iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Natasha Vacca

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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Reposted by Natasha Vacca

International Society for Neuroethology @neuroethology.org · 01/08/2026

Floria Mora-Kepfer talks about her fascinating research on Xenos peckii (strepsiptera) that parasites wasps and turn them into zombies. Among others the parasites turn worker wasps into queens and extend their lifespan. @avispatica.bsky.social

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Reposted by Natasha Vacca

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 Natasha Vacca

Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Our podcast is out! Check out our research @urochester.bsky.social that is decoding how true biohackers called twisted-winged insects control social wasps! #teamwasp #strepsiptera #zombiewasps 🐝🧟‍♀️ Please check out this fantastic initiative by @bugsneedheroes.bsky.social. Thank you for having me!

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Reposted by Natasha Vacca

Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

🌟Congrats to undergrad researcher Natasha Vacca @nvacca08.bsky.social for being awarded the NSF-GRFP! 🌟 We're also thrilled that Natasha is not tired of us and will continue as a doctoral student with #teamwasp @tropbiolab.bsky.social @urochester.bsky.social #wasplove #addictedtostrepsiptera

Student with a wasp shirt while holding a wasp

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Reposted by Natasha Vacca

Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

#teamwasp 2024, including our mascot Rocky the yellowjacket @urochester.bsky.social! #ProudPI Wrapping up my first year as a TT professor! Mil gracias (a thousand thanks) to everyone who has supported me. Those of us from non-traditional trajectories and minoritized backgrounds belong in academia!

Team wasp from Trop Bio Lab in Biology at the University of Rochester posing with our mascot, Rocky the yellowjacket.

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Reposted by Natasha Vacca

Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Happy holidays from @tropbiolab.bsky.social! We enjoyed our ugly sweater-themed farewell party for wonderful Elsie and Ferro. Grateful for #teamwasp and #teambird!

Trop Bio Lab Holiday gathering. Ugly sweater theme.

Trop Bio Lab’s team wasp takes a holiday picture

Trop Bio Lab’s team bird takes a holiday picture

Holiday and farewell party for Trop Bio Lab

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