Journal archives for April 2020

April 1, 2020

NYBG EcoFlora Update April 2020

The April EcoQuest Challenge is LOOK FOR LEAF MINERS FROM HOME

Leaf Miners are insects that spend a portion of their life cycle inside a plant leaf. In their larval stages, these insects feed on the nutritious tissue between the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Their movements in search of fresh tissue are often visible through the leaf surface as distinct trails.

  1. Visit the LOOK FOR LEAF MINERS FROM HOME project page on iNaturalist. You will see thumbnail images of all 17,000 White Snakeroot observations, arranged in rows and columns.
  2. Click on one of the thumbnails to call up that observation.
  3. Look for evidence of Leaf Miner activity (distinct trails lighter in color than leaf surfaces) in each of the images for that observation. There may be many leaves that must be examined carefully.
  4. Look for the Observation Field (lower right of screen) to see if already marked. If not, start typing or select “Leaf Miner” in the box. Enter “Yes” if you see distinct Leaf Miner trails, or “No” if you can clearly see the leaves but do not see any Leaf Miner trails. If you are not sure whether you see any Leaf Miner trails, or the images are too blurry, or there are no leaves visible, select “Unclear.” Be sure to click “Add” to save your annotation.
  5. Review these observations, observations for examples of positive or “Yes” evidence of Leaf Miners.
  6. Review these observations, observations for “No” evidence of Leaf Miner.
  7. Review this observation for “Unclear.”
  8. If the observation has already been marked with a Leaf Miner annotation, skip it and go to another.

WHAT IS THE GOAL?
Help NYBG document occurrences of Leaf Miner insects on White Snakeroot plants in New York City by April 30. Your efforts will help conserve native plants and animals in New York City.

Posted on April 1, 2020 06:57 PM by danielatha danielatha | 0 comments | Leave a comment