top of page
Melissa Sanchez Herrera and I are organizing a Sys-EB Section symposium for the 2019 EntSoc meeting in St. Louis, MO.
The symposium is entitled:
Bugs in Technicolor: How Color Research Advocates for Entomology
The reflection and emission of light from insect surfaces has both fascinated and inspired entomologists and the general public for centuries. The goal for our symposium is to provide a setting in which to discuss color research and its use in public outreach initiatives that aim to inspire insect curiosity and advocate for entomology. We have talks that will be given by entomologists from different continents / countries working on diverse, ingenuitive projects that incorporate insect coloration components including production, structures, perception and selection.
In addition to these talks, we intend to have an electronic exhibit of images, illustrations, and videos that fulfill these criteria and we are thus seeking submissions for this endeavor.
If you are interested in including an image please fill out the form below and upload your image / video!
In an effort to bring a little bit of fun to folks who are social distancing as a result of Covid-19 I am rolling out #thattotallyisnottwometers (#ttintm for short) with art that relates to the WHO suggestion to maintain a two meter distance between yourself and others. I plan to be adding a weekly image ("#ttintm Thursdays") for as long as I can. Click on the image to view the complete description and use arrows to navigate. Send me an email if you have a suggestion for a good subject!
Have a look and please feel free to share!
Ovipositing Damselflies
Damselflies belong to the same order (Odonata) as dragonflies. After a pair of damselflies have successfully mated, the males (which are balancing on top of the females in the image) will often remain with the female to guard her while she lays eggs. When males exhibit this behavior it is either because they are protecting the female from predators (he went through a lot to get her interested and get her to mate) or because they practice ‘sperm competition.’ Sperm competition is literally competition between males to inseminate a female and for that female to use their sperm to fertilize her eggs. In many damselfly species the males are capable of removing sperm from inside the female’s reproductive tract – this means that one male can inseminate a female, but if he doesn’t remain with her while she is laying her eggs another male could come along and remove the sperm deposited by the first male – essentially undoing his insemination and thus any paternity to future offspring. With many damselfly species it is not uncommon to see large groups of these females with males balancing on top of them in the same area – occasionally they even perch on top of each other!
Two-Headed Planarian (Dugesia sp.)
Planarians are free-living (nonparasitic) flatworms that belong to class Turbellaria in the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are often used in classroom experiments because they have the ability to regenerate amputated parts of their body. When a planarian is divided in half, their neoblasts (adult stem cells) will begin to multiply – eventually differentiating into the appropriate cell types required to regenerate the missing parts. In nature, planarians also use this ability as a means of asexual (one individual) reproduction, where one individual can split into front and rear halves that will both regenerate, thus resulting in two planarians. The two-headed example in the image is not at all typical and has only been induced experimentally in microgravity experiments – but it’s still cool!
"Zombie" snail infected by the green-banded broodsac
The ‘zombie’ snail in the image has been infected by the green-banded broodsac (Leucochloridium paradoxum), which is a parasitic flatworm (platyhelminthes) that uses terrestrial snails of the genus Succinea as intermediate hosts (with their primary host being birds). In its larval (miracidial) life stage a flatworm will be consumed by a snail and then develop into a sporocyst (almost like an egg sac). From there the sporocyst will enlarge and swell to form the swollen “broodsacs” which are now filled with heaps of cercariae (the next larval stage for the flatworm). The broodsacs themselves move into the tentacles of the snail and begin to pulsate (look up a video – it’s totally psychedelic!) in an amazing display that is meant to mimic a tasty caterpillar. The flatworm even alters the behavior of the snail in such a way as to make itself more detectable to potential predators – remember, the flatworm WANTS to be eaten, that’s how it will continue its development. At this point, if an insectivorous bird sees it and eats it, the cercariae will develop to their terminal / adult stage, which will then reside in the digestive tract of the birds. Male and female flatworms will then reproduce and lay eggs, which are then released via the host’s digestive tract and left for the next unwitting snail host to pop by for a snack.
Anglerfish Pair
In some deep sea anglerfish species the male is permanently attached to the female - as encounters are rare between individuals.
Ovipositing Damselflies
Damselflies belong to the same order (Odonata) as dragonflies. After a pair of damselflies have successfully mated, the males (which are balancing on top of the females in the image) will often remain with the female to guard her while she lays eggs. When males exhibit this behavior it is either because they are protecting the female from predators (he went through a lot to get her interested and get her to mate) or because they practice ‘sperm competition.’ Sperm competition is literally competition between males to inseminate a female and for that female to use their sperm to fertilize her eggs. In many damselfly species the males are capable of removing sperm from inside the female’s reproductive tract – this means that one male can inseminate a female, but if he doesn’t remain with her while she is laying her eggs another male could come along and remove the sperm deposited by the first male – essentially undoing his insemination and thus any paternity to future offspring. With many damselfly species it is not uncommon to see large groups of these females with males balancing on top of them in the same area – occasionally they even perch on top of each other!
Two-Headed Planarian (Dugesia sp.)
Planarians are free-living (nonparasitic) flatworms that belong to class Turbellaria in the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are often used in classroom experiments because they have the ability to regenerate amputated parts of their body. When a planarian is divided in half, their neoblasts (adult stem cells) will begin to multiply – eventually differentiating into the appropriate cell types required to regenerate the missing parts. In nature, planarians also use this ability as a means of asexual (one individual) reproduction, where one individual can split into front and rear halves that will both regenerate, thus resulting in two planarians. The two-headed example in the image is not at all typical and has only been induced experimentally in microgravity experiments – but it’s still cool!
"Zombie" snail infected by the green-banded broodsac
The ‘zombie’ snail in the image has been infected by the green-banded broodsac (Leucochloridium paradoxum), which is a parasitic flatworm (platyhelminthes) that uses terrestrial snails of the genus Succinea as intermediate hosts (with their primary host being birds). In its larval (miracidial) life stage a flatworm will be consumed by a snail and then develop into a sporocyst (almost like an egg sac). From there the sporocyst will enlarge and swell to form the swollen “broodsacs” which are now filled with heaps of cercariae (the next larval stage for the flatworm). The broodsacs themselves move into the tentacles of the snail and begin to pulsate (look up a video – it’s totally psychedelic!) in an amazing display that is meant to mimic a tasty caterpillar. The flatworm even alters the behavior of the snail in such a way as to make itself more detectable to potential predators – remember, the flatworm WANTS to be eaten, that’s how it will continue its development. At this point, if an insectivorous bird sees it and eats it, the cercariae will develop to their terminal / adult stage, which will then reside in the digestive tract of the birds. Male and female flatworms will then reproduce and lay eggs, which are then released via the host’s digestive tract and left for the next unwitting snail host to pop by for a snack.
Anglerfish Pair
In some deep sea anglerfish species the male is permanently attached to the female - as encounters are rare between individuals.
Ovipositing Damselflies
Damselflies belong to the same order (Odonata) as dragonflies. After a pair of damselflies have successfully mated, the males (which are balancing on top of the females in the image) will often remain with the female to guard her while she lays eggs. When males exhibit this behavior it is either because they are protecting the female from predators (he went through a lot to get her interested and get her to mate) or because they practice ‘sperm competition.’ Sperm competition is literally competition between males to inseminate a female and for that female to use their sperm to fertilize her eggs. In many damselfly species the males are capable of removing sperm from inside the female’s reproductive tract – this means that one male can inseminate a female, but if he doesn’t remain with her while she is laying her eggs another male could come along and remove the sperm deposited by the first male – essentially undoing his insemination and thus any paternity to future offspring. With many damselfly species it is not uncommon to see large groups of these females with males balancing on top of them in the same area – occasionally they even perch on top of each other!
Two-Headed Planarian (Dugesia sp.)
Planarians are free-living (nonparasitic) flatworms that belong to class Turbellaria in the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are often used in classroom experiments because they have the ability to regenerate amputated parts of their body. When a planarian is divided in half, their neoblasts (adult stem cells) will begin to multiply – eventually differentiating into the appropriate cell types required to regenerate the missing parts. In nature, planarians also use this ability as a means of asexual (one individual) reproduction, where one individual can split into front and rear halves that will both regenerate, thus resulting in two planarians. The two-headed example in the image is not at all typical and has only been induced experimentally in microgravity experiments – but it’s still cool!
"Zombie" snail infected by the green-banded broodsac
The ‘zombie’ snail in the image has been infected by the green-banded broodsac (Leucochloridium paradoxum), which is a parasitic flatworm (platyhelminthes) that uses terrestrial snails of the genus Succinea as intermediate hosts (with their primary host being birds). In its larval (miracidial) life stage a flatworm will be consumed by a snail and then develop into a sporocyst (almost like an egg sac). From there the sporocyst will enlarge and swell to form the swollen “broodsacs” which are now filled with heaps of cercariae (the next larval stage for the flatworm). The broodsacs themselves move into the tentacles of the snail and begin to pulsate (look up a video – it’s totally psychedelic!) in an amazing display that is meant to mimic a tasty caterpillar. The flatworm even alters the behavior of the snail in such a way as to make itself more detectable to potential predators – remember, the flatworm WANTS to be eaten, that’s how it will continue its development. At this point, if an insectivorous bird sees it and eats it, the cercariae will develop to their terminal / adult stage, which will then reside in the digestive tract of the birds. Male and female flatworms will then reproduce and lay eggs, which are then released via the host’s digestive tract and left for the next unwitting snail host to pop by for a snack.
Anglerfish Pair
In some deep sea anglerfish species the male is permanently attached to the female - as encounters are rare between individuals.
Ovipositing Damselflies
Damselflies belong to the same order (Odonata) as dragonflies. After a pair of damselflies have successfully mated, the males (which are balancing on top of the females in the image) will often remain with the female to guard her while she lays eggs. When males exhibit this behavior it is either because they are protecting the female from predators (he went through a lot to get her interested and get her to mate) or because they practice ‘sperm competition.’ Sperm competition is literally competition between males to inseminate a female and for that female to use their sperm to fertilize her eggs. In many damselfly species the males are capable of removing sperm from inside the female’s reproductive tract – this means that one male can inseminate a female, but if he doesn’t remain with her while she is laying her eggs another male could come along and remove the sperm deposited by the first male – essentially undoing his insemination and thus any paternity to future offspring. With many damselfly species it is not uncommon to see large groups of these females with males balancing on top of them in the same area – occasionally they even perch on top of each other!
Two-Headed Planarian (Dugesia sp.)
Planarians are free-living (nonparasitic) flatworms that belong to class Turbellaria in the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are often used in classroom experiments because they have the ability to regenerate amputated parts of their body. When a planarian is divided in half, their neoblasts (adult stem cells) will begin to multiply – eventually differentiating into the appropriate cell types required to regenerate the missing parts. In nature, planarians also use this ability as a means of asexual (one individual) reproduction, where one individual can split into front and rear halves that will both regenerate, thus resulting in two planarians. The two-headed example in the image is not at all typical and has only been induced experimentally in microgravity experiments – but it’s still cool!
"Zombie" snail infected by the green-banded broodsac
The ‘zombie’ snail in the image has been infected by the green-banded broodsac (Leucochloridium paradoxum), which is a parasitic flatworm (platyhelminthes) that uses terrestrial snails of the genus Succinea as intermediate hosts (with their primary host being birds). In its larval (miracidial) life stage a flatworm will be consumed by a snail and then develop into a sporocyst (almost like an egg sac). From there the sporocyst will enlarge and swell to form the swollen “broodsacs” which are now filled with heaps of cercariae (the next larval stage for the flatworm). The broodsacs themselves move into the tentacles of the snail and begin to pulsate (look up a video – it’s totally psychedelic!) in an amazing display that is meant to mimic a tasty caterpillar. The flatworm even alters the behavior of the snail in such a way as to make itself more detectable to potential predators – remember, the flatworm WANTS to be eaten, that’s how it will continue its development. At this point, if an insectivorous bird sees it and eats it, the cercariae will develop to their terminal / adult stage, which will then reside in the digestive tract of the birds. Male and female flatworms will then reproduce and lay eggs, which are then released via the host’s digestive tract and left for the next unwitting snail host to pop by for a snack.
Anglerfish Pair
In some deep sea anglerfish species the male is permanently attached to the female - as encounters are rare between individuals.
Ovipositing Damselflies
Damselflies belong to the same order (Odonata) as dragonflies. After a pair of damselflies have successfully mated, the males (which are balancing on top of the females in the image) will often remain with the female to guard her while she lays eggs. When males exhibit this behavior it is either because they are protecting the female from predators (he went through a lot to get her interested and get her to mate) or because they practice ‘sperm competition.’ Sperm competition is literally competition between males to inseminate a female and for that female to use their sperm to fertilize her eggs. In many damselfly species the males are capable of removing sperm from inside the female’s reproductive tract – this means that one male can inseminate a female, but if he doesn’t remain with her while she is laying her eggs another male could come along and remove the sperm deposited by the first male – essentially undoing his insemination and thus any paternity to future offspring. With many damselfly species it is not uncommon to see large groups of these females with males balancing on top of them in the same area – occasionally they even perch on top of each other!
Two-Headed Planarian (Dugesia sp.)
Planarians are free-living (nonparasitic) flatworms that belong to class Turbellaria in the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are often used in classroom experiments because they have the ability to regenerate amputated parts of their body. When a planarian is divided in half, their neoblasts (adult stem cells) will begin to multiply – eventually differentiating into the appropriate cell types required to regenerate the missing parts. In nature, planarians also use this ability as a means of asexual (one individual) reproduction, where one individual can split into front and rear halves that will both regenerate, thus resulting in two planarians. The two-headed example in the image is not at all typical and has only been induced experimentally in microgravity experiments – but it’s still cool!
"Zombie" snail infected by the green-banded broodsac
The ‘zombie’ snail in the image has been infected by the green-banded broodsac (Leucochloridium paradoxum), which is a parasitic flatworm (platyhelminthes) that uses terrestrial snails of the genus Succinea as intermediate hosts (with their primary host being birds). In its larval (miracidial) life stage a flatworm will be consumed by a snail and then develop into a sporocyst (almost like an egg sac). From there the sporocyst will enlarge and swell to form the swollen “broodsacs” which are now filled with heaps of cercariae (the next larval stage for the flatworm). The broodsacs themselves move into the tentacles of the snail and begin to pulsate (look up a video – it’s totally psychedelic!) in an amazing display that is meant to mimic a tasty caterpillar. The flatworm even alters the behavior of the snail in such a way as to make itself more detectable to potential predators – remember, the flatworm WANTS to be eaten, that’s how it will continue its development. At this point, if an insectivorous bird sees it and eats it, the cercariae will develop to their terminal / adult stage, which will then reside in the digestive tract of the birds. Male and female flatworms will then reproduce and lay eggs, which are then released via the host’s digestive tract and left for the next unwitting snail host to pop by for a snack.
Anglerfish Pair
In some deep sea anglerfish species the male is permanently attached to the female - as encounters are rare between individuals.
Ovipositing Damselflies
Damselflies belong to the same order (Odonata) as dragonflies. After a pair of damselflies have successfully mated, the males (which are balancing on top of the females in the image) will often remain with the female to guard her while she lays eggs. When males exhibit this behavior it is either because they are protecting the female from predators (he went through a lot to get her interested and get her to mate) or because they practice ‘sperm competition.’ Sperm competition is literally competition between males to inseminate a female and for that female to use their sperm to fertilize her eggs. In many damselfly species the males are capable of removing sperm from inside the female’s reproductive tract – this means that one male can inseminate a female, but if he doesn’t remain with her while she is laying her eggs another male could come along and remove the sperm deposited by the first male – essentially undoing his insemination and thus any paternity to future offspring. With many damselfly species it is not uncommon to see large groups of these females with males balancing on top of them in the same area – occasionally they even perch on top of each other!
Two-Headed Planarian (Dugesia sp.)
Planarians are free-living (nonparasitic) flatworms that belong to class Turbellaria in the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are often used in classroom experiments because they have the ability to regenerate amputated parts of their body. When a planarian is divided in half, their neoblasts (adult stem cells) will begin to multiply – eventually differentiating into the appropriate cell types required to regenerate the missing parts. In nature, planarians also use this ability as a means of asexual (one individual) reproduction, where one individual can split into front and rear halves that will both regenerate, thus resulting in two planarians. The two-headed example in the image is not at all typical and has only been induced experimentally in microgravity experiments – but it’s still cool!
"Zombie" snail infected by the green-banded broodsac
The ‘zombie’ snail in the image has been infected by the green-banded broodsac (Leucochloridium paradoxum), which is a parasitic flatworm (platyhelminthes) that uses terrestrial snails of the genus Succinea as intermediate hosts (with their primary host being birds). In its larval (miracidial) life stage a flatworm will be consumed by a snail and then develop into a sporocyst (almost like an egg sac). From there the sporocyst will enlarge and swell to form the swollen “broodsacs” which are now filled with heaps of cercariae (the next larval stage for the flatworm). The broodsacs themselves move into the tentacles of the snail and begin to pulsate (look up a video – it’s totally psychedelic!) in an amazing display that is meant to mimic a tasty caterpillar. The flatworm even alters the behavior of the snail in such a way as to make itself more detectable to potential predators – remember, the flatworm WANTS to be eaten, that’s how it will continue its development. At this point, if an insectivorous bird sees it and eats it, the cercariae will develop to their terminal / adult stage, which will then reside in the digestive tract of the birds. Male and female flatworms will then reproduce and lay eggs, which are then released via the host’s digestive tract and left for the next unwitting snail host to pop by for a snack.
Anglerfish Pair
In some deep sea anglerfish species the male is permanently attached to the female - as encounters are rare between individuals.
Ovipositing Damselflies
Damselflies belong to the same order (Odonata) as dragonflies. After a pair of damselflies have successfully mated, the males (which are balancing on top of the females in the image) will often remain with the female to guard her while she lays eggs. When males exhibit this behavior it is either because they are protecting the female from predators (he went through a lot to get her interested and get her to mate) or because they practice ‘sperm competition.’ Sperm competition is literally competition between males to inseminate a female and for that female to use their sperm to fertilize her eggs. In many damselfly species the males are capable of removing sperm from inside the female’s reproductive tract – this means that one male can inseminate a female, but if he doesn’t remain with her while she is laying her eggs another male could come along and remove the sperm deposited by the first male – essentially undoing his insemination and thus any paternity to future offspring. With many damselfly species it is not uncommon to see large groups of these females with males balancing on top of them in the same area – occasionally they even perch on top of each other!
Two-Headed Planarian (Dugesia sp.)
Planarians are free-living (nonparasitic) flatworms that belong to class Turbellaria in the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are often used in classroom experiments because they have the ability to regenerate amputated parts of their body. When a planarian is divided in half, their neoblasts (adult stem cells) will begin to multiply – eventually differentiating into the appropriate cell types required to regenerate the missing parts. In nature, planarians also use this ability as a means of asexual (one individual) reproduction, where one individual can split into front and rear halves that will both regenerate, thus resulting in two planarians. The two-headed example in the image is not at all typical and has only been induced experimentally in microgravity experiments – but it’s still cool!
"Zombie" snail infected by the green-banded broodsac
The ‘zombie’ snail in the image has been infected by the green-banded broodsac (Leucochloridium paradoxum), which is a parasitic flatworm (platyhelminthes) that uses terrestrial snails of the genus Succinea as intermediate hosts (with their primary host being birds). In its larval (miracidial) life stage a flatworm will be consumed by a snail and then develop into a sporocyst (almost like an egg sac). From there the sporocyst will enlarge and swell to form the swollen “broodsacs” which are now filled with heaps of cercariae (the next larval stage for the flatworm). The broodsacs themselves move into the tentacles of the snail and begin to pulsate (look up a video – it’s totally psychedelic!) in an amazing display that is meant to mimic a tasty caterpillar. The flatworm even alters the behavior of the snail in such a way as to make itself more detectable to potential predators – remember, the flatworm WANTS to be eaten, that’s how it will continue its development. At this point, if an insectivorous bird sees it and eats it, the cercariae will develop to their terminal / adult stage, which will then reside in the digestive tract of the birds. Male and female flatworms will then reproduce and lay eggs, which are then released via the host’s digestive tract and left for the next unwitting snail host to pop by for a snack.
Anglerfish Pair
In some deep sea anglerfish species the male is permanently attached to the female - as encounters are rare between individuals.
Ovipositing Damselflies
Damselflies belong to the same order (Odonata) as dragonflies. After a pair of damselflies have successfully mated, the males (which are balancing on top of the females in the image) will often remain with the female to guard her while she lays eggs. When males exhibit this behavior it is either because they are protecting the female from predators (he went through a lot to get her interested and get her to mate) or because they practice ‘sperm competition.’ Sperm competition is literally competition between males to inseminate a female and for that female to use their sperm to fertilize her eggs. In many damselfly species the males are capable of removing sperm from inside the female’s reproductive tract – this means that one male can inseminate a female, but if he doesn’t remain with her while she is laying her eggs another male could come along and remove the sperm deposited by the first male – essentially undoing his insemination and thus any paternity to future offspring. With many damselfly species it is not uncommon to see large groups of these females with males balancing on top of them in the same area – occasionally they even perch on top of each other!
Two-Headed Planarian (Dugesia sp.)
Planarians are free-living (nonparasitic) flatworms that belong to class Turbellaria in the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are often used in classroom experiments because they have the ability to regenerate amputated parts of their body. When a planarian is divided in half, their neoblasts (adult stem cells) will begin to multiply – eventually differentiating into the appropriate cell types required to regenerate the missing parts. In nature, planarians also use this ability as a means of asexual (one individual) reproduction, where one individual can split into front and rear halves that will both regenerate, thus resulting in two planarians. The two-headed example in the image is not at all typical and has only been induced experimentally in microgravity experiments – but it’s still cool!
"Zombie" snail infected by the green-banded broodsac
The ‘zombie’ snail in the image has been infected by the green-banded broodsac (Leucochloridium paradoxum), which is a parasitic flatworm (platyhelminthes) that uses terrestrial snails of the genus Succinea as intermediate hosts (with their primary host being birds). In its larval (miracidial) life stage a flatworm will be consumed by a snail and then develop into a sporocyst (almost like an egg sac). From there the sporocyst will enlarge and swell to form the swollen “broodsacs” which are now filled with heaps of cercariae (the next larval stage for the flatworm). The broodsacs themselves move into the tentacles of the snail and begin to pulsate (look up a video – it’s totally psychedelic!) in an amazing display that is meant to mimic a tasty caterpillar. The flatworm even alters the behavior of the snail in such a way as to make itself more detectable to potential predators – remember, the flatworm WANTS to be eaten, that’s how it will continue its development. At this point, if an insectivorous bird sees it and eats it, the cercariae will develop to their terminal / adult stage, which will then reside in the digestive tract of the birds. Male and female flatworms will then reproduce and lay eggs, which are then released via the host’s digestive tract and left for the next unwitting snail host to pop by for a snack.
Anglerfish Pair
In some deep sea anglerfish species the male is permanently attached to the female - as encounters are rare between individuals.
bottom of page