Socrates Letana
@socletana.bsky.social
“an unexamined fly is not worth leaving.”
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1776-3672
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1776-3672
🪰🐞🐝
There are roughly 212 holotypes in 10 insect orders from the Torrevillas collection that were used to describe new species, helped improve Philippine biodiversity knowledge, and advanced careers of entomologists across the globe:
🇺🇸🇦🇺🇧🇪🇬🇧🇨🇿🇳🇱🇵🇭🇩🇪🇭🇺🇮🇳🇮🇹🇯🇵🇸🇮🏴
hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pubs-online/...
There are roughly 212 holotypes in 10 insect orders from the Torrevillas collection that were used to describe new species, helped improve Philippine biodiversity knowledge, and advanced careers of entomologists across the globe:
🇺🇸🇦🇺🇧🇪🇬🇧🇨🇿🇳🇱🇵🇭🇩🇪🇭🇺🇮🇳🇮🇹🇯🇵🇸🇮🏴
hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pubs-online/...
November 27, 2025 at 5:50 PM
🪰🐞🐝
There are roughly 212 holotypes in 10 insect orders from the Torrevillas collection that were used to describe new species, helped improve Philippine biodiversity knowledge, and advanced careers of entomologists across the globe:
🇺🇸🇦🇺🇧🇪🇬🇧🇨🇿🇳🇱🇵🇭🇩🇪🇭🇺🇮🇳🇮🇹🇯🇵🇸🇮🏴
hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pubs-online/...
There are roughly 212 holotypes in 10 insect orders from the Torrevillas collection that were used to describe new species, helped improve Philippine biodiversity knowledge, and advanced careers of entomologists across the globe:
🇺🇸🇦🇺🇧🇪🇬🇧🇨🇿🇳🇱🇵🇭🇩🇪🇭🇺🇮🇳🇮🇹🇯🇵🇸🇮🏴
hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pubs-online/...
Oxford’s Rafflesia Messaging Sparks Debate Over Representation, Scientific Credit, and Global South Visibility:
Oxford’s Rafflesia Messaging Sparks Debate Over Representation, Scientific Credit, and Global South Visibility
A rediscovery of the rare Rafflesia hasseltii in West Sumatra has sparked an unexpected debate over how international institutions frame conservation stories, who receives scientific credit, and ho…
sciencewatchdog.id
November 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Oxford’s Rafflesia Messaging Sparks Debate Over Representation, Scientific Credit, and Global South Visibility:
Poof! Not a magic trick:
Vanishing experts, vanishing species: The taxonomy crisis
Plant taxonomy is the foundation of biodiversity science, but a global skills crisis threatens its future. Training a new generation of taxonomists is urgent and new research maps where help is most n...
www.kew.org
November 25, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Poof! Not a magic trick:
Leonard L. Co
A NATIONAL TREASURE: LEONARD L. CO (1953-2010) By Perry S. Ong and Nina Ingle
Leonard L. Co, unparalleled plant scholar and a scientist for the people, died last November 15, 2010 in Leyte from gunshot wounds obtained during an alleged crossfire between the Philippine Army 19th Infantry Battalion and the New Peopleís Army. Co had pioneered the writing of manuals
constantinofoundation.org
November 15, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Leonard L. Co
Reposted by Socrates Letana
#FlyFriday
beautiful dark-colored assassin fly Diogmites nigripennis (Macquart, 1847) (Asilidae: Dasypogoninae) with wasp prey - collected at La Selva, Costa Rica in 2010 - 1 of 125 species of assassin flies known from this lowland rainforest habitat - n2t.net/ark:/65665/3...
#asiloidflies
beautiful dark-colored assassin fly Diogmites nigripennis (Macquart, 1847) (Asilidae: Dasypogoninae) with wasp prey - collected at La Selva, Costa Rica in 2010 - 1 of 125 species of assassin flies known from this lowland rainforest habitat - n2t.net/ark:/65665/3...
#asiloidflies
November 14, 2025 at 8:18 PM
#FlyFriday
beautiful dark-colored assassin fly Diogmites nigripennis (Macquart, 1847) (Asilidae: Dasypogoninae) with wasp prey - collected at La Selva, Costa Rica in 2010 - 1 of 125 species of assassin flies known from this lowland rainforest habitat - n2t.net/ark:/65665/3...
#asiloidflies
beautiful dark-colored assassin fly Diogmites nigripennis (Macquart, 1847) (Asilidae: Dasypogoninae) with wasp prey - collected at La Selva, Costa Rica in 2010 - 1 of 125 species of assassin flies known from this lowland rainforest habitat - n2t.net/ark:/65665/3...
#asiloidflies
Reposted by Socrates Letana
The end of an era: the Tree of Life Web Project is going dark after 3 decades. Anyone interested in communicating phylogeny online should read David's account of goals, history, and future. @bembidion.bsky.social
subulatepalpomere.com/2025/11/02/t...
subulatepalpomere.com/2025/11/02/t...
The Passing of the Tree of Life Web Project
The Tree of Life Web Project began its journey almost 40 years ago, and was formally announced in early 1996. It has served thousands of pages of information about the evolutionary tree of life and…
subulatepalpomere.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:54 PM
The end of an era: the Tree of Life Web Project is going dark after 3 decades. Anyone interested in communicating phylogeny online should read David's account of goals, history, and future. @bembidion.bsky.social
subulatepalpomere.com/2025/11/02/t...
subulatepalpomere.com/2025/11/02/t...
#DAMA framework since 2014:
Biodiversity conservation depends on the expansion of taxonomy and systematics research
Abstract. Despite mammals constituting fewer than 0.3% of all described species, their conservation is compelling for a number of reasons. They contribute
academic.oup.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:46 AM
#DAMA framework since 2014:
Reposted by Socrates Letana
"Talking about #biodiversity without #taxonomy is like trying to build a puzzle without the pieces"
Kate Evans works at the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre. In TETTRIs, she is leading the task of writing a blueprint for building taxonomic capacity.
Kate Evans works at the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre. In TETTRIs, she is leading the task of writing a blueprint for building taxonomic capacity.
October 23, 2025 at 11:13 AM
"Talking about #biodiversity without #taxonomy is like trying to build a puzzle without the pieces"
Kate Evans works at the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre. In TETTRIs, she is leading the task of writing a blueprint for building taxonomic capacity.
Kate Evans works at the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre. In TETTRIs, she is leading the task of writing a blueprint for building taxonomic capacity.
Reposted by Socrates Letana
New paper drop! 🚨
Led by my awesome postdoc @renamschweizer.bsky.social — we used genomics + museum DNA to explore the decline of Bombus franklini, a bee not seen in the wild since 2006 🐝
Now out in @PNASNews!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Led by my awesome postdoc @renamschweizer.bsky.social — we used genomics + museum DNA to explore the decline of Bombus franklini, a bee not seen in the wild since 2006 🐝
Now out in @PNASNews!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Museum genomics suggests long-term population decline in a putatively extinct bumble bee | PNAS
Pollinator declines globally threaten ecosystem stability and agricultural productivity.
Reconstructing pollinator historic demographies provides a...
www.pnas.org
October 20, 2025 at 7:27 PM
New paper drop! 🚨
Led by my awesome postdoc @renamschweizer.bsky.social — we used genomics + museum DNA to explore the decline of Bombus franklini, a bee not seen in the wild since 2006 🐝
Now out in @PNASNews!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Led by my awesome postdoc @renamschweizer.bsky.social — we used genomics + museum DNA to explore the decline of Bombus franklini, a bee not seen in the wild since 2006 🐝
Now out in @PNASNews!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Socrates Letana
🌱 Help secure the future of the Biodiversity Heritage Library! 🙏
Your donation will keep biodiversity knowledge open, connected, and growing, and fund the dedicated staff who make it all possible. 📖 👩💻 🌱 🌏 🧪
🔗 Donate: ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/BHLDona...
#BHLTransition #ILoveBHL
Your donation will keep biodiversity knowledge open, connected, and growing, and fund the dedicated staff who make it all possible. 📖 👩💻 🌱 🌏 🧪
🔗 Donate: ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/BHLDona...
#BHLTransition #ILoveBHL
October 18, 2025 at 1:05 AM
🌱 Help secure the future of the Biodiversity Heritage Library! 🙏
Your donation will keep biodiversity knowledge open, connected, and growing, and fund the dedicated staff who make it all possible. 📖 👩💻 🌱 🌏 🧪
🔗 Donate: ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/BHLDona...
#BHLTransition #ILoveBHL
Your donation will keep biodiversity knowledge open, connected, and growing, and fund the dedicated staff who make it all possible. 📖 👩💻 🌱 🌏 🧪
🔗 Donate: ancrywkv.donorsupport.co/page/BHLDona...
#BHLTransition #ILoveBHL
Reposted by Socrates Letana
The reviewer crisis: data from the journal Biological Invasions:
"Reviewer acceptance rates dropped steadily over the past two decades. Early-career researchers had the highest acceptance rates, while senior scholars were least likely to accept review invitations."
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
"Reviewer acceptance rates dropped steadily over the past two decades. Early-career researchers had the highest acceptance rates, while senior scholars were least likely to accept review invitations."
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
October 9, 2025 at 7:32 PM
The reviewer crisis: data from the journal Biological Invasions:
"Reviewer acceptance rates dropped steadily over the past two decades. Early-career researchers had the highest acceptance rates, while senior scholars were least likely to accept review invitations."
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
"Reviewer acceptance rates dropped steadily over the past two decades. Early-career researchers had the highest acceptance rates, while senior scholars were least likely to accept review invitations."
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Socrates Letana
Have just read this impressive paper on the impact of #iNaturalist on biodiversity research. It makes fascinating reading. H/t to @rdmpage.bsky.social for sharing. academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biaf104/8185761 #HighlyRecommended
iNaturalist accelerates biodiversity research
Abstract. Participatory citizen science is expanding, with iNaturalist emerging as one of the most widely used platforms globally. However, its application
academic.oup.com
October 1, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Have just read this impressive paper on the impact of #iNaturalist on biodiversity research. It makes fascinating reading. H/t to @rdmpage.bsky.social for sharing. academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biaf104/8185761 #HighlyRecommended
Extinction is such a heart-breaker:
Instagram
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
www.instagram.com
October 1, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Extinction is such a heart-breaker:
Reposted by Socrates Letana
#FlyFriday
Apiocera pica Norris, 1936 (Apioceridae, USNMENT00832111) from Wandoo National Park, Western Australia collected in 2011 - more info here n2t.net/ark:/65665/3...
#asiloidflies #USNMDiptera
Apiocera pica Norris, 1936 (Apioceridae, USNMENT00832111) from Wandoo National Park, Western Australia collected in 2011 - more info here n2t.net/ark:/65665/3...
#asiloidflies #USNMDiptera
September 26, 2025 at 8:48 PM
#FlyFriday
Apiocera pica Norris, 1936 (Apioceridae, USNMENT00832111) from Wandoo National Park, Western Australia collected in 2011 - more info here n2t.net/ark:/65665/3...
#asiloidflies #USNMDiptera
Apiocera pica Norris, 1936 (Apioceridae, USNMENT00832111) from Wandoo National Park, Western Australia collected in 2011 - more info here n2t.net/ark:/65665/3...
#asiloidflies #USNMDiptera
Reposted by Socrates Letana
Hi! We need lice for our diversity and adaptation project. Specifically, we need lice from zebras, camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, guanacos) & aardvarks. If you or someone you know might have lice, I'm happy to discuss our inclusive collaboration plans!
sites.google.com/nhm.org/anop...
sites.google.com/nhm.org/anop...
Mammals & Lice
We are interested in understanding what drives host-parasite relationships. We are using the Anoplura (sucking lice) parasite and mammalian host system to generate a comprehensive sucking louse phylog...
sites.google.com
September 23, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Hi! We need lice for our diversity and adaptation project. Specifically, we need lice from zebras, camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, guanacos) & aardvarks. If you or someone you know might have lice, I'm happy to discuss our inclusive collaboration plans!
sites.google.com/nhm.org/anop...
sites.google.com/nhm.org/anop...
Reposted by Socrates Letana
Yesterday was the 130th anniversary of the #ICZN, the International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature. It was founded during the zoology congress in Leiden, organized by the then director the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Frederik Jentink.
September 19, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Yesterday was the 130th anniversary of the #ICZN, the International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature. It was founded during the zoology congress in Leiden, organized by the then director the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Frederik Jentink.
September 13, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Reposted by Socrates Letana
International shipments and museum loans: some helpful, aggravating notes from Chris on the ECN listserv that I'm leaving here for future reference.
![The Privacy Act and Reducation [sic] act do not supercede the laws in 50 CFR (14,etc). Guidelines written on the eDec instructions may have been followed 30 or even 5 years ago, but today boxes without a 3-177 document attached on the outside are being siezed and destroyed by CBP and USFWS, especially coming through the NY office. CAS has lost one package from China already. When they sieze a package they do not notify you, rather they wait 180 days until the grace period has expired for us to submit a 3-177, and then notify you of your violation and seizure. Our petitionthrough the NY district court was met with silence.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ywua4qjetzwsq5hzyty3exua/bafkreighwarbj5ao4jowsfzayh2zsjogi56mwbhkdsralan3cl3m24dbbu@jpeg)
August 28, 2025 at 4:56 PM
International shipments and museum loans: some helpful, aggravating notes from Chris on the ECN listserv that I'm leaving here for future reference.
Reposted by Socrates Letana
#FlyFriday
rarely collected mydas-fly species Agaperemius hirtus Hesse, 1969 (Mydidae: Syllegomydinae; NMNW-H42889) - species is only known from 3 specimens - male from southern Namibia - more detail at @gbif.org record www.gbif.org/occurrence/1...
#asiloidflies
rarely collected mydas-fly species Agaperemius hirtus Hesse, 1969 (Mydidae: Syllegomydinae; NMNW-H42889) - species is only known from 3 specimens - male from southern Namibia - more detail at @gbif.org record www.gbif.org/occurrence/1...
#asiloidflies
August 1, 2025 at 6:06 PM
#FlyFriday
rarely collected mydas-fly species Agaperemius hirtus Hesse, 1969 (Mydidae: Syllegomydinae; NMNW-H42889) - species is only known from 3 specimens - male from southern Namibia - more detail at @gbif.org record www.gbif.org/occurrence/1...
#asiloidflies
rarely collected mydas-fly species Agaperemius hirtus Hesse, 1969 (Mydidae: Syllegomydinae; NMNW-H42889) - species is only known from 3 specimens - male from southern Namibia - more detail at @gbif.org record www.gbif.org/occurrence/1...
#asiloidflies
“Political and biological reality checks:”
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
July 18, 2025 at 8:47 PM
“Political and biological reality checks:”
If “they were to come back like they were, it would put 90% of the cattle people out of business,”
#myiasis #parasite #agriculture
#Diptera
#myiasis #parasite #agriculture
#Diptera
Turn of the Screw(worm) - Offrange
A flesh-eating parasite, virtually eradicated from U.S. soil for 60 years, is ready for a comeback. What’ll it take to keep it at bay?
ambrook.com
July 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
If “they were to come back like they were, it would put 90% of the cattle people out of business,”
#myiasis #parasite #agriculture
#Diptera
#myiasis #parasite #agriculture
#Diptera