Search Constraints
Search Results
-
Lecture
Beyond the Bubble: Taking Taxonomy Outside the Museum
Ashleigh Wiffen from the National Museums Scotland gave us brilliant examples of how we can take #taxonomy out of the museum and engage with a wider audience.Whiffin, Ashleigh
taxonomy , keynote talk, invertebrate collection, audience development, and external engagement
-
Lecture
Waking the Dead: Inside the insect collection at National Museums Scotland
The phrase “insect collection” often conjures up images of Victorian naturalists chasing down rare butterflies with their nets and attaches a stigma to these important resources. The insect collections held in our museums are a vital resource for understanding how species are related to one another and how they are...Whiffin, Ashleigh
curatorial role, scientific research, insect collections, entomological specimens, National Museums Scotland, and National Museums Collection Centre
-
Book
Preliminary investigation into the threat of Bronze Birch Borer (BBB - Agrilus anxius) to Scotland
This report details findings and recommendations from a year-long project investigating the threat that bronze birch borer (BBB, Agrilus anxius) poses to Scotland. The project concentrated on three areas: the current and potential distribution of Agrilus species in Scotland, potential BBB entry pathways, and BBB surveillance methods.Dainton, Katrina ; Pollard, Chris ; Trotter, Felix ; Paterson, Alaina ; Dunn, Michael …
bronze birch borer, Agrilus species , invasive species, and Scotland
-
Abstract
Curating & Communicating: on a mission to advocate for insects
Ashleigh is a museum-based entomologist, working with National Museums Scotland for the past 8 years to care for, curate and develop the collection of 2.5 million insect specimens. A key element of this role is ensuring accessibility to the collection, which can take many forms. From hosting in-person visits and...Whiffin, Ashleigh
promotion, National Museums Scotland entomology collections, science communicaton, and accessibility
-
Interview (radio, television)
Value of urban green spaces for overwintering insects
Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke meet some urban mammals in Edinburgh, indulging in a look at some of the macro marvels that call the cemetery home.Whiffin, Ashleigh
-
Magazine article
'Alice Balfour' In: Herstory - women who changed the world
To mark Women's History Month, female curators at National Museums Scotland have each selected an inspiration woman represented in the collection. From entomologist to artist to queen, their legacy lives on.Whiffin, Ashleigh
Alice Blanche Balfour (1850-1936), Whittingehame, Entomology, and Women's History Month
-
Lecture
Carrion Beetles: Nature's Undertakers
Meet the unsung heroes of the natural world: carrion beetles. Important decomposers and recyclers, most carrion beetles feed and breed on dead animals. Museum curator and carrion beetle specialist, Ashleigh Whiffin introduces us to these delightful decomposers, digs deeper into their complex ecology, and highlights some of the current work...Whiffin, Ashleigh
Silphidae and Coleoptera
-
Journal article
Life in death
Whiffin, Ashleigh
-
Journal article
Signatures of increasing environmental stress in bumblebee wings over the past century: Insights from museum specimens
Determining when animal populations have experienced stress in the past is fundamental to understanding how risk factors drive contemporary and future species' responses to environmental change. For insects, quantifying stress and associating it with environmental factors has been challenging due to a paucity of time-series data and because detectable population-level... -
Journal article
First large‐scale quantification study of DNA preservation in insects from natural history collections using genome‐wide sequencing
Insect declines are a global issue with significant ecological and economic ramifications. Yet, we have a poor understanding of the genomic impact these losses can have. Genome-wide data from historical specimens have the potential to provide baselines of population genetic measures to study population change, with natural history collections representing... -
Lecture
Waking the Dead: promoting and recording Carrion beetles
A talk from the 2022 NFBR Conference at Oxford University Museum of Natural HistoryWhiffin, Ashleigh
-
Journal article
Belated records from Silpha tyrolensis Laicharting (Silphidae) from Cumbria
The recent publication of Lane, Lucas & Whiffin (2020), with the keys it contains led to AD's re-examination of a series of larger silphids that have resided in his collection for several years.Dutton, Adrian ; Whiffin, Ashleigh
-
Lecture
Insectageddon: is global insect extinction real?
News headlines in recent years have proclaimed that over 40% of all insect species are in decline, and many approach extinction. But are these numbers correct? Is the reality better, or even much worse, than we think? Entomologist, broadcaster, and author Professor Adam Hart leads a panel debate of international...Hart, Adam ; Isaac, Nick ; Whiffin, Ashleigh ; Saunders, Manu
-
Research report
NMCC Biodiversity Survey: Activity summary
Whiffin, Ashleigh