Reposted by James GilbertJenna Melanson @jennamelanson.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Ahh yes, my two favourite research topics: "[specific area of expertise]" and "bee." 1101
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 13/08/2026We were just panicking that we’d lost our main back door key and thinking we’d have to change our locks and then it turned out Alex our 6yo had put it in the hedge "for safekeeping" 010
Reposted by James GilbertPetra Korlević @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social · 01/07/2026REJOICE FOR BEST COMPETITION OF THE YEAR NOMINATE YOUR BUGS www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.comNominate your invertebrate of the yearWe’re asking people from around the world to nominate their favourite spineless species for our third Invertebrate of the Year competition 16293135
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Congrats to Elisa for nailing a great talk on #solitary #bee provisioning in response to brood temperature / #climate warming #ece2026tours - go to polinators.hull.ac.uk for more details 011
Reposted by James GilbertStephen Turner @stephenturner.us · 24/06/2026How to give a bad talk www.nature.com/articles/s41... 38327
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 29/06/2026Busy day for the bee lab at #ece2026tours! My talk is at 11.30 today in Parental Care session. Our postdoc Elisa Gomes will be talking about our grant work at 12.15 in Thermal Ecology; our other postdoc Yanet Sepulveda is presenting poster M152 - nesting temperatures in bumblebees. Come say hello! 010
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 29/06/2026Excited to be here for #ece2026tours! Jerome Casas is opening the proceedings with a talk on #insect biophysics and biomimetic design. Jerome convened a conference at this venue 20 years ago which was my first ever conference talk, and also where I first met my now wife, so this is special for me! 😍 150
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Our Conversation article here about our new paper on heatwaves and bee fertility theconversation.com/heatwaves-ar... Read the journal article here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...theconversation.comHeatwaves are destroying the sex lives of bees – new researchSperm activity in bees dropped after being exposed to heatwave conditions. 073
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 19/05/2026Oops! Corrigendum: I meant to say we replicated the UK heatwave of July 2022, not 2024. 000
Reposted by James GilbertRoyal Entomological Society @royentsoc.bsky.social · 14/05/2026We’re inviting submissions for posters and 5-minute flash talks for the #SustainableFarming SIG 2026. 🌱 Share your research 🐞 Connect with the community 💡 Explore sustainable solutions 🕔 Abstract deadline: 5pm, Friday 29 May - Submit yours today 🔽 buff.ly/05rGcsg #Entomology #SustainableFarmingbuff.lyStudying or Working in Agriculture? Join the Programme 011
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 15/05/2026This shows that, while not outright killing bees, real-world climate change is right now having non-obvious but profound effects on their populations (and thus their services to us). 120
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 15/05/2026When they emerged the next spring, many months later, bees’ sperm counts had dropped by a third, and their sperm were half as active (and there were similar declines in egg production by females) compared to bees not receiving the heatwave. 100
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 15/05/2026The paper is on the effect of heat waves on solitary bee fertility, which Jamie found are quite surprisingly severe. He subjected mason bees at a late larval stage to a mild heatwave, recreated in the lab, designed to simulate the recent, very real heat wave in summer 2024. 100
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 15/05/2026🚨 New bee paper in press, with @jamiesmithbio.bsky.social at Hull and @ejduncan.bsky.social at Leeds! Delighted to have this accepted - huge congrats to Jamie on the first paper out of his PhD 🥳 🎉 Read the paper in online early view form, here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...sciencedirect.comLasting Impacts of Sublethal Prepupal Heatwaves on Fertility-related Traits of the Solitary Bee Osmia bicornisClimate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, which can have severe consequences for insect physiology, development, and repr… 1124
Reposted by James GilbertElizabeth Duncan 🐝🪰🔬🥼 @ejduncan.bsky.social · 15/05/2026Really excited to see this paper published — congratulations @jamiesmithbio.bsky.social and @jdjgilbert.bsky.social! It’s been a pleasure to contribute to such a fantastic project. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...sciencedirect.comLasting Impacts of Sublethal Prepupal Heatwaves on Fertility-related Traits of the Solitary Bee Osmia bicornisClimate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, which can have severe consequences for insect physiology, development, and repr… 182
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 20/03/2026Happy lab! Finalist undergraduates carrying out their independently designed experiments on various invertebrates - some great ideas this year! #invertzoohull #researchledteaching 010
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 30/01/2026Faculty #job alert - come and join our lovely friendly School! The School of Environmental and Life Sciences @uniofhull.bsky.social are recruiting a #Lecturer in Marine Conservation. Closing date 19 Feb - see details below. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQF022/l...jobs.ac.ukLecturer in Marine Conservation at University of HullAn opportunity for an academic position as a Lecturer in Marine Conservation is available, as advertised on jobs.ac.uk. Apply now and explore other academic job openings. 016
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 17/01/2026Good morning #invertzoohull! Ready to start a new term with some glorious weirdness? So am I! 010
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 16/01/2026Great morning at Hull’s Community Orchard with @jamiesmithbio.bsky.social, sharing with the volunteers some results from the bee project, and getting vital feedback for future projects. This orchard sits on the last remaining common land in Hull. It’s a wonderful place full of vitality and energy ❤️ 011
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 04/01/2026Just 3 days left to apply for this PhD position - email me with any Qs :) 054
Reposted by James GilbertJames Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 10/12/2025🚨 New PhD opportunity 🚨 studying foraging movements of #masonbees using novel tracking technology and metabarcoding! With me and @domino-joyce.fishsci.com.ap.brid.gy at Hull and Mike Smith at Sheffield. More at FindAPhD www.findaphd.com/phds/project... or message me directly :)findaphd.comEnhanced pollinator monitoring using novel flash-detection tags and DNA metabarcoding to track solitary bee foraging for pollen and nectar. at University of Hull on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - Enhanced pollinator monitoring using novel flash-detection tags and DNA metabarcoding to track solitary bee foraging for pollen and nectar. at University of Hull, listed on FindAPhD.com 085
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 13/12/2025Yes! We’re looking at protein, carb and lipid levels ☺️ 100
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 12/12/2025First data coming through from our pollen nutritional analysis! Do mason bees provide predictably different nutrition to larvae within nests that have been experimentally heated to temperatures representing different climate scenarios? We are about to find out.... 140
Reposted by James GilbertJohanna Mappes @jmappes.bsky.social · 12/12/2025Thrilled to announce a Postdoc opportunity in our group on the evolutionary genetics and ecology of colour. Wonderful system, great collaborators, and room to shape your own ideas. Apply by 7 Jan: jobs.helsinki.fi/job/13477181... 07463
Reposted by James GilbertJacintha Ellers @jellers.bsky.social · 10/12/2025*New paper alert* So proud of this paper led by MSc student Jasmin Merkel! It shows the long-term detrimental effects of high sugar diet and the lack of evolutionary adaptation to it. This is in insects but humans probably don't fare much better... academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...academic.oup.comMultigenerational exposure to high-fat and high-sugar diets exacerbates reproductive distress in an insect modelAbstract. In several insect models, high-fat diets and high-sugar diets have detrimental effects, but it is largely unknown if multigenerational exposure c 032
Reposted by James GilbertAinsley S @americanbeetles.bsky.social · 10/12/2025more absolute filth in the pollination literature 1187
Reposted by James GilbertMarkus Eichhorn @markuseichhorn.bsky.social · 10/12/2025Death and Taxus. As a fan of bad puns in paper titles, this one is a classic. 🌲🌳🧪🌏 link.springer.com/article/10.1...link.springer.comDeath and Taxus: the contribution of mechanical damage to the multiple factors associated with Taxus brevifolia mortality - Ecological ProcessesBackground Recent increases in tree mortality are often attributed to climate, but climate extremes may just be the last of many stressors that have unfolded over many years resulting in tree death. P... 1214
Reposted by James GilbertFire Captain 🔥 @rescuecaptain.bsky.social · 07/06/2025#Psakibriefing Science break. The Malaysian Dead Leaf Mantis mimicking a mouth with teeth to scare off predators. 44602113
Reposted by James GilbertMichał Filipiak @michalfilipiak.bsky.social · 09/12/2025🧵1/5 🌍🔬 Our new paper is out! We identify the global mechanisms shaping the elemental composition of organisms — and the results overturn long-standing assumptions in ecology. 👇 Thread ↓ doi.org/10.1038/s414...doi.orgNitrogen deposition reveals global patterns in plant and animal stoichiometry - Nature CommunicationsOrganisms vary in their nitrogen and phosphorus content, shaping ecological and evolutionary processes. This study shows that nitrogen deposition is a consistent global factor associated with plant an... 33222
Reposted by James GilbertRoyal Entomological Society @royentsoc.bsky.social · 10/12/2025🚨 Less than 1 week left! Early Bird registration & abstract submission for #ECE2026Tours close 15 Dec 2025. Join us in Tours, France for 50 symposia across 10 themes covering the full breadth of entomology. Submit your abstract & secure reduced fees today 👉 buff.ly/xfwQHLl irbi-tours.bsky.socialece2026.orgECE 2026 - XIII European Congress of EntomologyIt is our great pleasure to welcome you to Tours, France, in the heart of the Loire Valley, from June 29 to July 3, 2026. 043
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 10/12/2025🚨 New PhD opportunity 🚨 studying foraging movements of #masonbees using novel tracking technology and metabarcoding! With me and @domino-joyce.fishsci.com.ap.brid.gy at Hull and Mike Smith at Sheffield. More at FindAPhD www.findaphd.com/phds/project... or message me directly :)findaphd.comEnhanced pollinator monitoring using novel flash-detection tags and DNA metabarcoding to track solitary bee foraging for pollen and nectar. at University of Hull on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - Enhanced pollinator monitoring using novel flash-detection tags and DNA metabarcoding to track solitary bee foraging for pollen and nectar. at University of Hull, listed on FindAPhD.com 085
Reposted by James GilbertWill Ratcliff @wcratcliff.bsky.social · 09/12/20251/28 New preprint up, which I think is the best theoretical idea I've ever had. We asked a simple question: what are the costs of investment into non-reproductive somatic cells? Turns out these costs decrease with the *logarithm* of organism size! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.orgThe fitness costs of reproductive specialization scale inversely with organismal sizeThe evolution of reproductive specialization represents a fundamental innovation in multicellular life, yet the conditions favoring its evolution remain poorly understood. Here, we develop a populatio... 615467
Reposted by James GilbertRob Knell @robknell.bsky.social · 10/12/2025Onthophagus rangifer, one of the most extraordinary horned dung beetles you might ever see. From a baited pitfall trap near Skukuza on our #MSc #Wildlife #Conservation field course in the #Kruger park. #HullWildlifeConservation #insects #coleoptera #wildlifephotography @uniofhull.bsky.social 25014
Reposted by James GilbertRob Knell @robknell.bsky.social · 09/12/2025Students on our #Msc #Wildlife #Conservation learning how elephants alter biodiversity and tree cover in the #krugernationalpark #HullWildlifeConservation. Exclusion experiments tell us how herbivores affect ecological comunities. When the herbivores are 🐘 you need serious gear to keep 'em out. 041
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 09/12/2025Not at all bad, got some really good suggestions on reframing and it strengthened it. Interesting they now publish the entire process openly with the paper, including all your emails to the editor! How come? 110
Reposted by James GilbertMark Brown @markjfbrown.bsky.social · 08/12/2025Biggest stingless bee nest entrance I’ve ever seen! [normal-sized adult male hand for scale] 0103
Reposted by James GilbertElli Leadbeater @ellileadbeater.bsky.social · 04/12/2025New PhD position available! For applicants keen to combine evolutionary ecology, neuroscience and animal cognition. Based at UCL with me, @maxreuter.bsky.social, @fcamus.bsky.social and Tamara Boto (Bristol). Directly funded, see here for details and eligibility: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...findaphd.comHow Memory Evolves: Integrating Cognitive Ecology, Neuroscience, and Experimental Evolution in Drosophila at University College London on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - How Memory Evolves: Integrating Cognitive Ecology, Neuroscience, and Experimental Evolution in Drosophila at University College London, listed on FindAPhD.com 03332
Reposted by James GilbertEvolDir @evoldir.bsky.social · 13/11/2025The University of Cambridge invites applications for a joint Assistant/Associate Professorship in Computational Biology starting April 2026. Strong research and teaching abilities are required. More info: cam.ac.uk #job 002
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 04/12/2025HAH I can imagine. Dad has taken his all over the middle east 000
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 04/12/2025For more info see the 🧵 below: bsky.app/profile/jdjg... 000
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 04/12/2025My dad has one of these! And has had interesting times with it at various airports! 110
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 04/12/2025🚨New #behavioural #mimicry paper out in Proc B!🚨 In which we show that hoverflies have evolved to prefer the flower colour choices of their #bee models instead of their #fly relatives. Conversation article here: theconversation.com/natures-grea... Paper here: doi.org/10.1098/rspb...theconversation.comNature’s greatest method actors: the insects that cosplay bumblebeesWhen you’re an animal undercover, sometimes it’s not enough just to look like someone else 33514
Reposted by James GilbertHarry Siviter @harrysiviter.bsky.social · 21/10/2025PhD position at the University of Bristol (with me!) entitled 'The legacy impacts of extreme climate events on animal behaviour, physiology, and fitness'. Fully funded and is available for UK-domiciled students of black heritage. Please reach out with any questions. tinyurl.com/5n7s8yp9findaphd.comFunded PhD open to UK-domiciled, home fee applicants of Black African, Black Caribbean or other Black or mixed Black heritage - The legacy impacts of extreme climate events on animal behaviour, physio...PhD Project - Funded PhD open to UK-domiciled, home fee applicants of Black African, Black Caribbean or other Black or mixed Black heritage - The legacy impacts of extreme climate events on animal beh... 01525
Reposted by James GilbertPhil Stevenson @philstevenson.bsky.social · 21/10/2025Great PhD opportunity to work with @juliakoricheva.bsky.social & me looking at floral rewards in forests. @rbgkew.bsky.social @rhulbiology.bsky.social 052
Reposted by James GilbertDr Beth Nicholls @bethbees.bsky.social · 08/08/2025An article I wrote for @theconversation.com in response to #allotment sell-offs. Featuring evidence from myself and @davegoulson.bsky.social and the amazing work led by Jill Edmondson's team at Sheffield. #communitygardens #urbanbiodiversity #growyourown theconversation.com/allotments-a...theconversation.comAllotments are vanishing when the UK urgently needs more of themIn praise of digging for potatoes. 165
Reposted by James GilbertDr Beth Nicholls @bethbees.bsky.social · 04/09/2025🍅Our new paper in @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social evaluating the effectiveness of #CitizenScience approach for understanding plant-pollinator interactions in urban food growing 🫛 @davegoulson.bsky.social @calacastellanos.bsky.social @leah-salm.bsky.social nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.comUnderstanding Pollination in Urban Food Production: The Importance of Data Validation and Participant Feedback for Citizen Science Project DesignUrban agriculture depends on insect pollination, but knowledge gaps persist due to difficulties accessing diverse growing spaces. We developed a citizen science approach for monitoring insect visits ... 0125
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 10/09/2025Congrats to Jamie Smith @jamiesmithbio.bsky.social on a great #ento25 talk presenting his PhD work on the dramatic effects of even mild heatwaves during the larval stages (simulating the 2022 UK heatwave) on fertility in mason bees. Wish I could have been there in support! 091
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 09/09/2025Congrats to our PhD researcher Matthew Chambers, who by all accounts smashed his first ever conference talk - presenting our preliminary results on mason bee nesting and provisioning behaviour in nests held at different temperatures - which he is now modelling #ento25 040