Gavin Campbell
dragonflycn.bsky.social
Gavin Campbell
@dragonflycn.bsky.social
PhD.
Ecologist focusing on aquatic-terrestrial ecosystems and ants 🐜🪲🐛🦋🐞
Huge fan of magic and superpowers ☄️
As tiny as the trap is, I still got a lot of specimens. This sampe was mainly comprised of small thief ants
March 14, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Thankfully all traps were undisturbed when collecting them on Monday

I'm going through the samples now and I got a new species record for my collection and Jamaica overall so I'm super elated 😁
March 14, 2025 at 7:53 PM
They're on the bark of trees, not particularly in tree holes (pictures attached).

There are concerns of mammals, reptiles or birds disturbing the traps, but I worry most about people disturbing them.

I keep my fingers crossed for the two days they're out
March 8, 2025 at 8:42 PM
The last trap had some visitors before I even left the site which is always great to see

I worry about these ones because they're at risk of being disturbed by people, so I deploy them on the weekend when there are fewer people around
March 8, 2025 at 7:21 PM
These are the arboreal traps taped to trees and secured with thumb tacks. The bait is in the lid of the jar
March 8, 2025 at 7:21 PM
I use whatever is around to make an arrangement over the trap so I can locate it in 2 days

It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be recognizable.

I'm looking forward to some new species I've never collected before so keep your fingers crossed
March 8, 2025 at 7:18 PM
After digging, the tube (with a preservative) is gently placed in the hole and covered with soil
March 8, 2025 at 7:18 PM
This morning I put out some baited traps to collect ants underground and in trees.

For the underground traps I use these microcentrifuge tubes with neat holes at the top and bait in the lid

The bait is a delicious mixture of peanut butter, sardines and honey
March 8, 2025 at 7:18 PM
March 8, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Today's invertebrate haul from a leaf litter trap
March 8, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Some cute specimens from yesterday
March 5, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Interview complete. Stay tuned for the full episode
March 1, 2025 at 5:49 AM
A reminder that backswimmers are cool bugs that eat mosquitoes 😁
February 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Isopods, spider and earwig
February 11, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Mites ant sprintails
February 11, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Some more leaf litter samples, starting with the beetles
February 11, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Some of the leaf litter myriapods as promised 😁
@derekhennen.bsky.social
February 11, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Recent finds from some leaf litter samples
February 8, 2025 at 3:43 AM
A few specimens from the last few days
January 26, 2025 at 12:27 AM
January 17, 2025 at 4:53 PM
January 17, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I collected some samples the other day and decided to take some pictures of some of the specimens

They're adorable
January 17, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I've finally finished measuring all the ants for my new project

Clocking in at
13 species,
51 different traits,
142 individual ants,
3,889 individual measurements
4,075 pictures and
6,445 total measurements

All over a period of 45 days

Ari and others kept me company throughout
January 11, 2025 at 4:57 AM
A whole ant morphology project has been spawned from those initial measurements

1,820 pictures,
1,610 measurements and only 32% complete so far
December 24, 2024 at 9:06 PM
I had to 💀
December 19, 2024 at 7:23 AM