As a field guide editor, I’m interested in a lot of things but not an expert in any of them. But my jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none life is useful, in the aggregate, for me, as I end up taking more than a few photos of bugs, mushrooms, and anything else I find interesting. I then try, and often fail, to identify them.

I post my photos, and very tentative IDs, to iNaturalist, where I share my photos online, and where anyone can use them as long as they cite them according to a Creative Commons license. (It’s super easy; if you can’t figure it out, just shoot me an email and I’ll give you the OK to use them.)

My iNaturalist page is accessible: here.

Happily, a handful of them have proven useful for researchers in the field. (As I’m not a scientist, this is maybe the most rewarding info I can get!) I’ll update this space as I hear back.

And my many, many thanks to the tireless scientists, researchers, experts, and community scientists who dedicate their time to efforts such as iNaturalist. I won’t name-drop here, but thank you.

Coleoptera (Beetles)

Winter Firefly (specimen collected/sent to researcher): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/57456588

Araneae (Spiders)

Pholcus opilionoides, tentative first Anoka County record

Pholcus manueli, first Anoka County record

Triangulate Combfoot, first Anoka County record

Cyclosa conica, first Anoka County record

Eris militaris, first Sherburne County record

Mangora placida, first Anoka County record