Gwen Pearson

Gwen Pearson

@bug-gwen.bsky.social

Entomologist. Writer. NERD. I am a bug AND a Feature. She/Her

9.9K followers1K following2.5K posts

Gwen Pearson
@bug-gwen.bsky.social

Look at this magnificent beast! So much moss that isn't moss 🍃

Nash Turley@nashturley.bsky.social

Someone on iNaturalist thinks this incredible moss-mimicking katydid I photographed in Ecuador is an undescribed species, no idea if that is true, but definitely possible, would be so cool if a taxonomist someday used these photos to describe a new species! www.inaturalist.org/observations...

Gwen Pearson
@bug-gwen.bsky.social

This is such good news. ALL schools need libraries. 📚

Chalkbeat@chalkbeat.org

After years of school library closures, Detroit officials are considering a plan to reopen libraries across the district by fall 2027. The proposal also includes expanded air conditioning and building upgrades.

bit.lyLibraries could return to 89 Detroit schools under $251 million spending planAfter years of school library closures, Detroit officials are considering a plan to reopen libraries across the district by fall 2027. The proposal also includes expanded air conditioning and building upgrades.

Gwen Pearson reposted

leland c. graber
@bug4bug.bsky.social

@rin-krichilsky.bsky.social and my paper on Trans Inclusive Practices for Natural History Collections has been published! It includes the results of our survey of trans natural history collections professionals, so thanks to all participants! nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.comTrans Inclusive Practices for Natural History Collections: Recommendations Based on Existing Efforts and Survey DataFrom the early cabinets of curiosity to the vast museum repositories of today, natural history collections have been an invaluable resource for scholarship and public education. Curators, researche...
Gwen Pearson
@bug-gwen.bsky.social

Entomology JOB! at OSU.

Dr. Elizabeth Santos@lizmillermacroevo.bsky.social

Ohio State is searching for an arthropod biologist (e.g. entomologist) at Associate/Full Professor level. They will join our Museum community and oversee the Triplehorn Insect Collection. osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/j...

osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.comMartha N. and John C. Moser Chair in Arthropod Biosystematics and Biological DiversityScreen reader users may encounter difficulty with this site. For assistance with applying, please contact hr-accessibleapplication@osu.edu. If you have questions while submitting an application, pleas...

Gwen Pearson reposted

Dr. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele
@drdragases.bsky.social

"If you set out to design from scratch a tool to facilitate authoritarian rule, it would look exactly like AI. You would cherish it for its ability to destabilise our shared reality and its creation of disinformation on a scale unprecedented in human history." What a banger to start any essay with.

theguardian.com‘I hate what AI is doing to the minds and happiness of the young’: Katherine Rundell on the view from the classroomEducation is at a crossroads, argues the author and academic. Should we embrace new technology in the name of efficiency, or is it time to fight back?
Gwen Pearson
@bug-gwen.bsky.social

A plural #Spot the insect today; male & female dead leaf kadydids 🍂

Nathan Harness @nathanharness.bsky.social

If the ridiculous example of natural selection, looking just like a dead leaf, isn’t enough- this male is showing some cool sexually selected traits as well- he’s Mate Guarding. Ready to kick away another dead-leaf-mimic katydid who might try and mate with his friend. The cloud forest is remarkable

Gwen Pearson
@bug-gwen.bsky.social

Link to paper, which combined lab and outdoor tests to squash this myth. They tested citronella geraniums, lemon grass, sage, yarrow, and lavender : academic.oup.com/jme/article/...

academic.oup.comEvaluation of 2 ornamental plants Citronella—Scented Geranium (Geraniales: Geraniaceae) and prostrate rosemary (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) for spatial repellency of host-seeking mosquitoesAbstract. Mosquitoes are important vectors of pathogens, including West Nile virus, in California’s Central Valley. Public interest in plant-based mosquito
Gwen Pearson
@bug-gwen.bsky.social

This fantastic article is co-authored by Kara Haas from @kbslter.bsky.social ! Check out how urban schools can connect with nature 🌻🐿️

NSTA@nstaofficial.bsky.social

Third graders watched frog eggs become tadpoles, then tiny frogs, right in their schoolyard. 🐸 Teachers in urban districts are using the 3-H model to make outdoor science like this happen. Read the open-access Science and Children article: bit.ly/4ySTsYn #NSTA #OutdoorLearning

Gwen Pearson
@bug-gwen.bsky.social

I completely missed @nstaofficial.bsky.social is STILL not using alt text on their images. Really upsetting that a teaching organization is willfully ignoring accessibility. Image description: a school playground, with a student with binoculars looking on. Text Image in next post

Gwen Pearson reposted

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
@xercessociety.bsky.social

As with comedy, harvesting milkweed seed is all about timing! Learn how to pick the right time and method, and turn one milkweed plant into many ⤵️ xerces.org/blog/how-to-...

xerces.orgHow to Collect Seeds From Milkweed: A Pod and a PlanHarvesting local milkweed seed for later planting is a great way to increase monarch breeding habitat. We'll teach you how to harvest and separate the fluff from the good stuff.
Gwen Pearson
@bug-gwen.bsky.social

OOF. "the conservation status of 88.5% of described insect and arachnid species in North America is unknown...Of US insects and arachnids known to be at-risk throughout their range, 94.7% are not protected by any state or federal law" www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.orgData deficiency, taxonomic bias, and economic interests curtail insect and arachnid conservation in the United States | PNASEarth is experiencing a biodiversity crisis. Among the declining taxa are insects and arachnids, which account for most of the world’s animal speci...

Gwen Pearson reposted

Fiona Cross
@drspidernz.bsky.social

Today, October 10, is International Jumping Spider Day, and it is also #Arachtober! I thought I'd mark the day by sharing this photo of a little Portia africana male on my hand. These little spiders have touched my life in so many ways 🕷️ #InternationalJumpingSpiderDay