Zach likes bees
@zachportman.bsky.social
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Bee enthusiast and taxonomist
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Zach likes bees
Marshal Hedin
5 days ago
drunk on pollen .... enough is enough already! Melissodes (I believe), Anza Borrego DSP, Oct 25
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Adrian Smith
9 days 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
9 days 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
12 days 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
13 days 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
22 days 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
23 days 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
26 days 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
29 days 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
about 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
about 2 months ago
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Terry McGlynn
about 2 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”
about 2 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
about 2 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
2 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
2 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
2 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
2 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
3 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
3 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.
3 months ago
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Hella Bee Nerd
3 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
3 months ago
(Battle Hymn of the Republic plays in the background)
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Tom Astle
3 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
3 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
3 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
3 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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Interesting new study documenting the only rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) overwintering observation:
scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol58/i...
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A bumble bee in a haystack: chance observation of an overwintering rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis (Hymenoptera:Apidae) gyne
Bombus affinis (rusty-patched bumble bee) Cresson is listed as a federally endangered species in the United States and Canada. It is globally “imperiled” (G2) and listed as “critically endangered” on ...
https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol58/iss1/11/
3 months ago
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The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
3 months ago
Researchers at Xerces &
@unevadareno.bsky.social
tested the plants butterflies use in two major cities—nearly all had pesticides, many at lethal levels. Every step to reduce pesticide use is a win. Learn more ➡️
xerces.org/news/organiz...
Find safer alternatives to pesticides ➡️
xerces.org/pesticides
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Zach likes bees
Hella Bee Nerd
4 months ago
Speaking of the end of Longhorn bee season, here is the most impressively elderly male I've yet seen. An amazing amount of hair loss considering they never go into nests, which is how females lose their hairs (hole/tunnel friction). [Alameda, CA 8-16-25]
#bees
#nativebees
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A perfect fuzzy boy from today (leafcutter bee, Megachile latimanus)
4 months ago
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JPE - Journal of Pollination Ecology
4 months ago
Extremely interesting opinion piece by MacIvor & Irwin on "Mail-order solitary bee cocoons as a gateway for biological invasion":
doi.org/10.26786/192...
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James Petruzzi
4 months ago
Another hidden treasure from Waikamoi: Hyleaus volitalis, a species of Hawaii-endemic yellow-faced bee. (No yellow face on this one, she's female). These bees usually hold their wings close against the body, glad this one decided to show off her colors...
#invertebrates
#Hawaii
📷🌿🐙
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Zach likes bees
Evelyndroid's Habronattus Holidays To All Good People 🏳️⚧️🕷️
4 months ago
So many resin bees today! This nugget was very excited about some St John's Wort.
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Tom Astle
4 months ago
It's always worth looking closer.🐙🌿🧵 Late this afternoon I saw a small male green sweat bee in the grass. He was near a flower, but seemed to be trying - not totally successfully - to cling to a thread-thin piece of grass, maybe to roost for the night. I took photos as he clambered around, but--
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Hella Bee Nerd
4 months ago
Ceratina small carpenter bee mating is a more complicated activity than I realized before recording this. Many bees do antenna stroking but note he’s also grabbed her back legs with his and is rapidly stroking them with his middle legs. A lot to keep track of. [Oakland, CA 9-1-25]
#bees
#nativebees
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Quinta Jurecic
4 months ago
this now brings us up to six (!) grand jury refusals to charge (that we know about), plus two cases filed as part of the dc surge dismissed on the us attorney's office's request
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Jen Cross
4 months ago
Alright, you all have to stop and appreciate this stunning little dude. The blue eyes, fuzzy sideburns, and cute little bee feet. These longhorn bees are typically energetic and skittish, but Mr. Handsome must've been napping. A great opportunity for a nice portrait. (Melissodes denticulatus) PA
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amohr
4 months ago
Check out those antlers!
#bees
#insects
#inverts
#macromonday
#bloomscrolling
#flowerreport
#pnw
#garden
#photography
#eastcoastkin
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Ed Phillips
4 months ago
First Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) that I've seen in our
#Staffs
garden this year; a male. Lots of other invertebrates on the Ivy too, showing what in important resource it is.
#bees
#SolitaryBees
#pollination
#macro
#photograph
#biodiversity
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New paper! “Pollinator plantings in the intensively farmed Midwest (U.S.A.) support a core set of common bee species, regardless of local and landscape controls” led by postdoc Marissa Chase. 1/
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Pollinator plantings in the intensively farmed Midwest (U.S.A.) support a core set of common bee species, regardless of local and landscape controls
Amidst widespread habitat loss and homogenization of landscapes, pollinator plantings can provide bees with a diversity of foraging resources. Yet, plantings may fall short of restoring historical be...
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/rec.70175
4 months ago
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Maryn McKenna
4 months ago
My heart. Members of the US Public Health Service (the uniformed service branch no one has ever heard of, who serve at the CDC and elsewhere in the US), massed within the CDC property, saluting their departing uniformed leaders who were escorted out by security today after resigning on principle.
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Hella Bee Nerd
4 months ago
Meanwhile on the island we are also winding down to a few elderly males and the occasional female Longhorn bee. You can see this veteran’s age from all the hair loss and his ragged wing edges. [Alameda, CA 8-28-25]
#bees
#nativebees
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Ainsley S
4 months ago
International shipments and museum loans: some helpful, aggravating notes from Chris on the ECN listserv that I'm leaving here for future reference.
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Desirée L. Narango
4 months ago
Not ever day that longhorn cuckoo bees (Triepeolus sp.) out number the bumblebees during surveys! Three species yesterday on one plot. All on blue vervain (verbena hastata) which appears to be heavily favored by this genus
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Timmons Roberts
4 months ago
My lab's been attacked by an anti-wind group and their lawyers. They threatened the science funding of my whole university, to shut me and my undergraduate research assistants up. NYT just covered it. 1/n
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/c...
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Law Firm Pressures Brown University to Erase Research on Anti-Wind Groups
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/climate/brown-university-offshore-wind-marzulla.html?unlocked_article_code=1.g08.cAcd.MyLJWrRWdIhk&smid=url-share
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ProPublica
4 months ago
Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced massive cuts to federal health agencies. The Trump administration has refused to say how many workers have been lost so far. But a new ProPublica analysis gives a detailed view.
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Gutted: How Deeply Trump Has Cut Federal Health Agencies
More than 20,500 workers have left or been pushed out of federal health agencies, a ProPublica analysis found. Staffers say the cuts will leave their agencies less equipped to conduct studies, perform...
https://projects.propublica.org/federal-health-worker-cuts-rfk-trump-administration/?utm_campaign=propublica-sprout&utm_content=1756069209&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky
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A fuzzy rusty patched bumble bee boy from today. It's nice when they take the time to pose :)
5 months ago
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5 months ago
Yellow Loosestrife Bees (Macropis europea) foraging on their favourite flowers - Lysimachia vulgaris (Yellow Loosestrife) on Beeston Common, Norfolk
@norfolknats.bsky.social
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