Frank Ashwood

Soil ecologist, author & macrophotographer | www.frankashwood.com | He/Him
Author of 'The World Beneath Our Feet' out now!

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npub1c435glznq5cc4qezj3utqjfwvmaffwtxmc8wftugs7kkydrjy22qysf257

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frankashwood@flipping-rocks.mostr.pub

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nprofile1qqsv2c6y03fs2vv2sv3fg79sfyhxd755h9ndurhy47yg0ttzx3ez99qpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qz8thwden5te0dehhxarj94c82c3wwajkcmr0wfjx2u3wdejhgwp6h9k

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relay.mostr.pub

nostr-pub.wellorder.net

yabu.me

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Last Notes

2026-11-02 08:09:18 UTC

These two stunning forest floor giants are separated by about 80 million years of evolutionary isolation and roughly 1,500 miles of ocean (AKA the Tasman Sea).
For scale, this Tasmanian 'dragon' springtail is on an Australian two-dollar coin (20 mm diameter), and the chunkier New Zealand 'giant' springtail is on a NZ one-dollar coin (26.5 mm diameter). The Kiwi species have the record for largest springtail in the world, but I think the Tassie ones aren't far behind!
They probably need a different name than springtail though, they're both so gargantuan that they have evolutionarily lost their totally pointless springing organs.
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Macrophotography #Nature #Entomology #Soil
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2026-10-29 07:08:22 UTC

Have you ever wondered something about soil life, but never had anyone to ask? Well, I literally wrote a book about it! Drop your question or thoughts in the comments and I'll get to work. Better yet, buy my new book 'The World Beneath our Feet' and find out the answer for yourself!
P.S. This is me dipping my toe into making video posts, so be gentle with me!
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Book #Books #Soil #Nature
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2026-10-22 01:07:49 UTC

Did you know that the 21st October is an international day devoted to celebrating earthworms?! 🪱🌍
The Earthworm Society of Britain nominated an October date to honour the father of earthworm ecology, Charles Darwin, as this is the month that his book 'The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Actions of worms' was published in 1881!
How did you celebrate #WorldWormDay this year?
#Nature #SoilScience #SoilEcology #Biodiversity #Earthworm
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2026-10-21 00:16:28 UTC

🎉 TASMANIAN VELVET WORMS AND AN EXCERPT FROM MY BOOK! 🎉
This stunning creature is a velvet worm, which I recently saw in Tasmania. I attempted the difficult task of describing these wonderful animals in the epilogue of my book (see the last photo)... Would you describe them differently? If so, how?
Stay tuned for more macrophotography and book excerpts, and I'm also considering running a giveaway for a signed copy of the hardback!
#booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookworm #Nonfiction #Nature #NatureBook #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #entomology
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2026-10-18 08:45:06 UTC

That's my 2026 book tour ALMOST wrapped up! (one more New Zealand event tba)
What a surreal yet wonderful blur of public talks, live radio, podcasts and published media in the UK, New Zealand and Tasmania (plus a spontaneous passing visit to a German bookshop)! A massive, heartfelt thank you to everyone who came along to an event or listened to/read my media appearances over the past month - your support meant the world. And thank you to everyone who hosted me and helped to celebrate the release of The World Beneath our Feet!
If you're reading this and haven't picked up a copy of the book yet, why not treat yourself or the nature-lover in your life - it's out now! It would make a perfect Christmas present too... the cover artwork by Holly Ovenden is beautiful, and it's packed with my macrophotography!
#booksbooksbooks #bookish #book #nature #naturebook #nonfiction
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2026-10-15 00:38:17 UTC

Hello fine people of Mastodon!
I'm Frank: a soil ecologist, popular-science author, nature macrophotographer and science communicator (and a very tired new father). Through my research and outreach, I'm determined to raise awareness of the tiny organisms that keep our soils (and our world) working!
Make sure you've tapped the follow button if you want to learn more about:
🪱 Life in soil
📸 Nature macrophotography
🎙️ Science communication
📚 My debut (award-winning) scientific nonfiction book 'The World Beneath our Feet'
Still reading this? You're my kind of person! Fire off a question in the comments below and let's get nerdy...
#Introduction #AboutMe #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Nature #SoilBiodiversity #Entomology
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2026-10-14 08:01:50 UTC

As a reward for putting up with all my book promotion, please feast your eyes upon this smörgåsbord of Tasmanian 'dragon' springtails!
These outrageous creatures are related to the New Zealand giant springtails that I've been utterly obsessed with for the past three years. I'm so pleased that I got the opportunity to visit Hobart at the weekend to go on a dragon hunt!
That's not all I saw, however: I'll be adding more photos very soon, including fluffy mites and Tasmanian velvet worms 😮
#Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity #Entomology #Nature #NaturePhotography #Soil #SoilEcology #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet
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2026-09-27 08:29:25 UTC

I'm thrilled to have won the @nprofile…7a6l 2026 Book of the Year Award with my debut nonfiction book The World Beneath our Feet! This award is given to the book that has had/ or is expected to have the greatest influence on the science of ecology in any two-year period.
I'm absolutely buzzing, particularly since the book has only been out for a month in the UK and releases in the US in two days!
Quoting the BES press release:
"The World Beneath Our Feet takes readers on a journey, from freshly fallen plant litter, down through the topsoil, and finally into the permanently dark, undisturbed underworld of the subsoil. Along the way we meet some of the world’s strangest inhabitants and learn about the important roles they play in supporting us and the natural world, from nutrient cycling to agriculture and carbon storage.
Hefin Jones, a BES Marsh Ecology Book of the Year judge said: ‘Frank Ashwood’s The World Beneath Our Feet is an engaging and accessible exploration of soil biodiversity and its importance to ecosystems and human society. Its major strength is in Ashwood’s ability to communicate complex ecological processes through vivid descriptions of the largely unseen organisms that sustain soils.’
Ken Thompson, another BES Marsh Ecology Book of the Year judge, said: ‘There are jaw-dropping facts on every page and throughout the book, Ashwood’s narrative is greatly enlivened by his personal encounters with soil life. These adventures lend his text an immediacy and excitement that makes for an entertaining read.’"
Why not pick yourself up a copy of the book, and see what all the fuss is about!
#SoilEcology #NonFiction #Science #Book
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2026-09-12 06:47:35 UTC

A lovely photo-led review of The World Beneath Our Feet in this week's @nprofile…cu9f.
Read it online here: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2587314-take-a-stunning-microscopic-safari-into-the-hidden-world-of-soil/
#NewScientist #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Nature #NatureBook #SciComm #Science #Soil #SoilBiodiversity
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2026-08-09 09:50:16 UTC

Less than 3 weeks to go until the UK release of my debut book THE WORLD BENEATH OUR FEET! And only a month later, it'll hit bookshops across the US and Canada 🥰
There's still time to reserve your own copy of the hardcover (preorders are super important!), so you can enjoy it on the day of release! And if you're coming to one of my UK events, I'll very happily sign your copy.
I can't stop looking at my early copies, they're just so pretty. Though I can't claim the credit for the book's exquisite presentation: the production team at Hodder Press have given everything to this - generously using gold foil to further accent the stunning cover art by Holly Ovenden. They even accommodated my last-minute request to use an earthworm illustration by the wonderful Morgane Merien for each chapter's section breaks!
Reserve your copy today, and come join me on an awe-inspiring journey into the mysterious world of soil!
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Science #Nature #NatureBook #booksbooksbooks #Soil #SoilBiodiversity #Author
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2026-07-26 08:08:44 UTC

The cosmopolitan 'moss' springtail (Neanura muscorum) navigating a miniature forest of fungi on a decaying log. But it isn't alone — all those transparent blobs on its body are in fact curled-up, hitchhiking nematode worms (you can see these better in the second photo)!
Much like the baby mite in my last post, these tiny worms are using a larger animal to help them disperse to new environments. It's thought that this 'phoretic' behaviour might be a stepping stone in how parasitism evolved in some nematodes.
Read all about the incredible ways soil animals have adapted to the challenges of life, in my upcoming book #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet, which lands just one month from now!
#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Nature #Entomology #Soil
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2026-07-14 08:32:45 UTC

This adorable little creature is one of New Zealand's endemic giant springtails, but it's not just ANY giant springtail...
I first discovered this springtail population two years ago, living up in the few remaining patches of native forest in the Port Hills of Christchurch. This put them on the map - nobody had ever seen them near the city before, so it was a wonderful surprise to find them there!
They appear a lot smaller than other members of their species that I've found elsewhere, making me wonder if they're undergoing a form of island dwarfism in the small, fragmented areas of bush. Maybe these ones aren't so 'giant' after all...
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #SoilBiodiversity #Entomology #SoilFauna #Macrophotography
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2026-07-13 01:54:03 UTC

If you'd like a little more info about my upcoming book 'The World Beneath our Feet', I recently did a double-page interview with Booktime Magazine. While the publication is indie bookshop-focused, the interview should still be of interest to a general reader!
Online PDF accessible here (article on pages 4&5): https://indd.adobe.com/view/4d4f24a5-81df-4661-a722-52134018c54c
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #SoilBiodiversity #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #NatureBooks #NonFiction #SciComm
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2026-07-06 08:36:31 UTC

Did you know that the European mole (Talpa europaea) has a toxin in its saliva which paralyses earthworms, their favourite food? The moles may then store the paralysed earthworms in special 'larder' chambers within their burrows, where they are kept alive and fresh until later consumption. These larders have been reported to contain many hundreds of earthworms at a time!
When it's time to visit their pantry for a snack, these moles have a clever trick to make sure they don't consume all the unpleasant soil stuck inside the paralysed earthworm's guts... by rolling the earthworm between their powerful front paws, they forceably squeeze the soil out of the worm, making their meal much less gritty!
#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #MacroFauna #Nature #MacroPhotography #NaturePhotography
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2026-06-28 08:39:29 UTC

It's only two months now until the UK/Commonwealth and EU release of The World Beneath our Feet, and the US & Canada release is just a month after that! It's all feeling very real all of a sudden.
I'll be back in the UK in September, with lots of exciting book promotion on the horizon. Pre-orders are SUPER IMPORTANT, so if you or someone you care about would like a book about soil and the incredible life it contains, please go reserve a copy from your preferred book seller now!
(PS: It's got lots of my macrophotography in it too)
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Soil #SoilBiodiversity #Macrophotography #Nature #NatureBook #booksbooksbooks #AuthorLife #NaturalHistory #NonFiction
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2026-06-21 09:15:30 UTC

Adventures of a tiny white gummy bear. When you're a springtail this smol, microfungi are perfect drinking vessels, and slime mold sporangia are towering trees.
I've not been out with my camera much lately; with parenthood, work and book edits taking up all my time. But I hope to pick back up with the macrophotography very soon! New Zealand's hidden soil treasures await discovery!
#Macrophotography #NaturePhotography #Soil #SoilBiodiversity #Entomology #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet
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2026-06-17 03:28:51 UTC

Press proofs of 'The World Beneath our Feet' are out in the world, and wonderful quotes are coming in. I feel extremely grateful and humbled by the positive reception so far!
Audiobook recording was due to start this week, but unfortunately I caught HFMD from our baby and now my throat is made of broken glass and lava. Not a fun time, but getting these proofs in the post today lifted spirits. I can't wait to see the final version, containing my macrophotography too!
Available for pre-order now, with the hardcover launching in August/September this year. You'll love it, I'm sure.
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Nature #NatureBooks #Soil #SoilBiodiversity
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2026-05-30 03:51:50 UTC

I've been quiet on here recently, as things have been extremely busy with juggling teaching alongside making the final touches on my book.
It's worth the hard work though, as the book is almost ready for publication, and early endorsements and book reviews are starting to come in either side of the pond (including from some of my environmental science communication heroes!). Waking up today to this glowing review by the illustrious Publishers Weekly was so lovely!
Now that the academic teaching semester is over, hopefully I can get back to posting some new macrophotography and book updates on here more regularly.
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Soil #SoilBiodiversity #Author #SciComm #ScientificNonFiction #Writing #MacroPhotography
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2026-04-15 18:25:34 UTC

This week is #GSB4 #GSB2026, the highlight of the international soil biodiversity calendar.
Sadly I couldn't make it this time (ah, the joys of being a new father), but it looks like everyone is having an incredible time and lots of constructive discussions about soil biodiversity!
I guess I'll just contribute from here with some photos instead, starting with this beautiful red-legged mite traversing a moss-covered log.
#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Macrophotography #Soil #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet
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2026-04-07 08:21:14 UTC

I recently discovered this incredible creature while on a night walk in the NZ bush. Known as a 'Velvet Worm', this adorable invertebrate is actually an active predator which immobilises its prey with organic glue fired from turrets on its head!
Basically unchanged in about 400 million years, they are so wonderful that of course they get more than a few mentions in my upcoming book 'The World Beneath Our Feet' (coming later this year).
#SoilEcology #Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity #Entomology #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Onychophora
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2026-04-02 23:05:07 UTC

Want to learn how to start doing soil animal macrophotography? Or how to improve your current macrophotography? Perhaps you just fancy a rare glimpse into mine and Andy Murray's enigmatic minds? Well, here you go!
A new perspectives article has just dropped in Soil Organisms journal, where Monica Farfan digs into mine and Andy's love for documenting and communicating soil biodiversity using photography! It was a very fun interview, jammed full of macrophotography tips and photos.
It's completely free to access:
https://www.soil-organisms.org/SO/article/view/504/517
#SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #Macrophotography #Entomology #Soil #Nature #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet
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2026-03-18 21:01:33 UTC

The final proofs of THE WORLD BENEATH OUR FEET are in, so it's almost time for this labour of love to go to the printers!
My popular science-style book about the incredible life in soil is now available for pre-order EVERYWHERE, so please go bag yourself a copy! Now I just have to decide the shortlist of my photographs to go into it...
#Soil #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #SoilBiodiversity #Author #NatureBooks
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2026-03-02 07:58:27 UTC

Some exciting life news... I am now a lecturer in Entomology and Ecology at Lincoln University in New Zealand!
We took the Entomology students on a fieldtrip over the weekend, and saw some of my favourite invertebrates: Velvet worms (Ooperipatellus) and giant springtails (Holacanthella)! Always a joy to see these incredible creatures.
#Entomology #SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #Ento #Macrophotography #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet
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2026-02-25 17:11:46 UTC

If you go down to the woods today, you might see a GIANT EARTHWORM! 🪱
In New Zealand it’s time for the second round of the global soil biodiversity monitoring project ‘SoilBON’, and some incredible native earthworms turned up during fieldwork yesterday!
#SoilBiodiversity #WormWednesday #Soil #Earthworm #Nature #Entomology
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2025-12-24 21:18:11 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…3nu3 and a merry snoot boop to you too!

2025-12-24 04:02:28 UTC

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday. May the festive velvet worm crawl into all of your houses tonight and boop your sleeping snoots with its many adorable feet, as is tradition.
A sincere thanks for all the support throughout this crazy year. I'm looking forward to seeing my new book 'The World Beneath Our Feet' hit the shelves in August/September 2026... Let's make next year a big one for appreciating and protecting soil biodiversity!
#SoilBiodiversity #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #SeasonsGreetings #HappyHoliday #HappyNewYear
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2025-12-13 07:09:19 UTC

Today Andy Murray (the macrophotographer) shared a magnificent photo on Instagram of the only species of 'mite' harvester (Cyphophthalmi) ever found in the UK. Here's one from New Zealand - can you spot the difference?
Cyphophthalmi are bizzare, and really interesting from a biogeography perspective: each of the six currently recognized families has a distinct distribution, which reflect plate tectonics and ancient landmasses.
The species here in Aotearoa (and Australia, South Africa and South America) are in the family Pettalidaea, a completely different family to those in Europe and North America (the Sironidae). These families can be traced back to the breakup of Pangea into the two ancient landmasses of Gondwana and Laurasia during the late Triassic period some 200ish million years ago! It's incredible that the history of the earth can be partly told through the distribution of these unassuming little weirdoes.
#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Entomology #Acarology #Soil #Nature #MacroPhotography #TheWorldBeneatOurFeet
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2025-11-20 18:52:07 UTC

The cover art is finished for my new book and I LOVE IT!
This safari tour of the life in soil and what it means to us, is now available for pre-order as ebook, soft and hardcover in the UK and Commonwealth. Published in August next year (US date soon), I hope it'll entice everyone to fall in love with soil!
So far there will also be German, Polish and Japanese language versions too!
#Science #SciComm #Literature #Book #Soil #NatureBooks #SoiBiodiversity #Entomology
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2025-11-06 04:04:23 UTC

It's week 3 of fatherhood, and today I was granted special dispensation from shopping, housework, nappies and feeding, to do a brief spot of macrophotography in the sunshine, brilliant!
The highlight was this incredible Oribatid mite, sporting long defensive spines (Neotrichozetes spinulosa). I've nicknamed it the Hellraiser mite, which seems to be catching on - feel free to use it too!
#Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Acari #Entomology #Nature #NaturePhotography #Acarology #Mite
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2025-10-16 02:04:41 UTC

This tiny jumping spider refused to surrender its hard-earned meal when faced with a massive camera lens, very impressive!
I finally managed to get out with the camera, now I'm on parental leave. We're still waiting for the little one to grace us with her presence, it could be any day now!
#Macrophotography #Arachnology #Entomology #Nature #Spider #NaturePhotography
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2025-10-12 00:40:47 UTC

My slightly late offering for day ten of #invertober (common earthworm) 🪱
Did you know earthworms have a special lip-like first head segment called a prostomium (meaning 'before the mouth')? They use it to sense and manipulate food, and move through soil!
#SoilBiodiversity #Macrophotography #Entomology #Earthworm #SoilEcology #Soil #Nature
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2025-09-24 06:35:45 UTC

SOIL BIODIVERSITY SPECIAL ISSUE!
Are you researching the conservation, ecology or taxonomy of soil and litter invertebrates?
Then consider submitting your paper to this Special Issue of the New Zealand Journal of Zoology, edited by me, Carlos Barreto and Andrew Barnes (what a dream team!).
Just send me preliminary manuscript info by 30 November 2025.
More information: https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/news/nzjz-soil/
#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #SoilFauna #Soil
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2025-06-12 06:31:52 UTC

I’m currently writing a popular science book about the incredible world of soil - lucky me! I’m writing flat-out at the moment, which is why I’ve not been active on social media.
They say a change is as good as a rest, so I’ve taken a cheeky writing retreat to tackle the next chapter! Gosh I love Kaikōura so much, where else can you see mountains falling into the sea?!
#Soil #SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Writing #PopScience #Popsci #Author #AuthorLife
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2025-05-04 09:32:15 UTC

I bring you some exciting news...
I'VE DISCOVERED THE FIRST EVER GIANT SPRINGTAILS IN CHRISTCHURCH CITY!
The closest known populations before this were at Arthur's Pass, but now we can add the Port Hills to their distribution map.
Definitely my proudest observation from last week's @inaturalistnz City Nature Challenge.
#Entomology #Collembola #SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #SoilFauna #Nature #Macrophotography
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2025-03-24 08:25:09 UTC

Excuse the radio silence from me lately, it's been a very intense University teaching semester.
On the plus side, I've done LOADS of entomology-related lecturing, which has been great fun! Naturally, I've squeezed in plenty of soil invertebrate content to my lectures, such as this bizarre, not-quite-an-insect, Proturan!
Protura are six-legged, wingless, eyeless and lack pigmentation and antennae. Instead, they raise their front pair of legs forwards as they move, which are covered in sensory hairs. This gives them the slightly comical appearance of a villain in Scooby-Do trying to sneak up menacingly behind someone!
#Invertebrate #Macrophotography #SoilEcology #SoilBiodiversity #Entomology #SoilFauna #Nature #NaturePhotography
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2025-03-08 22:06:25 UTC

This gorgeous creature is the prickly stick insect (Acanthoxyla prasina), one of New Zealand's 23 species of stick insect.
Huge thanks to Dr Morgane Merien for pointing this out on a recent University of Canterbury field trip - it's great fun teaching entomology!
#Invertebrate #Entomology #Macrophotography #Nature #NaturePhotography #insectphotography
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2025-02-20 20:49:09 UTC

Podium finish for the Giant Springtail!
Congratulations to Team Velvet Worm for a hard-fought and well-deserved victory - making Ngãokeoke the 2025 New Zealand Bug of the Year!
It's brilliant to see a soil/deadwood invertebrate win the contest (they live alongside giant springtails!). Having two soil inverts in the top three winners is amazing awareness raising for soil biodiversity across the country and the world!
Thanks for all the support for #TeamGiantSpringtail, we'll be back to win another year (but maybe I'll take next year off, it was a lot of work). Nice to see my photos in the Guardian article on the contest too: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/20/velvet-worm-new-zealand-bug-of-the-year-winner
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2025-02-10 07:21:21 UTC

🚨BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!🚨
I know everything is a lot right now, but this is the LAST WEEK of Bug of the Year, and team velvet worm are hot on our heels!
Please VOTE NOW to make Giant Springtails victorious!
https://www.bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-2025/
Here's the announcement:
IF WE WIN, I WILL GET A GIANT SPRINGTAIL TATTOO!!
#BugoftheYear #BugoftheYear2025 #Collembola #Entomology #SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #SoilEcology #Macrophotography
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2025-02-05 09:49:27 UTC

*DOOMSCROLLING CHECKPOINT*
Okay just stop. Breathe. Take your mind off the rapid collapse of US Democracy for just a few moments.
I'll help you. Here's some baby giant springtails, aren't they cute?
They don't understand human politics, they just eat fungi and logs and go to sleep. That must be nice for them.
Okay, off you go. Come back if you need to.
#Invertebrate #SoiBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Macrophotography #Collembola
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2025-01-22 03:12:00 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…5wev hell hath no vengeance like a springtail scorned! Team mantis better watch their backs, we see them 😬

2025-01-21 09:36:15 UTC

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@nprofile…5wev tell George he will answer for this shameless subterfuge!! Nothing will stop #TeamGiantSpringtail from taking this year’s trophy 😊

2025-01-21 09:21:08 UTC

We're halfway through the Bug of the Year '25 contest, and the Giant Springtail is still in the lead! BUT there's still four weeks of voting left, so get on it!
Vote here if you haven't already, and please share with your friends and family: https://www.bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-2025/
Let's get these majestic little giants the public attention they deserve, and the conservation protection they need!
#TeamGiantSpringtail #Invertebrate #Entomology #SoilEcology #SoilBiodiversity #Collembola
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2025-01-20 18:35:54 UTC

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@nprofile…args this was in New Zealand’s South Island - the white springtail is a species of Neanurinae that I see quite often but I’ve struggled to ID so far. I’m pretty sure it’s native or endemic to here though, rather than introduced.
On the fungi front, your guess is probably better than mine! The springtail wasn’t eating them, but I guess they’re just satisfyingly mug-shaped fruiting bodies of some saprotrophic fungi or another…

2025-01-19 05:01:47 UTC

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@nprofile…2slc 😂 still cute though! I routinely think I’ve seen a cool springtail, then I get the loupe out and realise it’s just another darn bark louse!

2025-01-19 04:30:32 UTC

I went out with my camera today for the first time in ages, and (totally non-creepily) watched this cute little sproinglet explore a miniature slime mold forest on a log.
I feel very lucky to get to share so many wonderful, hidden little worlds and creatures through my macrophotography, and eventually through a popular science book I'm currently writing!
#Invertebrate #SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Collembola #Macrophotography #Nature #NaturePhotography #Entomology
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2025-01-13 03:23:10 UTC

I have it on good authority that the Giant Springtail is the current frontrunner in #BugoftheYear, so a huge thanks to everyone who has voted for it so far!
BUT it's still early days, and there's a month of voting left - so let's keep the momentum up! Vote here, if you haven't already: https://www.bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-2025/
Thanks to Amy Vaughan for being chief meme creator for #TeamGiantSpringtail. Stand by for lots more top quality content.
#BotY #bugoftheyear2025 #Invertebrate #Entomology #Nature #Bugs #Insects #Collembola
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2025-01-08 07:34:30 UTC

Sup dawg, I heard you like springtails. So I put a springtail on your springtail so you can look at a springtail while looking at a springtail.
Don't let the competition walk all over giant springtails like this cheeky blighter, vote today: https://bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/2025-bug-of-the-year-nominees/giant-springtail/
#Entomology #Macrophotography #TeamGiantSpringtail #BugoftheYear2025 #BotY #SoilEcology #SoilBiodiversity #Invertebrate
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2025-01-03 00:58:08 UTC

Hey! Have you voted for the giant springtail yet?
I've set up a webpage with FREE digital wallpaper downloads as an incentive/thank you for supporting the giant springtail in this year's Bug of the Year contest: https://www.frankashwood.com/boty2025
You can vote here: https://bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-2025/
#Entomology #SoilBiodiversity #Collembola #Macrophotography #Invertebrate #BotY2025
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2025-01-01 04:33:31 UTC

Do you need a New Year's resolution that's quick, free, easy to achieve and makes a difference?
Then l've got one for you! Vote for Giant Springtail (Holacanthella) in the Bug of the Year contest! You can vote from anywhere in the world, just follow the link below!
https://bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-2025/
#BugOfTheYear2025 #bugoftheyear
#TeamHolacanthella #Entomology #SoilBiodiversity #Macrophotography
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2024-12-24 22:09:00 UTC

Just a quick post to wish everyone a happy holiday season (Meri Kirihimete!), and wonderful things for 2025.
Thanks for all of your support this year with my macro and SciComm - life has thrown me some lovely ups & some significant downs this year, but we look ever forwards not backwards! Cheers!
(Santa hat image by pngtree.com)
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2024-12-18 08:59:06 UTC

Today I found this impressive oribatid mite in some leaf litter.
Oribatida are masters of self-protection: they've evolved protective armour flaps, defensive chemicals, and some even wear their old moults on their back like shields. But this Neotrichozetes spinulosa has said 'yeah nah' to all that and instead opted to become a sentient pincushion!
#Macrophotography #SoilEcology #SoilBiodiversity #Nature #NaturePhotography #Acari #Acarology #Entomology #Invertebrates #NewZealand #Aotearoa
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2024-12-14 18:58:45 UTC

*Whispers* Hey, wanna see a cool millipede?
This is a 'pincushion' millipede (Polyxenida), a soft-bodied order that lack the chemical defences and hard exoskeleton of other millipedes. Instead they rely on tufts of detachable bristles to deter predators, by jamming their attacker's limbs and mouthparts!
#Macrophotography #Macro #SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Entomology #Isopod #Invertebrate
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2024-12-11 08:48:02 UTC

Slime molds may resemble fungi, but are in fact a distinct group of unrelated organisms.
Although they're single-celled organisms, they'll also perform an astonishing feat of cooperation - gathering together as a collective ‘organism’ to form amazing fruiting bodies.
Which is your favourite?
#Fungi #SlimeMold #Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity #Microbiology #Nature #NaturePhotography
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2024-12-09 06:03:23 UTC

REJOICE, FOR THE SEASON IS NEARLY UPON US!
Nope, not Christmas... but the New Zealand Bug of the Year contest '25, of course!
Voting opens on Jan 1st, and I'm going to need all of your votes to win giant springtails the epic victory they deserve. Stand by for further instructions, and some exciting incentives to lend them your vote!
More info, including an only slightly awful poem I wrote about them, here: https://bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/2025-bug-of-the-year-nominees/giant-springtail/
#BotY2025 #BugOfTheYear #BugoftheYear2025 #Collembola #SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Macrophotography #Invertebrate
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2024-06-24 08:38:21 UTC

Oribatid mites such as this Damaeidae species are mostly detritivores or fungivores, playing an important role in regulating the breakdown of dead plant material.
Because of their diets, they’re particularly abundant & diverse in litter-rich forest soils and decaying wood!
#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Macrophotography #Acari #MiteMonday
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2024-06-04 07:20:48 UTC

I forked out for an Olympus TG-7 tough camera as a grab-and-go option for times when I can't take my normal macro kit.
The question is, how does the macro on the TG-7 compare to my Nikon D850/Laowa lens setup?
Well, I took it for a spin at the weekend, so let's find out... PHOTOS BELOW!
#Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity
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2024-05-24 10:08:02 UTC

I can finally announce it... I'm writing a book!!
Buckle in for a safari through the soil - meeting all the wondrous creatures that keep our world ticking over.
I can't believe how lucky I am to be working with such an amazing editorial team, it's so exciting!
Link here: https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/hodders-48-hour-pre-empt-for-soil-ecologist
#soilbiodiversity #soilecology
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2024-05-19 07:35:30 UTC

Do you love #SpringtailSaturday, but feel it's always over too soon?
Dry your eyes, my friend.
They said it couldn't be done.
They said that dedicating more than one day a week to springtails was impossible, merely the arrogant pipe-dream of a madman.
But, guess what?
It's #SpringtailSunday.
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2024-05-15 07:27:45 UTC

Why I love soil ecology - where else on Earth would you find something so bizarre as this?
Ptyctimous mites like this are the ultimate tanks of the mite world, capable of retracting their legs back into their heavily-armoured body, so there's nothing exposed for predators to nibble!
#SoilBiodiversity #Macrophotography #SoilEcology #Acarology
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2024-05-13 10:21:56 UTC

What's this?
Wrong answers only!
#SoilBiodiversity #MacroPhotography #SoilEcology #Acarology #Acari
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2024-05-12 21:41:48 UTC

Send help, my brain is still playing Rim Tim Tagi Dim on repeat… 🐈
#Eurovision

2024-04-30 08:27:05 UTC

Mmmm forbidden candy floss...
#SlimeMold #Macrophotography #Fungi
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2024-04-27 08:56:34 UTC

My favourite personal observation so far in the #CityNatureChallenge is this White Banded House Jumper (Maratus griseus) from University of Canterbury campus yesterday.
I didn't know that New Zealand has an introduced species of Peacock spider! Gorgeous wee thing!🕷️
#Arachnology #Spider #Macrophotoraphy
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2023-11-11 18:00:29 UTC

Ok Rock-Flippers, what are your thoughts on alliterative soil animal-themed days of the weeks for future posts? I won't stick to them religiously, as there are so many diverse groups that it would exclude, but it will help to structure my schedule a bit more. Any suggestions are appreciated! @nprofile…44vp will have the answers I'm sure...
Examples:
#MiteMonday
?Tuesday
#WoodlouseWednesday
?Thursday
?Friday (#FungiFriday is a thing, but I don't take many fungi photos)
?Saturday
#SpringtailSunday
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