Research fellow at the University of St Andrews 🏳️‍🌈 • Evolutionary and sensory ecology in 🦋+ 🦗 • He/him • I also make YouTube videos. Link here: https://youtube.com/@benitosexplenations?si=zpMANThrSJv_efM0https://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.social/post/3mlinpohmgc2wGo listen to @jessicafoley14.bsky.social’s new podcast! 📻👨‍🦳 [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 May 2026 11:27 +0000at://did:plc:bg22hb2ecfdni5zcsx243py6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlinpohmgc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.social/post/3mgkto56zh22tIntroducing the campest katydid of all time. 🦄💅🏽👸💞 Why would this animal (Arota festae) have evolved this way, other than to look utterly fabulous? We have unleashed some (slightly whacky) thoughts, now out in @esajournals.bsky.social. Photo credit: @zekerowe.bsky.social https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70333 1/n08 Mar 2026 17:13 +0000at://did:plc:bg22hb2ecfdni5zcsx243py6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgkto56zh22thttps://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.social/post/3mabfaarus22yBravo Rochelle on this huge and amazing piece of work! 👏👏👏 [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Dec 2025 14:30 +0000at://did:plc:bg22hb2ecfdni5zcsx243py6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mabfaarus22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.social/post/3m6rl2h5wfc2xVery happy to see our opinion article out in @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social today. 🥳 We ask whether sexual signals can influence the evolutionary trajectory of naturally selected adaptations, such as protective colouration, for better or for worse 🧐 1/n https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2025.11.00229 Nov 2025 14:06 +0000at://did:plc:bg22hb2ecfdni5zcsx243py6/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6rl2h5wfc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.social/post/3m5e7ppttdk2nWhat a joy to work with a bunch of my closest pals from my PhD on this review! [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Nov 2025 13:13 +0000at://did:plc:bg22hb2ecfdni5zcsx243py6/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5e7ppttdk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.social/post/3m4sp4f67e223Leaf? 🍃 Or katydid? 🦗 Our new @plosbiology.org paper sheds light on how these incredible mimics evolved their disguises, and what this reveals about how complex adaptations arise. We find that coordinated evolution between traits might be the answer… plos.io/4oUE741 1/n https://plos.io/4oUE74104 Nov 2025 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:bg22hb2ecfdni5zcsx243py6/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4sp4f67e223https://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.social/post/3lzqkpp34wk2yThis has got to be the #colsci paper to end all #colsci papers! Huge congratulations to @wlallen.bsky.social and Iliana Medina for this monumental effort. 🤯 Chefs kiss 🤌🏽 [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Sep 2025 13:21 +0000at://did:plc:bg22hb2ecfdni5zcsx243py6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzqkpp34wk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.social/post/3lxytdclxuc2lGo Jessie, lots of cool stuff in here 👨‍🦳👵 (NB. these emojis symbolise the concept of ageing, not Jessie herself) [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Sep 2025 09:26 +0000at://did:plc:bg22hb2ecfdni5zcsx243py6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxytdclxuc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/benitoexplains.bsky.social/post/3lwsx5cgt3s22Thanks to those who came and chatted all things katydid camouflage at my poster on Monday! For those watching on catch-up, come and find me at the poster session on Thursday 😀🦗🍃 #ESEB202520 Aug 2025 07:53 +0000at://did:plc:bg22hb2ecfdni5zcsx243py6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwsx5cgt3s22