Welcome! This is the start of a new project by myself and the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (https://vtecostudies.org/) to investigate patterns in host plant use by caterpillars and sawflies across the Northeastern US. We are interested in collecting all observations of caterpillars (Lepidoptera and Symphyta larvae) found eating their host plants in New England, NY, NJ and PA. These data will help us answer questions such as, "Which caterpillar species are regionally specialized?", "What traits predict high caterpillar richness?", "What is the phenology of host plant use", and "Which non-native plants have native insects adapted to feed on?".
Currently, the only criteria for inclusion in this project are:
1) The organism is in the orders Lepidoptera(Moths and Butterflies) or the suborder Symphyta(Sawflies)
2) The observation is within the New England, NY, NJ or PA Boundary
3) The observation is labeled as 'Larvae.'
4) The observation is georeferenced.
When an observation is added, you will be prompted to fill in the field 'Insect Host Plant' . This field is not mandatory. You can add the observation without filling in the host plant for other members to fill in at a later date. You can also add observations with other fields to indicate the host plant, such as Host Plant ID or Host Plant. The important thing is that whichever observation field you use, it validates the text with the iNat taxonomy backbone by linking to the plant taxonomy page. (If you used a different field that is not validated by iNat taxonomy, please fill in the Insect Host Plant field)
Now is a GREAT time to start searching for spring caterpillars in the Northeast! Migratory birds are at their peak right now to take advantage of the spring flush of insects on newly grown deciduous leaves on many of our caterpillar-rich trees like Oaks, Poplars, Cherries, and more. You may find caterpillars tucked in between these new leaves or even on leaf buds. Late-instar caterpillars that are just waking up may be feeding before pupation on early herbaceous plants.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at any time! Your feedback is always welcome to help make this a fun, engaging and successful project!
Desiree
