iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy

Insectes Sociaux @insectessociaux.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

New research article! 📰 Amador Vargas et al. document for the first time a butterfly caterpillar that starts life eating treehoppers before sneaking into ant nests to feed on their brood 🦋 🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s000... #SocialInsects #Myrmecophily #Lepidoptera #Carnivory #TrophicSwitch

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Chris Jernigan @chrisjernigan.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Less than one week to apply! Please reach out if you are interested!

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

We had an amazing time at #IUSSI2026 at Freiburg, Germany. First time as a PI bringing my team. And they killed it! Could not be prouder! Thanks to the organizers, grateful to have spent such an intellectually stimulating time and catch up with wonderful collaborators/friends.

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Jane Waters 🏳️‍⚧️🐜🇵🇸 @lovetheants.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

“Females contain multitudes, even into adulthood.” RJ Milena (Rochester) speaking at #IUSSI26, sharing longterm vs short-term Polistes host neurotranscriptomics; their hitchhiking Xenos riding the endocrine wave to differentiation & development. @entomolrj.bsky.social @avispatica.bsky.social

RJ on a platform stage at the conference, title slide showing two beautiful Polistes wasps

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Chris Jernigan @chrisjernigan.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

if you are at #iussi26 come to my talk on Thursday at 15:00 in K9 and hear about how the brains of wasps who have never seen another wasp respond to wasp images

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Chelsea Cook @phdbee.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

🎉🐝 The Cook Lab is giving 2 talks at #IUSSI26! Come see how honey bee brains are dealing with stress and driving task performance to collectively behave and regulate hive environment.

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Thanks for your interest! Not this time, unfortunately. But we have a new paper that shows some of this work. Happy to DM you!

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Want to hear about how parasites can reprogram wasps to be zombies? Come to my talk and to @nvacca08.bsky.social’s poster today at #IUSSI206!

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Excited for our lab to present our work at #IUSSI26 @uissi-social.bsky.social! #zombiewasps #weaverants Looking forward to catching up with all our social insect peeps in Freiburg 🐜 🐝

Flyer for presentations by the Uy social insect lab at #IUSSI26

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iussi-nas.bsky.social @iussi-nas.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

📢 Introducing @uissi-social.bsky.social, the Bluesky home of the XX International Congress of the IUSSI. The Congress runs 16–20 August 2026 in Freiburg, Germany, hosted by the University of Freiburg. Tag your posts, abstracts, and travel plans with #IUSSI26 so we can find each other.

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Reposted by Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy

Patrick Kennedy @patrick-kennedy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I have been tasked by @markjfbrown.bsky.social with making sure that all social insect groups go up on the map. If for some inexplicable reason you're not yet on the map, be warned - I might ambush you in the IUSSI poster session 🤣 #IUSSI2026

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Insectes Sociaux @insectessociaux.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

New short communication! 📄 J. Kim et al. report the first South Korean record of N. vespularum and a new host record in Vespula koreensis 🐝 🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s000... #SocialInsects #Strepsiptera #SocialWasps #Parasitism #HostAssociation

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Hi, you are correct! What you see is the pupal case of a male Xenos that already popped out of its wasp host! The host will die at some point later summer or early fall. #zombiewasps

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IUSSI-Congress @uissi-social.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

The countdown is on! Just 10 days until IUSSI 2026. The congress will bring together researchers, students, and professionals from around the world to share the latest discoveries, foster collaborations, and celebrate advances in the biology of ants, bees, termites, wasps, and other social insects.

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Had an amazing time at #ICN2026! Thanks to @neuroethology.org for the support go integrate newer members. Our Mind Hackers satellite symposium co-organized with @zombiflied.bsky.social has opened up exciting avenues for our community and collaborations!

Dinner after the Mind Hackers symposium, as part of #ICN2026

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Noah Whiteman @nkwhiteman.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I’m thrilled to share that our search for a tenure-track colleague in my *truly wonderful and collegial* Genetics, Genomics, Evolution and Development Division in the MCB Department at Berkeley @berkeleymcb.bsky.social is live! Please share this broad search widely: aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05481

aprecruit.berkeley.edu

Assistant Professor -Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development - Molecular and Cell Biology

University of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Yes! It’ll be great to see you! We should chat. Are you giving a talk?

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Jerome Beetz @beetzjerome.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

One of my favorite talks at this year's #ICN2026

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Thank you for the idea! Will plan on it!

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

You’d are too kind! Welcome to club zombie 🐝 🧟‍♂️ We hope to run our mind hackers satellite symposium again.

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

How do parasites reprogram brains so your host becomes a zombie? If you are still at #ICN2026 tomorrow Friday, come to my talk at 3:30 pm (room 2306/2309) #strepsiptera #zombiewasp

Polistes fuscatus social wasp infected by twisted wing insects (Strepsiptera)

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Gray @grays.art · 30/07/2026

Horse Paper Wasp (Polistes major) at Crew flint pen strand in Bonita Springs, Florida 7-28-26 with wingspan approaching 2” (5cm), the second-largest species in its genus Polistes. #ColorADay #YellowThu #yellow #eck #wasps #macro #macroPhotography #photography #bugSky #nature #art #threeWordGenre

Large yellow wasp with red eyes, mandibles, stripes and markings, clinging upside down to a green stem of unopened buds and narrow leaves, with a drop of water on the rightmost-center, near its hind foot.

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Reposted by Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy

Mohammed Khallaf @khallaf.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Our new paper is out in @nature.com! We uncovered how a naked mole-rat queen 👑 controls an entire colony: a natural contraceptive scent that suppresses reproduction in other females! A remarkable mammalian parallel to bees and ants! 🐝🐜 @garyrlewin.bsky.social youtu.be/enfv3zJrWKM?...

youtu.be

Naked mole-rats are ruled by a queen: this chemical puts her in power

YouTube video by nature video

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

🌟🌟🌟Proud of Aidan, as part of the first cohort of our undergraduate researchers at the @nynathanshock.bsky.social Stay tuned for his finding! 🌟🌟 #aging #lifespan #teamwasp

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Which neural mechanisms do parasites use to control behavior, physiology, health, and lifespan in their hosts? Join our Mind Hackers symposium at the International Congress for Neuroethology! Saturday 25: 1-5 pm #ICN2026 @neuroethology.org Thanks to @bugsneedheroes.bsky.social for the image

Cartoon inspired from a podcast by bugsneedheroes about parasites being Mind hackers.

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Reposted by Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy

Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 11/06/2026

📣📣 Our annual conference #ABL2026 is here! 💚 Join us on 12 Nov 2026 for a full day exploring "Studying Animal Behaviour in a Changing World" 🔹 FREE & online 🔹 3 stellar plenaries 🔹 Talks & posters on diverse topics 🔹 Global-friendly time zones 🌎 Mark your calendar 📅 and don't miss this #ABL2026!

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Chelsea Cook @phdbee.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

We (me and @njdowdy.bsky.social) are hiring a PhD student! Come work with us! We seek a PhD student to investigate the evolution of acoustic behavior in Lepidoptera within a comparative evolutionary framework... Job closes this week! Apply ASAP! njdowdy.gitlab.io/balogh-fello...

njdowdy.gitlab.io

Kenneth F. Balogh Graduate Student Fellowship

A PhD position investigating the evolution of acoustic behavior in Lepidoptera, co-advised by Dr. Nicolas J. Dowdy (Milwaukee Public Museum) and Dr. Chelsea Cook (Marquette University). Apply by June ...

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Chris Jernigan @chrisjernigan.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

My lab is recruiting a #postdoc! Please share! See ad below. If interested please reach out to me via email. Deadline to apply is Sept. 1st, 2026. #wasplove

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Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 17/04/2026

📣 SEMINAR SERIES 2026 📣 Our first seminar of the year is coming up fast! 🐜🐝 🎥 Check out this teaser! Come listen to Dr. Anna Dornhaus ( @dornhaus.bsky.social ) to hear about “What we learned about the world from studying collective behavior: algorithms, replicators, and strong inference”

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Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I completely agree with Marjorie Taylor Greene is a sentence I never thought I would ever write.

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Slaughtering our golden goose: massive budget cuts for US science proposed again by Trump administration www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.com

Massive budget cuts for US science proposed again by Trump administration

Budget proposal would also curb federal payments for scientific publishing.

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Reposted by Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy

Dan Jagger @auditorynerves.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

A famous Cambodian mine-clearing rat, who was awarded a gold medal for his heroism, has been commemorated with a statue. Using his acute sense of smell to detect a chemical compound within explosives, Magawa would then alert human handlers of mines. 🧪🐀💥🏅 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Cambodia unveils a statue of famous landmine-sniffing rat Magawa

The statue honours the late African giant pouched rat who sniffed out more than 100 landmines during his lifetime.

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Mariko Bennett @nachoriko.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I defended my PhD 10 years ago today. That was the least remarkable thing that happened that day. Sharing something I wrote about it last year. Since then "the horrors persist but so do we." And with dignity.

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Fantastic meeting full of amazing people and ideas! 🌟💡Thank you to everyone for the stimulating proposals and continued support.

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

🌟🌟Looking for a postdoc? Want to work with an amazing PI? 🐝

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Henri Greil @habitecture.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

The mating of Stylops ater in the aggregation of Andrena vaga at the Institute for Bee Protection at the @jki-research.bsky.social in Braunschweig vaga is in full swing. #BeesUp

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Thank you to @animalbehaviour.live for the opportunity and their wonderful initiative to make conferences more accessible to all!

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

🌟🌟Interested in a postdoctoral project about host-parasite coevolution and/or underlying mechanisms? 🌟🌟 Check your eligibility for this fellowship & contact me. I am particularly interested in hosting scholars from the Global South (¡Arriba mi gente!). www.hfsp.org/funding/hfsp...

hfsp.org

Postdoctoral Fellowships | Human Frontier Science Program

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Hans Pohl @hans-pohl.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Wonderful weird: 3D reconstruction of the tracheal system and balloon gut of the male Stylops ovinae. #Strepsiptera

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TropBioLab @tropbiolab.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Introducing the Yato Protected Area -- the largest federally protected conservation area of the Solomon Islands! We are humbled to have been given the opportunity to partner with indigenous communities in Makira to save threatened ecosystems. #conservation #SolomonIslands #biodiversity

Yatop Protected Area, the largest protected forest of the Solomon Islands

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johannesbergsten.bsky.social @johannesbergsten.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Our synthesis of the Strepsiptera fauna of the Nordic countries, led by Meri Lähteenaro, was published this week open acc. in Zootaxa. Illustrated keys, maps, new records & 2 new species described, Stylops sapmiensis on Andrena lapponica & S. serotinus on A. fuscipes. mapress.com/zt/article/v...

mapress.com

Review of the Strepsiptera fauna of the Nordic countries with the description of two new species of Stylops Kirby (Stylopidae) | Zootaxa

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Patrick Kennedy @patrick-kennedy.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

POSTDOC ALERT🚨 Two exciting social evolution postdoc positions live today! We're looking for two excellent field biologists. Join us to explore the evolution of sociality in wasps across Africa. Apply by 11th January. Collaboration with @dustinrubenstein.com @bristolbiosci.bsky.social

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Daniel Kronauer @danielkronauer.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

The final version of the clonal raider ant reference brain is now out OA in @currentbiology.bsky.social: 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.com

A reference brain for the clonal raider ant

Ants exhibit remarkable collective and social behaviors, such as alloparental care,1 chemical communication,2 homing,3 and cooperative group hygiene.4…

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Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Despite all challenges, I'm feeling so grateful for my team & their amazing research progress. Also, thrilled that Dr. RJ Millena @entomolrj.bsky.social has joined #teamwasp as our inaugural departmental postdoc fellow! #wasplove #strepsipteralove

Warm welcome to RJ Millena, pictured with some team wasp members!

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