Large numbers of ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz are likely becoming increasing fouled by algae & diverse invertebrates. These species will subsequently be dispersed over a global scale when normal shipping operations resume. #bioinvasions #invasivespecies link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Closure of the Strait of Hormuz may trigger a bioinvasion super-spreader event - Biological Invasions

The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East are causing substantial humanitarian, economic, and geopolitical impacts and disrupting global trade. While the human and economic effects remain the focus of ...

link.springer.com

Removing the keystone would cause the arch to collapse. This is the classic analogy for the concept of a "keystone species" - a species whose influence on the structure & diversity of a community is so strong relative to its abundance that its removal would cause the structure to collapse. #ecology

Massimo (mirror)@rainmaker1973-m.bsky.social · 3w ago

How the keystone locks an arch together using compression, an ancient design still standing today. Original post

Grow more trees, you say? Often where trees would grow best and make the most $$ for growers are also the places best suited for agricultural crops. In the Midwest, corn/soybeans/sugar beets/whatever are more valuable than trees. It all boils down to economics. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Hot off the press! Status update for the #invasivespecies Asian longhorned beetle in the U.S. Note the new double spot in SC... #wompwomp More information at www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-...

The global spread of this beetle “will fundamentally alter ecosystem structure and landscape dynamics wherever it gains a foothold.” I also expect it will exacerbate the urban heat island effect by reducing the tree canopy in every city it invades. #bioinvasions www.science.org/content/arti...

Tree-killing beetle is spreading to urban forests around the world

As researchers piece together the pest’s global trek, countries are working to contain the growing threat

science.org

Jay and I conduct "caterpillar walks" every year, and I know this webinar will be engaging, entertaining, and have lots of amazing caterpillar pictures. Register for free at: www.scwf.org/events/intro...

Wow. “The three directorates are being required to pull back NSF proposals that have already passed peer review and have been recommended for funding. Some of the funds will be funnelled to another project, a brainchild of the White House OSTP.” www.nature.com/articles/d41...

NSF plans cuts to core science programmes to fund White House initiative

A proposed clawback of already distributed research funds comes as the US agency’s budget is already squeezed and it struggling to clear a backlog of grant applications.

nature.com

Good morning. Today is the LAST DAY to comment on the proposed OMB rule that will, honestly, destroy science in the US. And it will do FAR MORE THAN THAT. www.theverge.com/science/9576...

The war against ‘woke’ could end US science as we know it

‘Everyone will be affected, not just scientists. Every community in the country.’

theverge.com

There's a fungus amongus (and no I'm not talking about the debut album from Incubus) and we brought all these #fungi together so you can see just how many forest #pathogens are in much of North America. Some lists are lame, but this one is pretty cool... neobiota.pensoft.net/article/1579...

Where it is or what it is? That is the question (we tried to answer). While a lot of native saproxylic insects used a non-native tree species (eucalyptus), it wasn't as many as used a native tree species (loblolly pine). #bioinvasions #nativespecies #decomposers www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Effects of Eucalyptus wood and leaf litter on saproxylic insects in the southeastern United States - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Effects of Eucalyptus wood and leaf litter on saproxylic insects in the southeastern United States

nature.com

“[It’s] like a big ‘Going Out of Business’ sign on the storefront of American science.” ESA Executive Director Chris Stelzig joined other scientific society leaders in discussing the impacts of OMB’s proposed “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance.” scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2026/07/08/g...

Guest Post — Where Do We Go From Here? How Scientific Societies are Thinking about the Proposed OMB Funding Rule - The Scholarly Kitchen

Today's post features conversations with society publishing leaders resisting the proposed OMB rule change for federal research funding.

scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org

Interested in #invasivespecies and #bioinvasions anyone? Join us for a free webinar tomorrow!

wait what

Please take the time to review and sign this petition in support of the U.S. National Fungus Collections, which are being threatened in the face of the USDA reorganization efforts. c.org/KQWY7fNhGw 🍄

Sign the Petition

Preserve and support the U​.​S. National Fungus Collections

c.org

Good, clear thread here on the potential impacts our own government may have on science.

Jacquelyn Gill@jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🧵 Public science in the US has taken some heavy hits over the last year, but the White House OMB is proposing a series of changes that will result in a TKO for science as we know it unless we fight back. Here's what's happening, and why it matters. 1/n

It’s truly astonishing to see how comprehensively the US government is tearing down every part of the system that has made it up until now a world-leading power in science, research, and technological development. The entire world will suffer from this wanton destruction.

Dan Vergano@danvergano.bsky.social · 2mo ago

White House proposes new rules giving political appointees final approval of research grants These proposed Office of Management and Budget regulations would render the federal research grant review process opaque www.scientificamerican.com/article/whit...

I know I'm a bit old school on the whole AI thing, but I do believe there is immense value in the ability of people to put their own thoughts in writing - and not just edit a bunch of words put together by some Skynet system and say they're our own.

gavin jones@ecologyofgavin.bsky.social · 5mo ago

In a sea of opinions about the role of LLMs in academics I offer my own. Apart from being harmful, exploitive plagiarism machines, LLMs rob us of the opportunity to experience the gift of friction in writing, which changes how we think. We must not give away that gift. doi.org/10.1002/fee....

When someone says „Scientists do not want you to know“ you can dismiss everything from there on. Scientists want you to know. They are desperate that you know. They can’t shut up about what they found out and want you to know.

Can you detect invasive plants from the air? Yes you can! I mean, it's not as easy as it sounds, but it can be done... www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Check out our shiny new paper on Anoplophora beetles! We summarize the history and what's known about this group of global invaders and perpetual pests. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

New Insights on the Ecology, Economics, and Management of Anoplophora Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) - Current Forestry Reports

Current Forestry Reports - The genus Anoplophora includes 52 species, of which three are known to be invasive and a fourth has recently been identified as a potential international high-risk...

link.springer.com

Screwworm imported from Argentina, caught at border inspection in Florida. The interception isn't itself cause for alarm and shows the government is still functioning. Still, it's a demonstration of propagule pressure, and the re-establishment of screwworm here is likely a matter of when, not if.

WFLA News Channel 8@wfla.com · 6mo ago

A horse at an equine import quarantine facility in Florida has tested positive for New World screwworm, the USDA says. https://www.wfla.com/news/national/border-report-live-us-confirms-case-of-new-world-screwworm/ 

'Tis the season, y'all.

A history of mistletoe: The parasitic ‘dung on a twig'

From its role in kissing to mythological healing powers, mistletoe’s roots run deep.

popsci.com

It's one thing to know *what* an #invasivespecies is, and it's another to know *how* to impact real change. This course will teach you the latter, and (we hope) will equate to measurable on-the-gound action to help battle the invasive species problem in the U.S. and abroad. Check it out!

Home - Invasive Species Ambassador Training

The Wild Spotter Invasive Species Ambassador Training is tentatively scheduled for February 3-5, 2026, at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge in Alabama.

invasivesfree.org

Two new studies offer good news about Jorō spiders: Products labelled for spider control are safe and effective against them, and they are both unlikely to bite and generally harmless if they do. /by @drdavecoyle.bsky.social

Jorō Spiders: Pretty, Big, and Not Very Bitey

Two new studies offer good news about Jorō spiders: Common spider control products are effective against them, and their bites are both unlikely and generally harmless.

entomologytoday.org

Joro spiders want 3 things: to not be touched or held, to not be in your house, and to not bite you. Great new article by Gayoung Lee @gizmodo.com! gizmodo.com/theyre-huge-...

They’re Huge, They’re Creepy, and They’re Back—An Expert’s Tips for Joro Spider Season

An entomologist answers your questions about the Joro invasion this fall.

gizmodo.com

Entomologists have been saying this for a while, but new evidence published confirms: Joro spiders are not a major health risk. See original thread for link to research papers

Entomological Society of America@entsocamerica.bsky.social · 10mo ago

A pair of new studies in ESA journals offer some reassuring findings about Jorō spiders: “These spiders are easy to manage and pose a minimal health risk.”

Want to get rid of Joro spiders? This #bioinvasion can be managed using commonly available products. Sure, other things work, but please just stick to the labeled stuff (i.e., don't spray machine lubricant all over the place). New #openaccess study in @entsocamerica.bsky.social's JEE provides info.

Chemical management strategies for the invasive Jorō spider, Trichonephila clavata (Araneae: Araneidae)

Abstract. Historically, spider management has received relatively little attention in the literature compared to insect pests, and few studies have examine

academic.oup.com

Will Joro spiders (a #bioinvasion in the SE US) bite you, and if they do will it hurt? Turns out they won't bite without a LOT of provocation, and their bites are akin to a mosquito bite - some redness, swelling, and largely gone in a day. Study is #openaccess in @entsocamerica.bsky.social's JME.

Keep calm and carry on: bites from Trichonephila clavata are unlikely and cause minimal discomfort

Abstract. Arachnophobia is a widespread phenomenon, despite the fact that the vast majority of spiders pose no meaningful threat to people. The introductio

academic.oup.com

Through a four-month fellowship in South Carolina, a scientist from the isle of Jersey learned from local experts, built professional collaborations, and gained in-depth experience that will advance invasive species response efforts on both sides of the Atlantic. entomologytoday.org/2025/10/03/b...

Bridging Borders to Battle Invasive Species: Reflections on an International Fellowship in the U.S.

Through a fellowship in South Carolina, a scientist from Jersey learned from experts, built collaborations that will advance invasive species response on both sides of the Atlantic.

entomologytoday.org

Super psyched to have a bunch of our ALB work come out in this special issue! #bioinvasions

Entomological Society of America@entsocamerica.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Learn all about Asian longhorned beetles in a new special collection from Environmental Entomology! Articles cover biology, behavior, natural enemies, survey tools, eradication methods, and more: academic.oup.com/insect-scien... @oxfordacademic.bsky.social