Species not to forget...
Zimmermannia liebwerdella
Eresus kollari
(read about on facebook or in discussions...)
Zimmermannia liebwerdella
Eresus kollari
(read about on facebook or in discussions...)
Hi everyone,
I stumbled over this observation https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28990168 of Cynosurus cristatus yesterday, which @bobwardell helped to identify. In checking the stats on the taxa page https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/76581-Cynosurus-cristatus I found that we have only 12 observations in Germany so far, though wikipedia says it is a quite common grass, though locally listed as endangered. But looking at the GBIF data points in the map, it seems it should not be so difficult to get some more observations of it at iNat, though it seems to be advantageous to explore in Bavaria.
Digging a bit further in Poaceae it seems that many grass species are way too overlooked in general.
Poaceae observations in Germany: ~ 3000 observations with 161 different species sounds maybe not to bad. But a big chunk of them are not surprisingly Phragmites australis (266) and some others, and many, I assume, unidentified deeper than Poaceae:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?locale=de&place_id=7207&preferred_place_id=7207&subview=grid&taxon_id=47434&view=species
So I would like to give a Call to Grass for some of them (completely arbitrarily chosen ;-), their visuals seem catchy enough to remember them), which hopefully raises other Poaceae observation counters as well.
Any additions to the list, especially from a more expert point of view, are welcome!
Happy exploring!
Monika
(This blog entry is just in order to loosely collect/link all surrounding information that was given in comments or other journal posts of this project in one source)
Beetles // Käfer (Coleoptera)
*** Two-spotted Lady Beetle (Zweipunkt-Marienkäfer): https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/52506-Adalia-bipunctata – June 2020: 65 observations (26 in the challenge). Challenge successfully finished*
• started with 25 observations in Germany
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/865359-Phloiophilus-edwardsii
• not too hard to identify due to its distinctive pattern
• however, it is only active in the winter season around oak trees and quite small, which could be the reason for the poor reporting
• started with 2 observations in Germany
Bugs // Wanzen (Heteroptera)
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/624530-Pionosomus-varius
• started with 2 observations in Germany
Capra's Water Cricket (Großer Bachläufer): https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/361066-Velia-caprai
• started with 8 observations in Germany
Butterflies // Schmetterlinge (Lepidoptera)
Buchenrinden-Zwergminiermotte: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1027395-Zimmermannia-liebwerdella
• very good target species for beginners. Not scientifically proofed, but I have the impression it can be found on every Fagus
• started with 0 observations in Germany
Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Locusts // Heuschrecken (Orthoptera)
Ants'-nest Cricket (Ameisengrille): https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48612-Myrmecophilus-acervorum
• started with 1 observation in Germany
Hymenopterans // Hautflügler (Hymenoptera)
Harebell Carpenter Bee (Kleine Glockenblumen-Scherenbiene): https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/357470-Chelostoma-campanularum
• starts with 5 observations in Germany
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/559275-Dichatomus-acerinus
• https://www.naturspaziergang.de/Chalcidoidea/Dichatomus_acerinus.htm "Dichatomus acerinus ist eine Erzwespe aus der Familie Eulophidae die als Inquiline Gallen der Ahorngallwespe Pediaspis aceris nutzt. ..."
• started with 2 observations in Germany (and Pediaspis aceris with 17 observations)
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/497733-Aproceros-leucopoda
• starting with 1 observation in Germany
• host plant Ulmus
• first sights in Germany in 2011
• very typical ziggzagg frass pattern
Flies // Fliegen (Diptera)
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1005067-Lasioptera-artemisiae (starting with 2 observations in germany)
• https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/56757-Lasioptera-rubi (starting with 12 observations in germany)
Similar fruit fly: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/329849-Drosophila-simulans
-> https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/inat-challenge-germany/journal/27878-new-target-species
• started with 0 observations in Germany
*** https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/882693-Cheilosia-fasciata – May 2020: 52 observations (45 listed in the challenge)! Challenge successfully finished*
• german name "Bärlauch-Erzschwebfliege" and only 5 records in germany, while there is so much Allium ursinum everywhere!
• similar species: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/334407-Platycheirus-albimanus, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/486669-Platycheirus-discimanus, https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/486775-Portevinia-maculata (red antennae), https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/486771-Cheilosia-semifasciata (not as distinctive spots, light hairs on the eyes; among other traits)
• images showing leave mines: https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/diptera/brachycera/syrphidae/cheilosia/cheilosia-fasciata/
• started with 5 observations in Germany
very nice yellow striped black fly with peculiar body shape: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/710237-Sphiximorpha-subsessilis
• up to now only one observation for Germany
• seems to like Platanus, Fagaceae and Aesculus (https://www.insekten-sachsen.de/Pages/TaxonomyBrowser.aspx?tab=2&id=66036)
• in: Scholz, Stab, Dziok, Henle (Hrsg.), Lebensräume der Elbe und ihrer Auen: it reads: "Sphiximorpha subsessilis ist eine sehr seltene Art der großen Schleimflüsse an Pappel, Erle, Weide und Rosskastanie und scheint einen Verbreitungsschwerpunkt entlang der Flussauen zu besitzen "
• and more infos here: http://www.lepidoptera.de/Pages/TaxonomyBrowser.aspx?id=66036 (similar species Ceriana conopsoides, adults flying from April til June, ...)
• started with 1 observation in Germany
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/715391-Agromyza-nigrescens
• This species mines on Geranium sp. (I've seen them most on G. molle), here's a link with more information: https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/diptera/brachycera/agromyzidae/agromyzinae/agromyza/agromyza-nigrescens/
• started with 7 observations in Germany
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/339405-Phytomyza-ranunculi
• This species can often be found on Ranunculus, Anemone, and Ficaria verna, and can be distinguished from the similar Phytomyza ranunculivora through; "frass grains fine, separated by less than their diameter, often also fusing into pearl strings". Here's a link with more information: https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/diptera/brachycera/agromyzidae/phytomyzinae/phytomyza/phytomyza-ranunculi/
• started with 23 observations in Germany
Scorpionflies, Hangingflies, and Allies // Schnabelfliegen (Mecoptera)
Snow Flea: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/430143-Boreus-hyemalis
Informations about it (in german): https://www.insekten-sachsen.de/Pages/TaxonomyBrowser.aspx?id=223691
Can be found:
• on mosses: Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Hedwigia albicans, Polytrichum piliferum and Grimmia sp.
• from October til March
• Genus Boreus counts as well ;-)
• started with 0 observations in Germany
Plant-parasitic Hemipterans // Pflanzenläuse (Sternorrhyncha)
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1038184-Cacopsylla-crataegi
• can be found on murals and crataegus and other places
• started with 0 observations in Germany
Ladybird Spider (Rote Röhrenspinne): https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/202770-Eresus-kollari
• started with 7 observations in Germany
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/156527-Pottia (which now belongs to Tortula, see https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes/68776, but anyway)
• lives very short time and is very tiny
• only 3 iNat records so far
• how does it look like? Check out this obs by alexis_orion: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37188499
• it is now part of Tortula (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes/68776)
got included in challenge in this blog entry: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/inat-challenge-germany/journal/30717-a-call-to-grass
Orange Foxtail (Ocker-Fuchsschwanzgras), https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/75381-Alopecurus-aequalis
• starts with 5 observations
• a small only 15cm high grass in wet marginal freshwater habitats such as edges of ponds, ditches, wet meadows, reservoirs and gravel pits
• its unique orange anthers are out now (now being beginning of June)
Notes