Whew, a server restart seems to have fixed my Symbiota issues. I still can't get a backup downloaded, but I can add data and should be able to back everything up through my host.

Well... Apparently when changing PHP versions on my shared host, I broke my Symbiota installation so that I can't add data or download backups. If I can't fix this, my entire insect collection digitization journey comes to an abrupt halt.

A friend is streaming our game! www.twitch.tv/speakofthejo...

Chuck the Caver is a shitty creepypasta.

I haven't been to an ESA annual meeting in 20 years. I miss those days now and then!

www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/07/w... #invasivespecies #biocontrol

Today I learned that my backyard is home to THREE species of stilt bug.

I bought one and it's a steal at only $1!

Seeing all the horrible people freaking out about last night's election results will never stop being a source of joy for me.

Fantastic news!! This entomology club was fully funded to purchase pinning and other supplies. Thank you friends! 🪲🐛🥳❤️

Went to the library tonight to drop off our ballots and there were SO MANY PEOPLE doing the same thing. It felt good to see it.

Demo has also officially been updated to v0.1.2! Woo! store.steampowered.com/app/4079080/...

What's that? A new update! New version is live on Steam! TLDR Patch notes: HEADLAMP! Fame and Money reigned in. Lots of Text Bug Fixes. That one level has a map now. Pretty words! Ambient light increased slightly. The lighting designer on Buffy would be proud.

I don't know what's going on, everyone in my feed is screaming but I think it's about baseball not The Horrors so I guess it's all good.

Well, the backyard insect book hit 400 species today. Yay? #entomology #Bugsky

For some reason, I ALWAYS give insects little nicknames in my head when I'm observing/curating/photographing them. This one is "goofy baby chonker". #entomology #Bugsky

👻 🎃 🦇 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! 🦇 🎃 👻 Hope everyone has some fun, spooky plans for the holiday! If you're looking for some spooky entertainment, Ghost Hunter Simulator is available in Early Access on Steam! There's a Demo, so you can check it out for free before buying! #indiegames #halloween #spooky

Halloween's right around the corner! Want to do a little virtual Ghost Hunting to celebrate the season? Ghost Hunter Simulator is available in Early Access on Steam! Not sure about it? We've got a Demo, so you can check it out for free and see what's what! #indiegames #ghosthunting #halloween

It's kind of creepy to find a well-known disease-vectoring mosquito in your backyard... I believe this is Aedes aegypti, the Yellow Fever Mosquito. #entomology #Bugsky

I wish I was better at identifying ants... Found this tiny yellow friend in the backyard a few weeks ago. #entomology #Bugsky

I don't know if anyone found any bugs during the first 48 hours of Ghost Hunter Simulator going live for early access, but I just fixed a few UI things that had been bothering me for a few days! Love it when the solution to a problem pops into your head without warning!

Ever wanted to see what an indie game made by three game designers and an entomologist, in Unreal, using nothing but asset packs and blueprints looks like? Here's your chance. :D

If you're a streamer that I follow and you want a key, feel free to ping the @prime8.games account in the DMs and I will get you one. <3

AND GHOST HUNTER SIMULATOR (Early Access) is LIVE! store.steampowered.com/app/3256780/...

Congratulations to UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emerita Lynn Kimsey, newly inducted Fellow of California Academy of Sciences ucanr.edu/blog/bug-squ...

Kent Daane, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist @natureatcal.bsky.social, discusses the development of pheromones to confuse crop-damaging pests such as stinkbug www.aginfo.net/report/63788...

Tonight I learned you can't make a decent (non-freezing) loading screen in UE5 without using a plugin. Sigh.

Apparently I'm not only back on my bullshit, but I'm starting a new pile of it.

Steam Next Fest is still going through the weekend: here are the demos we've been checking out, and think you should take the time to check out too.

I'm still amazed that I can find multiple new (to me) insect species in my backyard with just a few swings of a net over a shrub. #entomology

Ugh, why am I seeing AI-generated art on the #BugSky feed?

Things that cost nothing - but is a HUGE help for any and all indie devs: Wishlisting - it gives games data to show publishers there is interest. Leave a Review - ESPECIALLY if you liked the game. Reviews on steam lead to the algo serving you up to others. Reposting - it's an attention economy.

What does it matter if someone with a ticking dot has a dotted border on their raid frame? What does it matter if a sound plays when my tank in M+ has used a defensive? Making it harder for people to perceive things if they need help perceiving them isn't making the game more accessible IMO.

I worked on this! Go check it out!

Feeling the fall vibes? Want to get your spooky on? Do I have the Demo for you!

Oh hey my good friends at Prime8 have a demo out TODAY! Also I'm in this game! YOU SHOULD CHECK IT OUT, IS WHAT I'M SAYING. (I also recorded my lines on Halloween last year so you know it's extra spooky!)

Support your local indies!

Steam Next Fest is officially LIVE! 🪽 Now's the time to play the free demo for Cloudheim, available until Oct. 20th! store.steampowered.com/app/4017410/...

The Ghost Hunter Simulator DEMO is live on Steam! Go forth and Ghost Hunt! Happy #NextFest everyone! store.steampowered.com/app/4079080/... #gamedev #indiedev #indiegame

We are also deeply saddened that the Madeiran Large White, Pieris wollastoni, is now officially extinct: it was last seen in 1986. The full report can be downloaded here www.bc-europe.eu/documents/68...

ANOTHER new insect from the backyard. This one is a plant bug, most likely Parthenicus sp. (there aren't many photos of the species in this genus, so that's about as far as I can take it). At this rate I'll hit 400 species in a matter of days! #entomology #BugSky

Today's lunchtime photo work: - A mouse-like barklouse (Myopsocus sp.) - A trickling filter fly (Psychoda alternata) These bring my backyard insect species count up to 378! #entomology #BugSky

ANOTHER new insect from the backyard. This one is a plant bug, most likely Parthenicus sp. (there aren't many photos of the species in this genus, so that's about as far as I can take it). At this rate I'll hit 400 species in a matter of days! #entomology #BugSky

Today's lunchtime photo work: - A mouse-like barklouse (Myopsocus sp.) - A trickling filter fly (Psychoda alternata) These bring my backyard insect species count up to 378! #entomology #BugSky

I wish the mandatory AI training we have to take at work at least mentioned the differences between generative AI, machine learning/vision systems/etc, and game-style AI (like game NPCs/mobs and such).

Hey all! Here's a reminder my day job has our NextFest demo already up and going! Check us out and leave a review if you can. *begs* Reviews help so much.

Bohart Museum of Entomology open house! The Kimseys, Lynn and Bob, answer questions about insects, from collecting to curating. ucanr.edu/blog/bug-squ...

#arthropods #insects #nature #entomology #wildlife