Tapani Hopkins
@tapani-hopkins.bsky.social
Studying African rainforest wasps, biodiversity, and other excuses not to get a real job. University of Turku, but living in Kållby 🇫🇮.
Posts in English / svenska / suomeksi
Also here:
https://mastodon.online/@tapani_hopkins
https://users.utu.fi/taesho
Posts in English / svenska / suomeksi
Also here:
https://mastodon.online/@tapani_hopkins
https://users.utu.fi/taesho
I think our ancestors arrived in January, saw all the windswept expanses of Lapland fell, and stated "finally, a place in which surely even biting insects cannot endure".
Should have waited before signing the lease. 🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟
Should have waited before signing the lease. 🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟
December 9, 2025 at 7:30 AM
I think our ancestors arrived in January, saw all the windswept expanses of Lapland fell, and stated "finally, a place in which surely even biting insects cannot endure".
Should have waited before signing the lease. 🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟
Should have waited before signing the lease. 🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟
Counterpoint: some places with palm trees are wet, muddy, and crawling with ants that drop from the palm fronds onto your head then crawl under your shirt.
December 9, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Counterpoint: some places with palm trees are wet, muddy, and crawling with ants that drop from the palm fronds onto your head then crawl under your shirt.
That's interesting: I genuinely can't tell if this is some new academic fraud email, or genuine.
My first instinct was "spam again", but looking at it it almost seems plausible? 🤔
My first instinct was "spam again", but looking at it it almost seems plausible? 🤔
December 8, 2025 at 5:09 PM
That's interesting: I genuinely can't tell if this is some new academic fraud email, or genuine.
My first instinct was "spam again", but looking at it it almost seems plausible? 🤔
My first instinct was "spam again", but looking at it it almost seems plausible? 🤔
I named this particular image "Oops.jpg". 😀
Focus stacking works better if you don't accidentally combine two different stacks. Very artistic, though.
Focus stacking works better if you don't accidentally combine two different stacks. Very artistic, though.
December 2, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I named this particular image "Oops.jpg". 😀
Focus stacking works better if you don't accidentally combine two different stacks. Very artistic, though.
Focus stacking works better if you don't accidentally combine two different stacks. Very artistic, though.
Lupaavaa! Promising! Lovande!
Ugandan Dicamptus wasp being processed by the impressive Helicon software (made in Kharkiv, Ukraine).
Ugandan Dicamptus wasp being processed by the impressive Helicon software (made in Kharkiv, Ukraine).
December 2, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Lupaavaa! Promising! Lovande!
Ugandan Dicamptus wasp being processed by the impressive Helicon software (made in Kharkiv, Ukraine).
Ugandan Dicamptus wasp being processed by the impressive Helicon software (made in Kharkiv, Ukraine).
I don't understand why everyone's complaining about AI. Seems to separate African wasp species quite well.
December 1, 2025 at 9:25 AM
I don't understand why everyone's complaining about AI. Seems to separate African wasp species quite well.
At least on my desktop Bluesky, the post language seems to be decided for each post separately instead of in the settings. Seems to default to whatever language you last used.
November 30, 2025 at 4:59 PM
At least on my desktop Bluesky, the post language seems to be decided for each post separately instead of in the settings. Seems to default to whatever language you last used.
Another one. This time the blobby pixels are apparently male genitalia.
November 28, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Another one. This time the blobby pixels are apparently male genitalia.
I'm idly wondering what the history behind these @nhm-london.bsky.social wasp claw pictures is.
Quite a lot of these. All so zoomed out you can't actually see the claw. And never with a picture of the wasp itself. Bonus pics from some kind of mass-digitisation project?
Quite a lot of these. All so zoomed out you can't actually see the claw. And never with a picture of the wasp itself. Bonus pics from some kind of mass-digitisation project?
November 28, 2025 at 9:37 AM
I'm idly wondering what the history behind these @nhm-london.bsky.social wasp claw pictures is.
Quite a lot of these. All so zoomed out you can't actually see the claw. And never with a picture of the wasp itself. Bonus pics from some kind of mass-digitisation project?
Quite a lot of these. All so zoomed out you can't actually see the claw. And never with a picture of the wasp itself. Bonus pics from some kind of mass-digitisation project?
I like genus Rhopalophion. Three known species on the whole planet, two of which only on Madagascar.
I wonder what species my Ugandan ones could be? 🤔😎
I wonder what species my Ugandan ones could be? 🤔😎
November 27, 2025 at 9:09 AM
I like genus Rhopalophion. Three known species on the whole planet, two of which only on Madagascar.
I wonder what species my Ugandan ones could be? 🤔😎
I wonder what species my Ugandan ones could be? 🤔😎
I suspect my rescue may be a bit slow paced.
November 27, 2025 at 8:42 AM
I suspect my rescue may be a bit slow paced.
Packar steklar för skolbesök imorgon. De ska skannas så klart.
Wasps and traps ready for school visit, now I just have to figure out what I'm going to say.
Lupaudun aina kouluvierailuihin sillä oletuksella, että ehdin kunnolla valmistautua. Oletuksen tieteellinen tuki on aika heikko. 😎
Wasps and traps ready for school visit, now I just have to figure out what I'm going to say.
Lupaudun aina kouluvierailuihin sillä oletuksella, että ehdin kunnolla valmistautua. Oletuksen tieteellinen tuki on aika heikko. 😎
November 24, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Packar steklar för skolbesök imorgon. De ska skannas så klart.
Wasps and traps ready for school visit, now I just have to figure out what I'm going to say.
Lupaudun aina kouluvierailuihin sillä oletuksella, että ehdin kunnolla valmistautua. Oletuksen tieteellinen tuki on aika heikko. 😎
Wasps and traps ready for school visit, now I just have to figure out what I'm going to say.
Lupaudun aina kouluvierailuihin sillä oletuksella, että ehdin kunnolla valmistautua. Oletuksen tieteellinen tuki on aika heikko. 😎
There's a @xkcd.com cartoon of political analysts being asked for comments on the outcome of an election after getting the first results from one tiny village. Pity I can't find it anymore.
Anyway, here's an accumulation curve for the Ugandan Bracycyrtinae wasps. Who me, overanalysing?
Anyway, here's an accumulation curve for the Ugandan Bracycyrtinae wasps. Who me, overanalysing?
November 21, 2025 at 9:30 AM
There's a @xkcd.com cartoon of political analysts being asked for comments on the outcome of an election after getting the first results from one tiny village. Pity I can't find it anymore.
Anyway, here's an accumulation curve for the Ugandan Bracycyrtinae wasps. Who me, overanalysing?
Anyway, here's an accumulation curve for the Ugandan Bracycyrtinae wasps. Who me, overanalysing?
And I can easily draw more complex graphs of what the weather was like. (Uganda had surprisingly cool nights, BTW, the altitude shows!)
November 21, 2025 at 9:15 AM
And I can easily draw more complex graphs of what the weather was like. (Uganda had surprisingly cool nights, BTW, the altitude shows!)
As in, now my code for drawing a picture like this consists of one line:
plot_weather(xlabel=TRUE, ylab="rain (mm)")
Instead of a long rambling chunk of text.
plot_weather(xlabel=TRUE, ylab="rain (mm)")
Instead of a long rambling chunk of text.
November 21, 2025 at 9:15 AM
As in, now my code for drawing a picture like this consists of one line:
plot_weather(xlabel=TRUE, ylab="rain (mm)")
Instead of a long rambling chunk of text.
plot_weather(xlabel=TRUE, ylab="rain (mm)")
Instead of a long rambling chunk of text.
I've just found out why computers often don't do what we want them to. Where do I submit a feature request?
November 21, 2025 at 8:19 AM
I've just found out why computers often don't do what we want them to. Where do I submit a feature request?
"Talvi- vai kesätakki" -kausi on alkanut. Kohta myös: pyörä vai sukset?
Jag bestämde mig för vinterjacka.
In-between time: Summer coat is too cold, winter coat a bit too warm. Bike gets stuck, but not quite enough snow for skis.
Jag bestämde mig för vinterjacka.
In-between time: Summer coat is too cold, winter coat a bit too warm. Bike gets stuck, but not quite enough snow for skis.
November 20, 2025 at 3:55 PM
"Talvi- vai kesätakki" -kausi on alkanut. Kohta myös: pyörä vai sukset?
Jag bestämde mig för vinterjacka.
In-between time: Summer coat is too cold, winter coat a bit too warm. Bike gets stuck, but not quite enough snow for skis.
Jag bestämde mig för vinterjacka.
In-between time: Summer coat is too cold, winter coat a bit too warm. Bike gets stuck, but not quite enough snow for skis.
New update to R package turkuwasps soon coming. 🥳
All two (2) users of the package will be able to easily draw weather data.
All two (2) users of the package will be able to easily draw weather data.
November 20, 2025 at 11:50 AM
New update to R package turkuwasps soon coming. 🥳
All two (2) users of the package will be able to easily draw weather data.
All two (2) users of the package will be able to easily draw weather data.
... turned out I was analysing *one wasp*!
I think I might tone down my extensive analyses of the farmland habitat preferences of this species. 😅
I think I might tone down my extensive analyses of the farmland habitat preferences of this species. 😅
November 19, 2025 at 8:52 AM
... turned out I was analysing *one wasp*!
I think I might tone down my extensive analyses of the farmland habitat preferences of this species. 😅
I think I might tone down my extensive analyses of the farmland habitat preferences of this species. 😅
One thing about computers: they do make it easy to over-analyse. 🧪
I spent some time pondering the difference between the two farmland traps for this Ugandan species. One trap caught wasps, other did not. Maybe it is a hedgerow rather than banana species etc? 🤔
But read on for the reveal...
I spent some time pondering the difference between the two farmland traps for this Ugandan species. One trap caught wasps, other did not. Maybe it is a hedgerow rather than banana species etc? 🤔
But read on for the reveal...
November 19, 2025 at 8:52 AM
One thing about computers: they do make it easy to over-analyse. 🧪
I spent some time pondering the difference between the two farmland traps for this Ugandan species. One trap caught wasps, other did not. Maybe it is a hedgerow rather than banana species etc? 🤔
But read on for the reveal...
I spent some time pondering the difference between the two farmland traps for this Ugandan species. One trap caught wasps, other did not. Maybe it is a hedgerow rather than banana species etc? 🤔
But read on for the reveal...
Sirppiahmasten tuntosarvien jaokkeita on aavistuksen vaikea laskea.
Jag tror det blir 63 segmenter här på mus.utu.fi/ZMUT.413
African Ophioninae wasps are nocturnal and have long antennae! I think it's 63 segments on this one?🤔
Jag tror det blir 63 segmenter här på mus.utu.fi/ZMUT.413
African Ophioninae wasps are nocturnal and have long antennae! I think it's 63 segments on this one?🤔
November 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Sirppiahmasten tuntosarvien jaokkeita on aavistuksen vaikea laskea.
Jag tror det blir 63 segmenter här på mus.utu.fi/ZMUT.413
African Ophioninae wasps are nocturnal and have long antennae! I think it's 63 segments on this one?🤔
Jag tror det blir 63 segmenter här på mus.utu.fi/ZMUT.413
African Ophioninae wasps are nocturnal and have long antennae! I think it's 63 segments on this one?🤔
Winter just arrived here 50 minutes ago. ❄️☃️
November 18, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Winter just arrived here 50 minutes ago. ❄️☃️
I find to my surprise that these two wasps are (almost certainly) the same species!
Quite a lot of variation in the propodeum structure. They look even more different in real life, the photos blur the differences a bit.
Quite a lot of variation in the propodeum structure. They look even more different in real life, the photos blur the differences a bit.
November 17, 2025 at 10:17 AM
I find to my surprise that these two wasps are (almost certainly) the same species!
Quite a lot of variation in the propodeum structure. They look even more different in real life, the photos blur the differences a bit.
Quite a lot of variation in the propodeum structure. They look even more different in real life, the photos blur the differences a bit.
Pentuliven pennut heräsivät yhtä tomerasti kuin minäkin tänä aamuna.
Mycket aktiv väckning, för november alltså.
See the #pentulive puppies.. mostly not even get up.. except one woke up for a moment then went back to sleep.
Mycket aktiv väckning, för november alltså.
See the #pentulive puppies.. mostly not even get up.. except one woke up for a moment then went back to sleep.
November 12, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Pentuliven pennut heräsivät yhtä tomerasti kuin minäkin tänä aamuna.
Mycket aktiv väckning, för november alltså.
See the #pentulive puppies.. mostly not even get up.. except one woke up for a moment then went back to sleep.
Mycket aktiv väckning, för november alltså.
See the #pentulive puppies.. mostly not even get up.. except one woke up for a moment then went back to sleep.
All eight (+1) species in this box done! Results:
✅ One Enicospilus vorax.
✅ Four(ish) new species.
✅ Three species which all want to be Enicospilus furius.
Or in other words, of these 8-9 species, at most two are known, the rest are new to science.
✅ One Enicospilus vorax.
✅ Four(ish) new species.
✅ Three species which all want to be Enicospilus furius.
Or in other words, of these 8-9 species, at most two are known, the rest are new to science.
November 11, 2025 at 10:38 AM
All eight (+1) species in this box done! Results:
✅ One Enicospilus vorax.
✅ Four(ish) new species.
✅ Three species which all want to be Enicospilus furius.
Or in other words, of these 8-9 species, at most two are known, the rest are new to science.
✅ One Enicospilus vorax.
✅ Four(ish) new species.
✅ Three species which all want to be Enicospilus furius.
Or in other words, of these 8-9 species, at most two are known, the rest are new to science.