Sign in

James Gilbert

@jdjgilbert.bsky.social
241 followers 148 following 48 posts

Ok I suppose so. Senior Lecturer Uni of Hull. Late adopter. james.gilbert at hull.ac.uk | wildecolhull.netlify.app | pollinators.hull.ac.uk | Bees, Insects, ecology, evolution, behaviour

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by James Gilbert
Jenna Melanson @jennamelanson.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Ahh yes, my two favourite research topics: "[specific area of expertise]" and "bee."
Spam email from AI slop bot asking me to collaborate: "Given your expertise in bees and [specific area of expertise], I believe your perspective would provide significant depth and strengthen the scientific contribution of this work. I would particularly appreciate your insights regarding bee."
1101
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
We 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 Gilbert
Petra Korlević @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
REJOICE FOR BEST COMPETITION OF THE YEAR NOMINATE YOUR BUGS www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Nominate your invertebrate of the year
We’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 · 02/07/2026
Congrats 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 Gilbert
Stephen Turner @stephenturner.us · 24/06/2026
How to give a bad talk www.nature.com/articles/s41...
How to give a bad talk https://www.nature.com/articles/s41568-026-00954-8
38327
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Busy 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 · 29/06/2026
Excited 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 · 27/05/2026
Our 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.com
Heatwaves are destroying the sex lives of bees – new research
Sperm activity in bees dropped after being exposed to heatwave conditions.
073
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Hello #invertzoohull!
000
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Oops! Corrigendum: I meant to say we replicated the UK heatwave of July 2022, not 2024.
000
Reposted by James Gilbert
Royal Entomological Society @royentsoc.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
We’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 #SustainableFarming
buff.ly
Studying or Working in Agriculture? Join the Programme
011
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
This 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 · 15/05/2026
When 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 · 15/05/2026
The 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.com
Lasting Impacts of Sublethal Prepupal Heatwaves on Fertility-related Traits of the Solitary Bee Osmia bicornis
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, which can have severe consequences for insect physiology, development, and repr…
1124
Reposted by James Gilbert
Elizabeth Duncan 🐝🪰🔬🥼 @ejduncan.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Really 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.com
Lasting Impacts of Sublethal Prepupal Heatwaves on Fertility-related Traits of the Solitary Bee Osmia bicornis
Climate 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 · 20/03/2026
Happy 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 · 30/01/2026
Faculty #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.uk
Lecturer in Marine Conservation at University of Hull
An 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 · 17/01/2026
Good morning #invertzoohull! Ready to start a new term with some glorious weirdness? So am I!
010
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Great 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 · 04/01/2026
Just 3 days left to apply for this PhD position - email me with any Qs :)
054
Reposted by James Gilbert
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.com
Enhanced 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.com
PhD 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 · 13/12/2025
Yes! We’re looking at protein, carb and lipid levels ☺️
100
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
First 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 Gilbert
Johanna Mappes @jmappes.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Thrilled 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 Gilbert
Jacintha 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.com
Multigenerational exposure to high-fat and high-sugar diets exacerbates reproductive distress in an insect model
Abstract. In several insect models, high-fat diets and high-sugar diets have detrimental effects, but it is largely unknown if multigenerational exposure c
032
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
These need to be called “nectar dens”
100
Reposted by James Gilbert
Ainsley S @americanbeetles.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
more absolute filth in the pollination literature
Gottsberger's florid report (1991) on the pollination of Cyclanthaceae: "beetles arrived at the inflorescences, crawled around, copulated, gnawed on the staminodes, and frequently entered into the interior [...] there they "licked" on the stigmatic exudates"
1187
Reposted by James Gilbert
Markus Eichhorn @markuseichhorn.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Death and Taxus. As a fan of bad puns in paper titles, this one is a classic. 🌲🌳🧪🌏 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Death and Taxus: the contribution of mechanical damage to the multiple factors associated with Taxus brevifolia mortality - Ecological Processes
Background 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 Gilbert
Fire 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 Gilbert
Michał 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.org
Nitrogen deposition reveals global patterns in plant and animal stoichiometry - Nature Communications
Organisms 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 Gilbert
Royal 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.social
ece2026.org
ECE 2026 - XIII European Congress of Entomology
It 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.com
Enhanced 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.com
PhD 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 Gilbert
Will Ratcliff @wcratcliff.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
1/28 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.org
The fitness costs of reproductive specialization scale inversely with organismal size
The 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 Gilbert
Rob Knell @robknell.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Onthophagus 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
A photo of a beetle standing in front of a green background. The beetle's head and thorax are bright metallic green and he has two horns, almost as long as his  body, arising from his head and sloping backwards.
25014
Reposted by James Gilbert
Rob Knell @robknell.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Students 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.
A group of students standing in front of a large electrified fence. A SANParks scientist holding a rifle is talking to them. The vegetation behind the fence is visibly higher than that in front.
041
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Not 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 Gilbert
Mark Brown @markjfbrown.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Biggest stingless bee nest entrance I’ve ever seen! [normal-sized adult male hand for scale]
0103
Reposted by James Gilbert
Elli Leadbeater @ellileadbeater.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
New 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.com
How Memory Evolves: Integrating Cognitive Ecology, Neuroscience, and Experimental Evolution in Drosophila at University College London on FindAPhD.com
PhD 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 Gilbert
EvolDir @evoldir.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
The 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 · 04/12/2025
HAH I can imagine. Dad has taken his all over the middle east
000
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
For more info see the 🧵 below: bsky.app/profile/jdjg...
000
James Gilbert @jdjgilbert.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
My 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.com
Nature’s greatest method actors: the insects that cosplay bumblebees
When you’re an animal undercover, sometimes it’s not enough just to look like someone else
33514
Reposted by James Gilbert
Harry Siviter @harrysiviter.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
PhD 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/5n7s8yp9
findaphd.com
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 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 Gilbert
Phil Stevenson @philstevenson.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
Great 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 Gilbert
Dr Beth Nicholls @bethbees.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
An 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.com
Allotments are vanishing when the UK urgently needs more of them
In praise of digging for potatoes.
165
Reposted by James Gilbert
Dr 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.com
Understanding Pollination in Urban Food Production: The Importance of Data Validation and Participant Feedback for Citizen Science Project Design
Urban 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 · 10/09/2025
Congrats 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 · 09/09/2025
Congrats 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