Tessera

The European mole (Talpa europaea) has a toxin in its saliva which paralyses earthworms, their favourite food. The moles can then store the paralysed earthworms in special 'larder' chambers within their burrows, where they are kept alive and fresh until later consumption! #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪🪱

A photograph of a European mole, a stocky, brown-furred mammal with large front paws evolved for digging.

Thanks to Nerd Nite Christchurch for inviting me to talk about the weird and wonderful ways soil animals have adapted to the challenges of life belowground (and, for tardigrades, on the moon!). I strongly recommend going to your local Nerd Nite, the vibes are excellent! Science + Beer = Fun! 🧪

A photograph of me, a bald white male, standing on a stage in a pub, speaking to an audience. On a projector screen behind me are images of oribatid mites with heavy armour plating and elaborate defensive spines.

A photograph of me, a bald white male, standing on a stage in a pub, speaking to an audience. On a projector screen behind me are images of tardigrades, some are on the moon, another has been quantum entangled between two qubits, and another has been tattooed using nanotechnology.

Turn over a rotting log anywhere in the world, and you might find these beautiful structures, known as the common coral slime (Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa). The species was first described in 1729 by Pier Antonio Micheli, the 'founding father' of mycology — the branch of biology concerning fungi. 🧪🍄

A photograph of several branching white slime molds, radiating upwards from the surface of a decaying log. The slime molds are semi-transparent, and closely resemble marine corals.

Only two months until the UK/Commonwealth & EU release of The World Beneath our Feet, with the US release just a month after that... It's all feeling very real all of a sudden! Pre-orders are SUPER IMPORTANT, so please reserve a copy from your preferred book seller now! #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪

A macrophotograph of a giant springtail, a soft, blue-bodied invertebrate covered in long yellow spines.

Adventures of a tiny white jelly baby. When you're a springtail this smol, microfungi are perfect drinking vessels. I've not been out with my camera much lately; with parenthood, work and book edits taking up my time. But I hope to get back on with macrophotography very soon! #Macrophotography 🧪

A photograph of a colourless, soft-bodied springtail crawling on the surface of a log. Tiny cup-shaped white mushrooms cover the log, and the springtail appears to be drinking from one of them

A photograph of a colourless, soft-bodied springtail crawling on the surface of a log. Tall brown slime mold fruiting bodied just out from the log surface like miniature trees.

Soil Ecology Group @bes-soilecogroup.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Press proofs of 'The World Beneath our Feet' are out in the world, and wonderful quotes are coming in. I feel very grateful and humbled by the positive reception so far! Available for pre-order now, with hardcover out in Aug/Sep this year! @hodderbooks.bsky.social @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social 🧪

A photograph of two copies of my book 'the world beneath our feet' displayed against a wooden deck with a foliage background. The front and back covers are in view. The front cover features an illustration of winding roots interspersed with many small animals such as earthworms, moles and springtails, and the title and author are in reflective gold leaf print.

🚨 There is less than one month to go until abstract submissions close! 🚨 Where do you think the biggest gaps in soil ecology policy lie at the moment? At this conference we aim to bring together practitioners and academics to discuss and influence soil ecology policy. shorturl.at/L4ehi

This Prickly Stick Insect (Acanthoxyla prasina) is a highlight from a Lincoln Uni ecology field trip to the West Coast this semester. Whilst they are native to New Zealand, this species has been introduced to the UK. If you love stick insect content, you MUST follow @morganemerien.bsky.social! 🧪

A photograph of a green stick insect hanging from thing plant stems in a woodland. The stick insect is covered in dark spines all over its body, giving it a rough appearance.

I've been very quiet here lately, busy juggling teaching and the final touches on my book. It's almost there now! Early endorsements and reviews are coming in (including from some of my environmental science heroes!). Today's glowing review by the illustrious Publishers Weekly was just lovely! 🧪

A screenshot of a book review for The World Beneath Our Feet, on Publishers Weekly website.

Andrew Barnes @barnesecodiv.bsky.social · 4mo ago

This week is #GSB4 #GSB2026, the highlight of the soil biodiversity calendar! Sadly I couldn't make it this time (the joys of being a new father), so I guess I'll just contribute some photos instead... starting with this beautiful red-legged mite traversing a moss-covered log. #SoilBiodiversity 🧪

A photo of a reg-legged mite walking on a moss-covered log

Breaking news: giant springtail from Aotearoa NZ made the cover of @natecoevo.nature.com! This amazing pic of H. paucispinosa by @frankashwood.bsky.social should lure readers to the global study by @zheng-zhou.bsky.social et al on soil animal trophic diversity 🌍🌿🕷️🪱🪳🧪 www.nature.com/natecolevol/...

Holacanthella paucispinosa on the cover of this month's issue of Nature Ecology and Evolution. Photo by Frank Ashwood

Walter Andriuzzi @walterandriuzzi.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Right on time for #GSB2026, soil fauna made it to the cover of Nat Eco Evo (great shot by frankashwood.bsky.social). Attendees who have questions on the journal or papers to pitch, feel free to chat to me at the conference. @thegsbi.bsky.social

Nature Ecology & Evolution@natecoevo.nature.com · 4mo ago

Our April issue is now live! www.nature.com/natecolevol/... Featuring research on: 🦑 squid and cuttlefish diversification 🌊 priority questions for blue carbon science 🐦‍⬛ the emergence of Usutu virus Cover image from Zhou et al (credit @frankashwood.bsky.social ) www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Cover image for the April 2026 issue of Nature Ecology & Evolution. The image shows a close-up image of a black and orange collembolan foraging in soil. The headline reads "Soil trophic diversity".

Nature Ecology & Evolution@natecoevo.nature.com · 4mo ago

Okay, having my springtail photography on the cover of @natecoevo.nature.com is pretty cool!

I appreciate all the love for my previous post, so, here's a little more velvet worm / Peripatus cuteness to start your weekend off right! Beneath that adorable little eye, you can see the stumpy glue cannon, which it uses to subdue prey! #Macrophotography #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪

A photography of a velvet worm crawling towards the camera, on a moss-covered trunk. The animal is worm-like, with many soft pairs of legs and a pair of long, segmented antennae. All over the animal's body, there are hundreds of multi-coloured lumps, which resemble dress sequins.

Soil Organisms Journal @soilorganismsj.bsky.social · 4mo ago

I recently discovered this incredible creature while on a night walk in the NZ bush. Known as a 'Velvet Worms', this adorable predator immobilises prey with organic glue fired from turrets on its head! Oh... and they are basically unchanged in about 400 million years! #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪

A photography of a velvet worm crawling on a moss-covered trunk. The animal is worm-like, with many soft pairs of legs and a pair of long, segmented antennae. All over the animal's body, there are hundreds of multi-coloured lumps, which resemble dress sequins.

Do you love soil organisms? I mean LUV them?? ♥️ Your love will complete with that of photographers Andy Murray @mesofauna.bsky.social & Frank Ashwood @frankashwood.bsky.social They sat with @mitemonica.bsky.social to talk why & how they do what they do in the current issue! doi.org/10.25674/504