Avigayil Lev
@avigayillev.bsky.social
Research Technician @Barnard College | Evolution & Animal Behavior | Fruit Flies | There is nothing cuter than jumping spiders in top hats.
Reposted by Avigayil Lev
In our new paper with @philtorres.bsky.social @aaronpomerantz.bsky.social et al. published in @ecol-evol.bsky.social we describe the mystery of an orb-weaving spider (Cyclosa sp.) 🕷️ and why they possibly construct larger "spider-shaped decoy" in their webs. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Cyclosa Menge, 1866 (Araneidae) Orb‐Weavers Build Stabilimenta That Resemble Larger Spiders
The orb-weaving spider Cyclosa longicauda from Peru constructs unique stabilimenta from detritus and silk that visually resemble a larger spider. This previously undescribed behavior likely functions....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:33 PM
In our new paper with @philtorres.bsky.social @aaronpomerantz.bsky.social et al. published in @ecol-evol.bsky.social we describe the mystery of an orb-weaving spider (Cyclosa sp.) 🕷️ and why they possibly construct larger "spider-shaped decoy" in their webs. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Avigayil Lev
woah this is genuinely, utterly WILD
Ant queens of one species produce males of another species, so she can then mate with them and produce hybrid workers!
This is so gloriously weird I can't quite compute it 🤯🧪🐜
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Ant queens of one species produce males of another species, so she can then mate with them and produce hybrid workers!
This is so gloriously weird I can't quite compute it 🤯🧪🐜
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
‘Almost unimaginable’: these ants are different species but share a mother
Ant queens of one species clone ants of another to create hybrid workers that do their bidding.
www.nature.com
September 3, 2025 at 10:09 PM
woah this is genuinely, utterly WILD
Ant queens of one species produce males of another species, so she can then mate with them and produce hybrid workers!
This is so gloriously weird I can't quite compute it 🤯🧪🐜
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Ant queens of one species produce males of another species, so she can then mate with them and produce hybrid workers!
This is so gloriously weird I can't quite compute it 🤯🧪🐜
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Avigayil Lev
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 Avigayil Lev
New work from our lab, led by @avigayillev.bsky.social! Male mate choice for large females is typically attributed to the higher fecundity of those females. However, we show that in #Drosophila, large females also produce daughters with higher fecundity. doi.org/10.1093/evol...
Indirect fitness benefits can reinforce the direct fitness benefits of male mate choice
Abstract. Mating preferences frequently evolve because they confer fitness benefits to the chooser. While there is strong evidence for both direct and indi
academic.oup.com
April 14, 2025 at 12:52 PM
New work from our lab, led by @avigayillev.bsky.social! Male mate choice for large females is typically attributed to the higher fecundity of those females. However, we show that in #Drosophila, large females also produce daughters with higher fecundity. doi.org/10.1093/evol...
Reposted by Avigayil Lev
Shai Berman and I wrote about our time teaching neuroscience in prison - one of the best experiences of my career.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Writing this was prompted by one of our students, Chris, bringing a copy of Nature to class, and asking for more journal recommendations... [1/4]
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Writing this was prompted by one of our students, Chris, bringing a copy of Nature to class, and asking for more journal recommendations... [1/4]
Our experience of teaching neuroscience in a maximum-security prison
Making our way through security each week is a slog, but teaching incarcerated people has been an incredible career experience.
www.nature.com
March 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Shai Berman and I wrote about our time teaching neuroscience in prison - one of the best experiences of my career.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Writing this was prompted by one of our students, Chris, bringing a copy of Nature to class, and asking for more journal recommendations... [1/4]
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Writing this was prompted by one of our students, Chris, bringing a copy of Nature to class, and asking for more journal recommendations... [1/4]
Reposted by Avigayil Lev
HOW GOOD ARE SPIDERS!? 😍🕷️
These beautiful Thorned Heart Orbweavers are one of my favourite arachnids to find in the Amazon! ❤️🌳
The details in this spider are AMAZING when you zoom in! 🔍
The genus Micrathena is full of so many odd-shaped spiders and is SO diverse with over 100 species! 🤯
These beautiful Thorned Heart Orbweavers are one of my favourite arachnids to find in the Amazon! ❤️🌳
The details in this spider are AMAZING when you zoom in! 🔍
The genus Micrathena is full of so many odd-shaped spiders and is SO diverse with over 100 species! 🤯
March 18, 2025 at 1:10 AM
HOW GOOD ARE SPIDERS!? 😍🕷️
These beautiful Thorned Heart Orbweavers are one of my favourite arachnids to find in the Amazon! ❤️🌳
The details in this spider are AMAZING when you zoom in! 🔍
The genus Micrathena is full of so many odd-shaped spiders and is SO diverse with over 100 species! 🤯
These beautiful Thorned Heart Orbweavers are one of my favourite arachnids to find in the Amazon! ❤️🌳
The details in this spider are AMAZING when you zoom in! 🔍
The genus Micrathena is full of so many odd-shaped spiders and is SO diverse with over 100 species! 🤯
Reposted by Avigayil Lev
My good friends @jellybb.bsky.social and @rianbraig.bsky.social have finally both made it to Bluesky, so now it's time to re-share our passion-project paper from earlier this year! We looked at cool morphological trends over time in short-tailed whip scorpions! sjpp.springeropen.com/articles/10....
December 20, 2024 at 2:02 PM
My good friends @jellybb.bsky.social and @rianbraig.bsky.social have finally both made it to Bluesky, so now it's time to re-share our passion-project paper from earlier this year! We looked at cool morphological trends over time in short-tailed whip scorpions! sjpp.springeropen.com/articles/10....