods in a beautiful oasis. #Invert 🌿
A close-up macrophotograph of a vibrant red snout mite from the family Bdellidae. The mite has a bulbous, segmented body and long, spindly legs, especially prominent front legs, with fine sensory hairs. Its head is small and pointed, equipped with forward-facing appendages. The background consists of damp mosses, lichen, and pale rock, creating a vivid forest floor microhabitat. Light glistens off the mite’s glossy exoskeleton, emphasizing its tiny, alien-like form. A detailed macro scene showing two small arthropods in a mossy microhabitat. On the left, a red snout mite (Bdellidae) climbs over moss and rock. On the right, an Archaeognathan (commonly called a bristletail) with long antennae and a black body speckled with white markings perches on the stone surface. Its body is segmented and covered in fine scales, with three tail filaments extending from the rear. Moss and organic debris fill the rocky environment, illustrating a miniature wilderness.
May 4, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
Working on a talk for this week and ran across this beauty of a slightly fuzzy picture. An eriophyoid mite under SEM, nestled among plant stomata. These mites are microscopic plant parasites, often species-specific.
#invert 🪲🪳
High-magnification SEM image of an eriophyoid mite (Eriophyoidea), shown in dorsal view. The mite’s elongated, vermiform body is segmented with a series of ridged, leaf-like dorsal plates that taper to a narrow, pointed rear. Unlike most mites, eriophyoids have only two pairs of legs, which are visible at the front of the body, projecting laterally from a bulbous anterior region. The surface of the mite is highly textured, with a rough, micro-granulated appearance. The mite is situated on the surface of a plant, surrounded by clearly visible stomata. These stomata are small, elliptical structures with central pores, scattered across the background, emphasizing the extremely small scale of the eriophyoid. Fine hairs and irregular textures on both the mite and the plant epidermis are sharply defined thanks to the electron imaging technique.
December 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
apsciencebylyn.bsky.social
Rake-legged mite! Rake-legged mite! Rake-legged mite!

Bug had not been introduced to Rake-legged mites in person. We fixed that today. He played dead the entire time. 10/10 experience
Flat brown roughly triangular shaped mite with stubby black legs, the 1st pair of which has large spines on the inner side which resemble a metal rake. He's very small amongst the white sand grains
December 1, 2025 at 4:24 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Working on a talk for this week and ran across this beauty of a slightly fuzzy picture. An eriophyoid mite under SEM, nestled among plant stomata. These mites are microscopic plant parasites, often species-specific.
#invert 🪲🪳
High-magnification SEM image of an eriophyoid mite (Eriophyoidea), shown in dorsal view. The mite’s elongated, vermiform body is segmented with a series of ridged, leaf-like dorsal plates that taper to a narrow, pointed rear. Unlike most mites, eriophyoids have only two pairs of legs, which are visible at the front of the body, projecting laterally from a bulbous anterior region. The surface of the mite is highly textured, with a rough, micro-granulated appearance. The mite is situated on the surface of a plant, surrounded by clearly visible stomata. These stomata are small, elliptical structures with central pores, scattered across the background, emphasizing the extremely small scale of the eriophyoid. Fine hairs and irregular textures on both the mite and the plant epidermis are sharply defined thanks to the electron imaging technique.
December 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
rosariolebronentomology.com
What am I? A toad? No. An invasive that’s damaging wine and beer production across the U.S.? Yes.
Still don't know? Check the alt text.

🪲🪳 #Invertebrate #entomology🌿
Extreme close-up macro photograph of the head of a spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), an invasive planthopper species in the family Fulgoridae. The image focuses on the insect’s right side, revealing a large compound eye with a mottled texture and earthy coloration. Below the eye is a strikingly red, textured sensory structure that resembles a tiny strawberry, sharply contrasting against the brown, leathery exoskeleton. Fine sensory hairs cover parts of the head and thorax. The image’s high detail and rich lighting highlight the lanternfly's alien-like appearance. Set against a deep black background for dramatic contrast.
April 30, 2025 at 12:16 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
In Swansea?
Want to hear me ramble on about mites for half an hour in a pub?

Join me on Thursday Dec 4th for a fun talk on these critters.

www.eventbrite.com/e/talking-re...
Talking Research December
We have another TR lined up! You know the drill, see you in HB at 5pm ish!
www.eventbrite.com
December 1, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
nickybay.bsky.social
Meet bob the red velvet mite
November 1, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Reposted by Armando Rosario-Lebrón
nickybay.bsky.social
Blind cave spiders~

This occurs due to the process of regressive evolution. In an environment without light, vision provides no advantage in finding prey or avoiding predators. The loss of their eyes means that energy and resources once used for eyes are instead allocated to other traits.
November 23, 2025 at 2:36 PM