Kelsey J.R.P. Byers

@plantpollinator

Pollination & floral scent evolution; group leader, John Innes Centre (UK). Birds, bugs, cats, tea, &c. Any pronouns, asexual, agender, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / POTS / ADHD / autistic / associated stuff. Majority time wheelchair human. Posts mine, no AI.

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Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· 27d

Ok, if you insist, there are some bird photos too, I say this as a very keen birder! But minibeasts, especially the insects, were the big attraction on Monday at Strumpshaw. Male Mallard coming into eclipse plumage; female Reed Bunting; female Western Marsh Harrier; female Mute Swan with cygnets

A male Mallard coming into eclipse plumage swims in open water, seen from the side. This duck has a yellow bill, iridescent green head, and a mottled tan and brown wings and body. There is a white patch near its tail.

A female Reed Bunting perches on a reed stem in front of other dried reed stems and flower heads. This small sparrow-like bird is streaked with brown and tan and has a streaked mask-like brown and tan face. Her forked tail is held to the left and is black with a white patch.

A female Western Marsh Harrier perches on a dead tree in front of a blurry Willow tree with long green leaves. This large hawk is dark brown with long yellow legs and a tan mask on her face.

A female Mute Swan with five cygnets (baby swans) is seen standing on a cut bed of green and brown reeds. She is large and white with a long white neck, black face mask, and orange bill. Her five cygnets are all preening themselves and are quite fluffy and medium grey.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· 27d

Last four: The wings of a dead male Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus); a female Black-tailed Skimmer; a Mother of Pearl moth, also dead; and a male Western Willow Spreadwing damselfly. Strumpshaw Fen is such a lovely reserve to visit, highly recommend and easily reached by public transit!!!

The wings of a dead male Purple Hairstreak butterfly sit on a white person's hand. The left side is the upper wing, which is black with a purple iridescent patch. The right side shows the lower wing surface, which is grey with white lines and an orange circle with a black dot. There is a subtle 'tail' on the edge of the hindwing.

A female Black-tailed Skimmer perches on a dirt and rock path. This large dragonfly has clear wings held straight out with a black spot near the tip on each. Her eyes are large and greenish blue and her thorax is a dirty brownish yellow color. Her long abdomen is yellow with black stripes down its length.

A Mother of Pearl moth is seen dead on some green vegetation. This moth has an iridescent ivory body and wings mostly spread, with brown lines on the wings and dots on the wing edges.

A Western Willow Spreadwing damselfly sits on a dead branch against a blurry green backdrop. This damselfly has its transparent wings completely spread and there is a whitish spot near the tip of each wing. Its head has brassy eyes and the thorax is green and brown. The long abdomen is very thin and iridescent green, and ends in a pair of white hook-shaped claspers.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· 27d

The next four: Red Admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) visiting Hemp-Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum); Black-tailed Skimmer male (Orthetrum cancellatum); Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum); a female Gatekeeper butterfly (Pyronia tithonis) visiting Great Burdock (Arctium lappa)

A Red Admiral - a large butterfly with black wings with red bands and white dots perches with wings partially spread on a hairy pink inflorescence of Hemp-Agrimony, with green leaves and a second inflorescence in bud in the background. The butterfly's tongue is out and it is feeding on nectar.

A male Black-tailed Skimmer perches on a dirt and rock pathway with wings spread wide open. This dragonfly has transparent wings with a black dot near the tip, dark bluish green eyes, a brown thorax, and a dusty blue abdomen with a black tip.

A set of Teasel inflorescences is seen along with their leaves and stems against other green vegetation. These spiky inflorescences are green with reddish spikes and have large spiky green bracts surrounding them. The few flowers that are open are in two rings on one inflorescence and are a pale pinkish purple color.

A female Gatekeeper butterfly perches on a Great Burdock inflorescence surrounded by green leaves. The inflorescence is spiky and green, with a tip that is open and medium purple. The butterfly has orange wings with brown borders that are held mostly open, and her forewing upper side has a black circle with two white dots in it.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· 27d

Narrowed it down to 12 photos to share (tough task!), here are the first four: Banded Burdock Fly (Terellia tussilagnis) on Great Burdock (Arctium lappa); Melanostoma mellinum female hoverfly full of eggs; Hedge and Large Bindweeds (Calystegia sepium and silvatica with 2 and 1 flower respectively)

A Banded Burdock Fly sits in an extremely close up shot on a partially visible flower head of Great Burdock. The flower head is wooly on the left and purple on the right; the left side has hooked hairs. The Fly is yellowish green with large red and green eyes, small yellow antennae, and banded yellow and black wings held away from her body. Her long brown and black ovipositor protrudes from her rear.

A female Melanostoma mellinum clings to a nettle leaf, with a blurry green backdrop. The fly has large reddish eyes, a shining silvery brass thorax, and a very swollen pale yellow bdomen with clear wings over the top of it, seen at an oblique angle. Through the wings we can see the abdominal pattern, which is black with yellow triangular markings.

Two flowers and some buds of Hedge Bindweed are seen against the pointed heart-shaped green leaves of the same plant. The flowers are large and trumpet-shaped and completely white with white anthers and stigma visible. The green sepals are visible between the bracts.

A single flower and a bud of Large Bindweed are seen against bracken fern and distant trees. The flower is large and trumpet-shaped and completely white with white anthers and stigma visible. The green sepals are not visible between the bracts.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· 27d

Got this terrible photo of Xanthogramma pedissequum at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen yesterday - mainly excited as never seen Xanthogramma before and this makes my 28th genus of Syrphidae photographed! (see my photos arrange taxonomically at flickr.com/photos/plant...)

A black and yellow hoverfly is perched on some dead grass stems partially hidden underneath some green grass stems. This hoverfly is black overall with a large head and eyes (partially hidden), a black thorax with yellow side stripes, yellow legs, and a black abdomen with triangular yellow marks and interrupted bands further down.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jul 11

She showed up again a couple of days ago! This time I got to see her scopa covered in pollen under her abdomen, where Megachilidae store their pollen (vs the hindlegs as on most other non-kleptoparasitic bees).

A small bee is seen perched on a flower of Ragwort. The flower is yellow with long ray florets surrounding a cluster of spiky disc florets. The bee is black and slightly shiny with a large head, with lines across her abdomen and wings folded across her back. The underside of her abdomen is heavily coated in bright yellow pollen.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jul 11

Some more fun back garden minibeasts on our ragwort forest (still no mosquitoes on the ragwort): Andrena hattorfiana (very unusual for Norfolk, esp. the red form! but pretty sure of ID), Araniella sp. building her web, Syritta pipiens, and Stictopleurus prob. abutilon.

A large mining bee is seen foraging on a flower of Ragwort. The flower is a yellow daisy-like flower with ray florets and spiky disc florets. The bee is black overall with red markings on her abdomen and very fluffy pale-haired hing tibiae for collecting pollen. Her wings are folded over her back and she is seen from the side.

An orb weaver spider is seen spinning a web against some blurry ray florets of Ragwort. The spider has a pale brownish green body and short legs and a very large, spherical bright green abdomen with a red dot near her spinnerets. She is seen from below.

A small hoverfly is seen on a flower of Ragwort with other flowers in the background. The yellow flower has long ray florets and spiny disc florets in the middle which she is perched on. Her body is black with pale greyish white markings and her wings are folded over her back. Her most obvious feature is a hugely thick hind femur which is marked in black and red and has black spines coming out of the bottom.

A true bug is seen perched on yellow ray florets of Ragwort surrounding a brown central cluster of disc florets. The bug is brownish greenish grey with long legs and four-segmented long antennae. Its wings are translucent greenish grey and folded over its abdomen, whose edges are green with brown spots.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jul 8

Ok, ok, the OTHER star was finding this probably-an-owl-pellet on my back patio! Have heard and seen both Barn and Tawny Owls around so could be either maybe?

A somewhat gross-looking potential owl pellet is seen against a beige and black tile. The pellet is oval and one end is whitish while the other is dark brown with visible bits of small greyish bones.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jul 8

The real star, however, might have been this tentatively-ID'd Heriades truncorum (Large-headed Armoured Resin Bee)... they are almost exclusively Ragwort feeders, and apparently very uncommon in Norfolk until recently (and maybe still!) so that's super neat! Sadly no good pics/specimen.

A small black bee is seen on a yellow Ragwort flower against a green backdrop. The bee has a huge head, the full width of its thorax and abdomen, and long black antennae, with three ocelli clearly seen. The thorax and abdomen are clearly separated and are black, and its transparent wings are folded above the abdomen. Thin blackish legs are seen.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jul 8

Some more hoverflies in the back garden on Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris): Syritta pipiens, Sphaerophoria sp. (females cannot be ID'd to species normally), Scaeva pyrastri, and Episyrphus balteatus! Can you tell I love hoverflies?

A Syritta pipiens hoverfly stands on a yellow flower of Jacobaea vulgaris (Ragwort). The fly has a large head with big red eyes, a black and grey thorax, and a spotted black, orange, and grey abdomen. Its clear wings are held above its abdomen. The front two pairs of legs are yellow and thin, while the back pair is yellow and black with a very thick femur which has several black spines on it.

A Sphaerophoria hoverfly stands on a yellow flower of Ragwort with more flowers in the background. This hoverfly is long and thin, with a head with large red eyes and a yellow face, a brassy bronze thorax with yellow side stripes, and a long narrow abdomen striped in black and yellow. Her transparent wings are held away from her body.

A Scaeva pyrastri hoverfly is seen perched on a flower of Ragwort with more flowers in the background. This hoverfly has a puffed up silvery face with large red eyes that meet at the top and a brassy silvery thorax. Its abdomen is black with pairs of white curved lines on each segment. The transparent wings are held away from the body.

A low resolution photograph of an Episyrphus balteatus (Marmelade Hoverfly) perched on a green leaf against a blurry green background. The hoverfly has large red eyes that meet at the top, a brassy bronze thorax with subtle striping, and an orange abdomen with black stripes and mustache-like bars. The transparent wings are held away from the body.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jul 7

Good day for accidental insects at the GP surgery and on the way home... 10-spot Ladybird, some Dor Beetle, a Nymphalid caterpillar (caterpillar ID book arrives tomorrow!), and an Agriphilia straminella crambid (grass) moth.

A tiny ladybug is seen from above standing on a blue floor with black spots. The ladybug has a pair of reddish-orange wing covers (elytra) over its abdomen with black spots and a white thorax with more black spots. The photo is blurry.

A Dor Beetle is seen from above standing on bare grey cement. This beetle is oval-shaped and shining blackish blue. The legs are all held stiffly out from the body and are thick and spiny. The wing covers (elytra) have longitudinal grooves in them and overall the beetle is very smoothly round.

A nymphalid butterfly caterpillar is seen against a white person's finger and skin, partially standing on the finger but with its front half reaching out for the next surface. It has rows of spiny protrusions along its body which are greyish white in color. Between these are orange yellow rings in the back two thirds and greyish white rings in the front two thirds. Its eyes are large and reddish brown.

A crambid (grass) moth is seen from the side perched on some brick and mortar. The moth is long with wings that come along its back held in a roof type posture. It has very long palps coming out of its head, held straight out, that are furry and brownish. The eyes are bright blue with a black dot. The legs are brown and held out from the body, as are the long antennae. Its wings are tan-brown with white streaks and black dots at the wing edge.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jul 3

Too sick (it turned into bronchitis, surprise surprise) to leave the house really, but please enjoy this Platycheirus scutatus s.l. male hoverfly from my back garden! He is visiting Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).

A small hoverfly stands perched on a yellow Ragwort flower with its wings folded above its back. The flower has ray and disc florets and is shaped like a daisy but all yellow. The fly's head is dominated by large reddish eyes. The thorax is brassy black with some furry hairs on it. The abdomen is long and thin and black with yellow patches. The mid and rear legs are thin and black, but the front leg has odd patches of thick hairs. The face is dusted greyish and topped with two bulbous antennae.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 30

Last four for the insects: what I think @mothiduk.bsky.social ? is Epichnopterix plumella; Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar; Scarce Chaser male; Black-tailed Skimmer male (last both dragonflies) - many of the Skimmers, few Chasers to be seen

A small black moth with rounded wings (hindwings partially hidden beneath the forewings) and very fluffy or feathery antennae perches on a piece of woven tan or whitish fabric.

A very large, very hairy caterpillar is seen climbing a plant stem in front of green leaves. The side and front of the caterpillar is covered in shorter reddish hairs, while the back is covered in very long black hairs.

A large dragonfly sits perched on a green leaf in front of some reeds. Its wings are held straight out and are long and clear with a black spot (the stigma) on the upper tip of each. The eyes are pale blue. The thorax is dusty black covered in hairs, while the abdomen is a bright whitish blue, almost powdery looking, with a black tail tip.

A large dragonfly sits perched on a wooden trail edger shadowed slightly by a green stem of grass. Its wings are held straight out and are long and clear with a black spot (the stigma) on the upper tip of each. The eyes are dark greenish brown. The thorax is dusty brownish black covered in hairs, while the abdomen is a bright whitish blue, almost powdery looking, with a black tail tip.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 30

A few more pictures for your enjoyment: Female Mute Swan with her cygnets (two photos), a different Grey Heron, and some Hedge Bindweed.

A female adult Mute Swan is seen swimming in open water with her five grey fluffy cygnets (chicks). She has a fully white body and long curved neck with a black face and orange beak. Her cygnets are a pale fluffy grey with black beaks and legs and are in a variety of postures, with one partially hidden behind the adult.

A Grey Heron stands in mud in a shallow grassy area in front of open water and the edges of a reedbed. This large water bird has an overall medium grey body and wings, with long greyish yellow legs, a long grey neck with black spots, and a grey head with a black eye stripe. Its long beak is also grey.

A flower and a few leaves of Hedge Bindweed are seen against a sandy and rocky trail. The leaves are green and shaped somewhat like broad arrowheads. The flower is seen from the side and it is trumpet shaped and clean white, flaring open at the end of the tube, with some clasping greenish bracts at the base of the flower.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 30

Went back again to RSPB Strumpshaw Fen last Thursday early morning and saw some amazing birds and bugs and plants and other such things! Please enjoy some pics if you like - more in thread! Grey Heron, Great Cormorant, and two fun shots of a female Bearded Reedling/Bearded Tit!

A Grey Heron stands at the border between a green reedbed and water, with its legs partially submerged. This large water bird has a long beak which currently holds a fish partway down, a yellow eye, and a white head with a black eye stripe. The neck is long and white with black spots. Its back and wings are medium grey with some black on the wings, and the legs are long with knobby knees.

A Great Cormorant swims in open water with most of its body submerged. All we can see is a slight curve of its black back and then its head and neck above water. The neck is long and thin and black and the head is black with a white cheek patch, greenish eye, yellow throat, and a medium length greyish black beak held at an upright angle.

A female Bearded Reedling or Bearded Tit perches on a dead branch covered in lichen in front of blurry trees and blue sky. She is looking straight at us with pale eyes with a black eye stripe and a bright yellow bill. Her head and body are medium warm brown and she has a white throat. Her long legs are black and have long claws on her feet, and her long tail looks black in this photo.

A female Bearded Reedling or Bearded Tit perches on a dead branch covered in lichen in front of blurry trees and blue sky. She is looking sideways to us with pale eyes with a black eye stripe and a bright yellow bill. Her head and body are medium warm brown and she has a white throat. Her long legs are black and have long claws on her feet, and her long tail looks black in this photo. Her wings have some white and black stripes on them.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 22

Very odd - this Linaria purpurea when outdoors produces solid purple flower spikes, yet when cut & brought indoors the flowers display a lovely ombre shading with dark purple at the bottom and white towards the tip. UV required for anthocyanin biosynthesis, or roots? Hunh! (L: indoor; R: outdoor)

A set of cut flowers of Linaria purpurea inside a house. There are multiple floral spikes with only the foreground one in focus. At the bottom are dying purple flowers, then in the middle of the spike are medium purple flowers, and towards the tip are white to light purple flowers. The buds at the very tip are not yet open.

A floral spike of Linaria purpurea outdoors. The flowers are solid dark purple throughout the spike, including the as-yet-to-open buds at the tip of the spike.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 21

Apparently it is All Moths All Time Day, because here is a female Willow Beauty for you that showed up on the window of our study!

A large brown moth is seen perched on glass with its wings spread wide and flat so the hindwings are visible. The legs are long and striped tan and brown. The wings are large and slightly rounded, with tan and brown patterning and black dots at various places and around the edge of both pairs of wings.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 21

I've also made a pattern for an agender/asexual scarf that I've just just started. It uses moss stitch in appropriate colors, knitted lengthwise to save on color changes, so you cast on 340(!) stitches. Design schematic; you can find the pattern (CC-BY-NC-SA) here: tinyurl.com/aceagendersc...

A schematic diagram for a scarf: The final design for the flag, without number measurements but to scale. The horizontal rectangle for the scarf (which has a black outline, along with lines between each colour and between the two halves that will not be present in the final scarf) is very wide and is split into two halves widthwise. The left half is the agender flag, which has seven lengthwise stripes, labelled with colour names in yellow (or black for the white stripes) text. From top to bottom, the colours are black, grey, white, green, white, grey, and black. The right half is the asexual flag, which has four lengthwise stripes, labelled with colour names as above. From top to bottom, the colours are black, grey, white, and purple.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 21

I've been learning to hand spin yarn the last few months! These are dyed and undyed fibres from various breeds of sheep (Shetland, Bluefaced Leicster, Leicster Longwool, and Corriedale top->bottom), with time moving bottom->top. Bottom-most is a sample I then knitted from the first yarn I ever made.

A sampler of handspun wool yarn from various projects, arranged vertically to the viewer on a wood veneer floor. At the bottom is a rectangular knitted pad in light purple and dark red, then a small skein of light pink and hot pink, then a small skein of red and white, then a top whorl drop spindle and cardboard tube with thin white single ply wool on, then a larger skein of white yarn tied with blue yarn, then a larger skein of brown yarn tied with red yarn.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 21

Well hello there... Wood Leopard Moth found in my back garden by the cat (and promptly rescued from her tender affections)! Yes, he is indeed sticking his aedeagus out...

A Wood Tiger Moth rests on a white person's finger in front of a complex but mostly brown and out of focus background. This large moth, about 2 inches long, is white with many small black spots on its wings, which are held roof-like above its black and white striped abdomen. The thorax and head are white with black spots and very furry. A long yellowish tube - the aedeagus - is sticking out of the end of its abdomen, which is bent down.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 19

Now for some bugs and a plant: Butter-and-Eggs (aka Common Toadflax, but I like my childhood name better), a Small Tortoiseshell (or Kleiner Fuchs if you prefer the German name!) on Bramble, a Helophilus pendulus hoverfly on Yarrow, and a Common Froghopper.

A wide-angle shot of Common Toadflax seen against a blue sky. The flowers in the foreground are in focus and the majority in the background are blurred. The plants have pale yellow and bright orange flowers in clusters on the end of long green stems with long leaves.

A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly nectars on Bramble, which is mostly in fruit at this point with few open flowers. The butterfly has its wings spread wide. The wings are orange with black patches and a blue and black spotted border, and the body is brown and hairy. Two long striped antennae protrude from the head.

A Helophilus pendulus fly stands on an open flower head of white Yarrow flowers. The fly has large purple eyes, a black and yellow striped thorax, a yellow and black patterned abdomen, and a pair of clear wings with dark brown veins.

A Common Froghopper bug rests on a green reed leaf. This small bug is brightly colored with red and black patches and a black head.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Jun 19

Went to RSPB Strumpshaw Fen yesterday very very early in the morning (I caught the 5:08am train) and it was lovely! 55 species of birds and lots of lovely bugs & flowers, though things are settling down as summer is coming into force. Birds first: Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mallards, Bearded Reedling!

A Cormorant swims in open water with a blurry reed between it and the camera. This large water bird is solid black with a long neck poking out of the water which ends in a black head with a white and orange cheek patch. Its long hooked bill is upright, holding water weeds.

A Grey Heron flies against blue sky. This large bird has its wings cupped in an M shape. The large body is held in a compact bullet shape with legs outstretched behind it and its neck tucked against its chest.

A group of five Mallard ducks swims in open water. These ducks - a mixture of adults and new immatures from this breeding year - are mostly brown at this point.

A blurry photo of a Bearded Reedling perching bird which is perching on dried reeds in front of green reeds and other green plants. This small bird is brown overall with stripes on the wings and a very long tail.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· May 7

The paper is here: www.frontiersin.org/journals/pla... and the relevant figure is this image: Basically about 1/3 of genes (the green ones) supported one family tree arrangement, and the other genes supported five different family tree arrangements. So it really matters which gene we pick!

A scientific figure from a research paper. There are six different family tree (phylogenetic) arrangements (topologies) surrounding a pie chart with six pie slices in different colors. The largest pie slice is 33% of genes, the next 18%, then 16%, 9%, 9%, and 15%.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· May 7

The best follow up was this one though: Elon Musk jumped in and tried to insult us but apparently I am one of the "world's smartest meat computers" ?! so not 100% clear that is an insult anyway, dude?

A screenshot of a reply to a tweet by Richard Dawkins from 30 December 2022. The replier is Elon Musk, who writes "The woke mind virus is penetrating the firewalls of some of the world's smartest meat computers at a prodigious rate!"

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· May 7

He attacked myself and some colleagues on Twitter over a paper we wrote on ableism in evolutionary biology. The man is scum. But his earlier writings also inspired me into the field too! UGHHHH.

A screenshot of a tweet by Richard Dawkins reading "American Naturalist used to be a great journal. Very sad. How could they sink so low?" above a screenshot of a paper titled "Discussions of the “not so fit”: how ableism limits diverse thought and investigative potential in evolutionary biology" with myself as third author. The edges of the paper screenshot are cut off by the phone screen edges.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Apr 28

Absolutely love the lamellate antennae on scarab beetles! Here is a Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha, Scarabaeidae) who showed up on my front doorstep last night. Check out those sniffers!

A large scarab beetle crawls across a concrete step edge. This beetle has a grey head and thorax and brown elytra or wing covers covered with grey hairs. Most obvious are its lamellate or stacked plate like antennae, which are light brown and slightly fanned out to show their structure.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Apr 26

Very pleased with the second plying experiment (still the 10g of Corriedale that I made into singles and plied using a drop spindle) - the width of the resulting 2-ply is far more consistent than version 1 (previous post) despite the two incoming singles being quite different widths.

A white person's hand is holding a toilet paper cardboard tube with yarn wrapped around it in front of a green fabric surface. The yarn is a "barber pole" color with alternating stripes of hot pink and light pink and is fairly consistent in how wide it is across the wrappings around the tube.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Apr 26

In the quest for relaxing hobbies that are extensions of existing ones, I've taken up hand spinning wool into yarn (currently drop spindle). This is my first project (a 2-ply from two singles), what it knit up into, and my fifth single that I've made. All Corriedale, 10g each. Really enjoying!

A small ball of striped light purple and dark red yarn is held in a white person's open hand with a tan tiled floor in the distance. The yarn is of variable widths, some very thick and fluffy and some smaller and cord-like.

A knitted potholder is seen against a wooden veneer surface. The potholder is made from dark red and light purple yarn of varying width. It is knobbled and thick in some places and thin in other places.

A single of handspun yarn is seen wrapped around a toilet paper tube for storage. The yarn is bright red and of less variable widths, and has some secondary twist in the yarn. The toilet paper tube is being held in a white person's hand with a wood veneer in the distance.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Apr 25

I have another pic that shows the back more clearly if that helps?

A Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle is seen crawling on a greyish brown stick with some greyish green leaves in the foreground and background, some blurry. This small beetle has a white and black head and thorax and her wing covers (elytra) are red with many small round black spots. On her back are four or five visible slightly tufted pale green cone-like structures.

Kelsey J.R.P. Byers@plantpollinator· Apr 25

The other neat find of the day was this Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis) who appears to have been parasitized - see the green spikes on her back? Those sure aren't hers and are probably eggs of someone else's!