Zoë Simmons
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pselaphacus.bsky.social
Zoë Simmons
@pselaphacus.bsky.social
140 followers 260 following 17 posts
Head of Life Collections @ OUMNH
Collections Manager of Arachnida
President of BENHS 2024-25

Entomologist, Arachnologist, Natural Historian, Museum and Collections Nerd
All views my own
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pselaphacus.bsky.social
It's Wednesday afternoon and it's time for a mid week reward. Presenting the shiny blue wasp that you didn't know you needed in your life #hymenoptera #museumcollections
A small blue wasp is in the centre of the image. It is on a long pin. Under the wasp is a large rectangular blue paper label with handwritten words in black ink on it. The words cannot be read. There is another, smaller white round label on top of the blue one. The initials MK are written on this label in black ink. The wasp appears ultramarine and cerulean blue, with green-blue highlights on legs and antenna. The surface shines but is covered in sparse deep pits giving it a rough appearance. Small light coloured hairs can be seen here and there.
March 12, 2025 at 4:31 PM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
Delighted to be hosting @colsocbi.bsky.social today at @morethanadodo.bsky.social for a day of talks and visits to the collections. Lovely to see so many keen beetle people, with old faces and new in the audience #coleopteristsday2025
February 22, 2025 at 12:33 PM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
This feels like a Chrysis moment #hymenoptera #museum #collections
A small pinned insect specimen with large labels. The labels are of cream coloured paper with handwritten annotations in black ink. It is difficult to read the text but some letters and numbers are just legible. The insect is seen from the right lateral view, with the head to the right. At the tip of the abdomen on the left the genitalia are protruding. The wings are difficult to pick out, instead the focus is on the glorious exoskeleton which shines with tiny twinkles of light anf colour. The wasp looks to be pinkish-red, but dots of yellow and green can be seen mixed in across the body. It gives the impression that if rotated in light, more colours would be seen.
February 6, 2025 at 12:01 PM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
Every year in January BENHS (@britentsoc.bsky.social) and LNHS jointly host the Brad Ashby Memorial Lecture.

In case you missed this years fabulous talk on electrostatic ecology by @samjakeengland.bsky.social, I am pleased to report that it can be found here youtu.be/e3R5T1jVcfU?...
February 4, 2025 at 2:23 PM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
I don't have anything more than a glancing knowledge of hymenoptera, but I sure do appreciate how beautiful they are #hymenoptera #bee #museum #collection #entomology
A shiny bee with black head and thorax. Hints of metallic shine can be seen on these parts. The abdomen is a rich greenish-gold and minute fringes of hair adorn the edge of each segment. There is a large handwritten label under the specimens and the words 'Xylocopa ornata' can just be picked out. There is further text suggesting that the identifier thought this an odd specimen, with characters placing it (seemingly) somewhere between the species ornata and metallica
January 31, 2025 at 9:46 AM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
There are many bees that are stripy. This one caught my eye for rocking the high contrast spots #hymenoptera #museum #collection
A black bee seen from dorsal view is pictured. It has translucent brown wings. Its black body is covered in a pattern of white polka-dots. The background is plain white. The handwritten label under the specimen can just be seen.
January 31, 2025 at 9:38 AM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
Our fantastic NERC DTP student finished up yesterday and I got the chance to see some of the collections that they've been working on. In a highly scientific fashion I picked out all my favorites based on objective parameters such as: bling, fluffiness, pattern & cuteness.... #hymenoptera #museum
In the background is an out of focus museum drawer containing trays of insect specimens. In the foreground a large pinned bee is being held between thumb and forefinger. The view is from the side of the bee, with the head pointing to the right. The eyes are big and pale, the tongue is poking out. The wings are dark with a violet sheen. The body is covered in velvet like hair which shines a glossy black and deep green as you move the bee in the light. The back legs are long and have fluffy combs of hair on each segment.
January 31, 2025 at 9:33 AM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
This moth 😍 #museum #collection #lepidoptera #moth
In the background is an out of focus laptop keyboard. In the foreground a hand hold a moth on a pin. The moth has a brown body, fluffy thorax and head. Its wings are folded back in a lifelike resting pose so you can only see the forewings. The pattern on these wings is composed of browns and yellows in soft blocks and lines with marks that almost look like the outline of eyes towards the wingtips. Over this are light swirls of white and pale pink. This moth is beautiful.
January 30, 2025 at 7:01 AM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
Unsolicited insect picture for your feed
Two large fluffy bumblebees are foraging on a purple flower head. The background is green and full of out of focus grass. The bees have a black head. Their thorax has an orange band near the head, whilst the rest is black. The abdomen has one wide orange band near the thorax whilst the tip is white.
January 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
Today, I have mostly been thinking about beetles #coleoptera
A black shiny beetle is pictured from dorsal view. It is round, almost seed like with a high polish in the middle. The edges of the elytra and thorax have many fine pits giving them a sculpted matt look. The beetle has fine middle and back legs. The femora on the front legs are expanded and have spines on the outer edge. The head is square. Eyes are small and antennae short, stout and with an obvious club on the end. Text underneath the photograph reads Hypocaccus rugiceps.
January 15, 2025 at 7:51 PM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
The light was beautiful in the heavy frost yesterday. Took a walk around the reservoir as the sun was setting. Fog was so thick that if it weren't for the birds, you wouldn't have known where the sky stopped and the water began
Icy frost over a reservoir, seen as swirling grey with hints of blue, yellow and orange. A few small dots of swimming birds can be seen in the lower portion of the picture, helping identify the water from the sky
January 12, 2025 at 5:36 PM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
Been diary planning this morning, and wowsers it's going to be a busy year! Lots of projects at the museum and BENHS events to look forward to. Here goes it with 2025 then!
A spiral bound A4 notebook with a yellow cover sits on a desk. The desk has a tablecloth on it, with numerous pictures of small pastel colored balloon dogs and silver sparkles. On the cover of the notebook there are the words 'It's life Jim, but not as we know it'
January 11, 2025 at 11:09 AM
pselaphacus.bsky.social
Am feeling under immense pressure to make my first post on a new platform really cool, but that would be so out of character that I just don't think there's anyway it can happen. Please be distracted by this nice #fungus
Three mature mushrooms in a field of grass. They have creamy white stems, creamy white and shaggy tops to their caps and dark gooey looking gills. Identified as shaggy ink caps. Found at Batsford Arboretum, UK, November 2024
January 9, 2025 at 5:42 PM