Category: #Biodiversity150
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150/150: Home is where the heart is for the Barred Owl
Animalia: Chordata: Aves: Strigiformes: Strigidae: Strix: Strix varia Barton, 1799 The Barred Owl is a member of the family Strigidae, the true owls, which it shares with almost all other extant owl species. It is also called the Hoot Owl due to its characteristic mating call. Like most owls, Barred Owls are silent when hunting…
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149/150: Not your typical song scales
Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Hemiptera: Sternorrhynncha: Coccoidea: Diaspididae: Quadraspidiotus: Quadraspidiotus perniciosus (Comstock, 1881) Scale bugs are some pesky critters. Belonging to the order Hemiptera, they have a defining beak like characteristic used to suck out the contents of its prey. The females are typically immobile and have a waxy scale like surface whereas the males have…
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148/150: Learn more about this Canadian rarity
Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae: Xanthorhoini: Xanthorhoe clarkeata (Douglas Ferguson, 1987) The Xanthorhoe clarkeata are a newly discovered species of geometrid moth as of 1987. They live primarily on the Haida Gwaii Islands of British Columbia. This species is likely endemic to only these islands, making it a rare and unique species to Canada.…
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147/150: Nutty Facts about the Peanut Worm!
Animalia: Sipuncula: Phascolosomatidea: Phascolosomatida: Phascolosomatidae: Phascolosoma agassizii (Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville, 1827) Peanut worms, also known as Sipunculids are marine worms in that typically dwell in shallow waters. Sipuncula means “little tube” or “siphon” in Latin and refers to the introvert of peanut worms, a long sensitive tube ringed with tentacles which they can…
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146/150: Engelmann’s Quillwort is under threat! Only 2000 left in Canada
Plantae: Lycopodiophyta: Isoetopsida: Isoetales: Isoetaceae: Isoetes: Isoetes engelmannii (A.Braun.) The Engelmann’s Quillwort (Isoetes engelmannii), also known as Appalachian Quillwort, is an aquatic plant found along shallow ponds, temporary shallow pools, roadside ditches and marshes. It is small fern that is 20-40 cm in height but can grow up to 90 cm. It has long, thin,…
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145/150: Coneheads. (No, I’m not talking about the nineties movie)
Animalia: Arthropoda: Protura: Eosentomata: Eosentomidae Berlese, 1909 Look closely, you don’t want to miss them! These proturans are less than 2 mm in length and lack wings, antennae, eyes and pigment; producing an almost see through body. Although they lack some arguably important body parts, they make up for it in other unique ways. They are quadrupeds because…
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144/150: Rotifers – a phylum on their own
Animalia: Rotifera: Monogononta: Ploima: Synchaetidae Hudson & Gosse, 1886 Rotifers are microscopic aquatic animals that can be found in a quite diverse range of habitats. Common habitats include both lentic (still water) and lotic (flowing water) waters, and both fresh and salt waters. They are very small (only 0.1-0.5 mm long) soft-bodied invertebrates with hard…
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143/150: Monarchs aren’t the only ones that need milkweed
Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Hemiptera: Lygaeidae: Oncopeltus: Oncopeltus fasciatus: (Dallas, 1852) Large milkweed bugs are a member of the family Lygaeidae, otherwise known as seed bugs. They get their name from their association with the milkweed plant. They lay their eggs in milkweed pod crevasses and the seeds provide a food and defense source for them.…
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142/150: A small creature with a long history
Animalia: Arthropoda: Ostracoda: Podocopida: Cyprididae: Cypridopsinae: Cypridopsis vidua (O. F. Müller, 1776) The Ostracods are an ancient crustacean that has been around for over 50 million years! Of the nearly 70,000 species described, only 13,000 are alive today, all others being discovered as fossils. Many ostracods have found use in the field of biostratigraphy –…
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141/150: Oh, Oh, Oh, Sweet Serviceberry of Mine!
Plantae: Magnoliophyta: Magnoliopsida: Rosales: Rosaceae: Amelanchier: Amelanchier alnifolia (Thomas Nuttall) The Amelanchier alnifolia or commonly known as the Saskatoon serviceberry is found widely across the Americas. Its name is derived from the Cree word “misaskwatomina” meaning “fruit of the tree with many branches”. This hardy plant requires little attention with plenty of sunlight and mulch,…