Lmst

【🎉Latest accepted article】
Typhoon-induced litter on lawns and soil surfaces exhibit divergent decomposition patterns

SOIL BIODIVERSITY SPECIAL ISSUE!

Are you researching the conservation, ecology or taxonomy of soil and litter invertebrates?

Then consider submitting your paper to this Special Issue of the New Zealand Journal of Zoology, edited by me, Carlos Barreto and Andrew Barnes (what a dream team!).

Just send me preliminary manuscript info by 30 November 2025.

More information: https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/news/nzjz-soil/

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #SoilFauna #Soil

A screenshot of a webpage making a call for papers announcement for a special issue of the New Zealand Journal of Zoology, focussed on soil and litter invertebrates. The page has a banner image photograph of a globular springtail facing towards the camera, with its head down, feeding on fungi on a decaying log.

I've been largely absent from social media lately, as it would be an understatement to say I've got lot on at the moment... with a draft book manuscript due in two weeks (Eeeeek!), and a lot of research work to complete before a brand new baby Ashwood arrives in five weeks (even more Eeeeeek)!!

Time is a scarce commodity right now, send positive vibes please!

#Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #SoilBiology #Entomology #Fatherhood

A photograph of a yellow globular springtail, walling on the surface of a decaying log. The springtail has a cute, teardrop-shaped head and a spherical body.

This festival of waxy lumps is a baby biting midge, AKA a Forcipomyia larvae. Before they grow up to be bloodsuckers, they're surprisingly cute.

They're very common on decaying logs here in Aotearoa, but I don't often photograph them. However, my good friend and fellow macrophotographer Andy Murray loves them, and has a whole webpage dedicated to them - so go check that out!

https://www.chaosofdelight.org/forcipomyia

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #SoilFauna #Mesofauna #Macrophotography #Macro #Nature #NaturePhotography

A photograph of a cream-coloured fly larvae on a dead log surface. The larvae has a series of waxy trumpet and balloon-shaped secretions erupting from its dorsal surface.

Hey, as I do love soil animals and critters, I did support an artist who draws very nice pictures of the vast variety of #SoilBiodiversity (mainly #SoilFauna). Stickers for the kids 🤩

If you love #soil too, give it a try and support Svenja Meyer (https://bsky.app/profile/fminifera.bsky.social) and check out her store at https://smartwork.bigcartel.com/

#SoilIsLife #SoilIsAlive

Photo of different sticker sets with a lot of critters (insects and soil fauna) created by Svenja Meyer.

I heard something rustling under the bark mulch, and when I looked closer, there it was: a little mole! 🖤
It must have surfaced briefly while tunneling. I gently covered it back up and let it go on its way.
I don’t care about having a perfect lawn, so moles are more than welcome in my garden — they aerate the soil and eat pests. What's not to love?

Ik hoorde iets ritselen onder de schors, en toen ik dichter keek, zag ik hem: een molletje! 🖤
Waarschijnlijk was hij even bovengronds gekomen tijdens het graven. Ik heb hem voorzichtig weer toegedekt en met rust gelaten.
Een strak gazon interesseert me niet, dus mollen zijn hier van harte welkom. Ze verluchten de bodem en eten plaaginsecten — wat wil je nog meer?

#mol
#mole
#tuinleven
#gardeninglife
#bodemdieren
#soilfauna
#tuinontdekkingen
#wildetuin
#natuurlijketuin
#dorgaldirsgarden

Well: late April rain was insufficient in my forest. growing plants absorbed every of it and soils remained exactly as dramatically dry as before.

no water = no life!

In early May, a crucial breeding time period for most insects, observation spots in clearings were devoid of any soil insect, despite heat and sun. No ground beetles. No rove beetles. Nothing. Ludicrous!

A little insect activity is detected under canopy only.

Without any predator roaming, my clearings are turning into a slug paradise! (I did not shoot a picture because some people seem to be afraid of slugs).

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #forest

I bring you some exciting news...

I'VE DISCOVERED THE FIRST EVER GIANT SPRINGTAILS IN CHRISTCHURCH CITY!

The closest known populations before this were at Arthur's Pass, but now we can add the Port Hills to their distribution map.

Definitely my proudest observation from last week's iNaturalist City Nature Challenge.

#Entomology #Collembola #SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #SoilFauna #Nature #Macrophotography

A photograph of a giant springtail: a soft bodied, blue invertebrate with yellow spines on its dorsal surface.

New publication: The applicability of regional red list assessments for soil invertebrates: first assessment of five native #earthworm species in Canada. #speciesatrisk #soilfauna #extinctionrisk #soil #biodiversity #climatechange #landuse
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-025-03068-z

Figure 1 in Phillips et al. (2025): "The five earthworms native to Canada that were assessed using the IUCN-based Red List Assessment. (a) Arctiostrotus fontinalis, (b) Arctiostrotus perrieri, (c) Arctiostrotus vancouverensis, (d) Sparganophilus tamesis and (e) Toutellus oregonensis (photographs from Reynolds 2022; with permission)"

Excuse the radio silence from me lately, it's been a very intense University teaching semester.

On the plus side, I've done LOADS of entomology-related lecturing, which has been great fun! Naturally, I've squeezed in plenty of soil invertebrate content to my lectures, such as this bizarre, not-quite-an-insect, Proturan!

Protura are six-legged, wingless, eyeless and lack pigmentation and antennae. Instead, they raise their front pair of legs forwards as they move, which are covered in sensory hairs. This gives them the slightly comical appearance of a villain in Scooby-Do trying to sneak up menacingly behind someone!

#Invertebrate #Macrophotography #SoilEcology #SoilBiodiversity #Entomology #SoilFauna #Nature #NaturePhotography

A photograph of a proturan - a yellowish, six-legged invertebrate with a conical head lacking eyes.

NEW EUROPEAN RECORD 🎉

We were able to detect the Pygmy Shrews (Sorex minutus) in the high #alpine up to 3,300 m a.s.l. in #SouthTyrol #Italy, 780 metres higher than known before 🐁

New short note in #Hystrix (w/ #ChiaraPaniccia & @Eliag from https://bsky.app/profile/euracalpenv.bsky.social )

📄 https://doi.org/10.4404/hystrix-00760-2024

#PygmyShrew #Shrews #SmallMammals #Hystrix #Südtirol #AltoAdige #EuropeanAlps #BiodiversityMonitoringSouthTyrol #GLORIA #Mountains #MountainPeaks #SoilFauna #SoilBiodiversity #Monitoring #AlpSoil_Lab #Glaciers #OetztalAlps #Sesvenna

Screenshot of the paper's title and authors with information on the link and the journal.

Photo of a high alpine sampling site close to glaciers at 3,300 m a.s.l. in the mountains of South Tyrol (Italy), where the new European record for detecting the pygmy shrew was set.

ONLY THREE HOURS LEFT TO VOTE!

Anyone in the world can vote in the Bug of the Year contest - It's quick and easy! Please go vote for the Giant Springtail RIGHT NOW!

https://www.bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-2025/

If it wins, I'll get one as my first ever tattoo!!

#Invertebrate #TeamGiantSpringtail #Entomology #Collembola #SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna

A photograph of a giant springtail - a blue skinned, soft-bodied invertebrate covered in long yellow spines.

Some time ago, we #AlpSoil_Lab at #EuracResearch|s Institute for Alpine Environment published a paper for kids and all people in a simple language. Thanks to @soilbio_comm these articles were translated in many languages!

Check: https://idiv-biodiversity.de/de/young-minds/languages.html

Check: https://www.eurac.edu/en/institutes-centers/institute-for-alpine-environment/news-events/belowground-mountaineers-a-scientific-publication-for-children-and-young-people

#iDIV #FrontiersXoungMinds #MountainSoilBiodiversity #SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #Mountains #MountainEcology

A comic showing two kids investigating mountain soils from different elevations.

🚨BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!🚨

I know everything is a lot right now, but this is the LAST WEEK of Bug of the Year, and team velvet worm are hot on our heels!

Please VOTE NOW to make Giant Springtails victorious!

https://www.bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-2025/

Here's the announcement:
IF WE WIN, I WILL GET A GIANT SPRINGTAIL TATTOO!!

#BugoftheYear #BugoftheYear2025 #Collembola #Entomology #SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #SoilEcology #Macrophotography

A photograph of a giant springtail viewed from above, crawling on a NZ one dollar coin. The springtail is blue with yellow spines, and in length is only about half the width of the coin.

A short break from #BugoftheYear content to share with you the delight that is Pauropods!

These tiny relatives of millipedes possess unique branching 'biramous' antennae, and feed on fungi and organic matter. They’re found in leaf litter, soil, and under stones and logs - but at <2 mm length you’ll struggle to spot them!

#Invertebrate #Myriapoda #Nature #Entomology #Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #SoilFauna

A photograph of a pauropod - an orange segmented relative of millipedes, with strangely branching antennae.

Do you like your tea with #microplastics ? if you prepare your tea like this it could be an extra ingredient;

https://gaianism.org/reading-the-tea-leavings/

#enviroment #earthday
#EarthDayEveryday #religion
#degrowthmovement #grounding
#interdependance #TerraMadre
#MotherEarth #Gaia #Gaianism
#Gaianist #She #Earth_Centered #flora #fauna #FloraFaunaHabitat #SoilFauna #Gaian_Way #The_Gaian_Way #Gaiapunk #deforestation #BrazilSaysNoToDeforestation #DefundDeforestation #déforestation #pollution #PollutionGreed #NoisePollution #InsectDecline #insect #birddecline #bird #BirdWatching #BirdPhotogaphy #birdconservation #habitat_decline

Wondering What Gaianism Is? Click The Link Below;

https://gaianism.org/what-is-gaianism/ and https://gaianism.org/new-start-here/

if you're interested go here for Gaian Guilds; https://gaianism.org/local-offerings/ . If you want to create a Guild click here; https://gaianism.org/what-would-local-gaian-groups-do/

#enviroment #gaianism #gaian #TerraMadre #MotherEarth #Gaia #religion #degrowthmovement #interdependance #grounding #gaianist #gaianism #anticapitalist #anticonsumerist #Gaiapunk #She #Earth_Centered #flora #fauna #FloraFaunaHabitat #SoilFauna #MicroFauna #Gaian_Way #The_Gaian_Way #Erik_Assadourian #EarthEclectic #CyclesofGaia #CyclesofGaiaEcologicalCalendar #Guild #Crescent_City #Crescent_City_Gaian_Guild #New_Orleans #NewOrleans #Gaian_Guild #NewOrleansKrampus2024 #biodiversity #Local_Offerings #Hawaii #Honolulu #Honolulu_Hawaii #Gaian_Guild_of_Hawaii_Nei #Middletown #Middletown_Connecticut #MiddletownConnecticut #NewOrleansLouisiana #New_Orleans_Louisiana #louisiana2025 #covid_louisiana #Respect_Gaia #Love_Gaia #Fight_For_Gaia

Can we please have more of such #ecology #zoology project videos? 😉

Here they are combining #research on #arthropods in mountain areas, #ElevationalGradients, and #DNAsequencing to assess the #SoilFauna in 🇿🇦, old and new one.

📺 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9hvpXWi-kQ

#SoilBiodiversity

This leggy arachnid is one of New Zealand's many species of 'Earth Mite' (family Penthaleidae).

Some members of this mite family are major global agricultural pests, BUT they do have one redeeming quality... they have DORSAL ANUSES.

That's right, their bottoms are on their top!

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #SoilFauna #Acarology #Entomology #Macrophotography #Nature #NaturePhotography