Hi, my name is Dino Martins and I have a passion for bugs and telling people about them. I’m a Kenyan entomologist, an artist, naturalist and writer. I’m currently conducting research in evolution and ecology at Harvard as a PhD student. I’ve been studying a wide range of insect species in East Africa including baboons, butterflies, ants, acacia trees, and wildflowers. I write regularly for SWARA – a Wildlife magazine of the East African Wildlife Society, and for Nature Kenya, and I illustrate my articles with watercolors of insects and other creatures.
I grew up in Kenya and I’ve traveled widely in East Africa and led expeditions for the Kenya Museum Society and the East Africa Natural History Society. This Diary will take you on some of my adventures through ‘Dudu Diaries’ – safari’s of a different kind where the big five have six (or more) legs – and you are going to just love bugs and you will want to help protect them.
By the way, the word ‘Dudu’ is not what you think, it’s Kiswahili for insect!
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Hi Dino! I can’t wait to read more. I’ve subscribed to your blog. I’d love to see your watercolors.
dino,
I hope life is treating you well. Glad your on wildlifedirect these days and best to Cambridge (i grew up in concord). I have a series of insect questions but i will begin with just one: In a post several months back i wrote about a rhino beetle we found with what appeared to be whip scorpion parasites. have you run into whip scorpions as parasites on these beetles before. Cheers, Jamie christian – tumaren ranch kenya
dino, another question. have you ever looked at that atlas of east african tiger beetles before? I can’t remember what it is called or who the author but it is a 2 book edition and it costs around 500$ – it must be in the Peabody Library i would imagine. cheers, jamie christian
Hey Dino
Welcome on Wildlifedirect!
I love bugs as well and the entire little world that usually nobody gives interest in.
I have a passion for ants and social insects in general and I’m very lucky to live in a place, Congo, where they are amazing in their colors, shape and behaviours.
I would have loved to study insects but life brought me to work presently in administration and finance, which is not far from entomology… always have to look for the sixth leg !
Look forward to read your posts and to see you in DRC!
amir.