iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Matjaž Gregorič

Daniela Rößler @roesslerdaniela.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🚨New paper🚨 Garden #spiders are everywhere right now—big, beautiful ladies, still in the hub of their 🕸️ But they are not just waiting, at night they also 💤! We found behavioral signatures of sleep in the wild. Out in #AnimalBehaviour w/ @mherberstein.bsky.social tinyurl.com/uznvv58y 🧵1/5

Adult female garden spider (Araneus diadematus) sitting at the center of her orb web, with orange‑brown legs and a patterned abdomen. The web’s radial and spiral threads are sharply visible, catching the light. The background is blurred green foliage with soft circular highlights, making the spider and web stand out in clear focus.

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Mirch™ @fletni-stajerc.si · 30/08/2026

Nema više Slovenije.

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Aljoša Harlamov @alharlamov.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Ker se je pred kratkim @aklonglegs.bsky.social pritoževala, da premalo pišem o knjigah, danes ena #nit o Odiseji. Epu, ne filmu. Čeprav bom na kratko seveda omenil tudi Nolanov film (brez kvarnikov). Predvsem o tem, zakaj je Homerjev ep (še) vedno aktualen in zanimiv. 1/16

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EZ Lab @ezlab.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

🕷️ New paper! We describe the remarkable hunting behavior of the Malagasy spider Vigdisia praesidens, a termite specialist that uses silk to "fish" for termites inside damaged nests. This one, too, is from a student field camp in Madagascar! Congrats to all coauthors! www.ezlab.si/post/spider-...

ezlab.si

Spider "fishing" for termites

A group of student researchers from the University of Iceland and the University in Antananarivo (Madagascar), led by dr. Ingi Agnarsson (University of Iceland) and dr. Matjaž Gregorič (Research Centr...

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Matjaž Gregorič @matjazgregoric.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

This was a rapid one: idea May 15, fieldwork May 16, submitted May 24, reviews June 11, resubmitted June 18, accepted June 23, published July 8. Idea to acceptance 42 days, to publication 54 days. 🥳 Congrats to undegrad student coauthors!

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Jocelyn Anderson Photography @jocelynanderson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

A Green Heron goes into maximum neck mode to grab a tadpole and then resets into minimum neck mode after the snack was acquired.

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Paul Eric @pauleric70.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Lmao Belgium team trolling Trump with his stupid dance 👏🇧🇪👏🤣👏🇧🇪👏 Congratulations BTW 😎

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Ragnar @ragnarbelial.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

As someone who has runes tattooed I can confirm this is correct.

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Eliyah Havemann @eliyah.ha.vemann.de · 06/07/2026

FIFA vs. Trump 0 : 1 Diese WM schafft es fast täglich ein tieferes Level zu erreichen.

Ein Schiedsrichter zeigt einem Fussballspieler die Rote Karte. Der Spielee wiederum zeigt dem Schiedsrichter eine Karte mit einem Foto von Trump.

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Keith Olbermann @olbermann.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

So the World Cup is fixed? Got it. #Balogun #Trump

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Alenka Unk @drfilomena.com · 06/07/2026

Trump card

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Matjaž Gregorič @matjazgregoric.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

With enough money, you can legally cheat. 🤮🤮🤮

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Reposted by Matjaž Gregorič

Atal Pande @atal-pande.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Really excited to share that my first PhD chapter is now out in @currentbiology.bsky.social! 🕷️👀 We show that visually hunting spiders have repeatedly evolved forward-facing eyes, highlighting the remarkable evolutionary flexibility of their modular visual system. doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...

cell.com

Hunting ecology predicts eye arrangements in the modular visual system of spiders

Pande et al. show that visually hunting spiders have convergently evolved forward-facing eyes. The positions and orientations of the eyes show the greatest morphological disparity and fastest evolutio...

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EZ Lab @ezlab.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Spider webs don’t just catch insects, they also catch DNA from the air. 🕸️ Our new study shows they can detect a major forest pathogen more effectively than conventional passive samplers, offering a low-cost tool for biodiversity and disease monitoring. 🌳🔬 www.ezlab.si/post/spider-...

ezlab.si

Spider web eDNA detects fungal pathogen

Researchers from the National Institute of Biology, the Slovenian Forestry Institute, and ZRC SAZU have demonstrated that spider webs can serve as highly effective natural collectors of airborne envir...

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Reposted by Matjaž Gregorič

EZ Lab @ezlab.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🕷️ New editorial! "Horizons in Arachnid Science" introduces a collection of invited reviews on the latest advances in spider, scorpion, and mite research, from evolution and ecology to silk biomaterials and venom. www.ezlab.si/post/new-edi...

ezlab.si

New editorial highlights the future of arachnid science

Our colleague Matjaž Kuntner has co-authored a new editorial in Frontiers in Arachnid Science, introducing the journal's inaugural "Horizons in Arachnid Science" collection.The editorial showcases a s...

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Ragnar @ragnarbelial.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

No lies told.

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Petra Korlević @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

you ain't ready for this much BEEFly #InverteFest #pokemon

digital doodle of the pokemon cutiefly, but below the normal head is this absolutely beefed up human torso, with the cutieflies teeny wigs and legs still there, but on one of the biceps there is a tattoo of a luvdisc

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franz @franzanth.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

We present: The Art of #InverteFest - April 2026 Edition A digital art book showcasing the work of 100 artists from around the world, in celebration of overlooked invertebrate fauna. Thank you to the artists who contributed to our book! Download: drive.google.com/file/d/1RJ5m... #Art #SciArt

a promo image showing various pages from the book, each page showcasing different animals like a moth, jellyfish, octopus, shrimp, beetle, among others. the art featured shows a range of different medium, including digital, watercolor, oil, and so on.

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Ragnar @ragnarbelial.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

A very important map.

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franz @franzanth.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

#InvertebrateShitposting as per @joabaldwin.com's request

6 bad doodles with text under each one.
horseshoe crab is literally the animal horseshoe crab.
shoehorse crab is a crab riding a shoe, cowboy style.
crabshoe horse is a horse wearing literal crabs as shoes.
shoecrab horse is a horse telling a crab to go away.
crabhorse shoe is a pair of shoes, left one crab shaped, right one horse shaped.
horsecrab shoe is literally the same pair of shoes, flipped.

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Matjaž Gregorič @matjazgregoric.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Reads like a grant application to EU Horizon projects.

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Brian Flake @brianflake.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

The Aurora Borealis lights were amazing 😂

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EZ Lab @ezlab.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

New publication! Updated taxonomy of “coin spiders” (genus Herennia, family Nephilidae). This group is known for extreme size dimorphism, ladder-like webs, and varied distributions across Asia and Australasia. Check out what’s new in their taxonomy in biogeography. www.ezlab.si/post/new-spe...

ezlab.si

Updated coin spider taxonomy

We publushed an updated overview of the spider genus Herennia, a group nicknamed “coin spiders” because of their appearance. These spiders belong to the family Nephilidae, a fascinating branch of the ...

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Reposted by Matjaž Gregorič

Biodiversity Data Journal @bdj.pensoft.net · 15/12/2025

A study in Madagascar examined kleptoparasitism (the theft of resources from another organism) in Argyrodinae cobweb spiders. The study found non-random distribution of argyrodine species across three contrasting host webs and discrimination amongst the hosts. doi.org/10.3897/BDJ....

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Matjaž Gregorič @matjazgregoric.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Short but sweet! Coauthored by 8 undergrad students for whom this is a first scientific publication - congratulations!

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Joel Corush @jcorush.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

I'm recruiting a Ph.D. student for Fall 2026. Interested in comparative studies and trait evolution in fishes? Send me an email with a CV and research interests. Please take a look at my website (jcorush.github.io ) for more information about my research. #hybridization #minnows #mudskippers

jcorush.github.io

Corush Lab

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EZ Lab @ezlab.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

1/8 A new spider genus from Madagascar! Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.

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EZ Lab @ezlab.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

Here is a Youtube video describing our new research. Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rWG...

youtube.com

Osmooka aphana: new spider genus and species discovered in Madagascar

YouTube video by EZ lab

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EZ Lab @ezlab.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

8/8 The discovery of Osmooka aphana highlights Madagascar’s tremendous, still-undescribed biodiversity—and the power of combining museum science, fieldwork, and genomics. Open-access paper in Insect Systematics & Diversity: academic.oup.com/isd/article/...

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Matjaž Gregorič @matjazgregoric.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

Check out our new paper! Not only do we describe a cool spider (new genus) from Madagascar, related to an Australian one, but we also make a deep dive into orb weaver morphology to better understand family relationships and synapomorhpies. Proud of this one!

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Shakira @shakiguani.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

📢 NEW SPIDER GENUS JUST DROPPED

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Royal Society Publishing @royalsocietypublishing.org · 04/12/2025

We're excited to announce the finalists of the #RSPPhotoComp 2025! 🎉 Starting with #microimaging and overall winner, 'Mesmerizing spider threads' by Dr Martin Ramirez, capturing two exceptional silk threads of the Australian net-caster spider (sample obtained by Dr Jonas Wolff @evoimec.bsky.social).

'Mesmerizing spider threads' by Dr Martin J. Ramirez, captures two exceptional silk threads of the Australian net-caster spider, Asianopis subrufa.

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Matjaž Gregorič @matjazgregoric.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

New paper on bark spiders, who build the largest webs made out of the toughest silk. We show that their extremely tough silk, which is potentially metabolically costly, is limited to large females. Juveniles and males use inferior silk.

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MultiplEye Lab @multipleye-lab.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Come and work with us in our new home @bristolbiosci.bsky.social ! This fully funded PhD opportunity is open to anyone interested in spiders/eyes/light pollution/evolution/development! 🕷️👀 ⏰Deadline 15th December, online info event TODAY @2pm! Link in the PhD advert👉 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

findaphd.com

Funded PhD - The impacts of light pollution on plasticity and evolution in spider visual systems at University of Bristol on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - Funded PhD - The impacts of light pollution on plasticity and evolution in spider visual systems at University of Bristol, listed on FindAPhD.com

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SLEEB Lab Bonn @sleeblab.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Among other things we are interested in how Portia performs in hunting spiders after sleep disruption. #spider #sleep

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Shakira @shakiguani.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

A pair of golden orb weavers from S. Africa (Trichonephila inaurata) mating back in 2016. #Arachtober

Close up of golden orb weavers mating. The male's body is around 10% the length of the female's.

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Martina Pavlek @mpavlek.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Postdoc position available at Ruder Boskovic Institute in Zagreb, in the field of genomics and NGS data processing. Check out the call: euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/376320

euraxess.ec.europa.eu

Contest point 7 – Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Evolutionary Genetics. Fixed-term contract: 2 years and 4 months Number of positions: 1

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Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA 10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)

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EZ Lab @ezlab.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

In a new publication, we focused on the little-known African spider Megaraneus gabonensis, in which females are 4x larger than males. We provide an overdue taxonomic description, phylogenetic placement, and reconstruct the evolution of sexual size dimorphism. www.ezlab.si/post/taxonom...

ezlab.si

Taxonomy, phylogeny, and size evolution in Megaraneus

Many spider species show large differences in size between males and females, but biologists still do not fully understand how or why this evolves. In this study we focused on the systematics and evol...

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EZ Lab @ezlab.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

In a new review, we dig deep into possible explanations of the evolution of female cannibalism in spiders and various male strategies to mitigate it. www.ezlab.si/post/female-...

ezlab.si

Female sexual cannibalism and male reproductive strategies

Sexual cannibalism — the consumption of one mating partner by the other before, during, or after copulation — is documented across various invertebrate groups, particularly arachnids, some insects suc...

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