Dr. Akito Kawahara
@Dr_Akito
Director, Professor & Curator of Moths & Butterflies #McGuireCenter @UF | #Insects | @TEDx |フロリダ大学教授 |昆虫学者 | @FloridaMuseum @KawaharaLab | 河原章人 | he/him/his
Dr Nick Grishin presenting on skipper butterflies, showing a type specimen from the 1700s that was pinned with a thorn!!! @UF @FloridaMuseum @UFEntNem #McGuireCtr
Very fun few days with Jo Nagai, the wunderkid of Japanese entomology. We spent time looking for butterflies and moths! My dad did this with me - it’s nice to help the next generation. We went to the Japanese bug hotel!
Check out the eyes on this hawkmoth! Protambulyx sp., Costa Rica
Cockroaches from the tropics can get huge! This one was found in rotting wood, a natural habit for them
Automeris sp., Costa Rica. Check out the eyesposts and fluffy scales!
シャクガモドキ。コスタリカ。 American moth butterfly - The only truly nocturnal butterfly.
Rhombodera basalisという、 大型でたいへん美しいカマキリです。
まじで美しすぎる… この魔術回路みたいなやつ、カマキリの翅脈なんですよ
Very excited about this new @PBSNature 4-part series on #Insects coming out on PBS tomorrow! pbs.org/video/series-p…
This feels like a positive direction for @UF and the future of the university!
Dr. Santa J. Ono, currently president of the University of Michigan, has been unanimously recommended by UF’s Presidential Search Committee for consideration by the Board of Trustees as the sole finalist to become the university’s 14th president. news.ufl.edu/2025/05/announ…
It's May, which means more brilliant butterflies and moths to look out for! 🌷🦋 Butterflies need wilder parks and gardens. Will you promise to let your lawn grow long for butterflies this summer? Pledge to grow not mow 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/make-your-prom… #SaveButterflies #MothsMatter
Very cool new paper on #Hawaiian #caterpillar behavior by Dan Rubinoff and colleagues, published in today's issue of @ScienceMagazine ! science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…
Enjoying the Gators baseball game with my lab! Super fun! #GoGators
Today is EARTH DAY! Let's be kind to our planet. It's the only place we have to live! Some things you can do today (and any day!): Plant a tree, Carpool, Bike, Walk, Use public transport, Recycle, Compost, Use reusable water bottles, Pick up trash, Use less paper #EarthDay2025
🦇 Did you know that moths use ultrasound to defend against bats? This fascinating predator-prey interaction shows how evolution has equipped moths with tools to survive in the wild! 🔊🦋 #MothDefense #BatSonar #UltrasoundTech
🦋 Studying the 160,000 species of butterflies and moths helps us understand their evolution, genetics, and behaviors. Every species tells a unique story about survival and adaptation. What’s your favorite butterfly species to learn about? 📚🌍 #Lepidoptera #ScienceResearch
Just heard this week’s @radiolab on Jo Nagai, a 10-year-old who discovered how butterflies learn. Touching story—his work is university level. He speaks fluent English—super impressive for a native Japanese kid. Check out research + podcast link below: npr.org/podcasts/45253…
The #ICE2024 conference in Japan has been so inspirational. It’s amazing to see so many elementary, jr, highschool presenters. Here’s Jo Nagai, 5th grader, by his poster on learned inheritance. He told me he next wants to do epigenetics/CRISPR on his butterflies! @ice2024kyoto_jp
Larger than marble-sized hail in Gainesville Florida just now
Excited about @UF #gators basketball tonight! #GoGators! @GatorsMBK