🎉 New paper out! We report the first documented co-infection of Raillietiella orientalis and Kalicephalus sp. in a wild-caught red-tailed green rat snake (Gonyosoma oxycephalum). 📄 Sapion-Miranda et al.: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Learn more 👇

🔬 Inspiring the next generation of scientists! This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming two primary school students for an immersive work-experience day to discover the fascinating world of biological research. Read more 👇

A great day at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren! We were delighted to welcome a delegation from DG Environment Directorate F (Green Diplomacy & Multilateralism) of the @ec.europa.eu to showcase the work of speciesID.be, Belgium's centre of excellence for species identification.

🦠 Monitoring bird flu (BE) Avian influenza, is a contagious viral disease that primarily affects birds, especially waterfowl like ducks, geese, and swans. Avian flu is highly contagious among birds and can spread through: droppings, respiratory secretions or even contaminated water, soil, or feed.

🌍 Illegal wildlife trade knows no borders — and neither does collaboration. BopCo presented the results of INTERCEPT (Monitoring the trade in exotic animals, wild meat and the pathogens they carry in Belgium) at the 50th meeting of the Wildlife Trade Enforcement Group, hosted by Europol (NL).

🌿 At the 10th Biodiversity Spring Market organized by the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, the spotlight was on “Business & Biodiversity” — a theme that highlights the role of companies in shaping a more sustainable future. This event was hosted at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.

📣 speciesID.be awarded with a Seal of Excellence! We are proud to announce that speciesID.be has officially been recognised by @belspo.be as a Centre of Excellence for the ‘Identification and Molecular Analysis of Species and Tissues of Policy Concern’. 🔬 What is speciesID.be? 🧵👇

🐦‍🔥 Meet the Tragopan: one of the Himalayas’ most spectacular birds Often called “horned pheasants”, these stunning birds display inflatable orange or blue horns during their elaborate courtship displays. Sadly, several Tragopan species are under growing pressure from habitat loss and hunting. 🧵👇

📢 Spotlight on a silent agricultural threat: the Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) While hornets and beetles often steal the spotlight, the Oriental fruit fly is quietly spreading worldwide. Bactrocera dorsalis may be small, but it’s a powerful pest attacking many fruit and vegetable crops.

Interesting findings! At BopCo, we did a similar study using DNA analysis to investigate seafood mislabeling in Belgian supermarkets. 🐟🐚🦑🍣🦐 Stay tuned for our findings. Hopefully published later this year.

We are looking forward to presenting @bopco-be.bsky.social at the next iBOL Europe Community meeting on 26 January. Free to join! ℹ️ iboleurope.org/community-me...

🚨 Hidden viruses in the wild meat trade? BopCo contributed to a metagenomic study led by the University of Antwerp and the University of Kisangani (DRC), uncovering surprising viral diversity in the wild meat supply chain. 📄 Read the full paper by Geraerts et al.: doi.org/10.1371/jour...

🎄 The BopCo team wishes you happy holidays and an inspiring 2026! As the year comes to a close, it’s time to look back on an exciting and productive 2025 for BopCo. BopCo's 2025 in numbers 🧵👇

This month, the AfricaMuseum had the pleasure of welcoming students from Howest University of Applied Sciences, as well as from Ghent University and KU Leuven! Bioinformatics and Laboratory Science Lab: www.linkedin.com/company/bioi...

🔬 First Record of Short-Tailed Whipscorpions in Belgium!🦂 Stenochrus portoricensis, a species of short-tailed whipscorpion native to Central America, was discovered in a glasshous of the Meise Botanic Garden. Despite its name, it is not a true scorpion but belongs to the arachnid order Schizomida.

🦟 Reshaping our understanding of the urban, human-biting mosquito! A team from Princeton University has revealed that Culex pipiens form molestus — thought to have evolved recently in cities — actually originated over 1,000 years ago in agricultural societies of the Mediterranean or Middle East.

Sand flies may be tiny, but their impact on global public health is significant. In Nepal, species within the Phlebotomus argentipes complex are recognized as the primary vectors of Leishmania, the parasite responsible for leishmaniasis.

🔎 BopCo featured in: “Douaniers : à la frontière du risque”! We’re proud to appear in this documentary, filmed at Brussels Airport and available on RTL Play. The episodes highlight the work of customs officers — and how scientific collaboration helps protect biodiversity and public health.

🎉 Happy 10th Birthday to BopCo! 🎉 November 2025 marks 10 years of BopCo, the Belspo funded DNA Identification Service at RBINS & RMCA — and what a journey it’s been!

🐟 Fast DNA testing to protect the future of European eels The lucrative trade of glass eels continues to raise serious concerns across Europe. While the European eel is critically endangered and protected under CITES regulations, illegal trafficking persists due to high demand, especially in Asia.

We have published a new special issue on invasions in aquatic systems, which stemmed from @neobiota.bsky.social's 2024 conference in Lisbon. 🌊🇵🇹 🔗 Read all about it on the @pensoft.net blog: blog.pensoft.net/2025/10/10/n...

🦟 Mosquitoes on the move: what’s at stake for Belgium? As Europe grapples with the rising threat of mosquito-borne diseases, this latest review paper takes a closer look at the growing risks right here in Belgium. www.kaowarsom.be/documents/PD... 🧵👇

Belgium is home to several breeders of CITES-listed birds such as parrots and birds of prey. Some of these species are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity, which has led to illegal practices in the past, such as the collection and raising of eggs or chicks taken from the wild. 🧵👇

🌞 Feeling the summer heat? Step into the frozen world of science with us, at -80°C! ❄️ Did you know that both the AfricaMuseum and @naturalsciences-be.bsky.social house massive tissue collections stored at -80°C for molecular research?

Register as an ERGA member to receive: 🔹 Invitations to #ERGAPlenary meetings 🔹 Our newsletter with community updates, events, and opportunities ➡️ erga-biodiversity.eu/register @ebpgenome.bsky.social @biogeneurope.bsky.social

🌊 Coral Reefs & Coastal Treasures — Admire, Don't Acquire 🐚 Coral reefs and coastal habitats are some of nature’s most breathtaking wonders. Each year, millions of people go diving or visit these fragile environments, drawn by their vibrant beauty and unique biodiversity.

🧬 BopCo is contributing to the development of a reference DNA database of valuable collection specimens! Did you know that the @naturalsciences-be.bsky.social in Brussels holds one of the 10 largest natural science collections in the world, with approximately 38 million specimens?

👁️ Vous pensez avoir repéré un moustique tigre ? Envoyez-nous vos photos sur SurveillanceMoustiques.be 📷 ou via notre app ! 📱 Plus d’infos 👇 surveillancemoustiques.be

👁️ Denk je dat je een tijgermug hebt gespot? Stuur ons je foto's door via MuggenSurveillance.be 📷 of via onze app! 📱 Meer info 👇 muggensurveillance.be

🌟 #FlatwormWatch - our Citizen Science project on non-native flatworms - was launched one year ago 🔍 We can share some results, with a boom of observations of some species 📈 youtube.com/shorts/CG-Yj... @inbo.be @meisebotanicgarden.bsky.social @naturalsciences-be.bsky.social

From river-clogging plants to disease-carrying insects, the direct economic cost of invasive species worldwide has averaged about $35 billion a year for decades, researchers said Monday. u.afp.com/Spgn

That’s why today we presented an updated list of the animal species that occur in Europe according to various taxonomic databases. iboleurope.org/launch-of-ib...

It's Taxonomy Recognition Day! 🧡💙💚 Our partners are organising events all around Europe: 🇧🇪🇩🇪🇩🇰🇪🇸🇫🇮🇫🇷🇬🇷🇮🇹🇳🇱🇳🇴🇦🇹🇵🇹🇨🇿🇸🇪... You can still help raise awareness about the importance of Taxonomy for Biodiversity and Natural Sciences by participating in the #NameItToSaveIt campaign! 👇 #tettriseu #taxonomy #biodiversity

🙌 Two groups of talented students at @kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social have recently supported BopCo in bringing our science closer to the public! These group projects were part of a course on Science Communication & Outreach.

🥼 BopCo, alongside researchers from the @naturalsciences-be.bsky.social, the @uantwerpen.be, and the @itmantwerp.bsky.social, had the pleasure of joining a supervised tour through the Biological laboratory of the Belgian Defence Laboratories (DLD-Bio).

🚢 In January 2024, BopCo received damaged wood from the “Berendrechtsluis” in the port of Antwerp. The wood was riddled with tiny holes and tubes — a telltale sign of possible shipworm activity.

Last Friday, March 14th, BopCo participated in a symposium on invasive alien species at the @naturalsciences-be.bsky.social, organized by the Royal Belgian Society of #Entomology.

🔬 Identifying species can be tricky when crucial morphological traits are lost due to collection or preservation methods. In such situations, DNA barcoding provides a reliable way to identify specimens that would otherwise be challenging to classify. 🧵👇

🚇 New Research Uncovers the Ancient Origins of the "London Underground Mosquito" 🦟 Culex pipiens - a.k.a. the common house mosquito or northern house mosquito - is one of the most common mosquitoes found in human habitats across the temperate regions of Europe, Africa, and Asia. 🧵👇

La perte de biodiversité, le changement climatique et les espèces invasives affectent non seulement l'environnement, mais aussi la santé humaine et animale. Dernièrement, #BeOH2025 a réuni 126 experts de 12 pays pour explorer comment l’approche #OneHealth peut relever ces défis.

Vorige week kwamen 126 uit 12 landen samen op #BeOH2025 om te bespreken hoe het kader van #OneHealth nuttig kan zijn om die uitdagingen aan te pakken. Het rapport volgt binnenkort. 👇 www.biodiversity.be/5984/

We have just published our joint report with @ecdc.europa.eu on how to investigate and control outbreaks of zoonotic #AvianFlu under a #OneHealth approach. Experts have developed flowcharts to help Member States develop guidance tailored to their national context. → europa.eu/!c9XhRJ

📣 What is the importance of wildlife surveillance? What is the role of AI in advancing One Health? How should biological invasions be managed within the One Health concept? These and other related topics were discussed at the Belgian One Health event in Brussels last week. 🧵👇

📜 Useful guidelines on IAS regulations for scientists in Belgium. 👇

🧑‍🏫 Last week, BopCo hosted a workshop on DNA-based species identification for students from HOWEST Hogeschool and @universitedeliege.bsky.social. Our ENFORCE collaborators also shared their expertise in wood identification methods, and we went on a tour through their lab and wood collections. 🧵👇

👑 Did you know that the Swiss National Museum owns around 90 bridal crowns from around 1550 to the early 20th century, some decorated with delicate red and white flowers? These bridal crowns are found in Switzerland, but also in Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. But here's the mystery: 🧵👇

🎆 The end of the year is near, so it’s time for the BopCo recap. 📈 In 2024, BopCo processed a total of 86 identification requests, a new record! 🐦‍⬛ Most of the species we identified were birds (Aves), followed by flies (Diptera), and various snails, slugs, and bivalves (Mollusca).

🌍 Last week, BopCo participated in a workshop organized by the FPS Public Health and the Institute of Natural Sciences, to discuss crucial strategies to combat wildlife trafficking and the related health implications in Europe, together with experts from TRAFFIC, WWF France, Air France, and more.

Crayfish are not an easy group of animals to identify 🧐 ✅That's why we have just developed this video to help managers, inspectors and other crayfish enthusiasts 🦞 12 species are presented, with 3 additional lookalikes NL: youtu.be/toeWYVAVXEM FR: youtu.be/at0OuhkFiJM

🪲 Behind the scenes of the cultural heritage #conservation at the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Belgium, Tervuren): BopCo’s support to the museum’s fight against pests. A thread 👇