About

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I am an entomologist with a background in studying quarantine pests and invasive invertebrates. I studied zoology at Imperial College (University of London) and then did a PhD on the population dynamics of a cereal aphid (Metopolophium dirhodum) in the UK. I spent 5 years with the British Antarctic Survey studing cold hardiness of Antarctic invertebates, including 18 months working in the Antarctic.. I was involved in plant health and quarantine studies at the Food and Environment Research Agency where I was a Principal Entomologist until 2012. My main interests now are natural history, photography, writing books and bird watching. I am a fellow of the Linnean Society and the Royal Entomological Society.

18 comments

  1. Hello Dr Ray Cannon,

    Happy New Year. Tried to contact shortly after The Wildscreen Photo Festival at the Royal Geographical Society but unfortunately lost your email address. I did however remember your website and have been following some of your articles and reports ever since. You certainly get around and yet it never occurred to me to that I could reach you on your “About” page because it’s usual to have a separate “Contact” tab for interested parties as well. Anyway, just wanted to say that your feature and photos on the Frigatebird and Rococo toad this month were excellent. The Toad in particular since I’ve never heard of it. Judging from it’s origin, distribution and size it put me in mind of the Cain toad. Do you know if the two species are closely related? The Rococo does look similar and is certainly just as poisonous.

    Good to see the renewed interest in your picture taking since Wildscreeen. Do you have any plans in action yet to moneytarise your photographic endeavours? I hope to launch my website this year. I’d do it now but I seriously lack content and am forever short on time, but watch this space, there’s even a Twitter account to go with it and it’s all coming soon, I hope. Anyway all the very best of 2015 to you.

    Regards,

    Roger Cox

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  2. Hi Ray, Now that I’m back in the land of internet I’m looking forward to having a good long read of your blog. Some really impressive stuff!

    All the best
    Anthony

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    • Thanks Anthony. I have enjoyed your blog too. Although it has been 30 years since I was in the Antarctic (Signy Island 1982-84) I still have not got around to digitising my old slides!! Welcome back to Yorkshire (I live in York). Ray

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  3. Dear Dr Cannon,

    I’m the Archives Manager at the British Antarctic Survey, and have a query I’m hoping you might be able to help with regarding a potential acquisition. When you have a moment, would you mind contacting me on irho@bas.ac.uk?

    Many thanks,

    Ieuan Hopkins

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  4. Ray, it was nice to meet you briefly in Scarborough yesterday when I was photographing the RNLI recovery unit with my yellow skinned D810. The brand is EasyCover, I seem to think you mentioned a D7100 which I will link to but if not just search EasyCover and I’m sure you will find the one you are looking for. It was interesting to read your ‘about’ as my middle son is a biologist and works for HMG and my eldest is a Theoretical Physicist at Heriot Watt just completing his DEng this year while working for Bluefin Robotics on AUV’s.
    Cheers
    Trevor

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  7. Just had a look at your NG images 🙂 Once I’m back home and have decent internet I will have a proper look. Until 2 years ago I only took ‘things’ without people, so the portrait photography is a way of reconnecting with people as my children were starting to think my next wife would be a steam train !

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  9. Hello, this is wonderful! I’ve created some music dedicated to Trigona and to cerumen on the Japanese mouth-organ (shô), and have written about it’s relationship to mainland Asian mouth-organs which use cerumen of stingless bees, as gathered by people over millenia. This topic really interests me, and I’d value being in touch. I’m at sarahpeebles@gmail.com – could you please contact me when you get a chance? The music is posted on soundcloud with a link to the foreward, here: https://soundcloud.com/sarah-peebles-636433109. I also have a series of artworks of solitary bees (Audio Bee Booth & Cabinets) which have generated macro video and photos (they are outdoor installations for real-time observation), with the blog here: https://resonatingbodies.wordpress.com/.

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    • Hi Sarah Peebles,

      I visited the links that you provided with great curiosity and was duly rewarded with the numerous “artworks of solitary bees (Audio Bee Booth & Cabinets)” containing macro videos and photos depicting outdoor installations for real-time observation. What a bonanza!

      You are welcome to read the special post mentioned below entitled “Do Plants and Insects Coevolve?”, which contains many photos of bees as well as hawk moths.

      Hi Dr Ray Cannon,

      Like you, Dr Craig Eisemann is also a retired entomologist. The special post published on my website at https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2016/08/17/do-plants-and-insects-coevolve/ is a close collaboration between Dr Craig Eisemann and I. The first half of the post comprises the very long Foreword written by me for the post.

      The next article that I shall publish on my website is going to be a very special article written by Dr Craig Eisemann. My contributions to the said forthcoming post will be the introduction, advanced styling, interactive formatting and about a dozen thematic illustrations. We look forward to interacting with you on any or all of the abovementioned posts.

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  10. Hi Ray, I found your post on butterfly takeoff. For some time I have been trying to find out what the peak acceleration is of a butterfly; I figure it must be huge for a moment, really huge, and I wondered if you had ever worked it out or knew anyone who had? I have emailed Prof Sunada but had no reply yet.
    Thanks
    Angus Jenkinson

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  12. Dear Ray
    Your pictures of bumblebees and snapdragon are really amazing. I was wondering wether I could use them in a press note of my research institute as I have won a grant for studying the relationship of snapdragon and pollinators. I would, of course, reference you as the owner of the photograph. Would that be ok? (can send you the press release as well). thanks!
    Tom

    Reply

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