My indoor cat approves of her new catflap (to an enclosed patio area). I never knew these temporary, removeable, renter friendly pet doors existed til this year. They just slot into your sliding door, and saved me ~$800 vs cutting one into double-glazing. #cat #indoorcat #bunnings #catio

I have a spoilt cat. She doesn't like toys much, but treats are all good. If you have a pet, I recommend these cooling beds (come in all sizes) from PetStock, it is her fave possession ever

I am delighted that the babies grew so fast I thought that they died (they were pupating in the soil) and today emerged as the first adult purple loosestrife beetles ever in New Zealand! We will work towards gaining final permission to release them in Spring/Summer #biocontrol #weeds #entomology

The takoyakis are hatching! The little octopus tentacles are crawling around! #biocontrol #beetles #entomology

My purple loosestrife #beetle eggs arrived but they look more like takoyaki or profiteroles. Bet you can't tell them apart. #biocontrol #entomology #weedcontrol

Spending my morning contributing to science and submitting every thing I can find in my yard #CityNatureChallenge #iNaturalist

Lacebugs also eating me out of house and home, luckily they're off to Vanuatu again next month. Look at them twerking! www.landcareresearch.co.nz/news/vanuatu... #entomology #insects #bugs #biocontrol #invasivespecies

Air potato beetle larvae eating me out of house and home. Great natural enemies to fight this tropical weed. Off to Niue again soon! www.landcareresearch.co.nz/publications...

Packing up a shipment of flea beetles to send another batch to Tonga to help fight one of the most invasive trees in the world. www.sprep.org/news/arrival... #biocontrol #entomology

Is this the world's first kowhai moth detecting cat?!? I'm collecting larvae at home to rear at the lab for an ecology project. Pepper helps find the ones that drop to the ground. #entomology #predatorfreenz #kowhai #bugs #catswithjobs #indoorcat

Lace bugs under the microscope. I maintain a colony to help fight an invasive pasture weed in Vanuatu. www.landcareresearch.co.nz/news/lace-bu... #entomology #biologicalcontrol #biocontrol #climatechange #vanuatu

Collecting eggs and prepping the air potato beetles colony for the next Niue release www.landcareresearch.co.nz/news/beetle-...
#biocontrol #entomology #niue #weeds #ecology

I don't mind working through the summer break because I get to look after these beauties! www.landcareresearch.co.nz/news/vanuatu...
#beetles #biocontrol #NaturalEnemiesNaturalSolutions

Some of the pupae from last week have emerged, hungry for some host testing. www.landcareresearch.co.nz/discover-our...
Gathering extra data for the EPA application to release biocontrol beetles for Chilean flame creeper

Today I'm learning how to sex the pupae of Chilean flame creeper leaf beetles (Blaptea elguetai) in preparation for host specificity. I hadn't realised how hairy but cute they are. www.landcareresearch.co.nz/publications...