Big discoveries!

Here are some of the big discoveries made during this year's BioBlitz:

• Alex Gallandt and I collected a horsetail that--remarkably--is new to the basin list and to the herbarium collection.
• Amazingly, Ken-Ichi found a carnivorous plant that is new to the basin list (Utricularia minor), and I collected it for the herbarium.
• I found an Arnica (cordifolia) that is new to the list, though there was a note from 1975 that it was expected. Now I need to collect it next year when it's in flower!
• We finally learned what insect causes this weird gall on serviceberry, and this one on snowberry.
• Will Richardson got our first termite observation.
• Ken-ichi got these 3 | unusual | ladybugs.
• Two amazing ant-mimics showed up: a beetle, and a true bug! And a super-cool wasp mimic, too.
• I got some great #EcologyInAction stories from the obs, including the ant mimics, the Utricularia, and phoretic mites (more mites here).
• We got a ton of really excellent insect obs, including some | gorgeous | moths, and this magnificent parasitic Cuckoo Wasp (photo above). Overall, we really got some stunning insect photos from Tony Iwane, Ken-ichi Ueda, Eddie Dunbar, and others--I encourage you to look through them!

Posted on July 31, 2018 02:28 AM by faerthen