Behaviour, ecology, evolution & conservation. Particularly parental care, life-histories etc. Likes beetles and other whole organisms. Has eclectic enthusiasms.
Only 1 week to go before the closing date on this PhD opportunity in Devon and Cornwall. Like rainforests, beetles and ecology? This could be for you. Apply now!
Splendid PhD opportunity on ecology and conservation of #bluegroundbeetles in #temperaterainforests in the Southwest of England now available: tinyurl.com/BGBeetle. Come join the team! Interested? Email me: n.j.royle@exeter.ac.uk for further info. Please share.
ALT Clockwise from bottom left: A pair of mating Blue Ground Beetles (BGBs) - males are typically smaller than females. Deadwood, on the ground and standing, is an important resource for BGBs and many other temperate rainforest species. Top right: BGB awaiting fitment of radio-tag, and below, BGB on the move with radio-tag in place. All photos taken in Dendles Wood on Dartmoor, Devon, UK.
Splendid PhD opportunity on ecology and conservation of #bluegroundbeetles in #temperaterainforests in the Southwest of England now available: tinyurl.com/BGBeetle. Come join the team! Interested? Email me: n.j.royle@exeter.ac.uk for further info. Please share.
ALT Clockwise from bottom left: A pair of mating Blue Ground Beetles (BGBs) - males are typically smaller than females. Deadwood, on the ground and standing, is an important resource for BGBs and many other temperate rainforest species. Top right: BGB awaiting fitment of radio-tag, and below, BGB on the move with radio-tag in place. All photos taken in Dendles Wood on Dartmoor, Devon, UK.
This is the first known video of the Amazon weasel, a rare small carnivore. Filmed by a group of coffee producers in Bolivia, where the species hadn't been recorded before.
An example of the importance of citizen science to #biodiversity knowledge.
👉 bit.ly/3LrWmfl
Our 2023 #BugsMatter survey results are out today, and the news is alarming. The data indicates a 78% fall in the abundance of flying insects in the UK since 2004. 🧵
ALT BGB habitat occupancy is more likely where there is lots of well decayed deadwood in mature areas of broadleaved woodland/temperate rainforest (top right). BGBs are found in greater numbers within forests where there is decayed deadwood and high numbers of slugs to prey on (bottom right), and are more active when humidity is high (bottom left).
ALT A Wolf Spider carrying lots of her young offspring on her back. The mothers head is visible showing small, black shiny eyes and covered in hairs containing browns and blacks. The young spiders are huddled together and you can make out the yellow bodies and transparent legs.
I did this MSc course back in 2019/20 and couldn't recommend it enough! 🦔
Cornwall is a beautiful place to live, and the Penryn Campus is no exception - plus you'll be learning from ground breaking researchers... learn more about it in the Q&A next Weds 🦗
*New #evolution paper* Sparrow-weaver mothers lay larger eggs when they will have more help feeding chicks. Maternal reaction norms to help are *opposite* for egg size & nestling feeding rate. Cool. But why do this? 1 of 3. Fine work @p_capi. tinyurl.com/2djsp6zd#ExeterCEC
Culling-induced perturbation of social networks of wild geese reinforces rather than disrupts associations among survivors
Shows importance of generalised social system-based theory to understand how different species respond to management intervention
🔗doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14…
If anyone is thinking about MSc programs, this new initiative covers our conservation, marine, eco/eco options (and more interdisciplinary things) at UoE penryn
#invasivespecies have much, much further to spread, Henry Häkkinen, @DaveHodgson00 and I found. #PLOSBiology: Global terrestrial invasions: Where naturalised birds, mammals, and plants might spread next and what affects this process. shorturl.at/kpBZ5. pls RT
ALT Russel Lupins come from North America and are invasive in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Despite being widespread, they could spread even further throughout the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, and much of Europe. "Russell Lupins. ( Lupinus polyphyllus) NZ." by Bernard Spragg is marked with CC0 1.0.
!!PhD Opportunity!! Seeking ecological statistician to work with us on epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in wild badgers, please RT exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/a…@UniExeCEC
Exciting PhD project for competitive funding (start date Sept/Oct '24), exploring how gut microbiota affect pesticide resistance in aphids! The project is based at UExeter's wonderful Cornwall campus @uniexecec in collab w @Rothamsted: tinyurl.com/wuddbhew
Scientists observed flocks of Canada geese before and after a population-management cull in which about 20% of the birds were killed. Some animal species increased 'social connectivity', mixing with many new individuals. @UniExeCEC@RoyleResearchnews.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of…
I don't get to do fieldwork much these days so I was somewhat delighted to spend a week this spring with @broganConBio radiotracking #bluegroundbeetles#carabusintricatus on #Dartmoor as part of his PhD project on their ecology and conservation. A short thread follows.
There is a lot of variation in movement behaviour among the 30 individuals that have been tagged. Some move as much as 90m or more in a night (as the crow flies/beetle scurries) whilst others barely move for days. Looking forward to finding out more once all the data are in.
ALT BGB with attendant phoretic mite, waiting to see where it's host is heading next....