Basic Instructions:

Our main analysis will be on Amanita phalloides, but we are accepting data on any Amanita species! Contributors will find Amanita mushrooms anywhere they can be found, and slice the mushrooms in half vertically. Then, assess insect damage in the three man mushroom compartments: cap, gills and stem. Make sure to look at the inside and outside of the mushroom, especially along the gills that hold the spores!

Choose a number category to describe any Damage Results, which can look like pits or tunnels:
0: no damage
1: minor damage
2: moderate damage
3: severe damage
4: totally destroyed!

Afterward, take a few photographs of the mushroom: one of the outside of the mushroom, and one showing the inside. Ideally, include some sort of scale bar in the photos. More close up photos of the damage are great, but not necessary.

In iNaturalist, make a new Observation with the photos of the mushroom, the coordinates, the date, and the species if you know it. Don’t forget to describe your Damage Results in the Damage section. Add the observation to the project Amanita Animal Damage, and you’re done!

With enough observations from around the world, we will search for patterns of insect damage, to test whether Enemy Release has occurred!

Background:

Cat Adams is a graduate student at UC Berkeley studying the invasive poisonous death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides. This deadly species was once only found in Europe, but has since been spread around the world. Buy how and why has it been so successful at spreading?

Cat is testing the ‘Enemy Release Hypothesis’ by testing whether some of the death cap’s success as an invasive species is due to animal pests and predators. ‘Enemy Release’ occurs when a species enjoys less damage from pests and predators in its introduced ranges relative to its native range, allowing it to thrive relative to native species. To test if this is the case with Amanita phalloides, we are asking for help from you Citizen Scientists to collect data from around the world!

For more detailed instructions on identifying Amanita phalloides, data collection, safety, and extra credit instructions, check out my blog: http://scienceismetal.com/2017/10/06/citizen-science-amanita-animal-damage/ less ↑