Brandon Claridge
@ichsofna.bsky.social
Ph.D. entomologist/ ichneumonid taxonomist/ founder of Claridge Traps. See ichsofna.org for AI/web tools to help with ichneumonid identifications in North America. Need Malaise traps or light sheets for insect collecting? Visit claridgetraps.com
Here are the figures for the two new Ctenichneumon species. How many differences can you spot??
#entomology #Ichneumonidae #parasitoid #insects #taxonomy #newspecies
#entomology #Ichneumonidae #parasitoid #insects #taxonomy #newspecies
November 13, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Here are the figures for the two new Ctenichneumon species. How many differences can you spot??
#entomology #Ichneumonidae #parasitoid #insects #taxonomy #newspecies
#entomology #Ichneumonidae #parasitoid #insects #taxonomy #newspecies
While this is a somewhat trivial example, the LLM approach would be much more useful for someone who initially didn't a genus identification and needed to sift through of the ~730 Nearctic ichneumonine species. For fun, here is the species in question: Cratichneumon fossorius.
November 9, 2025 at 6:46 PM
While this is a somewhat trivial example, the LLM approach would be much more useful for someone who initially didn't a genus identification and needed to sift through of the ~730 Nearctic ichneumonine species. For fun, here is the species in question: Cratichneumon fossorius.
The overview of the paper was spot on, too. As the author, I can confirm there aren't any hallucinations, at least for this small example. This could be a game changer for non-experts to get useful information from taxonomic papers.
#entomology
#entomology
November 9, 2025 at 6:40 PM
The overview of the paper was spot on, too. As the author, I can confirm there aren't any hallucinations, at least for this small example. This could be a game changer for non-experts to get useful information from taxonomic papers.
#entomology
#entomology
From website development to image classification apps, I've been interested in improving ID resources for a long time. I've been exploring using NotebookLM as an ID tool and am extremely impressed. Here's a test based on one of my publications:
#entomology #taxonomy #ichneumonidae #insects #ai
#entomology #taxonomy #ichneumonidae #insects #ai
November 9, 2025 at 6:27 PM
From website development to image classification apps, I've been interested in improving ID resources for a long time. I've been exploring using NotebookLM as an ID tool and am extremely impressed. Here's a test based on one of my publications:
#entomology #taxonomy #ichneumonidae #insects #ai
#entomology #taxonomy #ichneumonidae #insects #ai
Working on describing this couple of new Ctenichneumon species from the Huachuca Mountains in #Arizona. Too bad they are both singletons! Hopefully someone can find the males eventually.
#insect #newspecies #entomology #nature #photography #ichneumonidae #trackerwasp #wasp
#insect #newspecies #entomology #nature #photography #ichneumonidae #trackerwasp #wasp
October 29, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Working on describing this couple of new Ctenichneumon species from the Huachuca Mountains in #Arizona. Too bad they are both singletons! Hopefully someone can find the males eventually.
#insect #newspecies #entomology #nature #photography #ichneumonidae #trackerwasp #wasp
#insect #newspecies #entomology #nature #photography #ichneumonidae #trackerwasp #wasp
Due to the massive diversity of Ichneumon (and other Ichneumonini), it's practically impossible to tell most species apart, like all of these brownish-red females.
October 17, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Due to the massive diversity of Ichneumon (and other Ichneumonini), it's practically impossible to tell most species apart, like all of these brownish-red females.
Added a few newly collected Ichneumon species to Ichneumonids of North America. Amazingly, I've found 31 different species based on females when records only show 4 for the state! Compare that with 57 species in Main, which is probably a fairly complete inventory.
#entomology #newspecies #taxonomy
#entomology #newspecies #taxonomy
October 17, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Added a few newly collected Ichneumon species to Ichneumonids of North America. Amazingly, I've found 31 different species based on females when records only show 4 for the state! Compare that with 57 species in Main, which is probably a fairly complete inventory.
#entomology #newspecies #taxonomy
#entomology #newspecies #taxonomy
I can't believe no one called me out on this one! It's really just an incredibly obscure species called Pseudoamblyteles homocerus. I had overlooked the small propodeal apophyses. Well, still a new Utah state record!
October 17, 2025 at 2:34 AM
I can't believe no one called me out on this one! It's really just an incredibly obscure species called Pseudoamblyteles homocerus. I had overlooked the small propodeal apophyses. Well, still a new Utah state record!
The crucial character is the pectinate tarsal claws which is very unusual among #Nearctic #ichneumonines.
October 6, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The crucial character is the pectinate tarsal claws which is very unusual among #Nearctic #ichneumonines.
Very preliminary but below should be a #newspecies and the first record of the #ichneumonid genus Patroclus in the US! This newly collected singleton specimen is from central Utah but Patroclus is neotropical, getting as far north as Mexico.
#taxonomy #insects #wasps #Hymenoptera #parasitoid
#taxonomy #insects #wasps #Hymenoptera #parasitoid
October 6, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Very preliminary but below should be a #newspecies and the first record of the #ichneumonid genus Patroclus in the US! This newly collected singleton specimen is from central Utah but Patroclus is neotropical, getting as far north as Mexico.
#taxonomy #insects #wasps #Hymenoptera #parasitoid
#taxonomy #insects #wasps #Hymenoptera #parasitoid
I've only sorted and pinned a very small fraction of the ichneumonds collected by the 6-meter Malaise I have in central Utah. Among other discoveries is a new species of Tricholabus!
#Ichneumonidae #newpsecies #entomology #insects #Utah #taxonomy #wasps
#Ichneumonidae #newpsecies #entomology #insects #Utah #taxonomy #wasps
September 21, 2025 at 9:17 PM
I've only sorted and pinned a very small fraction of the ichneumonds collected by the 6-meter Malaise I have in central Utah. Among other discoveries is a new species of Tricholabus!
#Ichneumonidae #newpsecies #entomology #insects #Utah #taxonomy #wasps
#Ichneumonidae #newpsecies #entomology #insects #Utah #taxonomy #wasps
My friend Cameron Ramsey (chrysomelid taxonomist) and I have a 6-meter Malaise trap set up in a wash in central Utah right now. Between the large trap size and the location, it's collecting an insane amount. There's going to be a lot of bycatch for anyone looking to trade!
August 15, 2025 at 3:05 PM
My friend Cameron Ramsey (chrysomelid taxonomist) and I have a 6-meter Malaise trap set up in a wash in central Utah right now. Between the large trap size and the location, it's collecting an insane amount. There's going to be a lot of bycatch for anyone looking to trade!
For all the lep enthusiasts out there celebrating #NationalMothWeek, please check out #ClaridgeTraps for a great light sheet setup! Let me know if you have any questions!
July 21, 2025 at 4:40 PM
For all the lep enthusiasts out there celebrating #NationalMothWeek, please check out #ClaridgeTraps for a great light sheet setup! Let me know if you have any questions!
Happy to announce that my paper describing Anisobas irwini and recording two host records for Anisobas coloradensis is finally out! The species name honors the prodigious collector Mike Irwin who collected the holotype.
centerforsystematicentomology.org/insecta_mund...
#Ichneumonidae #parasioid
centerforsystematicentomology.org/insecta_mund...
#Ichneumonidae #parasioid
June 4, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Happy to announce that my paper describing Anisobas irwini and recording two host records for Anisobas coloradensis is finally out! The species name honors the prodigious collector Mike Irwin who collected the holotype.
centerforsystematicentomology.org/insecta_mund...
#Ichneumonidae #parasioid
centerforsystematicentomology.org/insecta_mund...
#Ichneumonidae #parasioid
New Plagiotrypes species from Arizona I'm working on describing. The genus is otherwise known from eastern NA and the wet neotropics, so it was surprising to discover this one from an arid mountain in southern Arizona.
May 22, 2025 at 3:56 PM
New Plagiotrypes species from Arizona I'm working on describing. The genus is otherwise known from eastern NA and the wet neotropics, so it was surprising to discover this one from an arid mountain in southern Arizona.
There are a ton of undescribed western Ichneumon like this beautiful female from northern Utah. Despite running traps for several years I've only ever collected this specimen and seen one other.
#MacroPhotography #insect #ichneumonidae #wasp #newspecies
#MacroPhotography #insect #ichneumonidae #wasp #newspecies
April 10, 2025 at 1:26 AM
There are a ton of undescribed western Ichneumon like this beautiful female from northern Utah. Despite running traps for several years I've only ever collected this specimen and seen one other.
#MacroPhotography #insect #ichneumonidae #wasp #newspecies
#MacroPhotography #insect #ichneumonidae #wasp #newspecies
Conclusion: If we put in 10% of the effort on imaging that is currently spent on databasing, we could live in a world where anyone with a dissecting scope or macro lens could get a highly accurate automated ID for any insect (at the appropriate taxonomic level).
March 31, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Conclusion: If we put in 10% of the effort on imaging that is currently spent on databasing, we could live in a world where anyone with a dissecting scope or macro lens could get a highly accurate automated ID for any insect (at the appropriate taxonomic level).
3. Habitus photos will probably work great but perhaps closer shots will be needed to discriminate species/ taxa at lower taxonomic levels. Which shots are needed will likely differ taxon to taxon.
#parasitoid #specimen #insectcollection
#parasitoid #specimen #insectcollection
March 31, 2025 at 4:51 AM
3. Habitus photos will probably work great but perhaps closer shots will be needed to discriminate species/ taxa at lower taxonomic levels. Which shots are needed will likely differ taxon to taxon.
#parasitoid #specimen #insectcollection
#parasitoid #specimen #insectcollection
2. The coding involved with training, testing, and deploying a model is trivial. The real problem is capturing training images. That can be done very rapidly if you have access to enough authoritatively identified specimens.
March 31, 2025 at 4:51 AM
2. The coding involved with training, testing, and deploying a model is trivial. The real problem is capturing training images. That can be done very rapidly if you have access to enough authoritatively identified specimens.
For everyone missing my talk on image classification at PBEntSoc on Tuesday, here are the main points:
1. We need taxonomists to train AI models based on museum specimens. The iNat AI is amazing but will never get to the specificity we need.
#AI #insectIDs #Ichneumonidae #taxonomy #insects #wasps
1. We need taxonomists to train AI models based on museum specimens. The iNat AI is amazing but will never get to the specificity we need.
#AI #insectIDs #Ichneumonidae #taxonomy #insects #wasps
March 31, 2025 at 4:51 AM
For everyone missing my talk on image classification at PBEntSoc on Tuesday, here are the main points:
1. We need taxonomists to train AI models based on museum specimens. The iNat AI is amazing but will never get to the specificity we need.
#AI #insectIDs #Ichneumonidae #taxonomy #insects #wasps
1. We need taxonomists to train AI models based on museum specimens. The iNat AI is amazing but will never get to the specificity we need.
#AI #insectIDs #Ichneumonidae #taxonomy #insects #wasps
I feel your pain. The pic is 1 out of 3 pages of ME from one of my papers. Preparing ME sections as a text block is probably the most tedious and I would argue unnecessary parts of a taxonomic paper. Why are we still putting this tabular information in paragraph form?
March 27, 2025 at 7:03 PM
I feel your pain. The pic is 1 out of 3 pages of ME from one of my papers. Preparing ME sections as a text block is probably the most tedious and I would argue unnecessary parts of a taxonomic paper. Why are we still putting this tabular information in paragraph form?
I'm happy to announce we're shipping out our first orders of Claridge Traps light sheets! If you're tired of stringing a sheet between two trees, why not support a fellow entomologist and his growing insect trap business? Use the discount code "Bluesky" to get 10% off your order for the next month.
March 26, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I'm happy to announce we're shipping out our first orders of Claridge Traps light sheets! If you're tired of stringing a sheet between two trees, why not support a fellow entomologist and his growing insect trap business? Use the discount code "Bluesky" to get 10% off your order for the next month.
The filterable gallery is essentially a vastly more intuitive version of a matrix-based approach like a Lucid key. It works based on #JavaScript, #CSS, #HTML, and a simple data sheet filled out with info on color, distribution, morphology, biology, taxonomy, etc.
March 26, 2025 at 3:35 AM
The filterable gallery is essentially a vastly more intuitive version of a matrix-based approach like a Lucid key. It works based on #JavaScript, #CSS, #HTML, and a simple data sheet filled out with info on color, distribution, morphology, biology, taxonomy, etc.
When available, more images can be seen by clicking on a species of interest.
March 26, 2025 at 3:29 AM
When available, more images can be seen by clicking on a species of interest.
There is a lot of functionality on IoNA (ichsofna.org) that most people aren´t aware of. Here are a couple of videos explaining what can be done with the filterable galleries.
#Ichneumonidae #Ichneumoninae #biodiversity #JavaScript
#insect #wasp #parasitoid
#Ichneumonidae #Ichneumoninae #biodiversity #JavaScript
#insect #wasp #parasitoid
March 26, 2025 at 3:28 AM
There is a lot of functionality on IoNA (ichsofna.org) that most people aren´t aware of. Here are a couple of videos explaining what can be done with the filterable galleries.
#Ichneumonidae #Ichneumoninae #biodiversity #JavaScript
#insect #wasp #parasitoid
#Ichneumonidae #Ichneumoninae #biodiversity #JavaScript
#insect #wasp #parasitoid