Friday, 10 August 2012

Online identification using iSpot


The Bristol team recently became aware of a website called iSpot (http://www.ispot.org.uk/), an Internet resource that makes identifying that troublesome butterfly that tiny bit easier. Unlike Pooter, iSpot is an online community of enthusiastic naturalists who collaborate to identify of unknown insects one chooses to upload, with identifications reviewed by other members to ensure it is correct. The Bristol team tested iSpot out with the photograph above. We saw this wonderful insect in an allotment in north Bristol, huddling from the wind. It was large (about an inch long), a very hoverfly-like head with large eyes, but the two pairs of wings us back to bee. Do you know what it is?


Undecided, we submitted it to iSpot. Not 12 hours later – success! A positive identification came back as a honey bee drone. iSpot is wonderful online community that all of us at Bristol have joined. And we suggest you do too.

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