1/4 I had a blast at the international conference of the IUSSI in Freiburg this week. 🥳😊 I've learned many new things 🐝🐜, met peers and friends, talked to a bunch of new people, chatted about science and non-scientific things, got ideas about future projects and collaborations, and had also too ...

Still 31 °C (ca 88 ° Fahrenheit) at 9 pm in Amsterdam 🇳🇱. Granted, it is 7 to 8 degrees cooler than it was during the day and still cooler than in other major European cities, but still 🥵 We need to increase our actions against the climate crisis!

After a quite stressful morning (glitch in the camera, and I needed to be at uni earlier than planned to fix it), I am having a coffee now on the balcony. ☕☀️

A few days late, but we started field work in the Netherlands this week. Using red wood ants, we assess phenotypic plasticity of stress responses over the season using ants collected in the field and their acclimation to warmer climates in the lab. @uva.nl #marie-skladowska-curie-actions #msca

What a morning view in Amsterdam

A big shout out to my amazing collaborators in this project, Patrick Heidbreder, Marjolein Bruijning, Patrick G. Meirmans, Sean Stankowski, and especially to Jonna Kulmuni ☺️🎉 Please share widely. 😃 @biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social #insects #ants #hybrids #climatechange #genomics #expansion

(3) Hybrids have also expanded 200 km northwards coinciding with the expansion of climatic conditions suitable for hybrids. Our results suggest that hybrids perform better under warming climates than their cold-adapted parent, and that recent climatic changes can lead to range expansion of hybrids.

(2) Hybrids have a higher genomic diversity & are active earlier in the season than its cold-adapted parent. Further, hybrid offspring emerge earlier in the season. Hybrids also withstand acute heat better than F. aquilonia. These results suggest a competitive advantage of hybrids over F. aquilonia.

At the moment, I am mainly doing fieldwork. Below, I share some impressions from fieldwork across various European countries

Last day of #eseb2025 will kick off in a few moments with the plenary talk by Prof. Johanna Mappes from @helsinki.fi "Signals of Survival: The Genetics and Ecology of Looking Dangerous"

Last #eseb2025 poster session has just started 🎊

#ESEB2025 just started in Barcelona. I am looking forward to many interesting talks and research, to meeting friends and connecting with new people. 🤗

Sunset behind the trees

Sunrise in Utrecht

What a beautiful morning in Amsterdam it was

A picture of the kingsday (Koningsdag) festivities (the birthday of the king) celebrated on Saturday in the Netherlands

Spring is now also approaching at higher elevations in Austria ☀️

Every day, I read to many bad news. I now decised to post something postive here every (other) day. I came across this beautiful meadow with daffodils and cherry blossoms last Saturday.

36th Entomologendag 2024 from the Dutch Entomological Society in Ede just started.