Filippo Nicolini 🧬
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filonico.bsky.social
Filippo Nicolini 🧬
@filonico.bsky.social
230 followers 450 following 84 posts
🧬🦪🦗🧽 Dealing/struggling with invertebrate evolutionary genomics

🎓 he/him postodoc in @robertofeuda.bsky.social lab at Uni of Leicester (UK), former PhD student at Uni of Bologna (IT)

🎨💭 Also drawing & communicating science

https://filonico.github.io/
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filonico.bsky.social
This is the end 💥 I approached #invertober with no clear expectations, and now I can say it was exciting+painful+rewarding+exhausting! #SciArt

What's the most appropriate subject for Day 31 of #invertober2025 if not the death's-head hawk moth?

Stay tuned as I'll be publishing a wrap-up soon 👀
​A vectorial digital drawing of an Acherontia atropos, or Death's-head Hawkmoth, viewed from above and set against a pale blue background. The moth has large wings with a pattern of black, dark brown, and orange-yellow markings. The most distinctive feature is the thorax, which is marked with a skull-like pattern in tan, black, and yellow. The large abdomen is segmented with alternating black and orange-yellow bands. The text "invertobter2025 – Day 31" is in the bottom right corner.
November 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
filonico.bsky.social
BEHOLD y'all the hecking bloody bobbit worm, who finally decided to get out from their sand burrow for the begone Day 14 of #invertober2025 #MarineLife

This took way longer than I expected (3 sessions of 2+ hours each). The problem was not the body structure itself, but the freaking segments 💀
​A vectorial digital drawing of a Eunice aphroditois, or Bobbit Worm, set against a pale blue background. The large, segmented polychaete worm is coiled in an S-shape, displaying its dark brown body with thin, light white/cream stripes along its segments. Each segment also features small parapodia to the side. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 14" is in the bottom right corner.
November 14, 2025 at 10:31 AM
filonico.bsky.social
1/3 🧵 Im entering my 2nd year as a postdoc, & since Ive started my journey in academia I can't help but asking myself:

is this work culture sustainable? is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?

Stimulating editorial with a stimulating book👇
doi.org/10.1177/1570...

[Continues below]
screenshot of an editorial piece titled "Is it time to slow down? " by Meijer and Webster and published on Information Polity
November 14, 2025 at 10:21 AM
filonico.bsky.social
1 – digital drawing of the Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera alexandrae)

2 – watercolours of the European peacock butterfly (Vanessa io)

3 – watercolours of the bust of Medusa, by Bernini (I also printed a tote bag out of this 🥰)

4 – pencils of the bust of Louis XIV, by Bernini
Tote bag with the bust of Medusa watercolour drawing printed on it.
November 10, 2025 at 11:17 AM
filonico.bsky.social
Art train time🚆🎨

Next stops:
@dinoserious.bsky.social
@whistberry.bsky.social
@fossilforager.bsky.social
@hexerite.bsky.social

Ive always been keen on drawing nature-related stuff, but recently I found a very pleasant comfort zone in sculptures too.

Jump to comments for details of the drawings
A vectorial digital drawing of the quern Alexandra's birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera alexandrae), with it's remarkable sexual dimorphism (male on the left half, female on the right half). The drawing is part of the invertober 2025 series. A watercolour drawing of the European peacock butterfly (Vanessa io), in its natural pose while sitting on yellow flowers. A watercolour drawing of the bust of Medusa, a marble sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. A pencil drawing of the bust of Louis XIV, a marble sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
November 10, 2025 at 11:17 AM
filonico.bsky.social
This was pretty smooth, I don't have much to say about this chunky buddy 🥹

Day 30 of #invertober2025 is the Christmas beetle! #bugsky
A vectorial digital drawing of an Anoplognathus pallidicollis, or Christmas Beetle, viewed from above and set against a pale blue background. The beetle has a light tan and pale straw-colored body and elytra (wing covers), which are covered in fine, speckled dots. The thorax and head are slightly darker, glossy reddish-brown, and the legs are a thick, segmented dark brown color. The text "invertobter2025 – Day 30" is in the bottom right corner.
November 9, 2025 at 2:27 PM
filonico.bsky.social
What the heck was this?! I suspected sea urchins were difficult to draw, but this was just random spikes here & there 😵‍💫 I knew from skeletons that there should be a precise arrangement, but I gave up in few minutes #marineLife

Almost done with #invertober2025, Day29 is with the red sea urchin
A vectorial digital drawing of a Mesocentrotus franciscanus, or Red Sea Urchin, set against a pale blue background. The organism is depicted as a dense, radiating ball of long, sharp deep red and purplish-red spines. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 29" is in the bottom right corner.
November 8, 2025 at 11:10 AM
filonico.bsky.social
Dude has loooooong wings, I had to reduce its size a lot 💀 at least this time I wasn't defeated by venations (see below), so I also managed to put legs 🥳

In #invertober2025 Day 28 we caught a pearly green lacewing
​A vectorial digital drawing of a Chrysopa perla, or pearly Green Lacewing, viewed from above and set against a pale blue background. The body of the insect is a segmented bright green. Its four large, translucent wings are held out to the sides and feature intricate, net-like venation colored in a vibrant green. It has slender dark antennae and a black outline. The text "invertobter2025 – Day 28" is in the bottom right corner.
November 7, 2025 at 12:08 PM
filonico.bsky.social
FUN FACT. Ticks are #arachnids, so they usually have 8 legs. But not always! When they hatch, they have only 6—the additional pair grows after the first molt 🕵 don't be fooled by mistaking them for insects! #bugsky

Day 27 of #invertober2025 features the American dog tick and its sexual dimorphism
​A vectorial digital drawing of a Dermacentor variabilis, or American Dog Tick, showing the sexual dimorphism, set against a pale blue background. The tick is split down the middle: In the ​Left Half (male) the dorsal shield is fully covered in a glossy, reddish-brown color with complex white/cream patterns covering most of its surface. ​In the right Half (female) the dorsal shield is dark reddish-brown and glossy, with a simple white/cream pattern near the head. The tick has eight thick, reddish-brown legs. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 27" is in the bottom right corner.
November 6, 2025 at 1:16 PM
filonico.bsky.social
2/2 🧵 The sea bunny comes with a friend today for #invertober2025: the sea cow (Peltodoris atromaculata)! Am I building a farm maybe? #MarineLife

This drawing belongs to my watercolor period, from a couple of years ago. I enjoyed this technique a lot, hope that at some point I'll take it up again.
​A hand-painted watercolor illustration of a sea cow nudibranch resting on a piece of red, porous sponge. The nudibranch has a pale body with large, irregular dark brown/maroon spots and a few small, yellowish-green spots. Two small rhinophores are visible on its head, and small, feathery white gills are visible on its back. The red sponge is deeply textured with large dark holes. A light blue watercolor wash is applied to the background near the subject. The painting is on textured white watercolor paper.
November 5, 2025 at 8:16 PM
filonico.bsky.social
1/2 🧵 Aren't nudibranchs the most precious marine crawlers? 🥹 #marineLife #SciArt

Double feature for Day 26 of #invertober2025, with the cute sea bunny here. And scroll down to meet its buddy!
​A vectorial digital drawing of a Jorunna parva, a species of sea slug commonly known as the Sea Bunny, set against a pale blue background. The nudibranch has an oval, light gray/white body covered in small brown and black speckles. Its most distinctive features are its two large, prominent rhinophores (sensory organs) on its head, which are black with white tips. At the rear, it displays its gills (branchial plume) as a cluster of white feathery structures with black edges. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 26" is in the bottom right corner.
November 5, 2025 at 8:16 PM
filonico.bsky.social
Back on track for #invertober2025 with the house centipede!

I usually like all kinds of critters, but must admit that I find centipedes quite intimidating: maybe it's their unpredictable and slithery movements 👀 #bugsky

Stay tuned, as I'm preparing an epilogue for my #invertober
A vectorial digital drawing of a Scutigera coleoptrata, or House Centipede, viewed from above and set against a pale blue background. The centipede has a central, segmented body colored in tan and brown stripes. Its most defining feature is the array of many extremely long, slender, striped legs radiating outward, giving it a spiky, oval appearance. It also has long antennae extending from the head. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 25" is in the bottom right corner.
November 4, 2025 at 2:42 PM
filonico.bsky.social
Follow-up on this with a belated post of another bivalve friend🫶 the main question now is:

how👏on👏earth👏have👏I👏never👏come👏across👏such👏a👏beautiful👏mussel👏during👏my👏PhD?! 😮‍💨😮‍💨

Anyway, Day 24 of #invertober2025 pleases us with the marvelous (and I'd say queer as well👀) New Zealand mussel #marineLife
A vectorial digital drawing of a Perna canaliculus, or New Zealand Mussel, set against a pale blue background. The shell is glossy and teardrop-shaped. The exterior color is a striking combination of a deep, dark reddish-brown/black near the hinge, which transitions into a vibrant metallic green with radial dark stripes across the rest of the shell. A small cluster of fine, bluish byssal threads is visible protruding from the side. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 24" is in the bottom right corner.
October 25, 2025 at 6:57 AM
filonico.bsky.social
I know body hairs shouldve been white, but they were just not looking right to me👀
Also, multi-color metallic iridescence is the next boss to fight, straight after gelatinous bodies, wing veins, and +10-legged animals

Day23 of #invertober2025 is a beetle with a very long name that you'll find below
A vectorial digital drawing of a Cicindela albissima, or Coral Pink Sand Dune Tiger Beetle, set against a pale blue background. The beetle is viewed from above. Its head and thorax are complexly colored with patterns of red, bright green, and white, while its elytra (wing covers) are a distinct, matte white/creamy-white with a thick dark outline. Its long, slender legs are dark green and brown and covered in fine hairs. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 23" is in the bottom right corner.
October 23, 2025 at 11:01 AM
filonico.bsky.social
Wanted to keep this in its good-vibing and peace-bearing state instead of the demoniac one it turns out to be when preying on other sea snails (yes, this is a sea snail as well). #MarineLife

For day 22 of #invertober2025, witness the sea angel #SciArt
​A vectorial digital drawing of a Clione limacina, commonly known as the sea angel, set against a pale blue background. The pteropod is depicted floating, with a streamlined, translucent, light blue body that tapers to a reddish-yellow point at the tail. Its internal organs are visible as a central column of pink and red masses. Two delicate, wing-like appendages (parapodia) on the sides are translucent white with light blue and pale red gradients, suggesting motion. Two small horns protrude from the head. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 22" is in the bottom right corner.
October 22, 2025 at 1:10 PM
filonico.bsky.social
Me looking up for references for day 22 of #invertober2025 😌

"Oh look how graceful, I love this... No wonder they call it a sea angel" 🥹🫶
...
...
"Oh wait... wha..." 🤨
...
...
"WHAT THE HELL MAN?!"
October 21, 2025 at 9:11 PM
filonico.bsky.social
EXTRA CONTENT for Day 21 of #invertober2025 🫶

Once upon a time I used to hand-draw animals, and this dragonfly is indeed one I'm most proud about. Scientific illustration is really one of my passions, if only I had more time #SciArt

The golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) #bugsky
​A high-resolution black-and-white ink illustration of the dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807). The drawing provides a detailed anatomical diagram, showing a dorsal (top) view of the male with one forewing spread, and a lateral (side) view of the female. Key features are labeled: Pterostigma, Nodus, Triangle, Anal Triangle (magnified view showing the male and female differences), Ovipositor (magnified view of the female abdomen tip), Accessory Reproductive Organs (male secondary genitalia), and Superior Anal Appendages (Claspers). A separate drawing of the head from the top is also included. The drawing is framed by a thick black border and labeled with the scale \times 1.5. A photograph showing an ink illustration of a dragonfly, Cordulegaster boltonii, lying on a wooden table. The illustration is a detailed, black-and-white scientific drawing on white paper, identifying various anatomical parts such as the Pterostigma, Nodus, Triangle, Anal Triangle, Ovipositor (females), Accessory Reproductive Organs, and Superior Anal Appendages (Claspers) (males). Two technical drawing pens rest above the drawing. The text at the bottom identifies the species: "Cordulegaster boltonii" with an ×1.5 scale indication.
October 21, 2025 at 4:34 PM
filonico.bsky.social
Second #invertober2025 where I almost gave up and didn't go for legs.

Can you guess how many times you can re-do wing veins from scratch, assuming that one time you use the wrong layer & the whole drawing messes up?

A hint for you: at least 4 times...

Day 21: the flame skimmer dragonfly! #bugsky
​A vectorial digital drawing of a Libellula saturata, or Flame Skimmer dragonfly, viewed from above and set against a pale blue background. The body of the dragonfly is a bright orange-red with a dark reddish-brown thorax and large, bulbous red eyes. Its four wings are broad and translucent, with a reddish-orange hue, and fine, detailed dark orange venation. The entire insect is centered and symmetrical. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 21" is in the bottom right corner.
October 21, 2025 at 4:34 PM
filonico.bsky.social
That's another incredible animal living out there: something that resembles a jellyfish, but is instead a floating colony of polyps, and produces tiny jellyfish itself!! #marineLife

2/3 into #invertober2025, and day 20 features the by-the-wind sailor #SciArt
A vectorial digital drawing of a Velella velella, or By-the-wind Sailor, set against a pale blue background. The organism is shown from the side. Its sail is a translucent, light pinkish-white triangular shape with dark outlines. The float underneath is a mix of dark blue and lighter blue. Numerous dark blue tentacles/polyps dangle below the float. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 20" is in the bottom right corner.
October 20, 2025 at 6:05 PM
filonico.bsky.social
Cephalopods are cute indeed 🫶 and today's pal reminded me of the last Star Makers from Courage the Cowardly Dog 🥹 hope y'all know what am talking bout, otherwise please do yourselves a favor a watch this masterpiece

Day19 of #invertober2025 drags us again in the ocean depths, with the vampire squid
​A vectorial digital drawing of a Vampyroteuthis infernalis, or Vampire Squid, set against a pale blue background. The cephalopod is shown with its body tilted upwards. Its body is a deep, dark red/maroon color and is covered in small white dots (photophores). Its webbed arms are spread, showing a velvety red exterior and an interior webbing colored in shades of yellow and brown. It has a large, prominent black eye. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 19" is in the bottom right corner. A screenshot from the animated show Courage the Cowardly Dog, depicting two large, alien-like squids against a black starry space background (universe). The creature on the left is green, looking emotional with a reddish-brown eye. The creature on the right is light purple/blue and is holding its tentacles around a bundle of eggs with small baby creatures inside.
October 19, 2025 at 12:07 PM
filonico.bsky.social
1/2🧵 FUNFACT: did u know that mud-dauber wasps...are not technically wasps? Last time I checked, Sphecidae (the family they belong to) fell within the Apoidea, the group including e.g. bees & bumblebees. So theyre more related to them than to wasps

Day18 #invertober2025: the mud-dauber wasp #bugsky
​A vectorial digital drawing of a Sceliphron caementarium, or Black and Yellow Mud Dauber Wasp, viewed from above and set against a pale blue background. The wasp has a predominantly black body with contrasting yellow markings on its head, thorax, and legs. Its most distinctive feature is the long, narrow black petiole (waist) connecting the thorax to its dark abdomen, which features a single yellow spot at the tip. Its wings are translucent and tinted a light smoky brown/tan color. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 18" is in the bottom right corner.
October 18, 2025 at 9:09 AM
filonico.bsky.social
The astonishing diversity of flatworms always make me speechless—hows it possible that they're among the most colourful & elegant marine animals, but also the most horrendous and creepy endoparasites?! (Yes tapeworm, am talkin bout u..) #MarineLife

Day 17 of #invertober2025: the blue-lined flatworm
A vectorial digital drawing of a Pseudoceros concinnus, a species of marine flatworm or polyclad, set against a pale blue background. The flatworm has an oval, elongated shape. Its body is primarily a light creamy yellow/tan color, dramatically bordered by a thick, bright blue edge, which fades from light to dark blue outwards. A thin, dark navy blue line runs down the center of the body. The flatworm has two small, horn-like pseudotentacles at the head end. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 17" is in the bottom right corner.
October 17, 2025 at 6:53 PM
filonico.bsky.social
I praise animals hiding legs beneath their body, especially if those legs are of the arthropod-type 🙏

Also... I am in charge here, & I decide how you pose for me.

Day16 of #invertober2025 spotlights the giant isopod 🫶 dont know why, but I imagine it to be very much stompy down there 🥹 #MarineLife
A vectorial digital drawing of a Bathynomus giganteus, or Giant Isopod, set against a pale blue background. The isopod is viewed from directly above, showing its highly segmented, oval body. Its exoskeleton is colored in shades of light purple-gray and pale pink/tan, with a dark outline emphasizing the segmentation. The animal's head and small antennae are visible at the top, and its tail is visible at the bottom. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 16" is in the bottom right corner.
October 16, 2025 at 9:24 AM
filonico.bsky.social
Couldn't help myself but to draw the astonishing sexual dimorphism of this buddy. I'm not even that into #butterflies, but I fully get why ppl go crazy for them! #bugsky

Halfway through #invertober2025🥹 behold: the magnificent Queen Alexandra's birdwing, in its male and female morphologies #SciArt
A vectorial digital drawing of Ornithoptera alexandrae, or Queen Alexandra's Birdwing butterfly, set against a pale blue background. The image is a split representation showing the dramatic sexual dimorphism of the species. The left half (male) features a wing that is brilliant teal, turquoise, and black, with iridescent markings. The right half (female) features a wing that is much larger, colored a solid dark brown/black with large, irregular patches of creamy white and subtle yellow markings. The butterfly's central body (thorax and abdomen) is also split, showing the distinct coloration difference between the sexes. The male symbol is under the male side and the female symbol is under the female side. The text "invertobter2025 - Day 15" is in the bottom right corner.
October 15, 2025 at 10:48 AM
filonico.bsky.social
Not at all
October 15, 2025 at 10:25 AM