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Ash Whiffin

@ashwhiffin.bsky.social

🪲 Entomologist, bonkers about beetles 🏛 Museum Curator 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Usually found turning over logs/stones or poking in dead stuff. (she/her) 🔗 https://linktr.ee/Ash_Whiffin

290 Posts5134 Follower1422 Folgt
Craig B@mutillidae.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Here's the working prototype of my setup. It's a 3D-printed black block with a socket to hold a watch glass, and a 3D-printed diffuser that sits on top of the block. Recessing the glass greatly reduces stray light & glare. #NaturalHistoryCollections #Macrophotography #FocusStacking #DIYImagingStage

This is a close up of the imaging set up I made to image the water penny. There's a 3D printed black block with a socket to hold a standard watch glass on the left, with an actual watch glass sitting atop the block on its right edge. On the right edge of the block is a off white 3D-printed diffuser, roughly shaped like a hollowed out hemisphere, with large circular openings on the top and bottom. The bottom rim of the diffuser fits into a recess on the top of the block holding the watch glass. The pieces are setting on a light grey bench top in front of a white wall.
Craig B@mutillidae.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I've been working on a better setup for capturing focus-stacked images of immature insects in alcohol...and it's working well. 🙂 #NaturalHistoryCollections #Macrophotography #FocusStacking #Psephenidae #APennyForYourThoughts

Ventral view of a water penny larva (Psephenidae) against a black background. The six legs, antennae, and the feathery gills are all clearly visible—and would be well protected from above when the larva is clinging to a rock underneath the water.
Ash Whiffin@ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 3mo ago

This DAZZLING beauty is a Ruby-tailed wasp (also known as a Jewel wasp), in the family Chrysididae. They’re a real treat to watch but on a hot day, boy are they FAST! Their incredible iridescent bodies might catch your eye, but it can be hard to keep up… #InsectWeek

A tiny wasp rests on my thumbnail. Its head and thorax is metallic blue and its abdomen is a golden pink.
Ash Whiffin@ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Schnoz to schnoz 👃🏻 Adult Drinker moths (Euthrix potatoria) are always a joy to see, with their chunky fluffy bodies, those rich warm tones of orange and brown, big black eyes and their adorable little snoots. I couldn’t resist going nose to nose with this one recently. Happy #InsectWeek!

Cheeky selfie with a Drinker moth perched on my noseA side view of the Drinker moth on the top of my finger
Royal Entomological Society@royentsoc.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#InsectWeek is back and bigger than ever 🪰 Whether you're fascinated by butterflies, curious about beetles or simply want to spend more time connecting with nature, there's something for everyone! Join us in celebrating the little things that run the world 🔽 buff.ly/gCVYfHw #StandTallForTheSmall

Insect Week 2026 Expands Across Five City Hubs to Inspire a New Generation of Nature Champions

The Royal Entomological Society announces ambitious nationwide programme for Insect Week 2026 On the leadup to a big week in the insect science community, the Royal Entomological Society has unveiled…

buff.ly

Ash Whiffin@ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Dendroxena quadrimaculata (AKA the Caterpillar hunter) is one of our most distinctive British beetles, and what a beauty it is! It likes to hang out in ancient woodland on Oak trees and Hawthorne, where it hunts its prey 🐛

Dendroxena quadrimaculata (also known as the Caterpillar hunter) sitting in the palm of my hand. It is one of our most distinctive British beetles with warm golden-brown elytra, adorned with 4 perfectly formed black dots.
Plantlife@plantlifeuk.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Meet one of the UK’s rarest beetles that has been found in some temperate rainforests in the South West! 💙🪲 It loves damp woodlands, with lots of veteran trees and deadwood, which provide the sheltered hiding places it depends on. Are you one of the lucky few to have seen one? #BlueMonday

A metallic Blue Ground Beetle with long legs and textured wing cases crawling across bright green moss.Rotting wood partially covered by vivid green moss.A dense, moss‑covered woodland with twisted, lichen‑clad tree branches and large mossy boulders, creating a lush, damp temperate rainforest scene.A close-up of a metallic Blue Ground Beetle with large pincers at the front.
The Doctor (Commissions open)@lucidillusions.in · 8mo ago

Adding this beautiful Blue Ground Skimmer (Diplacodes trivialis) for #BlueMonday #Invertebrate #Macro #Photography 📸📸 🌿🖌️ #dragonfly #MacroMonday #EastCoastKin

A small dragonfly with bluish eyes and pruinosed blue body. Clear wings, without apical or basal markings.
Ash Whiffin@ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Every year I try to repurpose #BlueMonday (which we all know is a load of 💩) and advocate for #insects by showcasing some beautiful BLUE BUGS! Please join me by sharing your photos or artwork with the hashtag #BlueBugs 🦋🩵 📷 Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)

A male Common Blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) rests on a flower.
Agnes Kreiling@agneskreiling.bsky.social · 8mo ago

The shiny metallic blue beetle Necrobia rufipes was one of the many new insect records for the Faroes in 2025. #BlueBugs #Tjóðsavnið #Coleoptera

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Ash Whiffin@ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Every year I try to repurpose #BlueMonday (which we all know is a load of 💩) and advocate for #insects by showcasing some beautiful BLUE BUGS! Please join me by sharing your photos or artwork with the hashtag #BlueBugs 🦋🩵 📷 Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)

A male Common Blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) rests on a flower.
Ash Whiffin@ashwhiffin.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Steven Hammer, one of our regular collection users, co-developed a new #insect pinning block, with staff and volunteers from the museum. It’s 3D-printed and open source, so you can try it for yourself: cults3d.com/en/3d-model/... #ECN2025

Entoblock step

An improved pinning block for entomological collections. It has five steps at different heights for quick and accurate label setting. The steps are visible from both sides, making it suitable for lef...

cults3d.com