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StrepsipZerg

@StrepsipZerg@scicomm.xyz

#Evolutionary entomologist & insect whisperer. Probably in a parc somewhere in Vienna.
Bread maker and hummus lover. My cats are cuter than yours.

check out my podcast, The Insect Insights!

You can tag me on insect pics for help on identification ☺️

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. For a complete list of posts, browse on the original instance.

StrepsipZerg , to random
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New #insectInsights is out!
It's a bit special, as this episode is more about the process of science than insects themselves, in a way.
It details one very fun fact about the description of the ant Tyrannomyrmex: a male ant was filmed, but was shortly eaten by its sister, so all we have of it is a short video, no description.

https://strepsipzerg.com/podcast/ep_pages/tyranno1.html

#scicomm #ants #insects #nature #podcast

StrepsipZerg , to random French
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Heyyyy
I'm looking for freelance jobs doing science writing about insects, biodiversity, ecology in general.
If you need something written, hit me up!

StrepsipZerg , to random French
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My Prenolepis nitens queen are about to have their first adult daughters!
Look at how ripe some of them are!!

Close up video of two ants, on top of a pile of brood, in a small glass pot with plaster at the bottom. The ants are golden brown, and the brood is a set of small whitish blobs. Some of them are starting to get colours, and most of them have two black dots, eyes on their head! The two ant queens are taking care of the babies, moving them around and antennating them carefully.

StrepsipZerg OP ,
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@futurebird Was it also a Prenolepis queen?

I also tried in the past a few times, and had several failures. This is the first time it seems to be going well!

I don't think feeding them would improve things, but you might as well try as a last resort.

I think them being two might be the missing thing. I am curious to see if they're going to stay a peaceful couple when the first workers hatch, or if they will follow the Lasius way and "naturally select" a single queen.

StrepsipZerg OP ,
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@futurebird I keep them at room temp in my bedroom drawer, so around 20. Low humidity. I had problems with them not liking humid tubes with cotton before, I think glass jar with plaster is much better for them.

StrepsipZerg OP ,
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@futurebird I also had the impression they weren't out, the workers. It turns out they are, but never in the light. Either on cloudy days, or just in the shades of bushes, you can find them.
At least here in Vienna, and for Prenolepis nitens. But I would guess it's generally similar with P. imparis!
Whenever it starts being too hot, or too sunny, they hide and you mostly see Lasius where Preno would be.

StrepsipZerg , to random French
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StrepsipZerg , to random French
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A fuschia flower stemming from a vine-like plant.

StrepsipZerg , to random French
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all week long babes

A weevil is in the shadow of a big flower bud. You see only its silhouette, as it's trying to reach for the stem of the plant.
Three weevils and an ant assembled around a whole in some vegetal structure. It looks similar to the flower buds from the other pictures, but it's seen from closer so it's not as clear.
Just the butt of a dark blue weevil, the rest is hidden by a piece of plant in the foreground.

StrepsipZerg , to random
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"Domestication makes animals cuter" exhibit number [a lot]:
Even in a non-human context it fucking works.
Look at this Myrmecophilus cricket, adapted to basically be an ant pet: is it not so fucking cute??
(photo from Phil Hoenle)

StrepsipZerg , to random French
@StrepsipZerg@scicomm.xyz avatar

I also saw a small fairy
(Woolly beech aphid, Phyllaphis fagi)

Same insect, next to a finger. The finger appears huge, because the insect is probably around 4mm long. It has wings spread, like if it was ready to fly away.

StrepsipZerg OP ,
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@mozz yes, I love them. Fluffy little woolly aphids

StrepsipZerg , to random French
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Let's pretend it's because I just saw this little apple tree dweller

A slightly closer shot. You can see its round black eyes, and some hair on its back.
An even closer shot. It's very cute, on its leaf, waiting. You can see its big feet, long snoot, cute head. What a cutie really.

StrepsipZerg , to random French
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loren , to random
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my new best friend the crayfish!

the same crayfish poking out from under a little fallen branch so its bumpy claws and long whiskers are poking out
the same crayfish still poking out from the branch in a slightly different position, still only its front half poking out though

StrepsipZerg ,
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@loren I learned yesterday they don't have a word for them and just use Krebs in German. I was annoyed.

StrepsipZerg ,
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@loren it's ''hummer''
Idk how I feel about it

StrepsipZerg ,
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@loren ok but German has a specific word for spiny lobsters, the same as french, Languste (Langouste in french) 😭

StrepsipZerg , to random French
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Took some pretty decent shots today. What do you think?

A dark blue iridescent weevil on a piece of dead wood. He has a quite short snout.

StrepsipZerg , to random French
@StrepsipZerg@scicomm.xyz avatar

Went around a nice natura2000 lake this afternoon!

A beefly on a yellow flower. You can see the fly's proboscis sucking for food or moisture.
By the side of a muddy pond, a green frog is sitting. It's dark brown/green, except for a line of lighter brighter green in the middle of its back, from snout to butt.

StrepsipZerg , to random French
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A beetle larva on the ground. It's long and brown.
A bumble bee on the sandy soil.
A big blue oil beetle. It has a gigantic butt, and nice antennae looking like threaded perls

StrepsipZerg , to random
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Some bee pictures. The sun was shy, so bees were slow and easy to shoot!

A profile shot of a black bee with white fur. You can see its wings are dark.
A blue bugle flower with a bumble bee on it. You see the bumble bee from the side, and the shot was taken very close to the ground so you are facing the side of the plant as well. The bumble bee is black and yellow.
A picture of an herbaceous layer taken from the side. Dandelions and deadnettle are forming a dense coverage. A black bee with white fur is standing on a geranium leaf.

StrepsipZerg , to random
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Oh so apparently European Shrews don't hibernate, but digest part of their brain and bones to survive.
This is quite amazing to me

StrepsipZerg OP ,
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and apparently this is at the cost of observable decrease in cognitive abilities.
So if you want to ask a shrew for help locating something, you might want to wait for spring before you do.

nev , to random

This , come face-to-face with a sumo mite (Allothrombium). That gaze may seem piercing, but from their behaviour they seem to be quite blind.

StrepsipZerg ,
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@b_age @nev hey can I join :blobderpy:

StrepsipZerg , to random French
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The cellophane bees are... Active 🤭
#insects #nature #macrophotography #bees #spring

A close up video of bees in the grass. There are maybe a dozen of them, copulating in chaos. They have fluffy light brown fur.

StrepsipZerg OP ,
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This patch is pretty intense at the moment hihi

A video of a grassland taken from a tall human height. In the middle of grass, flowers, and some dead leaves, you can see dozens of bees flying around.

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