A website (https://www.idseed.org/) has recently been launched by the International Seed Morphology Association to “promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, resource development, and research among those who are interested in seed morphology and seed identification”.

The site provides information on various resources, including a Seed Identification Guide currently consisting of Seed identification fact sheets for 127 species, a searchable image gallery, botany glossary, Lucid seed identification keys, links to two online keys. https://www.idseed.org/seedidguide/home.html).

The website also provides resources for authors who are interested in developing and publishing seed identification factsheets or images, including protocols, template and standard feature descriptions. See more at https://www.idseed.org/authors.html. We welcome authors and collaborators to enrich the resources and the Seed Identification Guide for end users.

Both seed keys are Lucid keys: one key is to 36 common plant families, where a family identification is needed for an unknown seed or fruit. The following feature descriptors are used: Seed shape, Colour, Surface features, Hilum-Attachment scar, Size (Length/Diameter range).

The other key is to the propagules or fruits of 102 biosecurity-relevant species of the daisy or sunflower family Asteraceae. It was produced by CSIRO scientist Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn at the Australian National Herbarium (CANB) in collaboration with and through funding from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

https://www.idseed.org/seedidguide/keys/details/Use-the-Fabaceae-key-if.html

PestNet is an online service that provides pest and disease identification and management advice for the South Pacific and Asia. A PestNet team of moderators set up a Yahoo group platform in December 1999 to provide supervised email communication regarding pest, disease and other queries, often with photograph attachments. Other community members can respond to these requests, providing a possible identification or diagnosis. Currently, PestNet includes other regions and has over 1500 members.

The Lucid team was initially involved with PestNet to provide technical support to improve the PestNet database. This led to support for the development of the Lucid Mobile app, Pacific Pests & Pathogens [Android] [iOS]that provides numerous Fact sheets on pests and diseases for most of the crops grown in the South Pacific region. There are currently 350 Full Fact Sheets, 350 Mini Fact sheets (summarised for farmers and growers) and another 50 being prepared for the next update of the Android and Apple versions of the app.

The latest collaboration between PestNet and Identic has been to upgrade the PestNet platform, taking advantage of recent software and hardware developments to achieve a more efficient and effective PestNet communication system. Identic has been sub-contracted to do the technical component of this work as part of a project managed by the University of Queensland and funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The upgrade involves a data repository and two apps: one for desktop computers and the other for Android and Apple mobile devices.

The screen shot above shows several filtered Identification requests, as viewed online by a PestNet moderator, showing “Delete”, “Approve” and “Edit” buttons. The last submission has been expanded, showing text and three images, which were automatically thumb-nailed during the submission process. The larger size is viewed by clicking on the thumbnail.

These two screen shots (below) show two request submissions as they appear when viewed in the new PestNet app.

The online version of the new PestNet platform is operational, and can be accessed here. The Android and Apple apps will be released early next year.

As well as providing more effective and flexible support for the functions that PestNet has provided in the past, features of the new online core repository provide automated data processing functionality, including non-response alerts, the potential for incorporating pest alerts and pest reports, and providing links to distribution maps and translation services.

If you would like to join PestNet visit https://app.pestnet.org/

The Q-bank invasive plants database provides detailed species-level information on all plants species on the EU list of Union concern, associated with EU regulation 1143/2014. This includes fact sheets, look alike pages and DNA barcodes to facilitate identification during border inspection and verification of interceptions in support of the implementation of the EU regulation regarding invasive alien species.

The first interactive key built for Q-bank was to deal with contaminants (weeds) of pot plants imported into Europe. Some of these weeds show invasive behaviour and proper identification is essential to track accidental introductions rapidly. The identification of the weeds in pot plants proved to be difficult as floras (the commonly used identification tools) generally only cover a limited geographical area. Moreover, “traditional” floras seldom include non-native weedy plants. The weeds to be identified originate from many different countries and continents and even include cultivated plants. This means that identification of these weed species using floras is falling short and, for that reason, an inspection tool for identification of these plants had to be developed.

The first species to be included in a key were based on an inventory of weeds found in bonsai plants imported from China. At a later stage more species were added as they were intercepted in pot plants imported from other production regions of the world. Currently the key covers 136 species.

We have chosen Lucid software since the resulting keys are extraordinarily user friendly and intuitive to use. They rely on a visual (‘image-driven’) mode of work, thereby avoiding as much as possible technical (or botanical) terms. The multiple entry keys do not require the user to select characters in a fixed sequence; the user scores characters in the order that suits him or her best. The results of characters selected are immediately shown on-screen. Another reason to choose Lucid is that the user only needs an internet browser and no other software.

The species in the keys are all illustrated by photographs showing the distinguishing characters and a link to species information on Q-bank is provided in the keys. Here users can find more information on the species, a selection of herbarium voucher specimens as well as molecular data. The links between the different databases on invasive plants within Q-bank are shown in the diagram below.

The keys on invasive plant species currently available are:

1. Weeds in imported pot plants in Europe – https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/bonsai/
2. Invasive terrestrial plants in Europe – https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/invasive_terrestric_plants/
3. Invasive aquatic plants – https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/aquatic_plants/
4. Seedlings of invasive plants – https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/invasive_seedlings/
5. Seeds of invasive plants – https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/invasive_seeds/
6. Pennisetum cultivars – https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/pennisetum/

Introduction

The Systematic Entomology Laboratory (SEL), as part of the USDA’s in-house Agricultural Research Service, develops and transfers solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provides information access and dissemination. Located in Beltsville, Maryland and Washington, DC, SEL is involved in a range of entomological projects, including the development of a number of Lucid keys for insect and mite pests. A number of these projects have involved USDA’s Identification Technology Program (see previous Spotlight article) as well as other collaborators. Brief details of these keys are provided below.

Scale insect keys:

• Since scale insects are among the most commonly encountered insects at ports of entry, a key to Scale Families (http://idtools.org/id/scales/key.php?families) was built to help identify all known families of scale insects. Despite some disagreement about the status of a few of these families, this list is consistent with the hypotheses of most coccidologists.
• A key to Mealybug and Mealybug-like Families (http://idtools.org/id/scales/key.php?key=mealybugs) was built specifically to help identify species in three closely related scale insect families previously included in the Pseudococcidae, or mealybugs (Pseudococcidae, Putoidae, and Rhizoecidae).
• The Soft Scales key (http://idtools.org/id/scales/key.php?key=soft) was built to help identify pest species (Coccidae). Many soft scales are serious pests, particularly as invasive species. In the United States there are 42 introduced species of soft scales and 41 of them are pests.
• A fourth key deals with Other Scales (http://idtools.org/id/scales/key.php?key=other), pest scales in various families not treated elsewhere but which have been or thought likely to be intercepted at U.S. ports-of-entry.

A tool for identifying aphids:

• AphID (http://aphid.aphidnet.org/index.php) allows users to key the 66 most polyphagous and cosmopolitan aphid species intercepted at U.S. ports of entry. In addition to a Lucid key, AphID offers users detailed descriptions of morphological features critical to identifying aphids along with annotated photographs to help illustrate each feature. This site benefits workers in aphid taxonomy and systematics worldwide, biological control workers, extension agents, and federal and state regulatory agencies.

Mite identification:

• Flat Mites of the World (http://idtools.org/id/mites/flatmites/), the result of collaborative research with the University of Maryland and USDA-APHIS, provides detailed, interactive web based identification tools and a catalog for use internationally by identifiers, regulatory officials and other plant protection professionals. The citrus-tea-coffee flat mite complex of species is the most complicated and diverse group in the flat mite family as well as being the most commonly intercepted group of mites at U.S. ports-of-entry.
  Since three of the most economically important species in the family are consistently confused and misidentified, the tool helps to identify 36 genera of flat mites present throughout the world, including specific diagnostics for 13 species in the red palm mite group, 14 species in the common red flat mite complex, and mite species associated with orchid plants. Since its launch in March 2012 there have been over 123,800 visits to the website with inquiries from 180 countries.
• Key to Bee mites (http://idtools.org/id/mites/beemites/)
  The purpose of this interactive web based identification tool, developed in collaboration with the University of Michigan and USDA-APHIS, is to help identify 117 mite species that may be found on various types of temperate and tropical bees and in their nests. The Lucid key and a searchable image gallery of over 850 mite images helps users to distinguish harmless mites from those that might harm bee colonies. This identification tool is useful to bee keepers, scientists, extension agents, and quarantine officers worldwide: since its launch in November 2016, there have been 8115 visits to the site from 133 countries.

Fruit fly keys:

SEL has been involved in the development of a number of fruit fly identification tools, including:

• Keys to over 300 species of the genera Anastrepha and Toxotrypana, the most economically important fruit flies in the American tropics and subtropics, including descriptions, illustrations, and interactive keys – see DELTA (http://delta-intkey.com/anatox/intro.htm and Lucid (http://idtools.org:8080/key_server/player.jsp?keyId=51) keys:
  • Pest Fruit Flies of the World (http://delta-intkey.com/ffl/www/_wintro.htm) is an identification tool for economically important fruit flies of the world; adult key (190 spp) and larval key (80 spp).
  • The Fruit Flies (Tephritidae) of Ontario (http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/jmhn_15/jmhn_15.html)

Leaf beetle tools:

• Diabrotica ID (http://idtools.org/id/beetles/diabrotica/) is an identification tool for all 125 Diabrotica species known to occur in North and Central America. Diabrotica species feed on flowers, leaves and roots of a wide variety of herbaceous plants, including agricultural crops, vegetables, fruits and ornamentals, and are vectors of viral and other lethal plant diseases. A single species, D. virgifera, is estimated to cause one billion dollars damage annually. The tool provides species descriptions, detailed illustrations and keys to help identify pest and potentially invasive species from innocuous, native US species.

Lucid keys have been and are being developed by local authors in over 176 countries. One country that has developed a number of Lucid keys in the past few years is China; Lucid is used in over 50 organisations and government departments. One standout Lucid key developer is Dr Xiaobin Zhang at the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province), who is providing support for the development of a range of Lucid keys on various agricultural topics within China.

One recent project that Dr Zhang has participated in involves collaboration with colleagues at Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University to develop a key for the identification of bamboo pests in China. This key has recently been released and is the first Lucid Mobile identification app that has been developed in China.

The free app is currently only available for Android smartphones and tablets and can be downloaded from Google Store. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lucidcentral.mobile.bamboo_pests&hl=en

Another, Lucid key that is available online has been developed by the Zhejiang Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau to provide quarantine staff with support in identifying intercepted wood borers (Pissodes spp).

Other Lucid keys developed in China include –

• The Identification of pests of Camellia sinensis, the seeds of which are used to produce Tea Seed Oil
  [Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University]
• An identification tool for small fly species within the Genus Homoneura.
  [Inner Mongolia Agricultural University]
• A Lucid key for the identification of mosquitos of medical importance at points of entry
  [Zhejiang Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau]
• Identification of silkworm germplasm resources in China
  [Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences]

For further information about these Lucid keys or for details concerning the Chinese version of the Lucid Builder, please contact Dr Xiaobin Zhang:
Email: [email protected].
Mobile: 180-7280-8592

The Lucid team has been busy this year working on a project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to develop a reporting system and mobile app for the international PestNet community. This will enable the PestNet community help those in the South Pacific and others throughout the world obtain rapid advice and information on plant protection, including quarantine. It will eventually replace the Yahoo email group which has been operating for well over a decade.

Introduction

As part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) division, the role of the Identification Technology Program is to develop digital products to support efficient and accurate identification of plant pests. The process used by the ITP team to achieve this aim is shown below.

Developing an invasive bee key

A previous Lucid newsletter (November 2015) described some Lucid products developed by the ITP, this spotlight article focuses on the development of identification tools to invasive bees, and some of the activities involved in the early stages of the project.

With many studies suggesting that bee populations and species are declining, with a potentially devastating impact on American agriculture, President Obama in 2014 established a Federal strategy to better understand the factors that affect the health of honey bees and other pollinators.

Invasive bees are known to compete with and displace native pollinators but can also bring along harmful exotic pathogens and parasites. In this context, a project – Invasive Bee ID – has the objective of developing accessible, user-friendly resources, tailored to support off-shore, port-of-entry, state, and local personnel responsible for screening and identifying native, introduced, and potentially invasive bee species in the USA.

The Invasive Bee ID team includes several entomologists from Utah State University (USU), a USDA Agricultural Research Service entomologist, who also curates the National Pollinating Insects Collection at USU, and a USDA APHIS port identifier who specializes in bees. ITP has worked with the USU team to map out a three-year work plan that includes multiple keys to genera and species of agriculturally important native and invasive bees, fact sheets and images, and additional supporting web content.

To kick off the project, ITP provided the team with training in creating Lucid keys and using ITP’s tool building methods and support software. Through the entire project, ITP will help support the Invasive Bee ID and the release of ID tools in three stages; new keys and fact sheets will be added each year.

More information on the ITP can be found in an article in the online Newsletter – “Plant Protection Today” https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ppq-program-overview/plant-protection-today/articles/id-tools

Introduction

Landcare Research NZ, a Crown Research Institute, has created nine online plant keys hosted at http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/resources/identification/plants. These keys, mostly funded by the New Zealand Terrestrial & Freshwater Biodiversity Information System Programme (TFBIS), have been available since 2005 and will be updated to the Lucid JavaScript player edition in the near future.

The main Landcare Research authors, David Glenny, Murray Dawson, and Kerry Ford (at the Allan Herbarium), have collaborated with other colleagues, including Trevor James (weed scientist at AgResearch) and Jeremy Rolfe (Department of Conservation), to develop the following keys:

• A Lucid CD-ROM key to Australasian liverwort and hornwort genera, created by David Glenny and Bill Malcolm and including 181 New Zealand and Australian genera.
• Two keys developed by two Teacher Fellows, hosted at Landcare Research:
  • Native plants for schools and marae (61 taxa)
  • Biodiversity assessment at Styx Mill Conservation Reserve (74 species of plants, birds, insects, etc.)
• Two free Lucid Mobile apps available on Google Store and iTunes:
  • • Coprosma: a genus of native New Zealand woody plants. The app was created to help identify plants during ecological survey work, but is also useful to students, researchers, and others in the New Zealand botanical community.

   

   

   

  • NZ native orchids: 120–160 species of native orchids in New Zealand, including those that don’t yet have formal botanical names. Many native orchids are endangered and accurate identification should assist in their conservation. Members of the New Zealand Native Orchid Group (http://www.nativeorchids.co.nz) and the NatureWatch NZ project (http://naturewatch.org.nz/projects/new-zealand-native-orchids) contributed numerous images to this key.