If you see this post a flower🪷

The Rocky Mountain Irises are blooming in Northern New Mexico!

Conversely related gall species with the same gall morphology had consistent parasitoid guilds even though the taxonomy of the community changed

We also searched for other studies that had guild data available. We found that in four galling systems (Aciurina flies, oak gall wasps, rose gall wasps, and sawflies) there are significant differences in enemy guild composition in closely related gall inducers with distinct gall morphologies

So we determined the guilds for as much of the parasitoid community as possible between two closely related galling Aciurina flies with very different external gall morphologies

Traditionally the Enemy Hypothesis was tested by looking at the differences in parasitoid species between galls with different external morphologies. However, changes only in taxonomy could be from other neutral processes (drift, range expansion, etc) which don’t support the EH

Why do insect galls have such varied shapes even among closely related species?? The Enemy Hypothesis, posits that pressure from parasitoids drives the dynamic evolution of external gall traits. We have a new paper in @rsocpublishing.bsky.social on this hypothesis see more in this 🧵! 🧪 #galls

Today, the collection is housed in a dedicated gallery at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Where you can see hundreds of plants and a few invertebrates as well! I encourage you all to go see it if you're in the area!

In the late 1880s, the Blaschkas began making botanical models for the Harvard Botanical Museum and in 1890 they entered into an exclusive, ten-year contract with Harvard to create glass models of flowers and plants

Some of their models were incredible complex, with glass blowing methods that stump modern artists. Published in 1878, the Catalogue of Glass Models of Invertebrate Animals from H. A. Ward's Natural Science Establishment offered 630 invertebrates, ranging from $0.30 to $6.50.

In 1870s and 1880s, they would make details drawings from live specimens and replicate them in glass with water-soluble pigments for life-like coloring.

Last day of #nudivember, thought I’d draw attention to the amazing work of the Blaschka Glass nudibranchs and other invertebrates. Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, were a father and son team that started making glass eyes, but moved onto making extremely scientifically accurate marine invertebrates

Vince and I are currently recruiting grad students for a variety of projects. Please pass on this flier to anyone you think would be interested!

Come join me in beautiful New Mexico!! Excited to be recruiting a 3 year postdoc for an NSF/USDA funded position. Please see the flyer below for all the details and reach out if you have any questions. Please RT and share with anyone who would be interested.

I was on a collecting trip in southern Utah two weeks ago and discovered Goosenecks State Park. It is one of the most striking examples of an entrenched river meander (which is a great phase). You can camp wherever you like along the rim. Probably not great for small children, though.

Hello everyone! I'm Ellen Martinson! I'm an assist prof at University of New Mexico. I study parasitoid wasp venom and galling insects trying to unravel the molecular mechanisms behind species interactions. I'm looking for grad students and a postdoc, so please RT (or whatever the phrase is here)