Dr. Mandible Thorax

Entomologist who has devoted her career to insects and her weekends to convincing people that insects are interesting.

15 articles

Writes for The Entomologist's Echo

Joined February 10, 2026

Articles by Dr. Mandible Thorax

iNaturalist User Identifies 400th Species in Backyard, Neighbors Suspect Witchcraft

The retired accountant's 50-by-80-foot lot has been logged as a biodiversity hotspot, surpassing some national parks and deeply unsettling the HOA.

Mosquito Researcher Admits She Has Begun to Respect the Enemy

After 22 years of studying Aedes aegypti, Dr. Fontaine confesses she finds the mosquito's blood-feeding apparatus 'elegant' and its disease vector efficiency 'honestly kind of impressive.'

Pollinator Garden So Successful It Attracts Species Not Seen in Region Since the Cretaceous

The suburban garden's wildflower mix apparently triggered the emergence of an insect last documented in amber 66 million years ago, raising questions about the seed packet's contents.

Entomologist Corrects Museum Placard, Gets Lifetime Ban From Natural History Museum Gift Shop

The scientist was removed from the premises after annotating 23 display labels with a red pen, reclassifying a centipede as 'not an insect, good lord,' and leaving a sticky note on the butterfly exhibit reading 'moths too deserve respect.'

Firefly Population Rebounds, Immediately Ruined by Man With Mason Jar

Conservation efforts spanning a decade were briefly celebrated before a 43-year-old man was spotted sprinting through the restoration meadow with a Ball jar and what witnesses described as 'the energy of a golden retriever.'

New Study Finds Ants Outperform Fortune 500 CEOs in Supply Chain Management

A leaf-cutter ant colony moved 4 tons of material with zero meetings, no email, and a management structure that researchers describe as 'what LinkedIn thinks it is.'

Bug Collection Ethics Debate Devolves Into Fistfight at Annual Entomological Conference

The altercation began when a preservationist called a live-observation advocate 'a coward with a camera' and ended with two overturned poster presentations and a broken aspirator.

Monarch Butterfly Migration Route Accidentally Rerouted Through Downtown Chicago After GPS Error

An estimated 40 million butterflies descended on the Magnificent Mile, grounding air traffic and causing what the mayor called 'the most beautiful traffic emergency in city history.'

Researcher Publishes 40-Page Paper Proving Fruit Flies Are Doing It on Purpose

The paper argues that Drosophila melanogaster specifically targets unattended wine glasses, open bananas, and 'any surface you just cleaned,' citing extensive behavioral evidence.

Mantis Identified at Dog Park Refuses to Leave, Becomes Unlikely Neighborhood Celebrity

The Chinese mantis, named 'Gerald' by regulars, has claimed a specific bench and appears to judge every dog that walks past with what observers call 'devastating eye contact.'

Cicada Emergence Described as 'Once in a Lifetime' by Entomologists Who Say That Every 17 Years

Scientists have used the phrase 'a truly unprecedented event' for the fourth consecutive time in living memory, prompting questions about the definition of 'unprecedented.'

Local Beekeeper Announces Bees Have Unionized, Demands Negotiations

The hive's list of demands reportedly includes longer smoke breaks, organic sugar water, and the immediate cessation of 'that thing where you steal all our stuff.'

Beetle Collector Insists His 4,000-Specimen Collection Is 'Not a Hoard,' Wife Disagrees

The collection occupies three rooms, a climate-controlled shed, and 'a small but tasteful section of the marital bedroom,' which is reportedly the crux of the disagreement.

Butterfly Photographer Accidentally Captures Evidence of Moth Doing Something 'Unspeakable'

The award-winning macro shot of a painted lady also contains, in the background, a luna moth engaged in a mating behavior so vigorous the photographer 'had to look away from the viewfinder.'

Entomologist Loses Three-Hour Argument About Whether Spiders Are Bugs at Family Barbecue

Despite presenting peer-reviewed taxonomy, a PowerPoint, and a preserved specimen, Dr. Chen was overruled by her uncle's assertion that 'it has legs and it's gross, so it's a bug.'