PJ Liesch
@wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social
Entomologist, director of University of Wisconsin Insect Diagnostic Lab, and science communicator.
An enthusiast of all things related to insects, bogs, running, coffee, sauna, the Northwoods, and mountains. Views my own. #LifeofanEntomologist #wibugs
An enthusiast of all things related to insects, bogs, running, coffee, sauna, the Northwoods, and mountains. Views my own. #LifeofanEntomologist #wibugs
Pinned
PJ Liesch
@wisconsinbugguy.bsky.social
· Nov 22
Hi folks—a quick introduction!👋
I'm PJ – an #entomologist at UW-Madison. I'm the director of the UW Insect Diagnostic Lab and also a science communicator + educator.
When not working on insects, I'm out running, taking sauna, hiking, biking, wandering a bog, or visiting in Lake Superior.
I'm PJ – an #entomologist at UW-Madison. I'm the director of the UW Insect Diagnostic Lab and also a science communicator + educator.
When not working on insects, I'm out running, taking sauna, hiking, biking, wandering a bog, or visiting in Lake Superior.
Pulled the infamous reviewer #2 slot. 😅 I promise I'll be nice!
July 8, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Pulled the infamous reviewer #2 slot. 😅 I promise I'll be nice!
Reposted by PJ Liesch
Velvet worms shoot rapid-hardening glue at their prey (other invertebrates).
Within seconds, the sprayed liquid hardens to plastic-like consistency, trapping or slowing the target.
This marvelous glue has possible human applications in recyclable bioplastics & surgical sutures that dissolve.
Within seconds, the sprayed liquid hardens to plastic-like consistency, trapping or slowing the target.
This marvelous glue has possible human applications in recyclable bioplastics & surgical sutures that dissolve.
April 10, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Velvet worms shoot rapid-hardening glue at their prey (other invertebrates).
Within seconds, the sprayed liquid hardens to plastic-like consistency, trapping or slowing the target.
This marvelous glue has possible human applications in recyclable bioplastics & surgical sutures that dissolve.
Within seconds, the sprayed liquid hardens to plastic-like consistency, trapping or slowing the target.
This marvelous glue has possible human applications in recyclable bioplastics & surgical sutures that dissolve.
Always good to see proper PPE being worn in lab settings. Everyone knows Noctuid #moths are scrappy fighters, so helmets definitely needed for safety.
I thought our new “visible lab” space felt like a petting zoo but @mothpotato.bsky.social had a much better idea
March 6, 2026 at 12:36 AM
Always good to see proper PPE being worn in lab settings. Everyone knows Noctuid #moths are scrappy fighters, so helmets definitely needed for safety.
Reposted by PJ Liesch
🎉 Huge news for BHL: The Field Museum is taking over the hosting of BHL’s website, servers & infrastructure, ensuring long-term stability and access for its 63+ million pages of open biodiversity literature. Learn more:
blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2026/02/tran...
#BHLTransition #ILoveBHL 🌍 📚 🧪
blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2026/02/tran...
#BHLTransition #ILoveBHL 🌍 📚 🧪
February 27, 2026 at 2:31 PM
🎉 Huge news for BHL: The Field Museum is taking over the hosting of BHL’s website, servers & infrastructure, ensuring long-term stability and access for its 63+ million pages of open biodiversity literature. Learn more:
blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2026/02/tran...
#BHLTransition #ILoveBHL 🌍 📚 🧪
blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2026/02/tran...
#BHLTransition #ILoveBHL 🌍 📚 🧪
February 5, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Turns out, these inexpensive, small foam-padded coin/gem boxes make great mini Riker Mounts. #entomology #outreach #education
February 5, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Turns out, these inexpensive, small foam-padded coin/gem boxes make great mini Riker Mounts. #entomology #outreach #education
December 10, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by PJ Liesch
Day 8 of #InsectAdvent
Want to attract the opposite sex but fed up being bashed on the dancefloor? This male fly, Deuterophlebia sp., never lands but dances over fast-flowing rivers, guarding it for a receptive lady, using its really long antennae to make/guard his space
@royentsoc.bsky.social
Want to attract the opposite sex but fed up being bashed on the dancefloor? This male fly, Deuterophlebia sp., never lands but dances over fast-flowing rivers, guarding it for a receptive lady, using its really long antennae to make/guard his space
@royentsoc.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Day 8 of #InsectAdvent
Want to attract the opposite sex but fed up being bashed on the dancefloor? This male fly, Deuterophlebia sp., never lands but dances over fast-flowing rivers, guarding it for a receptive lady, using its really long antennae to make/guard his space
@royentsoc.bsky.social
Want to attract the opposite sex but fed up being bashed on the dancefloor? This male fly, Deuterophlebia sp., never lands but dances over fast-flowing rivers, guarding it for a receptive lady, using its really long antennae to make/guard his space
@royentsoc.bsky.social
Screams in entomologist....what the actual Fulgorid? If the article is as horribly inaccurate as as the photo, we're all doomed...
#Entomology #TaxonomyFail #AIisGarbage
#Entomology #TaxonomyFail #AIisGarbage
December 3, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Screams in entomologist....what the actual Fulgorid? If the article is as horribly inaccurate as as the photo, we're all doomed...
#Entomology #TaxonomyFail #AIisGarbage
#Entomology #TaxonomyFail #AIisGarbage
Reposted by PJ Liesch
Its day 2 of #InsectAdvent
I think that this little fly ate too many mince pies! Welcome to Platyna hastata - whose bum maybe as wide as they are long!
Soldierflies or Stratiomyidae are some of the most eye-catching of the flies.
@royentsoc.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social
I think that this little fly ate too many mince pies! Welcome to Platyna hastata - whose bum maybe as wide as they are long!
Soldierflies or Stratiomyidae are some of the most eye-catching of the flies.
@royentsoc.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social
December 2, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Its day 2 of #InsectAdvent
I think that this little fly ate too many mince pies! Welcome to Platyna hastata - whose bum maybe as wide as they are long!
Soldierflies or Stratiomyidae are some of the most eye-catching of the flies.
@royentsoc.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social
I think that this little fly ate too many mince pies! Welcome to Platyna hastata - whose bum maybe as wide as they are long!
Soldierflies or Stratiomyidae are some of the most eye-catching of the flies.
@royentsoc.bsky.social @dipterists.bsky.social
Reposted by PJ Liesch
North American Hoverflies! 🪰
October 30, 2025 at 6:23 PM
North American Hoverflies! 🪰
Some really tiny (~1 mm) Platygastrid wasps associated with whiteflies.
October 25, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Some really tiny (~1 mm) Platygastrid wasps associated with whiteflies.
The lovely Halloween Pennant dragonfly 🎃
Beautiful, spooky wings of the "Halloween Pennant" dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) 🎃
seen near water - June, July - NE OK
seen near water - June, July - NE OK
October 10, 2025 at 4:56 PM
The lovely Halloween Pennant dragonfly 🎃
Took the quiz to find out that I’m a Platygastrid wasp 🤘
Dark taxa are extremely diverse organisms that remain largely undescribed due to small size, subtle differences, & few experts.
Take this quiz to find out what you are - I'm a gall midge! whatdarktaxonareyou.static.domains/insect-quiz....
by @vivianfeng.bsky.social & @flyliceresearch.bsky.social
Take this quiz to find out what you are - I'm a gall midge! whatdarktaxonareyou.static.domains/insect-quiz....
by @vivianfeng.bsky.social & @flyliceresearch.bsky.social
September 24, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Took the quiz to find out that I’m a Platygastrid wasp 🤘
Seems about right 🤷🏻♂️
September 19, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Seems about right 🤷🏻♂️
Chagas disease and kissing bugs have been in the news lately. I'll just leave this here:
#chagasdisease #kissingbugs
#chagasdisease #kissingbugs
September 8, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Chagas disease and kissing bugs have been in the news lately. I'll just leave this here:
#chagasdisease #kissingbugs
#chagasdisease #kissingbugs
Reposted by PJ Liesch
MOST importantly, I found a single specimen of Macrocilix nr. maia in the unsorted/pro tempore section, the magnum opus of visual ecology
September 4, 2025 at 5:45 PM
MOST importantly, I found a single specimen of Macrocilix nr. maia in the unsorted/pro tempore section, the magnum opus of visual ecology
Back from vacation on the shores of Lake Superior and digging myself out of a pit of emails, just like this ant getting out of an antlion nest. At least my risk of getting eaten is much lower… #entomology
September 2, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Back from vacation on the shores of Lake Superior and digging myself out of a pit of emails, just like this ant getting out of an antlion nest. At least my risk of getting eaten is much lower… #entomology
Reposted by PJ Liesch
Learn all about Asian longhorned beetles in a new special collection from Environmental Entomology!
Articles cover biology, behavior, natural enemies, survey tools, eradication methods, and more: academic.oup.com/insect-scien... @oxfordacademic.bsky.social
Articles cover biology, behavior, natural enemies, survey tools, eradication methods, and more: academic.oup.com/insect-scien... @oxfordacademic.bsky.social
September 2, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Learn all about Asian longhorned beetles in a new special collection from Environmental Entomology!
Articles cover biology, behavior, natural enemies, survey tools, eradication methods, and more: academic.oup.com/insect-scien... @oxfordacademic.bsky.social
Articles cover biology, behavior, natural enemies, survey tools, eradication methods, and more: academic.oup.com/insect-scien... @oxfordacademic.bsky.social
There are white grubs and then there’s this heckin chonker I found while building a fence last weekend. Larva of the stag beetle Lucanus capreolus.
Safely placed it back down amongst the mulch. #beetles #Coleoptera #WisconsinBugs
Safely placed it back down amongst the mulch. #beetles #Coleoptera #WisconsinBugs
August 21, 2025 at 3:40 AM
There are white grubs and then there’s this heckin chonker I found while building a fence last weekend. Larva of the stag beetle Lucanus capreolus.
Safely placed it back down amongst the mulch. #beetles #Coleoptera #WisconsinBugs
Safely placed it back down amongst the mulch. #beetles #Coleoptera #WisconsinBugs
Reposted by PJ Liesch
Reposted by PJ Liesch
🐞 🐝 I'm recruiting students to join my lab at the University of Minnesota! Hoping to bring on 2-3 MS or PhD students (MS a pre-req for PhD students). Take a peek at the opportunities available and feel free to reach out with questions. Please share widely!
jhemberger.github.io/ibug_lab_web...
jhemberger.github.io/ibug_lab_web...
Opportunities – UMN iBUG Lab
jhemberger.github.io
August 13, 2025 at 3:27 PM
🐞 🐝 I'm recruiting students to join my lab at the University of Minnesota! Hoping to bring on 2-3 MS or PhD students (MS a pre-req for PhD students). Take a peek at the opportunities available and feel free to reach out with questions. Please share widely!
jhemberger.github.io/ibug_lab_web...
jhemberger.github.io/ibug_lab_web...
Reposted by PJ Liesch
Goczał, Beutel & Gorb. 2025. Formation of #beetles #elytra and the most spectacular animal #radiation in the history of Earth. #evolution doi.org/10.1093/zool...
August 13, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Goczał, Beutel & Gorb. 2025. Formation of #beetles #elytra and the most spectacular animal #radiation in the history of Earth. #evolution doi.org/10.1093/zool...
August 12, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by PJ Liesch
Large chunks of people's favorite trees seemingly go leafless overnight this time of year, usually thanks to caterpillars. Our paper (w/ @kellyoten.bsky.social & #nobluesky Robert Jetton) in @entsocamerica.bsky.social's JIPM highlights several species in the SE US: academic.oup.com/jipm/article...
August 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Large chunks of people's favorite trees seemingly go leafless overnight this time of year, usually thanks to caterpillars. Our paper (w/ @kellyoten.bsky.social & #nobluesky Robert Jetton) in @entsocamerica.bsky.social's JIPM highlights several species in the SE US: academic.oup.com/jipm/article...