Zach likes bees
@zachportman.bsky.social
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Bee enthusiast and taxonomist
Job tools I dislike: - computer - email - calendar - word processor Job tools I like: - microscope - colored micron pens
about 10 hours ago
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Tina Smith
4 days ago
The ICE surge in Minnesota isn’t over — it just moved outside of the Metro. ICE agents are still terrorizing innocent people in the suburbs. They’re targeting bus stops and hospitals and parks and being more deceptive than ever. This isn’t over until ICE is out of the ENTIRE state.
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Newly published: a letter that continues the discussion of “ghost records” and continues our push for good practices and replicability in bee research and monitoring: “Ghost records and unverifiable specimen data hinder bee research: a reply to Cobb et al.”
doi.org/10.1093/aesa...
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Ghost records and unverifiable specimen data hinder bee research: a reply to Cobb et al.
We thank Cobb et al. (2026) for continuing the discussion on the important issue of ghost records and unverifiable bee specimen data in the United States (
https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saag002
4 days ago
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Evelyndroid's Aperture Science and Bugge-Finding 🏳️⚧️🕷️
5 days ago
We got one little rain storm and all the tiny silly wasps are out again and I'm very pleased 🤎 These lovely little Encyrtids are pretty common and I love to see their comically large antennae flapping as they run. This lass was grooming hers.
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Barack Obama
12 days ago
Today, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding: the ruling that served as the basis for limits on tailpipe emissions and power plant rules. Without it, we’ll be less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change—all so the fossil fuel industry can make even more money.
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WATCH: Trump, EPA's Zeldin announce end of scientific basis for U.S. action on climate change
The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, the most aggressiv...
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/watch-live-trump-zeldin-to-announce-end-of-scientific-basis-for-u-s-action-on-climate-change
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Rob 🇨🇦
17 days ago
#FebuArty
#Fuzzy
#Inverts
#Bee
🐝 A Fuzzy Half-balck Bumble
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Aaron Rupar
24 days ago
This is just insane. It’s only a matter of time before DHS kills another innocent person here. (clip via MPR and
@davidjbier.bsky.social
on X)
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Jeremy Hsu
25 days ago
Two more students from Liam Ramos' school are now in ICE detention, joining their mother who was detained first. The school principal "said the boys cried when he told them what was happening and were frightened and asked to hold a school nurse’s hand when they walked into the Whipple Building."
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Kyle Cheney
29 days ago
NEW: Minnesota's federal judges have been inundated — and become increasingly alarmed — by cases stemming from the Trump administration's deportation surge in the Twin Cities. Now they're poised to decide whether the surge can continue at all.
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
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Gray
29 days ago
Female Brown-winged striped sweat bee (Agapostemon splendens) on Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris) 10-13-25 Bowditch Point Park Fort Meyers Beach, Florida
#MacroMonday
#eastcoastkin
#native
#bees
#flowers
#pollinators
#macro
#photography
#bloomscrolling
#art
#macroPhotography
#bugsky
#nature
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David_j_roth
about 1 month ago
I found this bit, by a journalist who has written about CBP and ICE for many years, to be really instructive on how shockingly and persistently lawless those agencies, and especially CBP, have been for their entire existence, for more or less the same reason.
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-101-ho...
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"ICE 101" — How Trump changed ICE and CBP into a fascist secret police
ICE and CBP are fatally flawed products of the post-9/11 War on Terror — now Trump has weaponized those very flaws to occupy America.
https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ice-101-how-trump-changed-ice-and-cbp-into-a-fascist-secret-police
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Governor Tim Walz
about 1 month ago
I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.
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Tanya 🧚♀️👑
about 1 month ago
A coworker took this from her apartment. I haven't seen a crowd this size before. Maybe the first Women's March? But it was much much warmer that day. ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA!
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Tom Astle
about 1 month ago
Great interview with Krystle Hickman, a wonderful photographer & community scientist who I'm lucky to know. She first learned about native bees as an adult and is not a trained scientist, and has since made important scientific contributions and inspired countless people (including me). 🌿🐙📷
#BugSky
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Making the Invisible Visible: Photographing Native Bees with Krystle Hickman - Bioneers
Through photography, observation, and community science, Krystle Hickman is documenting the lives of native bees that most people never notice. In this conversation, she shares her observations and in...
https://bioneers.org/making-the-invisible-visible-photographing-native-bees-with-krystle-hickman-zmaz2601/
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Jack Jenkins
about 1 month ago
As clergy pray, arrests begin
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Sam Levin
about 1 month ago
ICE detained a 5-year-old Minnesota boy coming home from school + took him and his dad to Texas, school officials say. The family has an active asylum case + entered the US at a port of entry. "They’re taking children. They're not violent criminals. They're little kids," the superintendent told me.
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ICE detains five-year-old Minnesota boy as he came home, say school officials
Superintendent says Liam Ramos and his father were taken into custody while in their driveway and sent to Texas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/ice-arrests-five-year-old-boy-minnesota
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Governor Tim Walz
about 1 month ago
Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
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ProPublica
about 1 month ago
Yes, immigration agents not only took Arnoldo's phone, the 10th grader had to use Find My Phone to locate it — in a vending machine for used electronics, close to an ICE detention center. Read the full story here:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...
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Christopher Mims
about 2 months ago
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to: * 8 people shot * 5 of which were U.S. citizens * 2 died * no victims drew a weapon The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
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Videos Show How ICE Vehicle Stops Can Escalate to Shootings
A WSJ visual investigation found that the Minneapolis ICE killing is one of 13 incidents where federal immigration agents have used deadly force against civilians in vehicles since July.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/videos-show-how-ice-vehicle-stops-can-escalate-to-shootings-caf17601
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Taniel
about 2 months ago
The woman killed by ICE was Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year old who was the mother of a 4-year old child whose father already died a few years ago. The Star Tribune talked to her mother.
www.startribune.com/she-was-an-a...
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Gray
about 2 months ago
Female two-spotted longhorn bee (Melissodes bimaculatus) pollinating red & yellow dahlia flower in August’s Chicago noonday sun.
#macroMonday
#macro
#photography
#eastCoastKin
#native
#gardens
#bugs
#bees
#art
#flowers
#macroPhotography
#nature
#red
#yellow
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Cri 🕊🐝🐜📝🎭⚽😷
about 2 months ago
In other Hymenoptera macro size comparison news: ~3/4" Sweat Bee so sweet and teeny... ...then there's the chalcid wasp following her...
#inverts
#becurious
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Marshal Hedin
about 2 months ago
drunk on pollen .... enough is enough already! Melissodes (I believe), Anza Borrego DSP, Oct 25
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Adrian Smith
2 months ago
New Ant Lab video today about pincer wasps and a new research project. This one has some really cool, newly-filmed insect behavior in it!
youtu.be/9osTBzQ0zbk
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Spring-Loaded Claws on a Wasp – Parasitoid Pincer Wasps
YouTube video by Ant Lab
https://youtu.be/9osTBzQ0zbk
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iBartomeus
2 months ago
This gallery of almost all EU bee species high quality photos is quite impressive:
pollinatoracademy.eu/images
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Pollinator Academy
The Pollinator Academy is a learning platform with integrated taxonomic tools and information on European pollinators.
https://pollinatoracademy.eu/images
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Curro Molina
2 months ago
Si te equivocas de entrada puede que visites la casa de una Donacosa merlini (Lycosidae). Un hembra de Eucera rufa (Apidae) es arrastrada bajo la atenta mirada de 3 machos que no entienden nada y que a pasar de sus esfuerzos no pudieron salvarla. 🐝💔🕷️ Laguna del Ojillo (RBD)
@ebdonana.bsky.social
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Emily May
2 months ago
New study: backyard mosquito sprays lead to insecticide levels high enough to kill pollinators, and sprays travel easily into neighboring yards.
stacksjournal.org/article/ande...
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An initial assessment of risk to pollinators from mosquito control in residential settings - Stacks Journal
Peer-reviewed research - An initial assessment of risk to pollinators from mosquito control in residential settings
https://stacksjournal.org/article/anderson-25013/
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Stacey Burns
3 months ago
“She has marks on her neck and wrist from where agents restrained her. Agents cut off her wedding ring and held her in leg shackles at Whipple Federal Building for about five hours.” Her crime: witnessing ICE, from a distance.
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Federal agents arrest citizen observer watching ICE detain neighbors on her north Minneapolis block
Susan Tincher, a 55-year-old American citizen, appears to be the first observer arrested by federal immigration enforcement officers since the agency launched an immigration surge in the Twin Cities l...
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/09/federal-agents-arrest-citizen-observer-watching-ice-north-minneapolis
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Janean Sharkey
3 months ago
Check out the latest publication from my MSc research with
@nigeleraine.bsky.social
where we surveyed bee and plant communities in rare TGP and savanna habitat and looked at what factors may contribute to their success 🔥🌼
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Governor Tim Walz
3 months ago
Just to be clear: Minnesota will continue to be guided by science and medical expertise. While Trump and RFK wage war on vaccines and decades of science, I took executive action to safeguard vaccine access in Minnesota and prioritize the health and safety of our children.
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Hella Bee Nerd
3 months ago
Ma’am, you can’t just sit there in people’s driveways, it’s not safe, even for royalty. [Alameda, CA 12-2-25]
#bees
#bumblebees
#nativebees
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Gray
over 1 year ago
Bicolored striped sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) / pulling hyssop flower
#agapostemon
#beePhoto
#bees
#SweatBee
#BeesAndFlowers
#beePhotography
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So excited to see this paper out — determining bumblebee nesting preferences using standardized surveys led by Sami Dolan. We found 25 nests over two years in MN and WI and found that bumblebees prefer to nest in prairie and edge habitat rather than forests.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
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Prairie and edge habitats provide valuable nesting resources for bumble bees (Bombus) in the midwestern U.S - Apidologie
Bumble bees use three main habitats to complete their life cycle: foraging habitat, overwintering habitat, and nesting habitat. Overall, the majority of bumble bee research has focused on the foraging...
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-025-01222-8
3 months ago
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Terry McGlynn
4 months ago
I'm heading off to EntSoc and here's my take on navigating your first scientific conference. Hope to see lots of you there!
scienceforeveryone.science/getting-the-...
#EntSoc25
🧪
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Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray”
4 months ago
BREAKING: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EATS A LOSS IN 'SANDWICH GUY' CASE AS JURORS FIND DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY
www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
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Jury acquits D.C. 'sandwich guy' charged with chucking a sub at a federal agent
Sean Dunn faced single misdemeanor offense after federal grand jurors refused to indict him on the felony charge sought by prosecutors.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/dc-sandwich-guy-verdict-rcna242142
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Hella Bee Nerd
4 months ago
Ma’am, you can’t just wander the sidewalk like that. Most people pay no attention to where they’re stepping. [Foothill carpenter bee, Alameda, CA 11-4-25]
#bees
#nativebees
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Health Nerd
4 months ago
Can apple cider vinegar make you lose weight? Probably not. My piece this week takes a look at a fascinating example of unreliable science, forensic metascience, and seriously problematic data.
gidmk.substack.com/p/apple-cide...
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Apple Cider Vinegar For Weight Loss - A Study That May Never Have Happened At All
Some fascinating insights into the world of scientific integrity.
https://gidmk.substack.com/p/apple-cider-vinegar-for-weight-loss
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Hella Bee Nerd
4 months ago
Ever see a complete bee grooming routine up close? I’m not saying this Agapostemon subtilior female and I are heroes, but we are here to help. Enjoy this quality motion picture, complete with PG&E construction noises for that true California flavor. [Alameda, CA 10-27-25]
#bees
#nativebees
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Hella Bee Nerd
4 months ago
🎼 Tongue shadow, tongue shadow- 🎶 Watch this little male Zadontomerus carpenter bee perform an elaborate nectar-probing routine in a rock purslane flower. [Alameda, CA 10-21-25]
#bees
#nativebees
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Quinta Jurecic
4 months ago
After 2024, pundits brushed off the Resistance as cringe. I submit: Yes, it was. And cringe is good. Cringe, in fact, will save democracy.
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Resistance Is Cringe
But it’s also effective.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/10/no-kings-protest-good-cringe-resistance/684595/?gift=DWZS7XsWkZZzV_Qd7Q3wdXB7yxq0ag8cTzjSgS6aUSc&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
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Elisabeth Bik
4 months ago
Very bizarre. An investigation by
@cuny.edu
's expert panel found "evidence highly suggestive of deliberate scientific misconduct" - but the university concluded that Dr. Wang did not do misconduct.
#ScienceIntegrity
@charlespiller.bsky.social
reports at Science.
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Jen Cross
4 months ago
Xylethrus superbus is a fabulous species of orb weaving spider from the Amazon rainforest. While she looks a bit like a strawberry, eating her is not recommended.
#Arachtober
Cuyabeno Reserve, Ecuador 2022
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Playing around with some GBIF bee data. Some records pop up with: Order: Hymenoptera Family: Apidae Genus: Crustacea Thought my code was bugging out, but no, just very bad data quality.
4 months ago
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Hella Bee Nerd
4 months ago
Agapostemon are terrible at mating (they still get it done - must be sheer numbers), but they are very, very thorough foragers. [Alameda, CA 10-3-25]
#bees
#nativebees
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Quinta Jurecic
5 months ago
(Battle Hymn of the Republic plays in the background)
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Tom Astle
5 months ago
This is my friend Krystle Hickman’s gorgeous new book, which arrived today. Krystle is one the best, most dedicated photographers I know and a real inspiration to me. She is self taught and passionate, and has documented several previously undocumented behaviors. Buy this book! 🐝🐙🌿📷#invertebrates
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Dan Garisto
5 months ago
New: After a long wait, the GRFP solicitation is live! Deadlines have been extended to early November, so applicants have a bit over a month to submit.
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
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NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/grfp-nsf-graduate-research-fellowship-program
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Melissa McMasters
5 months ago
What a treat to watch this leafcutter bee bring the petals of a blanketflower back to line her nest, transforming a drainage hole into its own kind of bloom.
#bees
#Inverts
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Carl T. Bergstrom
5 months ago
I cannot overstate how remarkable it is that under GOP rule, US federal health regulations have been captured by fringe crackpots who espouse views that the vast majority of the US public—and nearly 100% of health professionals—reject. Gift link:
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Kennedy’s Vaccine Panel Votes to Limit Access to Covid Shots
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/health/cdc-vaccines-mmrv-hepatitis-b.html
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