iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Will Langdon

Jolyon Troscianko @jtroscianko.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🦋 Butterfly wing patterns create motion illusions that protect them from predators! Our new study (8 years in the making) is out in Nature today doi.org/10.1038/s415... @grahancock.bsky.social @esbriolat.bsky.social @scienceanna.bsky.social @lauraakelley.bsky.social @uniexecec.bsky.social

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Chris van Swaay @chrisvanswaay.eurosky.social · 02/09/2026

Since it recolonised NL in 2009, the spread north of the Mallow Skipper (kaasjeskruiddikkopje, C alceae) in the SW has been much faster than in the SE, despite having to cross stretches of water up to 5km regularly. The species prefers the clay-soils in SW and West NL and seems to avoid sandy soil.

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Harry Witts @hwitts.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Very exciting to kick this up at Colne Point, Essex on Saturday, just moments after remarking how I didn’t think I’d recognise a grasshopper new to Britain. Sphingonotus caerulans, the second British, and likely first natural record. Found with @graemelyons.bsky.social and @josscarr.bsky.social

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Emilie Ellis @e-ellis1.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

🦋 I’m recruiting a fully funded PhD student at the University of Helsinki: understanding how butterflies respond to climate change across Europe. Apply by 30 Sept: Full details: jobs.helsinki.fi/job-invite/5... Please share! #ecology #job #phd

jobs.helsinki.fi

Doctoral Researcher (PhD student) in Butterfly Ecology and Climate Change across Europe

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Butterfly Conservation Europe @europebutterfly.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Well done to all the team at Butterfly Conservation Europe for this momentous piece of work. And a huge cast of moth enthusiasts from across Europe who leant us their expertise

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

A fabulous Purple Emperor larva feeding low down in a Sallow in Epping Forest a couple of weeks ago, exposed by a UV torch at night. Extraordinary creatures and such a thrill to see them like this #Butterflies

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John Walters @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Marsh Fritillaries Euphydryas aurinia starting to fly at some of the Dartmoor, Devon sites over the weekend. One was caught by a carnivorous Sundew but plenty survived to start the next generation of these rare and beautiful butterflies.

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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Earlier this week, I visited Poldice Mine for the annual survey of Cornwall Butterfly Conservation's experimental management plots. Created back in January 2024, it's fascinating to see how each plot is developing... 🧵

A quadrat placed in one of the (scraped) management plots at Poldice Mine. The habitat consists of pioneer-stage heathland, with young Heather plants and fine-leaved grasses recolonising the bare ground.

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

One of the first things that struck me starting in Epping Forest last spring was all the lovely old Crab Apples. With these, come rare Crab Apple feeding micros: the much-declined Argyresthia ivella tapped from a tree on a warm July morning, and Eudemis porphyrana, reared from larva in May #TeamMoth

A larva of the micro moth Eudemis porphyrana

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

The sort of butterfly moment you dream of today - wandering around the office (Epping Forest) in the late afternoon sun when I flushed a lovely old Large Tortoiseshell from the sunny wall next to this old plum - just wonderful. Seems to be the second recent record from the forest #Butterflies

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Rob Edmunds @vc28nature.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

New leafmine site update. Parornix atripalpella early stages seen for first time. Dicladispa testacea newly arrived in UK. Col prunifoliae - elusive species! Stigmella spinosissimae seen. Such an interesting update! leafmines.co.uk/html/updates...

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Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

This rather dapper moth is the Liquorice Piercer (Grapholita pallifrontana), our Species of the Month. ✨ The Liquorice Piercer is so named because its caterpillars pierce Wild Liquorice seed pods. 📷️: Will Langdon #MothMonday #MothsMatter #TeamMoth

A micro-moth with dark brown wings with two creamy-yellow stripes horizontally across the middle and a series of short creamy-yellow stripes along the wing-edges. The moth is perched on a green leaf and is casting a shadow.

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Recently finished totting up my moths in Epping Forest last year - 671 species of which 277 were new for our database, 79 nationally scarce, and 4 new for Essex. Wonderful first year, so many exciting and rare species reflecting the forest's fantastic mix of habitats. Some highlights below...

The whacky larval case of Coleophora saturatella (Broom Case-Bearer) made from fragments of Broom leaves. This species was found at both Wanstead and Leyton Flats in good numbers. The last south Essex records were also from Wanstead in the 1970s.

The micro moth Crambus uliginosellus (Marsh Grass-veneer) found by day in a bog in the north of Epping Forest. This was the first Essex record of this species which feeds on sedges and grasses growing through Sphagnum moss, confirming the importance of our small areas of Sphagnum bog.

The whacky thumb-print like mines of Leucoptera lotella (Trefoil Blister Moth) on Greater Bird's Foot Trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus). This is a rare species in spite of its rather common foodplants. It proved reasonably common in damp grasslands in the forest. This was the second Essex record.

An adult of the mysterious tineid moth Stenoptinea cyanimarmorella (Cyan Marbled). This species is rather poorly known, but comes to the HYL lure (for Raspberry Clearwing) as this one did in late summer.

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Owen Lewis @owentlewis.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Excellent to see this first paper from Will's PhD in print! Nice summary thread photos too!

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Super excited to get my copy of this work. The images are fantastic, the text meticulously researched, and a number of very tricky rare micro species have their early stages described and illustrated for the first time. Set to be a game-changer!

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Excited to see one of my PhD chapters now published! We found a trade-off between the quality of host plants and how warm they were for a declining grassland butterfly (Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas) and looked at how this shaped their egg-laying choices: doi.org/10.1111/een....

A female Small Copper butterfly (Lycaena phlaeas) egg-laying on Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)

Two eggs of the Small Copper butterfly (Lycaena phlaeas) on Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)

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Carlos Lopez-Vaamonde @caloptilia.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

New Caledonian Forests are full of hidden natural treasures! 🌿🦋 Our new ZooKeys paper (led by Antoine Guiguet) describes two spectacular new species of Caloptilia moths—C. augeas and C. ceryneia—discovered in the Parc des Grandes Fougères. zookeys.pensoft.net/article/1738...

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Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

New research from Belgium doesn’t support the ‘lost generation’ theory for the decline of the Wall, but does show reduced survival with warming temperatures 🌍 nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... (📷 Mark Searle)

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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Britain has gained a new butterfly! The long-anticipated arrival of Southern Small White (Pieris mannii) has been confirmed.

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

An exciting Epping Forest micro from last week - a couple of Dichrorampha sylvicolana flushed from their Sneezewort foodplant in one of our damp grasslands. Last found in the forest, Essex and (seemingly) SE England by Maitland Emmet in the 70s, it's great to know it's still here.

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Dystebenna stephensi was right at the top of my Epping Forest moth bucket list when I started working here, and so very pleased to have found lots of them on oak trunks in the last couple of weeks - rare, beautiful, and associated with fabulous old oaks. What's not to like! #TeamMoth

The micro moth Dystebenna stephensi on an oak trunk

Two adults of Dystebenna stephensi on an oak trunk, circled in red.

Habitat of Dystebenna stephensi with old oaks, 10 individuals were found on the trunks of the two nearest oaks.

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Thrilled to get acquainted with my first Epping Forest Purple Emperor the other week, found next to its empty pupal case in a UV-torch powered search after dark, which revealed three other (unhatched) pupae high in the Sallows, magical! #Butterflies @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

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Royal Entomological Society @royentsoc.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Do you know a young person with an interest in insects? 🦋 The Douglas Boyes Fund aims to provide people aged 14-18 with access to entomology equipment, fostering their passion for insects and inspiring them to engage and share their interest with other young individuals 🔽

buff.ly

Douglas Boyes Fund - Royal Entomological Society

The Douglas Boyes Fund has been established in honour of Douglas Boyes (1996-2021), an esteemed entomologist specialising in Lepidoptera. The Fund aims to provide young people aged 14-18 with access…

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William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Arable land has been flattened by history of ploughing. In restoring such sites it is important to introduce variation. Here I look at butterfly banks and enthuse over the experimental testing. youtu.be/5kgAXVFo610?...

youtu.be

Habitat flattening: the often ignored component of conservation management and restoration

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

Some work news - into my third month as the new(ish!) Assistant Conservation Officer in Epping Forest. Really excited to be working in such a fantastic, ancient mosaic of habitats, and enjoyed the first couple of months - mostly out in the field in beautiful spring weather, what's not to like...

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

So great to see Nick Bowles from Upper Thames BC recognised here - such a passionate, modest and determined guy who has done so much for butterflies and moths in the Upper Thames.

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Andy D. Nunn @andydnunn.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Really pleased with this one as I've been keeping an eye out for it for years: Coleophora siccifolia larval cases on birch. First case, cut-out for second case and two second cases (see ALT text for details). #TeamMoth #MothsMatter @doublekidney.bsky.social @bcyorkshire.bsky.social

Coleophora siccifolia larva on birch. First (abandoned) case and cut-out for second case on the right and second case at the top.

Coleophora siccifolia larva on birch (abandoned first case and cut-out for second case)

Coleophora siccifolia larva on birch (second case).

Coleophora siccifolia larva on birch (second case; different individual).

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Chris van Swaay @chrisvanswaay.eurosky.social · 20/04/2025

Usually we see Tau emperors (Aglia tau, tau-vlinder), a large day-active moth, racing by, the males always seem in a hurry to find females. But this time we found a male sitting. What a spectacular moth!

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

One of the lesser appreciated things about Cambridge (UK) is what a green and generally nature friendly city it is. I don't mean the largely biodiversity poor manicured green of the university Colleges (though some like King's are making some effort). I mean the network of Commons and LNRs 🧵

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Previously only recorded once in the UK in 2018, records of Pammene juniperana have been increasing since 2022. Pleased to finally share this paper with @jamesehammond.bsky.social confirming that this lovely moth is breeding here, probably both on both wild and garden Junipers: shorturl.at/E2LrU

A male of the micro moth Pammene juniperana.

A female of the micro moth Pammene juniperana.

Habitat of the micro moth Pammene juniperana with wild Juniper growing on chalk downland.

Larval feeding signs of the micro moth Pammene juniperana, with green Juniper berries discoloured pale blue.

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Ryan Clark @ryanclarkecology.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

10 years ago, I started my first paid job in Ecology and have very much enjoyed my time working for various charities to understand and conserve our often overlooked invertebrates and plants. (1/3)

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Kat Dahl @wildkatdahl.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Pearl-bordered Fritillary caterpillar sunbathing in front of breakfast first thing this morning at a site in Sussex. This rare butterfly has a flourishing colony here, thanks to great wildlife-friendly woodland management 👏😁 #boloriaeuphrosyne #sussexbutterflies #ukbutterflies #bugsky

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George Tordoff @gmtord.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Nice to see plenty of leaf mines of Elachista gleichenella on Glaucous Sedge & Wood Sedge while out in the woods in Gloucestershire with @wlangdon12.bsky.social yesterday. #TeamMoth

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Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

Searching for leaf miners on Dartmoor today with Barry Henwood. We found two species on Greater Tussock-sedge: nice straight mine of Elachista utonella Bog Sedge-miner, a lifer for me, and the messy mine of E. gleichenella Twin-barred Sedge-miner #teammoth

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UK Butterflies @ukbutterflies.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

What a start to the year for those finding Large Tortoiseshells in Kent! Its eggs are brown, since they're laid on bark, rather than the green of Nettle-feeders. I was also lucky enough to be in the company of @wlangdon12.bsky.social and Matthew Oates when Will found larvae on Portland (below)!

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Tyson Wepprich @tysonwepprich.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Big day for butterfly research. Many authors (led by @edwards-evoeco.bsky.social) and many more volunteers monitored across states to document rapid butterfly declines in USA. 🧪 Paper link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... NYT story gift link: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

science.org

Rapid butterfly declines across the United States during the 21st century

Numerous declines have been documented across insect groups, and the potential consequences of insect losses are dire. Butterflies are the most surveyed insect taxa, yet analyses have been limited in ...

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Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Volunteers wanted for Scotland-wide search for one of the country's smallest and rarest moths 🔍 The Highland Nymph (Callisto coffeella) hadn't been seen in Scotland for 20 years until it was rediscovered in 2024. Now we need help to discover more colonies 👉 buff.ly/3D1Y7zm 📷: Peter Buchner

A tiny coffee-coloured moth with white markings on its wings, resting on a green leaf

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Joana Meier @joanameier.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Do you use Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) genomes for your work or grant applications? If so, can you please fill out this form? docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... We are gathering info on how DToL genomes are used. It will help us raise money to continue producing publicly available high-quality genomes.

docs.google.com

Darwin Tree of Life Impact Assessment

This form is used to share information within DToL about case studies, ongoing research, and funding awards that demonstrate the impact the Darwin Tree of Life consortium project has had on Global and...

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Despite often seeing Elachista rufocinerea as an adult, I've struggled to find its mines, so I was pleased to recently rear this one from a mine found on Holcus sp. in Bagley Woods (Oxfordshire) in December #TeamMoth #UKMoths

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

My first reared Elachistid of the spring emerged recently, and it was a beautiful shiny one - Elachista apicipunctella, from its subtle greenish mine on Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) growing in Whitecross Green Wood (Bucks).

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Great to be able to contribute a few photos to @vc28wildlife.bsky.social's excellent leaf mines site this winter. Includes these cases of the lovely and rare Coleophora niveicostella, feeding on Thyme at Aston Rowant NNR and eventually producing an adult last spring.

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Thinking about sunnier days with a lot more butterflies and moths today, here are some of the former: Adonis Blues (Dorset), Chalkhill Blues (Dorset), Grizzled Skippers (Oxfordshire) and Silver-Washed Fritillaries (Runmaro, Sweden).

A group of Chalkhill Blue butterflies roosting in long grass.

Silver-Washed Fritillary butterflies feeding on Burdock.

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Really cool study from Germany showing the strong response of two rare calcareous grassland Fritillaries (Marsh Frit and Nickerl's Frit) to Wild Boar rooting. Creates warm micro habitats which they love, adds to work showing the benefits to Grizzled Skipper in NL: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Figures from a scientific paper showing higher abundance and frequency of Marsh Fritillary and Nickerl's Fritillary larvae in areas of grassland rooted by Wild Boar than areas that had not been rooted.

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Will Langdon @wlangdon12.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Another nice moth from 2024 was this Cydia pactolana, reared from a larva found found in Bagley Woods (Oxon). This elusive species feeds in the trunks of young Norway Spruce trees (often where there is a wound, eg. at an axil) over the winter, producing distinctive frass piles - can be found now!

Adult of the micro moth Cydia pactolana, reared from a larva on Norway Spruce.

Larval feeding signs of the micro moth Cydia pactolana in a trunk of Norway Spruce.

Larval feeding signs of the micro moth Cydia pactolana in a trunk of Norway Spruce, with the pupal exuvia protruding.

Habitat of the micro moth Cydia pactolana with young Norway Spruces.

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George Tordoff @gmtord.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

One of my top moth highlights of 2024 was finding Agonopterix bipunctosa in a spectacular clifftop setting in North Pembrokeshire. I found a larva actively feeding on Saw-wort in late May and reared through the moth, which emerged in June. A scarce species not often seen in UK #TeamMoth #MothsMatter

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