@vblago
 Edinburgh, UK
Joined December 2008
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We traveled 1,140 km by train from Edinburgh to Berlin to analyze 4,600 Peruvian Diptera specimens at the Species Discovery Lab. Extracting DNA & sequencing the COI gene to speed up fungus gnat identification! #Biodiversity #SpeciesDiscovery – at Berlin, Germany
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Principal Curator of Invertebrates, Dr Vladimir Blagoderov, has recently been on expedition to Northern Peru. This species discovery mission was to document the diversity of Fungus gnats - an ecologically important but understudied group of flies 🪰 #NameItToSaveIt #Taxonomy
Vladimir in the field, with his sweep net positioned over his head, whilst he aspirates tiny flies into his collecting tube.

ALT Vladimir in the field, with his sweep net positioned over his head, whilst he aspirates tiny flies into his collecting tube.

Vladimir standing near a small waterfall surrounded by dense vegetation, peering into his sweep net.

ALT Vladimir standing near a small waterfall surrounded by dense vegetation, peering into his sweep net.

Close-up of a preserved Fungus gnat specimen (Mohelia species). a 1mm scale bar indicates how small these insects are... roughly 3mm!

ALT Close-up of a preserved Fungus gnat specimen (Mohelia species). a 1mm scale bar indicates how small these insects are... roughly 3mm!

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May the fourth be with you! PonteMosca #peruflies – at San Nicolás, Peru
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Pterodictya reticularis (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) This incredible insect produces wax that covers the body and protects it against dangers: such as entomopathogenic fungi, parasitoid insects, and predators. #amazonrainforest #PonteMosca #peruflies – at Chazuta, Peru
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Batesian Mimicry. Is this a wasp or a moth? Incredible adaptation to elude predators. In the photo a beautiful moth from the Erebidae family, imitating a wasp. #PonteMosca #peruflies – at Chazuta, Peru
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Tomorrow is the day! I am thrilled to be part of this expedition, which will explore the diversity of insects, focusing on Diptera, in forest ecoregions in northern Peru. For more than 40 days, we will drive more than 2,000 km from around 100 to 3,000 m.a.s.l. @PeruFlies
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BIG NEWS 🪩 #DiSSCoUK is funded through the UKRI Infrastructure Fund and led by the Natural History Museum and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. This will build on our ten years’ experience of #Digitisation, working with over 90 partner organisations around the UK 🌿
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Over a million views #janeygodleyvoiceover
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Lots of lovely Dipterists! Great to see so many folks in person but you can still join online - contact either [email protected] and/or [email protected] #DipteristsDay2023
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Published faster than I expected. First time Lygistorrhina found in semi-arid climate xitter.cf/Zootaxa/status/1719650…
Zootaxa updates@Zootaxa1 Nov 2023
A #newspecies of Lygistorrhina (Lygistorrhina) Skuse, 1890 (#Diptera: Keroplatidae, Lygistorrhininae) with a key to the subgenus --A key to all known species of the subgenus Lygistorrhina (Lygistorrhina) is provided. mapress.com/zt/article/view/… #taxonomy
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Feeling FLY! Here's our research associate @imag15621152 holding a printed copy of his Catalogue of World Species of Lonchaeidae (Lance Flies). 🌏🪰 An impressive piece of work, covering 611 species 👏 🔗 mapress.com/zt/article/view/… #Taxonomy #FlyFriday
Iain is wearing a burnt-orange jumper and a smile, proudly holding the printed publication in his hands, which features a black fly on the cover. He is stood in the entomology store with rows of green cabinets behind him and a drawer of Lance flies sit on the white bench top in front of him.

ALT Iain is wearing a burnt-orange jumper and a smile, proudly holding the printed publication in his hands, which features a black fly on the cover. He is stood in the entomology store with rows of green cabinets behind him and a drawer of Lance flies sit on the white bench top in front of him.

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Closing out #PrideMonth, with this celebration of colour from our meadow at the National Museums Collection Centre. #Pride #NationalMeadowsDay #NMCCbiodiversity 🏳️‍🌈🌿
A rainbow flag composed of cropped images of flowers from the National Museums Collection Centre. In order from red to violet: Poppy, Fox and Cubs, Birds-foot trefoil, Yellow rattle, Speedwell and Northern Marsh orchid.

ALT A rainbow flag composed of cropped images of flowers from the National Museums Collection Centre. In order from red to violet: Poppy, Fox and Cubs, Birds-foot trefoil, Yellow rattle, Speedwell and Northern Marsh orchid.

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Some of the team visited the @JamesHuttonInst in Aberdeen today. It’s home to the National Soil Archive, containing more than 60,000 air-dried soil samples. An incredible resource! Thank you to Colin Campbell + colleagues for the tour and discussion. #Geodiversity #Collections
Nick Fraser walking beside rows of white compactors housing the collection.

ALT Nick Fraser walking beside rows of white compactors housing the collection.

Vladimir Blagoderov being shown samples of dry fungus by Andy Taylor.

ALT Vladimir Blagoderov being shown samples of dry fungus by Andy Taylor.

Racking containing some of the soil collections at the James Hutton Institute.

ALT Racking containing some of the soil collections at the James Hutton Institute.

Bob Goodey and Vladimir Blagoderov examine soil samples.

ALT Bob Goodey and Vladimir Blagoderov examine soil samples.

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Things you’ll learn in our blog on the taxonomy of #DoctorWho species: 🕷️Invertebrates = baddies (unfairly!) 🧪Slitheen would melt in human skin suits due to pH levels 🦎Silurians + humans have a common ancestor Science + Doctor Who rules! blog.nms.ac.uk/2023/04/24/do… @bbcdoctorwho
A dark museum gallery space with metal and mesh panels reminiscent of a sci-fi setting. A large central figure is a humanoid alien with two trunk-like appendages on its head wrapped in an orange straightjacket. It is flanked by two Daleks clinging to the wall, resembling a mix of spider, lobster, and insect.

ALT A dark museum gallery space with metal and mesh panels reminiscent of a sci-fi setting. A large central figure is a humanoid alien with two trunk-like appendages on its head wrapped in an orange straightjacket. It is flanked by two Daleks clinging to the wall, resembling a mix of spider, lobster, and insect.

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Beautiful late Inca period pitcher, courtesy of @Vitin_ON. Cat and insects in one flagon
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Only a few days till early registration deadline #ICDXReno #dipterology #FossilFlies
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Another great opportunity to join the RECODE team @NHM_London and help us deliver a next generation Collections Management System. Want to help us ensure the solution is up to scratch as our Test lead careers.nhm.ac.uk/templates/…
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There's just a couple of days left to get your applications in for this exciting vacancy in our team! Assistant Curator of Fluid Collections 🐟🐙🪰 Full-time | Permanent ⚠️Closing date: Sunday 12th March ➡️ vacancies.nms.ac.uk/VacancyD… #MuseumJobs #Biodiversity #FluidCollections
A view of some of the invertebrate collection, with white shelves of glass jars, containing crustaceans and other marine invertebrates, preserved in alcohol.

ALT A view of some of the invertebrate collection, with white shelves of glass jars, containing crustaceans and other marine invertebrates, preserved in alcohol.

A view of the fluid store at the National Museums Collection Centre. On one side of the room are rows of compactors, holding white metal shelves loaded with specimens. The other side of the room has a long white lab bench, with many jars of curated specimens on it (temporarily displayed for a tour) and above it, shelving storing our empty glassware.

ALT A view of the fluid store at the National Museums Collection Centre. On one side of the room are rows of compactors, holding white metal shelves loaded with specimens. The other side of the room has a long white lab bench, with many jars of curated specimens on it (temporarily displayed for a tour) and above it, shelving storing our empty glassware.

A close-up of a jar containing small glass vials of hoverfly pupae and larvae preserved in alcohol. They are accompanied by lots of labels.

ALT A close-up of a jar containing small glass vials of hoverfly pupae and larvae preserved in alcohol. They are accompanied by lots of labels.

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Which will you pick?
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At least now we know what Thump's "covfefe" means
Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺@Haggis_UK23 Feb 2023
Therese Coffey on food shortages in supermarkets. "Ireland & other parts of Europe are facing very similar supply issues"
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