Dolomedes62.bsky.social
@dolomedes62.bsky.social
Entomologist/Arachnologist, college biology instructor, and hobby organic farmer who strongly believes in helping her small rural community.
Garden peas are a wonderful vegetable. Not only do they taste great in a variety of dishes (especially curries!), they add nitrogen to the soil.
July 14, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Garden peas are a wonderful vegetable. Not only do they taste great in a variety of dishes (especially curries!), they add nitrogen to the soil.
Studying sexual selection in leaf-footed cactus bugs can also be elusive. Despite male-male competition and female cactus bugs preference for larger males, smaller males often were the most reproductively successful.
January 6, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Studying sexual selection in leaf-footed cactus bugs can also be elusive. Despite male-male competition and female cactus bugs preference for larger males, smaller males often were the most reproductively successful.
Green salamanders of the southern Appalachia are lungless (many amphibians rely on skin respiration). They are highly elusive and live in small, fragmented populations. They are also strong regulators of lower trophic levels, being both predator and prey.
January 6, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Green salamanders of the southern Appalachia are lungless (many amphibians rely on skin respiration). They are highly elusive and live in small, fragmented populations. They are also strong regulators of lower trophic levels, being both predator and prey.
The Indigo snake of the Southeastern US is the largest native snakes in the US. Once thought to be 2 species, more advanced molecular work indicated that though there are two distinct genetic groups, they are interbreeding quite often. Thus they are only one species.
January 6, 2025 at 1:02 AM
The Indigo snake of the Southeastern US is the largest native snakes in the US. Once thought to be 2 species, more advanced molecular work indicated that though there are two distinct genetic groups, they are interbreeding quite often. Thus they are only one species.
Today I saw a talk on amphibians that included a Minecraft rendition of croaking frogs. Gamers are infiltrating biology! :D
January 6, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Today I saw a talk on amphibians that included a Minecraft rendition of croaking frogs. Gamers are infiltrating biology! :D
Males matter - what improves reproductive fitness is not the clutch size, but the number of mating attempts.
January 6, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Males matter - what improves reproductive fitness is not the clutch size, but the number of mating attempts.
Should we care about pre-reproductive mortality?This talk mentioned that 86% of blue tit fledglings do not make it to reproductive age. 25% of female elephant seals will only reproduce once in their life - they die afterwards. Is this mortality due to luck (or unlucky...) or selective disappearance?
January 6, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Should we care about pre-reproductive mortality?This talk mentioned that 86% of blue tit fledglings do not make it to reproductive age. 25% of female elephant seals will only reproduce once in their life - they die afterwards. Is this mortality due to luck (or unlucky...) or selective disappearance?
Ducks are, hands down, the best at taking off from water. They reach greater heights more quickly and faster than the smaller terns and gulls, and definitely better then the Canada goose. Seeing a video of a Canada goose taking off - legs and wings moving as much as they can - was quite amusing!
January 6, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Ducks are, hands down, the best at taking off from water. They reach greater heights more quickly and faster than the smaller terns and gulls, and definitely better then the Canada goose. Seeing a video of a Canada goose taking off - legs and wings moving as much as they can - was quite amusing!
Springtails are affected by raindrops. They cluster on the water surface, but when a raindrop hits the cluster, it's like a bomb going off. The slow-mo videos showed this very clearly! Many of the springtails will fall into the resulting crater, allowing them to recluster.
January 6, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Springtails are affected by raindrops. They cluster on the water surface, but when a raindrop hits the cluster, it's like a bomb going off. The slow-mo videos showed this very clearly! Many of the springtails will fall into the resulting crater, allowing them to recluster.
Fire ants can make rafts and bridges on water. The ants change their postures while entering water to take advantage of the Cheerios effect (I learned a lot of new phrases today!) The Cheerios effect states that objects are attracted when menisci align, repel when the menisci oppose.
January 6, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Fire ants can make rafts and bridges on water. The ants change their postures while entering water to take advantage of the Cheerios effect (I learned a lot of new phrases today!) The Cheerios effect states that objects are attracted when menisci align, repel when the menisci oppose.
Microvellia (another water strider) uses Marangoni propulsion to escape threats. This propulsion is initiated by ejecting surfactant from the insect's proboscis. Diet greatly affects this ability. A diet of springtails, for example, was shown to decrease the ability, while fruit flies increased it.
January 6, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Microvellia (another water strider) uses Marangoni propulsion to escape threats. This propulsion is initiated by ejecting surfactant from the insect's proboscis. Diet greatly affects this ability. A diet of springtails, for example, was shown to decrease the ability, while fruit flies increased it.
These water striders can also jump during mating, with male and female in tandem, and perfect a landing on the water surface.
January 6, 2025 at 12:41 AM
These water striders can also jump during mating, with male and female in tandem, and perfect a landing on the water surface.
Trepobates subnitidus is able to jump from the water surface and land abdomen down 100% of the time. Even newborn water striders are capable of this feat, suggesting that the behavior is innate. Why do they land abdomen down? They have a hydrophilic "anchor" on the abdomen tip.
January 6, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Trepobates subnitidus is able to jump from the water surface and land abdomen down 100% of the time. Even newborn water striders are capable of this feat, suggesting that the behavior is innate. Why do they land abdomen down? They have a hydrophilic "anchor" on the abdomen tip.
The water strider Rhagovelia prefers high, turbulent water flow. The organism can also adjust for different water flow rates.
January 6, 2025 at 12:36 AM
The water strider Rhagovelia prefers high, turbulent water flow. The organism can also adjust for different water flow rates.
More research could be done to explore the sexual diversity of nature. Female hyenas and the pseudopenis. Homosexual behaviors in butterflies and macaques, etc. By understanding nature, we can better understand ourselves.
January 5, 2025 at 1:43 AM
More research could be done to explore the sexual diversity of nature. Female hyenas and the pseudopenis. Homosexual behaviors in butterflies and macaques, etc. By understanding nature, we can better understand ourselves.
Frogs do exhibit a wide range of sexual diversity among species: sex determination, sex reversals, etc.
January 5, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Frogs do exhibit a wide range of sexual diversity among species: sex determination, sex reversals, etc.
Tyrone Hayes published an article on the effects of an endocrine disrupter - the pesticide atrazine - on frog sexual development. This caught the attention of Alex Jones, who reported that "the government is trying to turn all of the frogs gay!". Which was not what the paper was about....
January 5, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Tyrone Hayes published an article on the effects of an endocrine disrupter - the pesticide atrazine - on frog sexual development. This caught the attention of Alex Jones, who reported that "the government is trying to turn all of the frogs gay!". Which was not what the paper was about....
Pearson mentioned that a popular children's book - Frog and Toad - was written by an author whose daughter stated was gay, and the books were meant as a "coming out" for the author. Kannon stated that to the queer community, Frog and Toad represented "two aging queens living happily together".
January 5, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Pearson mentioned that a popular children's book - Frog and Toad - was written by an author whose daughter stated was gay, and the books were meant as a "coming out" for the author. Kannon stated that to the queer community, Frog and Toad represented "two aging queens living happily together".
Kannon Pearson is a transgender herpetologist. He studies tetrodotoxin (toxin found in pufferfish), but is also an advocate for LBGQ+ community, especially in herpetology, which he called "incredibly masculine". His talk touched on how frogs became a queer icon.
January 5, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Kannon Pearson is a transgender herpetologist. He studies tetrodotoxin (toxin found in pufferfish), but is also an advocate for LBGQ+ community, especially in herpetology, which he called "incredibly masculine". His talk touched on how frogs became a queer icon.
Oversimplification and teaching to the textbook also causes harm to science progress. Most textbooks are binary - but nature is not binary. This increases the lack of understanding of nature.
January 5, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Oversimplification and teaching to the textbook also causes harm to science progress. Most textbooks are binary - but nature is not binary. This increases the lack of understanding of nature.
The politicization of science. Example used: Male bighorn sheep have sex a lot, but researchers are reluctant to report/publish the observation due to politics/social issues. This reduces the understanding of bighorn sheep behavior.
January 5, 2025 at 1:20 AM
The politicization of science. Example used: Male bighorn sheep have sex a lot, but researchers are reluctant to report/publish the observation due to politics/social issues. This reduces the understanding of bighorn sheep behavior.
Homeostasis: a card game to help students better learn hormones and their functions. Looks very interesting - wish I had it when I was teaching physiology! Check it out: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43...
Homeostasis
Hormones work together to keep their haphazard human alive.
boardgamegeek.com
January 5, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Homeostasis: a card game to help students better learn hormones and their functions. Looks very interesting - wish I had it when I was teaching physiology! Check it out: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43...
Fathomverse - a game designed to inspire interest in ocean environments. Currently, 7% of oceans are covered by long term biological study. 30 - 60% of ocean biodiversity is described. Fathomverse is proposed as a way to encourage more interest. Check it out! : www.fathomverse.game
FathomVerse | mobile game
FathomVerse is a mobile game designed to inspire a new wave of ocean explorers and improve AI for ocean life.
www.fathomverse.game
January 5, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Fathomverse - a game designed to inspire interest in ocean environments. Currently, 7% of oceans are covered by long term biological study. 30 - 60% of ocean biodiversity is described. Fathomverse is proposed as a way to encourage more interest. Check it out! : www.fathomverse.game
Inspiring curiousity in students leads to better memory, retention, and decreases the stress of learning. Uncertainty is a good driver of learning, especially if students are told that their project is challenging.
January 5, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Inspiring curiousity in students leads to better memory, retention, and decreases the stress of learning. Uncertainty is a good driver of learning, especially if students are told that their project is challenging.
Some examples in her talk today: Giant clam inspired better solar photocells. Cockroaches led to better, more agile robots. Whale fin tubercles led to better turbines and wind fans.
January 5, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Some examples in her talk today: Giant clam inspired better solar photocells. Cockroaches led to better, more agile robots. Whale fin tubercles led to better turbines and wind fans.