Ending my Bsky takeover a little early, as I'm attending a state outreach event on Tapinoma magnum titled 'Small Ants, Big Challenge'. #Politics is never far from #invasionscience. Follow me at @garybugsyou.bsky.social for some of that later, plus more action from my #frontiers project. #scicomm

Ricardo Pereira (@biodiversitysmns.bsky.social) hopes that the blend of #research methods used in non-native species work by @smnstuttgart.bsky.social @kombiota.bsky.social is helping nurture a new generation of influential and impactful scientists. #citizenscience #AI #genomics #policy

Much is said about the negative impact of introduced species on natives, but in #ecology, there are also winners of disruption. I've been told that the ant-loving silverfish Atelura formicaria is turning up in Tapinoma magnum nests in Germany. Will look into this further... #nature #climate #news

Sicily is a vital source of #data on new ant arrivals in Europe. It's in the native range of Tapinoma magnum and also the #EU landing point for the red imported fire ant. This new paper on that species' progress underlines the importance of #monitoring. 🐜🔗https://escholarship.org/uc/item/19g4g2m8

Today we'll start with Ricardo Pereira (@biodiversitysmns.bsky.social), Head of Biodiversity Monitoring @smnstuttgart.bsky.social, explaining how using #machinelearning can gain insights from #citizenscience data during the incursion of a non-native species into new territory. #scicomm #anthropocene

To end the penultimate day of my Bluesky takeover, here's me again (@garybugsyou.bsky.social ), talking about the advantages of being a journalist in residence at a museum like @smnstuttgart.bsky.social #journalism #residency #frontiers2026 #scicomm

It's also important to draw clear distinctions between species that can bring harm to ecosystems and ones that are just expanding their range and being monitored. Another bee, Xylocopa pubescens, is one such species. Range change doesn't always mean bad - but it's worth keeping a watchful eye.

FRONTIERS - Science Journalism Residency Programme@frontiersmedia.bsky.social · last wk.

Among terrestrial invertebrates considered invasive in Europe, ant, slug and hornet species are pretty famous. But what about bees? The giant resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis, is on the move and causing concern. Though not on the formal #EU #invasivespecies list, it threatens other #pollinators.

Among terrestrial invertebrates considered invasive in Europe, ant, slug and hornet species are pretty famous. But what about bees? The giant resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis, is on the move and causing concern. Though not on the formal #EU #invasivespecies list, it threatens other #pollinators.

With population #genomics derived from large #citizenscience and expert #data on introduced species, you can then make informed predictions about future species movements. This can help guide better #policy decisions. Dr Sajad Noori from @smnstuttgart.bsky.social explains more. #mapping #ecology

Forgive my absence; I've been taking personal tours of the two sites of @smnstuttgart.bsky.social. One of the perks of a #museum residency... Mainly fixated on #insects, both contemporary and ancient, but made some time for the vertebrates too. #scicomm #naturalhistory #visitStuttgart

There are many ways to monitor new species over time and space. One is the internet - but this policy brief from @onestop-project.eu claims that tightening access to online #data is stifling efforts. Should #research data access be enshrined in law? https://zenodo.org/records/22009561 #nature

Dr Sajad Noori at @smnstuttgart.bsky.social is at home with large genomic datasets. For the Tapinoma project, he uses analysis of known populations of the introduced ant to predict where else it might be found. Important info when managing a new arrival. #scicomm #genetics #data #ecology

We've made it to Thursday in my (@garybugsyou.bsky.social) takeover! I'll be sharing some thoughts from the @smnstuttgart.bsky.social team on translating genomic data into more global insights, as well some papers I've read and introduced invertebrates you might not have heard about. #scicomm

As promised, here's a bit of me, @garybugsyou.bsky.social, your takeover host, chatting about what brought me to @smnstuttgart.bsky.social and what I've been up to since getting here. Thanks to Yannik from the museum comms team for the nice lighting and framing. #frontiers2026 #journalism #scicomm

It's around lunchtime for us, but for ants it's a constant quest for meals. Simple methods that prevent prolific new arrivals getting to potential food, whether that's in a tree or a bin, are an essential part of frontline responses. #invasivespecies #management #ants

A central focus of the work on introduced species here @smnstuttgart.bsky.social is how pioneer populations in new environments bolster their genetic material in order to thrive - whether humans like it or not. PhD student Lucas Freitas explains more. #genetics #environment #evolution

#Slugs and #ants on the move are under the spotlight here in Stuttgart - with more non-native invertebrate investigations to come. I talked to Lucas Freitas about the origins of Arion vulgaris and Tapinoma magnum - and how humans helped them expand their range and change. #anthropocene #genetics

One of the 'risks' of being a resident journalist at a #museum like @smnstuttgart.bsky.social is that there are so many interesting projects going on that tangents are inevitable. Just been learning more about the diversity of cave beetles - a scientific frontier in itself! #beetles #bugsky

It's Day 3 of the @garybugsyou.bsky.social takeover! I'm going to share some clips from the team here at @smnstuttgart.bsky.social, who are probing for genomic insights on travelling #invertebrates, and hopefully some chat from me (if I manage to clip the video today) #frontiers2026 #scicomm

Ants are often associated with negative effects on #farming, but it's more complicated than that. Enrico Schifani has shown that even species known for straying outside their native range play roles in controlling crop-eating #insects: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10340-025-01970-7

The majority of the data for the Tapinoma Project (https://tinyurl.com/rf4e9vz6) came from #citizenscience. Around 1,200 people responded to @smnstuttgart.bsky.social's callout. Dealing with images of ants was one of the trickiest parts, says Dr Amelie Höcherl. #scicomm #bugsky #research

The Tapinoma Project here @smnstuttgart.bsky.social uses genomics and machine learning to shed new light on the ant Tapinoma magnum. Public observations have been the bedrock of the work. I spoke to Dr Amelie Höcherl about the role of Germany's amateur #naturalists. #wildlife #insects #scicomm

Human #infrastructure and behaviour are intertwined with the success of introduced species. They can inadvertently help them thrive, like the cosy ants in their blue-painted boxes in spring here, but also sometimes pose barriers. #wildlife #cities #anthropocene

Gary W Hartley@garybugsyou.bsky.social · 2w ago

A novel note from my @frontiersmedia.bsky.social trip to Karlsruhe yesterday was that the dark blue graffiti on the city's electrical boxes by the local football club's #ultras may be making them warmer and more attractive to invasive #ants in the spring. #antsky #fanculture #streetart #scicomm

Let's start the second day of my (@garybugsyou.bsky.social) Bluesky takeover with a mini-film I made about a low-tech contribution to the complex issue of managing introduced ant colonies, put to good use in #Karlsruhe https://youtu.be/gcON6OWC1C0 #bugsky #solutionsjournalism #cities

Gary Hartley - Science and Nature Stories - YouTube

Could a simple trap help manage an invasive ant in Germany's superc...

youtu.be

It's not only non-native species that can have run-ins with humans. I wrote this piece drawing on a local authority's response to seabird friction in my home town. It considers a future of living closer to animals - #ants very much included - on a changing planet. #anthropocene #climatechange

Gary W Hartley@garybugsyou.bsky.social · 2w ago

Gulls, ants and living with wildlife's 'antisocial' side. Started this, for @timsmedley.bsky.social's The New Climate, in Scarborough & finished in Stuttgart. Sets the scene for my @frontiersmedia.bsky.social residency with @smnstuttgart.bsky.social medium.com/the-new-clim... #cities #scicomm

As we're at @smnstuttgart.bsky.social, the home of efforts using citizen science and #genomics to track a newly arrived ant, let's start with the ant. Here's Tapinoma magnum, doing one of the things that makes it difficult to manage - moving its brood when disturbed. #biodiversity #scicomm #ants

This was me on day one of my residency here @smnstuttgart.bsky.social - I'm now in week 3. I'll be sharing some ant anecdotes and other insights from one of Europe's many invertebrate hotspots. #scicomm #bugsky #museums

Gary W Hartley@garybugsyou.bsky.social · 4w ago

Day 1 of my journalism residency at @smnstuttgart.bsky.social with @frontiersmedia.bsky.social. Already had some great conversations about how you communicate the importance of tiny creatures when the massive dinosaurs hog the headlines. #museums #bugsky #frontiers2026

This week, we’re handing over the FRONTIERS Bluesky account to Gary Hartley! Follow along as he shares more about his residency at the Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, and what he’s been exploring along the way. @garybugsyou.bsky.social @smnstuttgart.bsky.social

I'm visiting (and helping disturb, for science) the largest known supercolony of Tapinoma magnum 🐜🐜🐜 in Germany today. Have been forewarned to expect significant pushback from the little ones. All in a day's work at @frontiersmedia.bsky.social. Stay tuned for the fun. #bugsky #scicomm #ants

Meet the final FRONTIERS Science Journalism Fellows! 🎉 10 science journalists have been selected for residencies at leading research institutions across Europe over the next 3 to 5 months. 🔗 frontiers.media/frontiers-aw...

FRONTIERS Awards Final Fellowships to Ten Science Journalists - FRONTIERS

The FRONTIERS Science Journalism in Residency Programme has selected ten journalists for its fourth and final round of fellowships. This closing call, open to journalists at all career stages, drew si...

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