Tuesday, September 17, 2013

E-Flora BC Mapping: New Distribution Data Now Added for Vascular Plants


On E-Flora BC, we map the data provided to us from several institutions and other sources, including specimen records, observation data, and photo records--provided that these sources include coordinates (georeferencing) with their data. This information in provided in database format, from which we extract the species name and location information, as well as other associated information.

Until recently, ten data sources (databases) were used to map vascular plant species distributions. These are

The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia (IFBC)
The BC Conservation Data Centre records (CDC)
Consortium of Pacific Northwester Herbaria (CPNW)
GBIF records
Royal BC Museum (V)
University of British Columbia Herbarium (UBC)
University of Alaska (ALA)
E-Flora Photo Records
Biogeographic Ecosystem Classification (90% observation data)
Invasive Alien Plant Program (observation data)

We have now added two new data sources: the specimen data from Marie-Victorin Herbarium (MT) and the Green Plant Herbarium (TRT), each of which have many BC records.

You can view a list of all data providers for any E-Flora maps by opening the legend associated with the full-sized interactive maps.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Citizen Science At Work: Host Plant for Elephant Hawk Moth in Canada Confirmed

 Elephant Hawk Moth larvae feeding on policeman's helmet (Impatiens glandulifera). Photo by 
Patrick McKay

Photo contributions to E-Fauna BC can sometimes be quite significant.  Recently photographer Patrick McKay submitted photos of the larvae of the Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila elpenor) feeding on policeman's helmet (Impatiens glandulifera) in Burns Bog.  According to Chris Schmidt, an entomologist and moth specialist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, these photos constitute the first confirmed record of a host plant for this species in Canada. 

According to Schmidt, the Elephant Hawk Moth "has become quite widespread in the lower mainland since its introduction in the mid 1990's. They are well-established and numerous in some areas."

Both the moth species and the host plant are introduced species in BC and Canada.
 
Identification of the moth larvae was made by Chris Schmidt. 
Identification of the plant in the photo was made by Andrée Bernard and Jamie Fenneman.

View the atlas page for the Elelphant Hawk Moth
View the atlas page for Impatiens glandulifera.

Patrick McKay is a Vancouver-based landscaper.