Colin Purrington
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colinpurrington.bsky.social
Colin Purrington
@colinpurrington.bsky.social
2.6K followers 560 following 2.4K posts
Nature pics with Alt Text. Swarthmore, PA, USA. https://colinpurrington.com
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Reposted by Colin Purrington
alexwild.bsky.social
Army ants (Eciton mexicanum) are specialist predators of other ants. Here, a group of workers take down a Neoponera huntress ant in an Ecuadorian cloud forest.
Macro photo of four dark red ants with orange casters surrounding a larger metallic blue/black ant on a mossy rock.
September 20, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
ceiseman.bsky.social
To follow up on a question @colinpurrington.bsky.social asked me several years ago, here are five different leafminers in a single leaf! bugtracks.wordpress.com/2026/09/18/a...
A New Record
Greetings from Aton Forest! I came here to present a slideshow this afternoon about the leafminers of Aton Forest, but I arrived earlier in the day so I could spend a few hours looking for, well, l…
bugtracks.wordpress.com
September 19, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
americanbeetles.bsky.social
TIL about Eichlinea gloriosa, the “glorious squash vine borer”

Moth that sounds like a @tkingfisher.com bit but it’s real (and it’s magnificent)
Selection of pinned specimens of what I can only describe as a gay cowboy moth. It’s wearing elaborate hot pink feather boa chaps.
September 10, 2026 at 11:26 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
frwildflowers.bsky.social
Physcia aipolia, our Hoary Rosette Lichen, on Ponderosa bark today in Upper Gregory Canyon 🌿
Gray lichen with numerous dark centered apothecia on ponderosa pine bark accompanied by bright yellow lichen splotches
September 12, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
exmoormothman.bsky.social
Heath Potter Wasps collecting clay for making their exquisite pots. Amazing! A superb day with Rog Musgrove & @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social.
September 9, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
donnarainey4.bsky.social
A friend discovered a rare fungal gall in a local woodland. She took me there to see it. Toughshank jellygall, Syzygospora tumefaciens, parasitic on Gymnopus sp. Such an interesting find. #fungi
September 9, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
davidwiddick.bsky.social
I love pew end carvings in churches. I try not to post too many to avoid being a bore but I’d be interested in peoples opinions on what these might represent. They’re both from Cley-Next-the-Sea. Please retweet because I’d like to get as many ideas as possible.
September 8, 2026 at 8:43 AM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
forthespiders.bsky.social
The elephant mosquito (Toxorhynchites rutilus) is one of the largest mosquitoes in North America with a wingspan of 12mm! They also do not bite, as females do not use blood for their eggs. They're also predators of disease-causing mosquitoes like those in the genus Aedes. So, friends! #invertefest
A large green iridescent mosquito sits on a yellow coneflower bloom.
September 1, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
pasenatorsaval.com
It is unacceptable for a world-class city like ours to allow its major natural history museum to close. We cannot allow it. My statement ⬇️
The text of Senator Saval's statement on the closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences museum. The words are in white on a blue background. Senator Saval's image is in the lower-right corner. "For nearly two centuries, the museum of the The Academy of Natural Sciences has been the physical embodiment of a commitment to public natural history education. I was outraged to learn of the plans for its closure, both as a long-standing member of the museum and as an elected representative committed to the health and vitality of Philadelphia. It is unacceptable for a world-class city like ours to allow its major natural history museum to close. The mismanagement of such a treasured asset is a profound insult to the residents of the city and to the incomparable workers and curators at the museum. We cannot allow it." The text of Senator Saval's statement on the closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences museum. The words are in white on a blue background. "This museum is a place where generation after generation first became enthralled with our world, and as we face the enormity of the climate crisis and an unprecedented loss of biodiversity, the continuation of the museum’s legacy of marvel and care for the natural world has never been more urgent. Partners from all levels of government must unite in our efforts to see this vital work continue."
September 1, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
edge-nature.bsky.social
Today was the first time I encountered the fascinating Oak Rough Bulletgall Wasp (Disholcaspis quercusmamma). Small females are developing inside the gall. The galls are exuding honeydew, attractive to yellow jackets and ants, who might protect the gall from parasitic wasps. #invertefest
Round and nipple shaped greenish brown galls being attended by Yellowjackets and paper wasps. Inside the gall is a developing female solitary wasp. When she emerges this fall, she will lay an egg in a dormant leaf bud.
September 1, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
whistlingjoe.bsky.social
Not something you'll see very often - Hedychrum rutilans, one of the Jewel Wasps. Extinct in the UK up to a handful of years ago, now popping up in the southeast. A specialist cuckoo on the Beewolf - this one spotted by Mrs WJ just off #DiggerAlley @rspbminsmere.bsky.social
@rspb.bsky.social
August 21, 2026 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
flygirlnhm.bsky.social
Bats and bat-flies

Last night I tagged along to collect Nycteribiids from Daubenton’s bats. Great to see these dipteran weirdoes - flies with no wings, no eyes & giving birth to live young. 😎🪰

@dipteristsforum.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social
August 26, 2026 at 12:58 PM
colinpurrington.bsky.social
If anyone is already planning their garden for next year, order some Dr. Martin lima beans. Incredibly productive vines with massive pods that are easy to shell. They are also super tender and flavorful. Named for the Philadelphia dentist who developed it in the 1920s. #gardening #legumes #beans
Large, flat, pale-green seed resting next to a smaller US quarter on my fingers.
August 27, 2026 at 11:13 AM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
laminda.bsky.social
While I appreciate the coverage of this important public health story, news editors may want to consider what message they're sending about vaccination when they choose photos associating vaccines with pain
inquirer.com Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · 26d
Measles vaccination rates continue to decline in the Philadelphia area as an outbreak spreads across Pennsylvania.
New vaccination data shows hundreds of Philly-area schools vulnerable to a measles outbreak
www.inquirer.com
August 26, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
alt3cats.bsky.social
#InverteFest Copper etching of imaginary Crinoid. #etching #printmaking
Two tone, blue upper, brown lower, copper etching of imaginary Crinoid with roots extending below a small patch of ground with Crinoid pieces, an echinoid and a trilobite fossil.
August 25, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
dadrummond.art
Magical creature, a cuckoo wasp (Chrysis conica) 💙💚🖤 Found this one trapped in a window frame, tuckered out just enough to not immediately fly away after I freed it. #bugsky
A gorgeous iridescent metallic blue/green wasp with black eyes on a white semicircle (my disconnected flash diffuser) on a white background. The wasp's body armor is dimpled all over as if finely hammered.
August 25, 2026 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
judithsmit.bsky.social
Caterpillars eat plants, right? 🌿
Not always, some are carnivorous! 🥩🐛

Our new paper documents the life history, behavior, and vibrations of Juditha odites. It feeds on treehoppers, then moves into ant nests to consume ant brood! 🐜🐛🦋

link.springer.com/article/10.1... @insectessociaux.bsky.social
An insect-eating caterpillar associated with arboreal ants: life cycle, diet, social integration and substrate-borne vibrations - Insectes Sociaux
Herbivory is the predominant feeding strategy in Lepidoptera, whereas carnivory has evolved rarely. The life cycles of carnivorous species, however, remain poorly documented. Here, we confirm that Jud...
link.springer.com
August 24, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
mycotae.bsky.social
Went to cut a virginia creeper vine and saw this guy! Obviously the vine will stay.

#bugs #invertebrates #caterpillar #pandorussphinx #Eumorphapandorus
Eumorpha pandorus sphinx moth caterpillar on virginia creeper vine. Its head is retracted in its body. Eumorpha pandorus sphinx moth caterpillar on virginia creeper vine. Its head is retracted in its body. Eumorpha pandorus sphinx moth caterpillar on virginia creeper vine. Its head is retracted in its body. Hand for size.
August 24, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
tomsharperocks.bsky.social
Interesting obituary of art historian Peter Cannon-Brookes in today's Times. It was he who spotted the original watercolour of Henry De la Beche's Duria antiquior in the window of a London art dealer in 1980, recognising what it was from the later oil copy he knew @sedgwickmuseum.bsky.social. 1/3
A watercolour painting of a reconstructed prehistoric scene showing ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs and other animals all eating one another.
August 24, 2026 at 8:30 AM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
scottzona.bsky.social
Let’s keep going with epizoochory, the dispersal of fruits & seeds on the outside of animals. Two days ago, I posted a photo of a diabolical fruit from Uncarina. 👿 The fruits of its cousin, Harpagophytum procumbens, are positively sadistic. 📷: KW CCBYNC4 #Pedaliaceae #epizoochory #Botany 🌾🧪🌱
Photo of a hand holding two ferocious-looking fruits. They have numerous hooked and barbed outgrowth that would make they very difficult to remove once they attach to an animal.
August 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM
colinpurrington.bsky.social
What do mosquito biologists think about the American Mosquito Control Association's position on using Mosquito Dunks to control mosquitoes? Are mosquito buckets doing more harm than good by attracting mosquitoes to people's yards? #mosquitoes #pesticides www.mosquito.org/mosquito-buc...
Position on Mosquito Bucket
Position: The Mosquito Bucket Challenge Is Not a Replacement for  Integrated Mosquito Management Programs Summary: The AMCA recognizes the strong public interest in the Mosquito Bucket Challenge and a...
www.mosquito.org
August 22, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
jencmars.bsky.social
This spider is appx 1mm long, qualifying it as both "itsy" and "bitsy"
Photo of a spider with a round, red opisthosoma (back end) with white spots, like an amanita mushroom with eight little transparent legs and a funny face
August 17, 2026 at 6:35 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
bertonemyia.bsky.social
So you think you know cute bugs? But have you ever seen the larva of a handsome fungus #beetle? 🥰 😍

A perfect little crawling dome baby.

#Endomychidae: #Corynomalus
Costa Rica
A dark round dome-top rough larva sits on a white background facing right. It's got orange margins and patches of small white dots and bluish plates on the body. A dark round dome-top rough larva sits on a white background facing front right. It's got orange margins and patches of small white dots and bluish plates on the body, with short straight antennae. A dark round dome-top rough larva sits on a white background facing left. It's got orange margins and patches of small white dots and bluish plates on the body. The belly of the beetle larva as it tries to right itself. The legs and mouthparts can be seen.
August 16, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
ibycter.bsky.social
Bembicine wasps of the genus Bicyrtes sleeping on a twig!
Two bembicine wasps with bold yellow and black stripes perched on a twig in the night.
August 2, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Reposted by Colin Purrington
ibycter.bsky.social
Now here is an absolute stunner of a robber fly. In the genus Lampria, possibly L. clavipes. So beautiful!
A black robber with a gold pubescence on the thorax, and golden on each of the femora, red colour on the abdominal tergites, and purple-green iridescent eyes. Has golden setae on the underside of the tibiae.
July 31, 2026 at 10:14 PM