iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Dan Osipov @danospv.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Super proud to have a photo reach Finalist stage in the Big Picture Competition! If you're in SF, check out all the winners in the California Academy of Sciences.

Screenshot of the Finalist photo of Giant Stink bugs on a leaf

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I would be more optimistic if people were putting out autocidal gravid oviposition traps, which trap and kill the adult mosquito, and would not be hard to DIY. Put a lid on the bucket, cut a hole in the lid, set a deli cup in the hole that has a screen bottom and tanglefoot around the sides.

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Also, container breeding Aedes tend to be the most pestiferous and drive people to put out these buckets yet the water quality is mainly attracting Culex as evidenced by the egg rafts. I could go on, but I think at this point my stance is plenty clear.

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Even if perfectly maintained, skip oviposition, species diversity, and how mosquitoes evaluate site suitability make these a wash at best. At worst, you have invited a mosquito to restart its feeding cycle in your yard. I could see these buckets actually increasing the likelihood of transmission.

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

And I think the people posting videos and pictures are still in the minority. I think many of these buckets, if not most, are forgotten. That's just human nature. I provide larvicide to several friends and they rarely remember to retreat, I can consistently find larvae in their fountains and plants

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

True, there are plenty of posts about non culicids. But also plenty of posts like the one above. See theWrinkstinkler's comment: "I thought this was normal and these larvae will all eventually die or not make it to the next stage. My buckets have always looked like this". Not great.

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

I don't think the average homeowner is deploying or maintaining these buckets properly. I regularly see posts like "am I supposed to see larvae in my mosquito bucket?" Followed by replies of "yes bti doesn't kill the larvae it just prevents them from turning into adults" (wrong). So yeah, more harm.

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

The need to justify an insects existence by calling it a "great pollinator" (real or imagined) drives me crazy. But if it causes someone to appreciate insects I sigh and move on

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

I've never seen any compelling evidence that supports using the treated buckets, do you feel that it is making a difference? I would assume that it would not only attract more mosquitoes, but attract mosquitoes that have already taken a blood meal and are therefore more likely to be virus-infected

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

That straw looks a bit overdone, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say beet skins

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

‘On 18 August, judicial police showed up at the Research Institute in Health Sciences (IRSS) in Bobo-Dioulasso, a key partner in Target Malaria, to stage what scientists described as a “brutal, humiliating” raid.’ My story on mosquitoes, malaria and misinformation in @science.org 🧪

science.org

After ‘humiliating’ raid, Burkina Faso halts ‘gene drive’ project to fight malaria

Disinformation campaign may have triggered “brutal” shutdown of mosquito lab

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Fun fact: this genus was split from Tegenaria, and the name is an anagram of the original genus.

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Alex Wild @alexwild.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

Me: I'm gonna plant native wildflowers and attract lots of pollinators! The pollinators:

Macro image in side view of a very stripy black and white Asian tiger mosquito drinking nectar from yellow goldenrod flowers.

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

John Carlson @johncarlson.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

She thinks I’m sweet... Aedes triseriatus on my leg.

A dark brown mosquito is on a slightly hairy leg. This view looks onto the face and thorax of the insect vent to probe its proboscis into my skin. The brown legs fold out from the sides of the thorax with the hind legs lifted into the air behind the insect. Because the thorax and head are bent down, the wings and abdomen are running away from the plane of focus and get blurry in the distance

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

Best antennae+eyes combo there is

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

John Carlson @johncarlson.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

Along the Mississippi River just south of the New Orleans Airport, A Megachile bee lifts into the air

A small fluffy bee is generally brown, but has the dark bands of the abdomen that gives it a striped appearance. Its back two left legs are still touching the frogfruit blossom rimmed with white florets otherwise it appears suspended in the air.

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

Ah so no low-hanging fruit then, damn!

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

With a density of bites like that in an urban area, there's a decent chance you track them down the water source(s) and make your space more enjoyable. You're probably getting bit by aedes albopictus, which has a very short flight range. Rainbarrels and "self watering" pots can be a larval bonanza.

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Selenops are the main spider I encounter in my yard, they seem to love granite

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

🕷️🍽️🕷️SALTICIDS EATING SALTICIDS🕷️🍽️🕷️ 1 Phidippus eating Platycryptus 2 Hentzia eating Pelegrina 3 Eris eating Admestina 4 Colonus eating young Phidippus(?)

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

All of the neuropterans have eyes that blow me away! Ant lions are my personal favorite

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

I've been fooled by countless katydids, but this was my favorite moment of camouflage realization I've ever had

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Tom Astle @tjalamont.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

🐸🦎🌿🐙📷 @ndrewrivera.bsky.social and I were on a steep trail in Costa Rica when I saw a tiny toad. I kept trying to get a shot, but it kept hopping just ahead of me and finally disappeared. Then Andrew noticed the toad had hopped down a narrow, hidden side trail. A Secret Toad Trail. So we--

A photo, ground level, looking at a brown lizard on the forest floor, perfectly camouflaged against the brown leaf litter. The lizard has a somewhat large head with a large, keeled crest on the back of its neck.

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Colin Purrington @colinpurrington.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

I just published a blog post on the Mosquito TNT, a trap marketed by Tougher Than Tom of Austin, Texas. Exhibit A is their misleading use of photoshopped images to convey effectiveness. I also detail the $80,800 fine the company just paid to the EPA. #mosquitoes colinpurrington.com/2025/06/toug...

colinpurrington.com

Tougher Than Tom's Mosquito TNT » Colin Purrington's blog

I’ve been inundated with ads for Tougher Than Tom’s Mosquito TNT so I thought I’d post some thoughts on the device in case they might be helpful to anyone considering whether to purchase them. They ar...

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

I'm in the pesticide realm but not in Ag so I always appreciate the how/why

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

That beetle can't decide if it wants to be an elaterid, a scarab, or a carabid

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

That's so rad! Both the spider and podcast feature 🙌

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

That is excellent! Thank you for reporting that!

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

been dreaming of a gar shirt - color or no color? speak now or forever hold your peace 🫡

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Hopefully the Pro-Tech doesn't count as a separate product

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Taken today at 12175 tech center Dr, Poway CA 92064

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Is it too late to change which mosquito is on the cover? That mosquito does not transmit malaria

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Dermacentor variabilis "American Dog Tick" at left, Amblyomma americanum "Lone Star Tick" at right Both are male, I believe - neat to see them both on the same bit of grass 🤩 in situ, NE Oklahoma - fujifilm, Laowa 65mm, diffused flash

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

To my dismay, I actually just saw these on the shelf at home Depot in California.

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Colin Purrington @colinpurrington.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Seasonal reminder that Spartan Mosquito Eradicators and Spartan Mosquito Pro Techs do not kill mosquitoes. The Mississippi company was sued for fraud but the settlement agreement allows sales to continue until Christmas. Tell your gullible uncle to buy something else. #mosquitoes #mississippi #psa

Long colorful box that says, "The Mosquito Eradicator" and has a photograph of a mosquito. Smaller text says, "Eradicate your mosquito population for up to 90 days."

Black plastic tube hanging from a tree branch by a plastic hook. It's hard to see on photograph but there are tiny holes at the top of the tube through which mosquitoes are supposed to crawl. But they don't.

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

This needs to be added to your macro workshop slides

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Matt Evers @mattevers.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

I found some more photos of female Acmon Blues from the same location in Big Sur California at about 3000 ft elevation above the ocean>Lots of variation #butterflies #butterfly #BigSur

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Reposted by Andrew Rivera

Marshal Hedin @mhedin.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

One of my best friends and a brilliant scientist, literally one of the most creative thinkers that I know, was sacked today from the NSF. He will prevail, but the world just became a slightly dimmer place. As I sit crying in my office

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Grey Fox feels like he's being watched

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Andrew Rivera @ndrewrivera.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

I was unpleasantly surprised when I was fed on by one of these long proboscis gals in Colombia. I didn't think it could possibly blood feed with mouthparts like that so I let it probe around on my skin until I felt the sharp pain of the bite!

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