Armando Rosario-Lebrón
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rosariolebronentomology.com
Armando Rosario-Lebrón
@rosariolebronentomology.com
2.5K followers 1.8K following 1K posts
UK based in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Entomologist 🇵🇷
Former ITAP.gov Invert chair and US Federal Employee
Former US Labor Union Leader
Film Ent: imdb.com/name/nm13959020/
Editorial admin at: https://www.sswento.org/
Board Member: circulodepr.org
Views are personal.
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rosariolebronentomology.com
Got to do crafts and hear some great speakers at @royentsoc.bsky.social the Outreach, Culture & Education Special Interest Group meeting in Edinburgh. Such a fun day 🪲🪳 #Invert #entomology
A brightly lit classroom scene shows a speaker standing near a white podium. He wears dark trousers, brown shoes, a patterned shirt, and a brown vest. He gestures with both hands while addressing a small audience. Two people sit in the foreground with their backs to the camera. One has long dark hair and a shirt covered in butterfly patterns while holding a bright orange device. Another has pink tinted hair and a yellow patterned sweater. A large monitor beside the speaker displays a detailed close up photograph of an ant head with the text Make BIG out of a little. The room has white walls, grey carpet, and overhead ceiling lights. Two handmade paper insects lie on a white tabletop. Both have simple black bodies made of cut paper and thin curved antennae. The top insect has four white wings with orange tips on the forewings. The wings are decorated with hand drawn brown dots and branching vein lines. The lower insect has the same wing shape but remains fully white except for brown shading and small drawn dots at the edges. The wings have delicate brown pencil lines showing vein patterns. Both crafts resemble stylized butterflies from the family Pieridae.
November 22, 2025 at 7:38 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Pravia et al 2025 shows oribatid mites thrive where UK soils are rich in organic matter, moisture, and acidity (IE Wales). They are key decomposers, as vital as earthworms, yet almost unknown. Only a handful of people in the UK study them. doi.org/10.1016/j.ap...
#invert 🧪
A scatterplot showing how many species of oribatid mites appear in small soil cores taken across eight habitat types in the United Kingdom. Along the bottom are categories such as crops, tall grass, fertile grassland, infertile grassland, lowland woodland, upland woodland, moorland mosaic, and heath and bog. Each category is represented by many small colored dots, with each dot showing the number of mite species found in one soil sample. On the left, the agricultural habitats have tight clusters of low dots, usually one to three species, showing low diversity. As the chart moves to the right, diversity climbs. The woodland habitats show more dots spread upwards, many reaching five to ten species. The highest values appear in the moorland and bog habitats, where dots rise even further, reaching ten to fifteen species per core. Black circles with vertical bars in each category show the average and the uncertainty around that average. These black markers rise steadily from left to right. The visual trend is clear. Highly managed farmland has low diversity. Natural woodlands, organic rich soils, and wet acidic habitats support far richer oribatid communities. The figure communicates how habitat quality shapes the tiny decomposers living under our feet.
November 18, 2025 at 9:46 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A corn earworm egg from one of our older papers under SEM.

#invert #entomology #lepidoptera #bugsky🌿
Grayscale scanning electron microscope image showing an extreme close view of a corn earworm egg, Helicoverpa zea. The egg fills most of the right side of the frame and looks like a tiny sculpted pumpkin or sea urchin shell. It is almost spherical but slightly flattened, with deep ridges that run from the base up toward the top in regular segments. At the very top center of the egg is an ornate, flower-like pattern. Around a small circular opening in the middle, a rosette of petal shaped plates is arranged in a tight ring. Fine, wrinkled lines radiate out from this rosette across the surface between the larger ridges, so the chorion looks both ribbed and delicately veined at the same time. On the left side of the image, partly out of frame, is a rounded section of insect cuticle that belongs to the corn earworm. It is studded with scattered sensory hairs that stick out at sharp angles, and a few small raised bumps that look like clusters of smooth domes. Several of the hairs are long and needle thin, casting narrow shadows on the surface below. Along the border where this body segment and the egg meet, you can see the egg sitting snug against the cuticle, as if tucked into a shallow pocket. The background is dark and featureless, which makes the pale egg and the adjoining body surface stand out in high contrast. The lighting and SEM rendering emphasize every tiny detail in relief, from the fine folds and pits in the egg shell to the texture of the insect cuticle and the edges of each hair, giving a sense of just how intricate this very small structure is.
November 17, 2025 at 9:10 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A beautiful orb weaver still active in the cold weather in England
🌿 #bugsky #Invert
A close view of an orb weaver spider centered in its web. The spider has a rounded abdomen with rich brown and cream markings that form a pattern across its back. Its legs are thick and covered with fine hairs that catch the light. The spider is positioned at the hub of a large symmetrical web made of fine silken strands that radiate outward in neat lines. Each section of the web shows clear structure with junction points that shine gently. The background is deep green with soft blurred patches that create a sense of depth and quiet space. The lighting highlights the spider’s body and the delicate threads of the web.
November 17, 2025 at 8:31 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A Bicellaria sp resting on a soft pink flower petal in Wales. A quiet little moment with this Hybotidae hunter.
🌿 #bugsky #invert #diptera #entomology
A detailed macro photograph of a small Bicellaria species fly from the family Hybotidae standing on the pointed tip of a pink flower petal. The insect has a slender dark body with a warm orange tint along the abdomen. Its wings lie flat against its back and are translucent with a faint sheen. The head is rounded with large reddish eyes and short antennae held forward. Its legs are long and thin with delicate joints that grip the textured petal surface. The petal is curved and shows soft grainy patterns in shades of pink and white. A tiny curled fiber rests near the fly. The background is a smooth blend of deep green and muted yellow that adds a calm atmosphere and keeps the focus on the insect perched at the edge.
November 16, 2025 at 6:55 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A tiny sweat bee visiting dogwood blooms

🌿 #entomology #bugsky
A close-up macrophotograph of a sweat bee perched delicately on a cluster of tiny white dogwood flowers. The bee is sharply in focus, revealing its dense golden-brown hairs, large compound eyes, and slender antennae. Its legs are dusted with pollen and grip the petal edge gently. The background is a smooth, uniform green that contrasts vividly with the flower and bee, creating a minimalist and striking composition. The image captures fine details such as the texture of the bee’s thorax and the translucent edges of the flower petals.
November 14, 2025 at 9:17 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Interested in work on control of Spotted lanternfly at USDA? Postdoc opportunity here:
www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/...
#hemiptera #Invert #bugsky 🧪 #entomology
A close view of a young spotted lanternfly perched on a pale triangular point mount. The insect has a glossy black body patterned with bright white patches and tiny yellow speckles that sit across its head and thorax. Its round dark compound eye is in clear view. One foreleg rests against the point mount and shows the same bold white markings. The background is a soft blue that creates a smooth field behind the insect. The focus is tight on the head which brings out the texture of the exoskeleton and the fine contours of the mouthparts while the rest of the body fades gently out of focus.
November 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Isopods are still around in Wales if you know where to look.
By the way @britentsoc.bsky.social, the British Entomological and Natural History Society has a workshop on these coming up:
www.benhs.org.uk/event/an-int...
🌿
#bugsky #invert
A close-up of a small terrestrial isopod on moist Welsh soil surrounded by bits of moss and decaying plant matter. Its segmented gray-brown body has a smooth, slightly shiny texture with curved ridges along the back. The antennae are extended forward, and the shallow depth of field highlights the details of the exoskeleton against the blurred earthy background.
November 12, 2025 at 8:10 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Want to a apply to a cool UK PhD on bees and pesticides? Ecological models plus experiments to validate and link theory with data on habitat loss and pesticide pressure.
PDF: bpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.bristo...
Apply: www.swbio.ac.uk/programme/ho...
#bugsky #entomology 🧪
Single page flyer headed SWBio DTP with the BBSRC logo. Title reads Metapopulation dynamics of pollinating bees under pesticide pressure. Project ID 216. Supervisory team lists Dr Miguel Lurgi and Dr Christopher Clements as lead supervisors with Prof Michael Fowler and Dr Harry Siviter as other supervisors. Host institutions are Swansea University and University of Bristol. Body text explains that mutualisms between plants and animal pollinators are vital for crops and wildflowers and that bee systems face multiple human pressures with a focus on agricultural pesticide exposure and habitat fragmentation. The student will build a mechanistic framework to understand how pesticides and habitat loss affect bee plant interactions across spatial scales. Objectives list five parts: synthesize global patterns from existing studies about bee responses to pesticide use and habitat loss; test impacts in lab settings to measure effects on movement decision making and pollination efficiency; develop predictive models that include pesticide effects dispersal and species interactions; bridge model predictions with data to identify key factors across scales; forecast future risk by integrating the framework to predict combined pressures on bee populations interactions and movement. The flyer highlights training in experimental design ecological theory large datasets and computer simulations and mentions collaboration opportunities with Bristol City Council and the West of England Nature Partnership. A closing note states that SWBio DTP supports applicants from diverse backgrounds with reasonable adjustments flexible working and part time study options.
November 10, 2025 at 6:48 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Spider mite up close. Thinking about a public-friendly UK intro to Acari, similar to other ID workshops but a bit trickier since these animals are so small. Would need a good host site, and if there’s interest, I may bring experts from the US. Thoughts? 🪲🪳 #invert #entomology
Scanning electron microscope image showing a spider mite in extraordinary detail on a plant surface. The mite’s oval body is covered in delicate, rippled lines, with fine sensory hairs extending in many directions. Each of its eight legs bends forward and ends in small pads and claws that press into the plant’s textured tissue. The background reveals a landscape of ridges, pores, and plant fibers, with one larger plant hair crossing the frame. The grayscale tones emphasize every contour and make the mite appear sculptural, showing the structure and complexity of an animal far smaller than a grain of sand.
November 10, 2025 at 8:38 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Learning new critters at @nhm-london.bsky.social the tiny weevils are my preferred weevils.
November 8, 2025 at 12:29 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A Tetragnatha, maybe a Shadow Stretch Spider? Beautiful animal. The golden mosaic patterning on the opisthosoma is incredible up close.

#ukwildlife 🌿 #bugsky
A close-up photograph of a slender long-jawed orb weaver spider (genus Tetragnatha) resting on a glossy green leaf. The spider has an elongated, narrow abdomen covered in a golden mosaic pattern that shimmers under the light. Its legs are very long, thin, and translucent, each marked with faint darker bands. The cephalothorax is pale and glossy, and the spider’s eyes form a small cluster near the front. Fine silk threads can be seen extending from the leaf surface. The background is a vivid, blurred green, emphasizing the delicate structure and coloration of the spider.
November 5, 2025 at 6:41 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Join me in Edinburgh on the 22nd of November for the @royentsoc.bsky.social Outreach, Culture & Education SIG meeting at the National Museum of Scotland!

If you missed the abstract deadline, you can still submit a poster until 10 Nov. 🧪

#bugsky #entomology
Promotional poster for the Royal Entomological Society’s Outreach, Culture & Education Special Interest Group 2025 meeting. It will be held on Saturday, 22 November 2025, at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The theme is improving communication and perception of insect science through education, media, and society. Speakers include Dr Sarah Beynon, Nick Baker, Ashleigh Whiffin, Ed Harrison, and Jessica Symons. The poster shows the National Museums Scotland and Royal Entomological Society logos, icons of insects, and a background image of people examining something in a grassy field. A QR code directs viewers to register or submit an abstract
November 5, 2025 at 8:52 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
It’s happened, I became the weird guy people ask about spiders around here. I convinced the office that this lovely garden spider (Araneus diadematus) is completely harmless and a friend of the office.

🌿 #Invert #Bugsky
A close-up photograph of a European garden spider (Araneus diadematus) suspended in its orb-shaped web. The spider’s body is covered in fine hairs, with banded legs showing alternating shades of tan and brown. Its abdomen is rounded and marked with a distinct pale cross pattern against a reddish-brown background. The web strands glisten faintly against a dark gray-blue blurred backdrop. The spider is positioned head-down in the web, showing its large front legs spread wide and its detailed eyes and mouthparts visible, capturing the delicate precision of its silk threads.
October 30, 2025 at 7:17 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Sunset on the coast today.
🌿
A vivid photograph of a sunset along the Welsh coast. The foreground shows a dark rocky shoreline meeting a restless sea whose surface glimmers with streaks of reflected gold. The waves are small but persistent, each catching the warm light of the setting sun. The right side of the image is dominated by a sloping headland that rises steeply from the water, its surface dark and shadowed, creating a strong contrast with the bright horizon. Above the horizon, thick clouds fill the sky—heavy and textured in shades of deep grey and burnt orange. Near the center, the clouds part, revealing the sun half hidden behind them, glowing in intense amber and gold. Shafts of sunlight pierce downward through the openings, creating radiant beams that stretch across the water. In the far distance, faint outlines of the horizon blur into the haze of light. The overall atmosphere conveys both serenity and power: the meeting of sea, land, and light at the day’s end on the wild Welsh coast.
October 29, 2025 at 4:17 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Bracelet Bay during a storm. The wind howled across the cliffs and the sea roared below, churning against the rocks.

Wild, cold, and beautiful. I find people in the UK who think this kind of weather is sad and dreary. I tend to think it has it own sort of charm and beauty. #Wales 🌿
A dramatic coastal view of Bracelet Bay under stormy skies. The tide is low, revealing dark jagged rocks and patches of wet sand along the shore. The sea stretches out in gray-green tones, merging with the overcast horizon. On the right, a winding coastal road leads through grassy and heather-covered hills toward scattered white houses. The light is dim and moody, with heavy gray clouds suggesting strong winds and an approaching storm.
October 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
When you see this on oak, what would you think it was? These tiny round growths are galls, the homes of wasps in the genus (likely) Neuroterus. I love finding these on my hikes, those small signs of the hidden world around us.

#bugsky #entomology #ukwildlife🌿
Close-up macrophotograph of several oak leaf galls created by wasps in the genus Neuroterus. The galls are small, disk-like, and slightly raised from the leaf surface. Each one is pale cream to yellowish with a dense covering of fine reddish-brown spots that radiate outward, giving them a speckled appearance. The centers are slightly domed and fuzzy, while the edges are thin and blend into the green leaf tissue. The leaf’s surface is sharply in focus, showing its network of veins and natural texture. The contrast between the smooth green of the leaf and the intricate pattern of the galls creates a striking biological detail, highlighting the delicate architecture of these insect-induced growths.
October 18, 2025 at 6:30 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Some kind of Harmonia sp. ladybird/ladybug out here in Wales.
#bugsky #Coleoptera #Invert #entomology🌿
A close-up macro photograph of a Harmonia species ladybird, possibly the Asian lady beetle, resting among soft green and brown leaves. Its domed red shell gleams under the light, patterned with bold black spots. The pale cream pronotum and dark head are captured in crisp detail, showing the fine textures of its surface and subtle reflections across its smooth exoskeleton. Surrounding plant hairs and leaf edges frame the insect in natural contrast, with the blurred background drawing attention to the ladybird’s vivid color and intricate detail.
October 14, 2025 at 7:37 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Learning the spiders of the UK for Halloween season! This Linyphia triangularis (correct me if wrong) was beautifully posed in its delicate web on a cool day.

#ukwildlife #bugsky #Invert #Linyphiidae 🌿
Close-up macro photograph of a Linyphia triangularis, a small sheet weaver spider from the family Linyphiidae. The spider is perched in its fine, tangled web against a dark background. Its long, slender legs are pale yellow-green, with joints slightly darker in tone. The abdomen is oval and patterned with a pale cream base marked by darker brown bands and patches, giving it a marbled look. The cephalothorax is light brown with darker markings and small black eyes visible near the front. The spider’s fangs and mouthparts are bright orange, contrasting with the rest of its body. The web glistens faintly in the light, showing delicate geometric strands and tiny specks of dust or pollen clinging to the silk, all set against the soft, dark blur of the background.
October 13, 2025 at 7:56 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A mini Welsh dragon? Not quite, just a small Anystid mite in Wales, briefly interrupted while it was hunting a springtail.

#Anystidae #Invert #bugsky🌿
A high-resolution macrophotograph of a vivid red Anystid mite walking across a pale green leaf. The mite's glossy, rounded body and long legs are sharply in focus, showing delicate white setae (hairs) on its limbs and body. The surface of the leaf is finely textured, almost velvety, and a slightly blurred green stem or vein runs diagonally across the upper part of the image. The contrast between the mite’s bright red coloring and the soft green background creates a striking visual. The photo captures the mite mid-motion, its legs splayed out naturally as it moves. This species is a fast-moving predatory mite, often seen darting across vegetation. The image is taken in natural light, highlighting fine details.
October 10, 2025 at 10:48 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
When does the shiny newness of the Welsh coast wear off? Rhossili doesn’t seem like it ever will.

#nationaltrust
A dramatic coastal scene at Rhossili Bay in Wales. A narrow footpath made of wooden steps winds steeply up a grassy and bracken-covered hillside toward a small white cottage perched near the top. The path leads from the lower foreground all the way to the top left of the frame. The hillside drops off to reveal rugged sea cliffs in the distance, ending at a large sandy beach below. The tide is out, leaving smooth wet sand reflecting the overcast sky. Sunlight filters through large, dramatic clouds, casting both deep shadows and bright highlights across the landscape. The iconic shape of Worm’s Head, a tidal island, is just visible on the horizon where the cliffs meet the sea. The whole view feels windswept, open, and timeless.
October 7, 2025 at 12:21 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
My first UK training on critters begins at the @britentsoc.bsky.social
October 4, 2025 at 9:25 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A bumblebee in Wales on a cool humid day. Much more cooperative here than in Washington DC where they are harder to approach for a close shot.

🌿
#ukwildlife #Invert #bugsky
Close up macro photograph of a bumblebee perched on a vivid pink and yellow flower. The bee is facing the camera directly, its large glossy black eyes and fuzzy body dusted with golden pollen grains. Its yellow band of hairs circles behind the head, contrasting against the darker black fur. The antennae stretch forward over the flower as the bee leans into the dense yellow center, surrounded by bright pink petals radiating outward. The background is blurred dark green foliage, which brings sharp focus to the intricate textures of the bee’s fine hairs, pollen grains, and the flower’s filaments. The image conveys both intimacy and scientific clarity, showing the bee’s role in pollination in striking detail.
October 3, 2025 at 8:00 PM
rosariolebronentomology.com
A tightly closed zinnia? bud. I love the contrasts.
#bloomscrolling 🌿
A close-up macro photograph of a zinnia flower bud, centered tightly in the frame. The bud is round and encased in overlapping green bracts, each lined with a striking dark black edge that creates a geometric, almost scale-like pattern. The surrounding green sepals and leaves are slightly fuzzy and sharply detailed, adding texture and depth. The dark background isolates the bud beautifully, drawing focus to the contrast between the vivid green and the black outlines. The lighting is soft but directional, emphasizing the form and structure of the unopened flower.
October 2, 2025 at 11:36 AM
rosariolebronentomology.com
Another hike on the Welsh coastline. Never been distracted by critters and landscapes so much 🌿
A wide coastal view of Three Cliffs Bay in Wales, showing dramatic rocky formations rising from the sea. In the foreground, grassy hills roll down toward the edge of the cliffs, with small winding footpaths cutting through the green slopes. Several tiny silhouettes of people stand on the ridge, giving scale to the sweeping landscape. The three pointed limestone cliffs jut out into the water, partially surrounded by foamy waves. The sea stretches out under a partly cloudy sky, with another headland visible in the hazy distance across the bay. The overall scene feels expansive and windswept, capturing the rugged beauty of the Welsh coastline.
October 2, 2025 at 9:51 AM