Wolfgang Goymann

Registration and abstract submission for the ECBB in Cambridge are open - yay, don't miss it! 🦩🤩

Visuelle Signale verändern die Reaktion von Libellenlarven auf Gefahr 👀❗
Tóth et al. zeigen, dass Libellenlarven ihre Aktivität reduzieren, wenn sie chemische Alarmstoffe verletzter Artgenossen wahrnehmen. Können sie jedoch andere Larven sehen, verändert sich diese Reaktion!

Visual Cues Can Alter the Behavioural Responses of Dragonfly Larvae to Chemical Alarm Cues Using a controlled experimental approach, we examined how chemical and visual cues influence antipredator behaviour in Aeshna cyanea larvae and tested whether risk-related information can be socially....

🧪ETHOLOGY: Visual cues change how dragonfly larvae react to danger 🐉🪰👀❗
Tóth et al. show that dragonfly larvae reduce activity when detecting chemical alarm cues from injured conspecifics—but this response changes when they can see nearby larvae. Read here, it's #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth....

And the defense @oulu.fi with very thorough but cordial opponent Terje Lislevand (right) was a special experience! Supervisor @koivulakari.bsky.social looks ecstatic (🇫🇮❄️).

Congratulations 🥂, Dr. Hanna Algora! Thesis on nesting ecology featuring Finnish #waders, ruffs and dunlins, defended convincingly today. Another fledgling 🪺🐦🐣 from @oulu.fi and @mpiforbi.bsky.social

Great job Maja Peng and Ludmila Kerhartová presenting our work on 🐭 vocal recognition 🎶 at the “Ethology 2026” conference in Grünau 👏. We also listened to Rosemary and Peter Grant giving amazing talks 🐦‍⬛. What an inspiration! @klivvvienna.bsky.social

There were also 3 awsome and very inspiring plenaries at this year's meeting of the @ethoges.bsky.social: Thomas Bugnyar (sadly I took no picture), Rosemary Grant and Lars Chittka 🐦🐝

An Easy Method to Sample Headspace Pheromones in the Field Females of the orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi produces a pheromone to attract males for mating. Most of our knowledge about the pheromone and its strategical use by the females is known from the l...

Spinnenpheromone im Freiland erfassen 🕷️🌿
Dössel et al. stellen eine einfache Methode zur Sammlung von Sexpheromonen im Feld vor. Am Beispiel einer Wespenspinne schließt der Ansatz die Lücke zwischen Laborergebnissen und natürlichen Signalbedingungen.
#Pheromone #Methoden #Feldforschung

An Easy Method to Sample Headspace Pheromones in the Field Females of the orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi produces a pheromone to attract males for mating. Most of our knowledge about the pheromone and its strategical use by the females is known from the l...

🧪 ETHOLOGY: How to sample spider pheromones in the wild 🕷️🌿
Dössel et al. present a simple field method to collect sex pheromones in spiders. Applied to a wasp spider, the approach can help bridge the gap between lab findings and natural signalling conditions. #OpenAccess doi.org/10.1111/eth....

two seagulls are walking in the grass in front of a house ALT: two seagulls are walking in the grass in front of a house

While an amazing Annual meeting of the Ehtological Society has just passed, we are hoping to see many of you in beautiful Konstanz next year! Save the date: 24.–26. Februar 2027

Do Toxin‐Sequestering Snakes Recognize Their Own Nuchal Gland Toxin Reserve? Insights From Rhabdophis subminiatus We have little information on whether toxin-sequestering animals can monitor their current toxin reserves. In this study, we examined whether a toxin-sequestering snake (Rhabdophis subminiatus) alter...

Wissen Giftschlangen, wenn ihr Vorrat zur Neige geht? 🐍🧪
Kodama et al. untersuchten, ob die Rotschneckennatter ihre eigenen Toxinreserven erkennt. Nach Entleerung der Nackendrüsen zeigte sich keine Veränderung im Abwehrverhalten – offenbar überwachen die Schlangen ihren „Waffenvorrat“ nicht direkt.

Do Toxin‐Sequestering Snakes Recognize Their Own Nuchal Gland Toxin Reserve? Insights From Rhabdophis subminiatus We have little information on whether toxin-sequestering animals can monitor their current toxin reserves. In this study, we examined whether a toxin-sequestering snake (Rhabdophis subminiatus) alter...

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Do toxic snakes know when they’re running low? 🐍🧪
Kodama et al. tested whether the red-necked keelback detects its own toxin reserves. After experimental depletion of toxins, defensive behavior didn’t change—suggesting they may not directly monitor their arsenal. doi.org/10.1111/eth....

We got to see the famous geese at the Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle in Grünau during the meeting of the @ethoges.bsky.social

Schadstoffe wirken nicht auf allen Arten gleichermaßen 🐟🌊
Ozeki et al. untersuchten, ob das Verhütungsöstrogen EE2 auch Kühnheit und Angst eines Meeresfisches beeinflusst. Nach 14-tägiger Exposition blieb das Verhalten unverändert – ein Hinweis auf artspezifische Reaktionen auf Umweltbelastungen.

Exposure to the Oestrogenic Pollutant 17α‐Ethinyl Estradiol (EE2) Does Not Alter the Behaviour of a Coastal Marine Fish, Cristiceps australis Environmental contamination with the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) is widespread in coastal ecosystems, yet behavioural effects in marine fishes remain poorly understood. We exposed ...

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Pollutants don't change behavior equally across species 🐟🌊
Ozeki et al. tested whether the contraceptive estrogen EE2 also affects boldness and anxiety in a marine fish. After 14 day-exposure, behavior remained unchanged—highlighting species-specific responses. doi.org/10.1111/eth....

Annual Meeting of the Ethologische Gesellschaft 2026
Keynote: Rosemary Grant
In her keynote speech, Rosemary Grant discusses the role of #behavior in the #evolution of Darwin’s finches.
📍 Grünau | 📅 Feb 18–21, 2026
Four days of science and exchange—where ethology made history.
@ethoges.bsky.social

When Similar Individuals Don't Attract: Absence of Assortative Mating by Coloration in a Damselfly With Honest Signaling In Acanthagrion lancea damselflies, both sexes display blue ornamentation, but do they choose mates based on it? We tested whether mutual mate choice and time constraints influence ornament evolution...

🧪 ETHOLOGY: When looking alike doesn’t lead to love 💙🌈🪰
Even though blue coloration may honestly signal individual quality in damselflies, Melillo et al. show that mates don’t assort by color. Even as time for reproduction runs out, similar colors don’t attract. #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth....

A photo I took in Monterey Bay was on the cover of @behavecol.bsky.social in late 2025! Killer whales are 1 of many case studies explored in our paper "Integrating space, time, and culture in animal conservation practice". tinyurl.com/2pnx2k36 Excited about more ongoing culture + ecology work...

Common Tern Museum at the Bantersee

Common Tern Museum at the Bantersee

View of the ice-bound Waddensee

Profs Miriam Liedvogel & Prof Sandra Bouwhuis - brilliant leaders of the Institute of Avian Research (with some old German ornithological leaders in the background)

A richly rewarding two days reviewing @ifv-whv.bsky.social: thriving under the brilliant leadership of Sandra Bouwhuis & Miriam Liedvogel. An exciting programme of research into avian migration & life histories with many future stars. Outstanding @commonternproject.bsky.social museum by frozen sea!

Opinion | The Globalization of Canadian Rage

The Globalization of Canadian Rage www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/o... 🎁 link

Sex-role reversal and the Bateman gradient in coucals—females benefit from mating with multiple partners Abstract. Conventional sex roles imply that males compete more vigorously with each other for fertilizations, whereas females are more selective in choosin

Scientific Paper: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

Study by: @lguadal.bsky.social & @dudumizi.bsky.social & @chorlnev.bsky.social
Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

Who benefits from mating with multiple partners? Darwin suspected that in some cases, it may be the females rather than the males. A new long-term study on African coucals shows: when males provide all parental care, females can have more offspring by competing for and mating with multiple partners.

black coucal perching in vegetation

and this is how sex-role reversed black coucals actually look like...

doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

Sex-role reversal and the Bateman gradient in coucals—females benefit from mating with multiple partners Abstract. Conventional sex roles imply that males compete more vigorously with each other for fertilizations, whereas females are more selective in choosin

Our new paper on Bateman gradients in black coucals and white-browed coucals is out. Females of both species outperform males in mating and reproductive success - confirming the generality of Bateman's principle when sex roles differ.
Check it out: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

Cover Picture and Issue Information Front Cover A male northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans) calling in a pond in Virginia, USA. Males respond aggressively to a range of cricket frog calls, including those of the closely related sou...

New issue of ETHOLOGY - check it out! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Elefantenbabys knüpfen früh soziale Bindungen! 🐘💞
Revathe & Vidya zeigen, dass asiatische Elefantenkälber bereits früh differenzierte Beziehungen aufbauen: Sie interagieren eng mit Mutter und „Begleitkühen“, die allomaternale Fürsorge leisten, meiden jedoch meist andere Weibchen. #Sozialverhalten

Young Asian Elephant Calves Show Differentiated Social Relationships With Conspecifics We studied spatial and behavioural interactions between young calves (< 6 months old) and conspecific females to understand social ontogeny in a wild Asian elephant population. We found differentiate...

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Baby elephants build social bonds early! 🐘💞
Revathe & Vidya show that Asian elephant calves form differentiated relationships early on: they interact closely with mothers and “escorts” who provide allomaternal care, while largely avoiding other females. Read: doi.org/10.1111/eth....

Carney's full speech on middle powers navigating a rapidly changing world YouTube video by CBC News

Diese Rede des Kanadischen Premierminister Carney ist groß. Das ist keine Deeskalation. Es ist eine Kampfansage für Menschenrechte (u Ökologie) an Trump, u er erhält Standing Ovation in Davos (hoffentlich steigen die Europäer darauf ein)
www.youtube.com/live/Pg4rNz8...

@dingemanselab.bsky.social

Recently out in #animalbehaviour: Yuval Zukerman investigated Interindividual variation in tolerance behavior of #NubianIbex inhabiting human settlements and found that the way humans behave shapes the behavior of the ibex, leading to separate social cliques.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Erkennen Krabben Individuen wieder? 🦀👀
Robinson liefert Hinweise darauf, dass Geisterkrabben vertraute Artgenossen von unbekannten unterscheiden können. In einem 3-Kammer-Test verbrachten sie mehr Zeit bei bekannten Individuen–ein Zeichen für individuelle Wiedererkennung über visuelle Hinweise!