for me, it’s probably Gopherus polyphemus
as of sheer number of identifications, its probably Zhuliangomyces subillinitus , sitting at 17 identifications on iNaturalist
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For myself specifically, it may be the Eastern Palm Warbler. I don’t know what it is, but I barely ever see warblers where I am!
In terms of observations alone, it’s probably my New World Fuzzy Ant. how lucky I was when I flipped over the right rock one day!
And for captive observations, it turns out very few people have ever observed this species right here, even in captivity.
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I have found several species of mollusks where my observation is currently the only one on iNaturalist. I don’t think that means they are super rare, just that people don’t go looking for small and very uncommon shells much, especially in the Caribbean. It seems that people look for the small uncommon stuff more often in places like Sanibel, Florida.
Fissurella barbouri (1) : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151642743
Vexillum sykesi (1) : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152056297
Vexillum albocinctum (1) : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151966712
Pseudopusula antillarum (1) : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151031737
Or one of only two observations on iNat:
Dermomurex pauperculus (2) : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152031107
Hipponix incurvus (2) : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152057007
It is worth checking every so often to update how rare your observations are. When I uploaded my first observation of Ninebark Powdery Mildew, mine was the only observation of the species on iNat. But now there are 46 observations of that taxon, 34 of which are from me.
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My rarest in terms of just the state of Mississippi is definitely Nabalus asper with only two known locations.
My rarest globally has to be Quercus olglethorpensis
Other notable rarities include the following oaks:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151175408
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151175409
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North Atlantic Right Whale
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Fitting, given your username.
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Not sure if it’s been shared on this thread or not but this tool created by Elias Pschernig is a quick way to find your rarest observations:
https://elias.pschernig.com/wildflower/leastobserved.html
^^^This was shared on another similar topic that I was looking at just a couple days ago: https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/rarest-finds-on-inaturalist/16195/94
My rarest animal I have ever seen (at least by iNat standards) are these Chionomus herkos planthoppers, of which I hold the only 3 (tentatively IDed) observations on iNat:
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Not really rare I guess, but recently a new species was added to iNaturalist database, based on my observation of a mildew-covered laurel plant: Pseudoidium lauracearum. I photographed it at random 5 years ago, while doing shopping - the plant was being thrown away by the shop owner.
Otherwise I don’t “own” anything WILDLY rare, but I am very happy to have seen some of the rarely-spotted fungi of Poland, like wild Ganoderma lucidum (GASP! I did not add it :O) Phylloporus rhodoxanthus.
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I dom’t think anyone came up with planthoppers, If you did, then please tell me (I’m pretty passionate about id’ing them) and I have an iNat planthopper first: pyrilla lycoides
Think it is that species because of the description in distant 1906;
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I’m not sure if it is all that rare but it’s the first one observed in MS.
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New lifer fly at lunch today and it’s a rare one. This fly has 3 records on bugguide, 2 specimens databased in GBIF, and 9 observations on iNat, so only 14 total records of https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/294534-Pantarbes-willistoni
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I found a Moraea petricola last year. This plant only lives in one mountain pass in South Africa and was only named in 2013. I had never heard of it when I photographed it.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/143663430
I’m also the first to observe a few insect species, but this is not because they are rare but because people don’t photograph them or can’t identify them.
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That is very cool
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Thanks!
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The rarest species that I have had the chance to observe is the Bombina variegata, which I found in a marshy area near my home in Walloon Brabant, Belgium.
This species is considered very rare in the region, which makes my observation even more special.
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see this species and I hope that more efforts will be made to protect their natural habitat and preserve this rare species for future generations.
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apparently I’ve got one of 20 some Euchaetes helena, Poblicia texana and Policocnemis ungulatus
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By far the rarest animal I have ever seen and managed to photograph, although the photographs are not as great as I’d like, was a UK Nationally Scarce B micro moth called a Dark Roller - Ancylis upupana, where there are less than 5 records in the UK I believe. I was moth trapping in my 2 acre wooded wildlife garden where we have had unusual and quite rarish micro moths before like Reed Fanner and Gold Pine Ermine, but this was on a whole other level. The moth itself was sitting on the outside of my moth trap and I nearly didn’t see it. My useless compact camera, as usual, was being a pain focusing on the moth rather than the background. I took two photos of what seemed like quite a plain micro moth in the Tortricidae family. Only when I uploaded the photo to my Gloucestershire Moths Group everyone got very excited and it’s regional and national rarity and ID was confirmed including by a prominent moth-er, Guy Meredith of Butterfly Conservation who creates Butterfly Conservation’s amazing moths maps for Gloucestershire and who has added my rare sighting to the records now though it needs to be confirmed here on iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/163292208
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Well, I might have the first live photographic record of a monotypic ant genus in Western North America, so that is probably the new rarest animal I’ve seen https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/69064-Dolopomyrmex-pilatus
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I submitted the only record for Tropidodynerus interruptus tricolor, an exceedingly rare wasp that is known from just 3 or 4 specimens. I was the first one to record the fly Peleteria meridionalis, although others have been posted since. There are a total of four records of the Arachnid Euscorpius calabriae and three of them are mine.
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This gall midge: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/162472049.
Only 3 total observations (2 research grade) on iNaturalist. I assume it is quite rare because it’s host plant, the American Chestnut, is functionally extinct.
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