Probably freshwater sponge! There are only 2 observations in my state, but they may just be under-observed. I wonder what species this is… haven’t gotten a spicule sample yet as I’ve been busy, but I fear these may be gone by the next time I get to this place again. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/165634299
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You all need to visit Cape Town. Lots of rares. It is not the plant extinction capital of the world for nothing.
Take Protea odorata
11 people have observed the last 13 plants remaining. The latest from Erica (8 years old).
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=592528&place_id=113055
@botaneek probably has the record in our area (southern Africa) for the most plant species only recorded on iNaturalist by one person. Is there an easy way to filter for these to try and find out?
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Three Birds Orchid, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the trail to Spruce Flats Falls in Tremont. (pre-iNat days) It was August, and we had already seen four other species of orchid. I am an avid reader of field guides, always hoping that if I familiarize myself with the pictures and names, I will recognize them when/if I see them. While my husband was marveling at the delicate pink flowers all around us, I was waving my arms saying, “I know it! I know it!” It happens to be the last picture in our favorite field guide to this area. People scoff when I say I read through field guides (Do you also read the dictionary? yes.), but it paid off that day.
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Do you have a picture? I loved finding those when I lived in the north east!
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But… I read through field guides…
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california condor for sure!! unfortunately i couldn’t get a picture… it flew away so fast, but enough for us to see its wings…!
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That is an interesting website! I just used it on myself. Nothing as rare as yours, but still somewhat rare. Where did you find that website from?
https://elias.pschernig.com/wildflower/leastobserved.html?user=alana_mullen
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Mine would be this ant https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/161350911 which if I ID’d it right is the only Leptothorax retractus on inat, and the only NY state record of this species I know of ever
My rarest RG obs is this group of Formica difficilis eating a caterpillar https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172442055
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That depends on why they are undescribed. Newly discovered is very different from newly segregated.
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According to this website https://elias.pschernig.com/wildflower/leastobserved.html?user=mail540 .
It’s either https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/168234733 which has 7 observations or https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124177451 which has 18. I’ve seen some pretty rare stuff in museum collections like Suuwassea, Hadrosaurus, Carolina parrot, and one of the few intact elephant birds eggs.
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As in skin and all, or just skeleton? What museum was this?
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Didn’t finish my sentence, it was an egg. It was in the ornithology collection at ANSP
Ostrich eggs on the left. Their like basketball sized
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Huh. Turns out that I’m the only iNatter to ever see this little weird wonder.
(https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166144952)
I saw this back in June. I had honestly forgotten about it. But I only have one IDer wading in so far. Neat.
Tiny flies. (When you’re having fun?)
Nobody else–or almost nobody–seems to be looking for them.
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Based on the amount of observations it has, I think it’s probably this freshwater clamshell I found: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/182726345
I picked it up thinking it was the more common Musculium lacustre.
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I don’t know if it’s rare, or just overlooked, but I’ve got an inaturalist first and so far only observation.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131550800
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I have a new rarest find since my last reply in April. It is an iNat first, found during the City Nature Challenge 2023:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/158157284
It’s a pygmy grasshopper, Paxilla obesa, that was most commonly collected from 1900 to the 1930s and I believe has been collected only twice since then, although most recorded specimens here have no date. I think I hold the only photos of the species in situ and hold the southernmost observation site. I did not collect it as this would be illegal in the Everglades National Park and I didn’t know what it was at the time. I hope to go back there and get better photos in the future.
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https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/94760057
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/103560646
this dude. There are only two observations of this guy, and they’re both mine. Not bad for looking at my nightlights.
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Light trapping is the best way to find new species to observe! I’ve been doing it in my back alley in a major metropolitan area and still regularly get new stuff
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I have this observation of a Corbicula shell. It is most likely the widespread and invasive Asian Clam, however, it could be the also invasive C. largillierti, which has not been recorded in the midwest U.S. at all (on iNaturalist.) We will never know, however, because I had accidentally crushed the shell. Oh well.
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