Matt Bertone
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bertonemyia.bsky.social
Matt Bertone
@bertonemyia.bsky.social
4K followers 1.7K following 680 posts
Entomologist passionate about flies, beetles, spiders, mites... Also macro photography. Director & diagnostician at NC State Plant Disease and Insect Clinic. Opinions are my own. He/him

Raleigh, NC, USA

https://www.flickr.com/photos/76790273@N07/
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bertonemyia.bsky.social
Matt Bertone @bertonemyia.bsky.social · Nov 11
I guess I should introduce myself: my name is Matt & I ❤️ insects + other arthropods, nature in general, & macro photography (among other things).

I'm not a big-eyed robber fly, despite my profile pic 😂

I look forward to being here! Feel free to check out my photos: www.flickr.com/photos/76790...
A big guy with black-rimmed glasses and red and white beard, with a hat and camera.
Reposted by Matt Bertone
hannahorca.bsky.social
The creature + the animal that inspired it (photo also by me!)

Featuring the Two-striped Mermiria Grasshopper (Mermiria bivittata) 🦗
Collage with an illustration on the top and a photo on the bottom. The illustration is of a dragon and the photo is of a grasshopper, both share similar colors
December 5, 2025 at 9:08 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
Very cool tool. Apparently I have the first observation on iNaturalist for 11 taxa!

Some are rare, others I got to first. However, I wonder how in flux these will be if people add historical observations later 🤔

Regardless it's neat! 😊
First observations on iNaturalist by me: Labrundinia pilosella (Chironomidae), Eurygarka (Psychodidae), Loxocera collaris (Psilidae), Aeolothrips terrestris (Aeolothripidae), Negastrius choris (Elateridae) First observations on iNaturalist by me (continued): Anthicus ictericus (Anthicidae), Helgreelia parkeri (Odiniidae), Phaenithon albosparsus (Anthribidae), Ptecticus illustris (Stratiomyidae), Neohydatothrips langei (Thripidae), Neohydatothrips sambuci (Thripidae)
December 5, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
colinpurrington.bsky.social
If you're bored and use iNaturalist, here's a link to a tool that displays which of your observations were the first recorded for a taxon. I apparently have 16 (out of 3,395). I need to get out more. 🌿 #inaturalist #nature #insects #spiders glauberramos.github.io/inat/first-o...
List of 8 species names and observation dates next to a small thumbnail of my photograph. Here are the species: Deuteragenia sayi, Phytoplasma asteris, Chionea scita, Caenolampis robertsi, Anaptomecus longiventris, Galapaganus conwayensis, Nesocastolus, and Eumicrota socia. List of another 8 species with pics: Eurythrips, Ischnodemus variegatus, Philodromus barrowsi, Aprostocetus fidius, Colaspis pseudofavosa, Mycosphaerella impatientis, Cymindis planipennis, and Heinrichiessa sanpetella.
December 5, 2025 at 10:22 AM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
It's cold but I'm still grillin'.
And what do I see?
Little Ms. Anopheles! ☺️

#Culicidae
North Carolina, USA
An open grill on a deck. There's a large bowl of marinated chicken on the side and a tiny speck nearby. Close up of a female Anopheles mosquito sitting on the sides table of a grill. It has patterned wings.
December 4, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
elizabethbeston.bsky.social
I’m FABULOUS, says this polychaete (bristle worm) larva!

#marineplankton 🦑
December 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
hymenopterists.bsky.social
HYMATHON 2025 starts in less than 27 hours!

www.timeanddate.com/countdown/ge...
December 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
parasitoidrex.bsky.social
Tomorrow! I'll be moderating the first session of #Hymathon2025 with a keynote presentation by @amelialindsey.bsky.social and lots of interesting research on ants, bees, sawflies, and wasps!
December 4, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
bug-gwen.bsky.social
Forget Snakes on a Plane; how about Ticks on an Eel? cc @greenleejw.bsky.social 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 3, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
shiplives.bsky.social
We were also asked whether insects fly into the windows of high-rise apartments. Or: how high do insects fly? Does it depend on the insect? Is any apartment high enough to avoid them? I worked with a wonderful entomologist/urban ecologist on this one. 🧪
news.ncsu.edu/2025/12/how-...
December 3, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
thebulwark.com
Kelly: “I've been through a lot worse in service to my country. The president and Pete Hegseth are not going to silence me.”
December 1, 2025 at 9:40 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
I'm rolling out some older pics I never got around to processing.

Here's one of the smallest (~1mm) rove beetles I've seen. This cutie was found on a rose leaf, associated with its prey, spider mites. I ❤️ how they hold their abdomen up 🥹

#Staphylinidae: cf. #Oligota
Pender Co., North Carolina, USA
A small black beetle sits on the light green underside of a leaf. It is shiny with small punctures and hairs, and has a tapered abdomen. It's elytra, or wing cover, are short like many other rove beetles. A small black beetle sits on the light green underside of a leaf, investigating a piece of debris. It is facing the camera with its abdomen pointed up and over itself. The beetle is shiny with small punctures and hairs, and has a tapered abdomen. A small black beetle sits on the light green underside of a leaf, investigating a piece of debris. It is facing to the right with its abdomen pointed up and over itself. The beetle is shiny with small punctures and hairs, and has a tapered abdomen. A small black beetle sits on the dark green upper side of a leaf. It is shiny with small punctures and hairs, and has a tapered abdomen. It's elytra, or wing cover, are short like many other rove beetles.
November 30, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
tshahan.bsky.social
For all the Diabrotica fans out there - 4 species I've seen in this large genus of leaf beetles :

1 Diabrotica limitata, Colombia
2 Diabrotica sp(?), Colombia
3 Diabrotica trifasciata, Costa Rica
4 Diabrotica undecimpunctata, the "Spotted Cucumber Beetle", a major agricultural pest 🤩, Oklahoma, USA
November 29, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
ajcann.bsky.social
Bristly Ladybird, Rhyzobius lophanthae.
Pencil for scale.

#Beetles #Coleoptera #VC55 #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem
Bristly Ladybird, Rhyzobius lophanthae Bristly Ladybird, Rhyzobius lophanthae, sitting on the point of a pencil.
November 29, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
lollibeepop.bsky.social
Another shirt design for the company I work for, Planter!

You all already know how passionate I am about leaving the leaves, so when one of my coworkers recommended I make a shirt highlighting some creatures that rely on leaves, I jumped on it.
An illustration that says "leaf some litter in your yard" that shows and bunch of leaves and creatures that use those leaves for their habitat. Creatures featured: Luna moth, wood frog, firefly (with larvae), Eastern box turtle, American bumblebee, isopod, red salamander, ring necked snake
August 13, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
lollibeepop.bsky.social
Little friends you can find around my yard in the fall 🍂

I've been playing around with Procreates new brushes, lot's of fun textures to experiment with! Haven't had a ton of time to draw lately so this felt like a special little love letter to the season
An illustration entitled "Friends of Fall" showing a persimmon plant with various bugs on it. Text on bottom left: 1. Isabelirtiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabeila) 2. Yellow-collared scape moth (Cisseps fulvicollis) 3. Kaki persimmon (Disparius kaki) 4. Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) 5. Eastern leaf-footed bug (Leproglossus phyllopus) 6. Spinybacked ortweaver (Gasteriacantha cancriformis)
November 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
We were way ahead of the Mabel curve.
Please clap.

Mabel Bertone: 2009
Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls): 2012
Mabel Mora (OMITB): 2021
Mabel the beaver (Hoppers): 2026
November 29, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
nickybay.bsky.social
This is the Sunburst Candy Spider from Thailand. Not AI (sucks to have to declare this). Very real and had been on my wish list for a long time.

The taxonomic placement is unclear, so we are leaving it at Cyrtarachninae.
November 29, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
meadekrosby.bsky.social
I was reminded today of the time I came upon a freshly deceased vole lying in the middle of a trail. It made no sense - a murder mystery.

I realized I must have interrupted the perpetrator, who was now likely missing its meal. So I waited.

The perp:
November 29, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
roxytall.bsky.social
I hadn’t seen any lizards bust in from outside to steal cat food in so long that I started thinking perhaps they forgot how. Nope! An old friend from a year ago let itself inside today
Blue tongue skink eating cat food Blue tongue skink eating cat food Blue tongue skink eating cat food Blue tongue skink eating cat food
November 28, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
wizentrop.bsky.social
Another cool find at Emerald Arch in Ecuador was this membracid treehopper (Anchistrotus sp.) with its enormous helmet. While much more sluggish compared to other treehoppers, this species is quick to break off and drop its helmet when disturbed, allowing it to take off swiftly to escape danger.
November 28, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
beetlemoses.bsky.social
November 28, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
vc40orthops.bsky.social
Its that time of year again: a male Snow Flea, one of 3 seen yesterday in woodland on the Shrops/Herefords border. These 4mm relatives of Scorpionflies live in moss (esp. Polytrichum & relatives) & are winter active as adults. Not fleas of course but they can jump a bit.
A Snow Flea - a small, long-legged insect with a very long face (like its relatives the scorpionflies). An overall dark, bronzy colour with yellow & orange highlights.
November 27, 2025 at 3:32 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
I think he looks kinda emo here...
November 27, 2025 at 7:16 PM
bertonemyia.bsky.social
Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃 🍂 The year's been rough, but there were many things to be thankful for. Family, friends, BUGS!

Meet Titan the Eastern Hercules beetle. Someone was kind enough to send him for me to keep & take much needed pics. Then I handed him off to the students who are now caring for him ☺️
A male Eastern Hercules beetle sits on a white background, seen from the side facing left. He is large and shiny, with an olive coloration mottled with large black splotchy spots. He has a large horn on his nose and one on his back (the pronotum). A male Eastern Hercules beetle sits on a white background, seen from the above facing left. He is large and shiny, with an olive coloration mottled with large black splotchy spots. He has a large horn on his nose and one on his back (the pronotum). A male Eastern Hercules beetle sits on a stick with the sky in the background, seen from the side facing right. He is large and shiny, with an olive coloration mottled with large black splotchy spots. He has a large horn on his nose and one on his back (the pronotum). A male Eastern Hercules beetle sits on a stick covered in blue fungus and with the sky in the background, seen from the side facing left. He is large and shiny, with an olive coloration mottled with large black splotchy spots. He has a large horn on his nose and one on his back (the pronotum).
November 27, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Matt Bertone
aptshadow.bsky.social
Being bitten by a radioactive spider is always a bit of a gamble tbh.
artinsociety.bsky.social Journal of Art in Society @artinsociety.bsky.social · 10d
19th century wooden “walking” doll with a wheel of eight legs ~ when costumed, the doll’s long dress would cover most of the leg mechanism, allowing the doll to “walk” when moving, while appearing to have only two legs at any one time www.theriaults.com/events/listi...
November 27, 2025 at 9:14 AM