xris's Journal

I think I just got all my observations up from the weekend. It was a relatively small set for me, ~400 photos, because we were so busy with classes and workshops! (One day last month, I had over 1,200 photos!)

After processing, this resulted in only 66 Observations of 49 Species. However, 18 20 21 of those were new to me! So I'm happy with that.

I ws disappointed to find that most of the photos I took on "Moth Night" Saturday night (Thanks, @lamagswag!) were trashed, either way underexposed or overexposed. I was able to salvage some photos as recognizable observations. I'm not used to night photography, and I'm sure the UVs didn't make it easier on my cameras light sensor.

How about the rest of you? Any favorite observations? Cool finds?

Yours in Nature,
@xris

2024-09-28: Moved from my Profile to its own Journal Post.

Meta (Guides to Guides)

Note that the Vermont Atlas of Life has an extensive list of identification guides, both online and printed, for all taxa.

Insects

https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/taxonomic-index/,
Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification. Extensive list of keys, indexed to Family level. Some are limited to Canada.

Diptera, flies

https://sites.google.com/view/flyguide

Eristalis, drone flies

https://sites.google.com/view/flyguide/species-guides/syrphidae/eristalini/key-to-eristalis

Syrphus

https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/61745-key-to-the-syrphus-of-north-america

Hemiptera

Aphididae

• https://www.aphidsonworldsplants.info/ - By host plant!
• http://aphid.aphidnet.org/

Hoppers (Auchenorrhyncha)

• Hoppers of North Carolina

Phymata

• Taxonomic revision of the Nearctic erosa species group of Phymata Latreille, 1802 (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Phymatinae). Paul Masonick, Christiane Weirauch. 2020.
  Visual key with annotated photographs calling out distinguishing features.

Hymenoptera

Anthophila, bees

• https://www.sharpeatmanguides.com/wild-bee-id-guide-new-york - Guide to Wild Bees of New York State, Paula Sharp and Ross Eatman.
• https://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/vtbees/all-genera/ - For wild bees in Vermont. Applicable to New England, New York state, and adjacent Canada.
• A Shutterbee Guide to the Bees of St. Louis - Photographic key to distinguishing groups of bees
• Andrena

Vespidae, vespid wasps

https://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/bmc_05/keys.html - Key-based, not visual

Ichneumoids of North America

http://ichsofna.org/

Plants

New England

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/ - For plants found in the wild in New England, northeastern U.S., and adjacent areas, such as New York state.

Viola, violets

https://people.ohio.edu/ballardh/vgpena/
https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/dkey/viola-key-for-chasmogamous-flowering-material/