A key to finding species is to locate the correct habitat. Sometimes that habitat is an actual organism, a host species. If you know how to identify the host, then it becomes easier to find the parasites on that organism. For example, I knew from previous experience how to find Common Clam Lichen (Hypocenomyce scalaris). Once I learned that it has a parasite, Clypeococcum hypocenomycis, when I found Common Clam Lichen again, I looked for the parasite and found it. Most satisfying.
Here are some links that may be of use:
-Gallformers https://gallformers.org/
-Leaf Miners of North America (ebook) Charles Eiseman
-Tracks and Signs of Insects Charles Eiseman & Noah Charney
-Guide to the Powdery Mildews (Erysiphaceae) of the Americas (PDF)
Some projects on iNatualist:
Plant Diseases Umbrella
Substrate, Habitat, or Niche Specific Fungi
Diseases and Parasites of Fishes
Galleries under the Bark
Am I missing any significant resources for host specific organisms? Note that I am mostly interested in resources that are useful for Ontario.
Here is the consortium of lichen herbaria
This link is for a Texas lichen key: https://lichenportal.org/portal/ident/key.php?clid=1010&pid=526&taxon=All+Species
unfortunately the most work for keys has been done at big bend, which doesn’t cover eastern, northern, or southern parts of the state. But it is so full that what you find here resides in a lot of places around the state. This key works really well for western and central.
You can access keys from other states as well! It just depends on if any work has been done there. If you can’t find any in your state, I suggest finding an adjacent one to see what they might have.
There is a significant need for plant pathologists on inaturalists. I consistently find fungal blight or something impacting plants in an area and yet no one is able to identify or bring attention to them.
Most of the gall, leafmine, and other plant disease projects use the same “Host Plant ID” observation field. This is handy since if you find a plant disease and you know the host plant species then you can apply the observation field and then click “Observations with this field and value” to see what other people have found on that plant species. You need to apply the usual identifying caution since some of those observations will be misidentified or of similar species that aren’t what you found, but it’s still useful for seeing the options and finding helpful ID discussions.
I always thought there should be a way to do this search, but I could never figure it out. I still can’t. When I am in the website, in my obs, I have filled in the host species under observation field ‘’Host’’. Is this what you mean by ‘’apply the observation field ?’’ If not, how do I apply it ? If I have correctly applied the observation field, I cannot see anything that says ‘’observations with this field’’ Where is it ? TIA for any assistance you or anyone else can give in this matter.
Chironomid host information is scattered all over the place unfortunately.
This is the best source for chiro herbivory in the Nearctic.
Insect Herbivores of Aquatic and Wetland Plants in the United States: a Checklist From Literature
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268053082_Insect_Herbivores_of_Aquatic_and_Wetland_Plants_in_the_United_States_a_Checklist_From_Literature
It also lists other insects, but chiros are my specialty.
Commensal and parasitic Chironomidae
https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/DENISIA_0033_0393-0407.pdf
This is a short overview from Germany, but gives a good idea of the various relationships here in US.
Yeah that’s exactly what I mean. If you click on the title after you’ve applied it, you’ll get this menu:
Thank you upupa-epops, I got it !!!
