Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy
@avispatica.bsky.social
Assistant Professor @urochester.bsky.social| PI @tropbiolab.bsky.social |social behavior & brain |mechanisms underlying parasitic manipulation |adaptations & changing environments| #teamwasp #wasplove #strepsiptera |🇨🇷 cafecito
https://tropbiolab.org/FMKU/
https://tropbiolab.org/FMKU/
After >20 years of working with wasps, I like them even more now!
And a ⭐️ team that’s rocking this season and experimental infections with twisted wing parasites! #wasplove #strepsiptera #fieldseason #ProudPI #teamwasp
And a ⭐️ team that’s rocking this season and experimental infections with twisted wing parasites! #wasplove #strepsiptera #fieldseason #ProudPI #teamwasp
July 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM
After >20 years of working with wasps, I like them even more now!
And a ⭐️ team that’s rocking this season and experimental infections with twisted wing parasites! #wasplove #strepsiptera #fieldseason #ProudPI #teamwasp
And a ⭐️ team that’s rocking this season and experimental infections with twisted wing parasites! #wasplove #strepsiptera #fieldseason #ProudPI #teamwasp
Working with parasites blows my mind! As in an alien movie, here is an instar 2 larva of Xenos peckii. Amazing dissection from star student Natasha Vacca, as it’s the size of a spec of dust! It infects and manipulates Polistes fuscatus, the social wasps we study. #Strepsiptera #zombies #wasplove
July 6, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Working with parasites blows my mind! As in an alien movie, here is an instar 2 larva of Xenos peckii. Amazing dissection from star student Natasha Vacca, as it’s the size of a spec of dust! It infects and manipulates Polistes fuscatus, the social wasps we study. #Strepsiptera #zombies #wasplove
Well, this is a first! And much appreciated!
It’s usually Dr. and Mrs. Uy, even though we’re both academics 🥴
It’s usually Dr. and Mrs. Uy, even though we’re both academics 🥴
June 26, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Well, this is a first! And much appreciated!
It’s usually Dr. and Mrs. Uy, even though we’re both academics 🥴
It’s usually Dr. and Mrs. Uy, even though we’re both academics 🥴
I find myself missing fieldwork in the tropics! Here is some Polistes stigma from the Solomon Islands for much-needed #wasplove
The female with dark eyes has recently emerged, and her eyes will lighten in a few days. Some of the tiniest Polistes I've seen! Images by Al Uy @tropbiolab.bsky.social
The female with dark eyes has recently emerged, and her eyes will lighten in a few days. Some of the tiniest Polistes I've seen! Images by Al Uy @tropbiolab.bsky.social
May 14, 2025 at 4:27 PM
I find myself missing fieldwork in the tropics! Here is some Polistes stigma from the Solomon Islands for much-needed #wasplove
The female with dark eyes has recently emerged, and her eyes will lighten in a few days. Some of the tiniest Polistes I've seen! Images by Al Uy @tropbiolab.bsky.social
The female with dark eyes has recently emerged, and her eyes will lighten in a few days. Some of the tiniest Polistes I've seen! Images by Al Uy @tropbiolab.bsky.social
🌟 Graduation party for our three undergrad stars from #teamwasp @tropbiolab.bsky.social ! 🌟
Grateful for mentoring an amazing team of rising scholars.
The party included some 🦅🐝🐜 watching... & the most unesthetic piñata, decorated with early figures from our graduates!
#proudPI
Grateful for mentoring an amazing team of rising scholars.
The party included some 🦅🐝🐜 watching... & the most unesthetic piñata, decorated with early figures from our graduates!
#proudPI
May 12, 2025 at 5:23 PM
🌟 Graduation party for our three undergrad stars from #teamwasp @tropbiolab.bsky.social ! 🌟
Grateful for mentoring an amazing team of rising scholars.
The party included some 🦅🐝🐜 watching... & the most unesthetic piñata, decorated with early figures from our graduates!
#proudPI
Grateful for mentoring an amazing team of rising scholars.
The party included some 🦅🐝🐜 watching... & the most unesthetic piñata, decorated with early figures from our graduates!
#proudPI
Tis’ the season that generous naturalists start to send me wasp pictures! This “booty” pic 🤣 shows the foundresses of Polistes dominula, native to Europe. It’s invasive here and in many other places in the world.
#teamwasp #teamxenome @tropbiolab.bsky.social is ready, experiment time! #wasplove
#teamwasp #teamxenome @tropbiolab.bsky.social is ready, experiment time! #wasplove
May 3, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Tis’ the season that generous naturalists start to send me wasp pictures! This “booty” pic 🤣 shows the foundresses of Polistes dominula, native to Europe. It’s invasive here and in many other places in the world.
#teamwasp #teamxenome @tropbiolab.bsky.social is ready, experiment time! #wasplove
#teamwasp #teamxenome @tropbiolab.bsky.social is ready, experiment time! #wasplove
🌟Congrats to undergrad researcher Natasha Vacca @nvacca08.bsky.social for being awarded the NSF-GRFP! 🌟
We're also thrilled that Natasha is not tired of us and will continue as a doctoral student with #teamwasp @tropbiolab.bsky.social @urochester.bsky.social
#wasplove #addictedtostrepsiptera
We're also thrilled that Natasha is not tired of us and will continue as a doctoral student with #teamwasp @tropbiolab.bsky.social @urochester.bsky.social
#wasplove #addictedtostrepsiptera
April 17, 2025 at 3:03 AM
🌟Congrats to undergrad researcher Natasha Vacca @nvacca08.bsky.social for being awarded the NSF-GRFP! 🌟
We're also thrilled that Natasha is not tired of us and will continue as a doctoral student with #teamwasp @tropbiolab.bsky.social @urochester.bsky.social
#wasplove #addictedtostrepsiptera
We're also thrilled that Natasha is not tired of us and will continue as a doctoral student with #teamwasp @tropbiolab.bsky.social @urochester.bsky.social
#wasplove #addictedtostrepsiptera
This is what happens when two social insect labs host our departmental’s happy hour
Karl Glastad’s effort here! 🤣🤣
Karl Glastad’s effort here! 🤣🤣
February 21, 2025 at 12:20 PM
This is what happens when two social insect labs host our departmental’s happy hour
Karl Glastad’s effort here! 🤣🤣
Karl Glastad’s effort here! 🤣🤣
My heritage is critical to me, so I asked my department if we could change my office sign to my whole name. Today I walked in and voilà! I am excited for the same when my lab renovations are done.
Little actions can have strong cascading effects! 🌟
Little actions can have strong cascading effects! 🌟
December 20, 2024 at 6:02 PM
My heritage is critical to me, so I asked my department if we could change my office sign to my whole name. Today I walked in and voilà! I am excited for the same when my lab renovations are done.
Little actions can have strong cascading effects! 🌟
Little actions can have strong cascading effects! 🌟
#teamwasp 2024, including our mascot Rocky the yellowjacket @urochester.bsky.social! #ProudPI
Wrapping up my first year as a TT professor! Mil gracias (a thousand thanks) to everyone who has supported me. Those of us from non-traditional trajectories and minoritized backgrounds belong in academia!
Wrapping up my first year as a TT professor! Mil gracias (a thousand thanks) to everyone who has supported me. Those of us from non-traditional trajectories and minoritized backgrounds belong in academia!
December 16, 2024 at 5:43 PM
#teamwasp 2024, including our mascot Rocky the yellowjacket @urochester.bsky.social! #ProudPI
Wrapping up my first year as a TT professor! Mil gracias (a thousand thanks) to everyone who has supported me. Those of us from non-traditional trajectories and minoritized backgrounds belong in academia!
Wrapping up my first year as a TT professor! Mil gracias (a thousand thanks) to everyone who has supported me. Those of us from non-traditional trajectories and minoritized backgrounds belong in academia!
Happy holidays from @tropbiolab.bsky.social! We enjoyed our ugly sweater-themed
farewell party for wonderful Elsie and Ferro.
Grateful for #teamwasp and #teambird!
farewell party for wonderful Elsie and Ferro.
Grateful for #teamwasp and #teambird!
December 8, 2024 at 3:49 PM
Happy holidays from @tropbiolab.bsky.social! We enjoyed our ugly sweater-themed
farewell party for wonderful Elsie and Ferro.
Grateful for #teamwasp and #teambird!
farewell party for wonderful Elsie and Ferro.
Grateful for #teamwasp and #teambird!
I get to work with this amazing group of scientists every day! Missing @nvacca08.bsky.social in this pic so we’ll update soon. #teamwasp #teamstrepsiptera
¡Tengo la suerte de trabajar con este grupo increíble de científicos a diario!
¡Tengo la suerte de trabajar con este grupo increíble de científicos a diario!
November 19, 2024 at 9:27 PM
I get to work with this amazing group of scientists every day! Missing @nvacca08.bsky.social in this pic so we’ll update soon. #teamwasp #teamstrepsiptera
¡Tengo la suerte de trabajar con este grupo increíble de científicos a diario!
¡Tengo la suerte de trabajar con este grupo increíble de científicos a diario!
The tamal (tamalli in Nahuatl) is the food of our ancestors. It was so special for our small local Costa Rican community to get together and make them!
¡Tamaleada tica! Sentir nuestra cultura llena el alma.
¡Tamaleada tica! Sentir nuestra cultura llena el alma.
November 17, 2024 at 2:54 PM
The tamal (tamalli in Nahuatl) is the food of our ancestors. It was so special for our small local Costa Rican community to get together and make them!
¡Tamaleada tica! Sentir nuestra cultura llena el alma.
¡Tamaleada tica! Sentir nuestra cultura llena el alma.
¡Hola! Excited to see old and new friends from the scientific community here. I'm an Assistant Professor who studies social evolution & mechanisms underlying parasite-induced manipulation in social wasps. We'll share updates from #teamwasp #strepsiptera here and @tropbiolab.bsky.social
November 12, 2024 at 5:19 PM
¡Hola! Excited to see old and new friends from the scientific community here. I'm an Assistant Professor who studies social evolution & mechanisms underlying parasite-induced manipulation in social wasps. We'll share updates from #teamwasp #strepsiptera here and @tropbiolab.bsky.social
