Development of the European Ladybirds Smartphone Application: A Tool for Citizen Science

Abstract

Wildlife observations submitted by volunteers through citizen science initiatives are increasingly used within research and policy. Ladybirds are popular and charismatic insects, with most species being relatively easy to identify from photographs. Therefore, they are considered an appropriate taxonomic group for engaging people through citizen science initiatives to contribute long-term and large-scale datasets for use in many different contexts. Building on the strengths of a mass participation citizen science survey on ladybirds in the United Kingdom, we have developed a mobile application for ladybird recording and identification across Europe. The main aims of the application are to: (1) compile distribution data for ladybird species throughout Europe, and use this to assess changes in distribution over time; (2) connect and engage people in nature and increase awareness about the diversity and ecological importance of ladybirds. In developing the application we first constructed a database including ladybird species from the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Belgium, and Portugal with associated information on relevant morphological features (e.g., size, main color, pronotum pattern) to inform identification. Additionally, the species were assessed on the basis of probability of occurrence within each country which enables users to reduce the number of species to only those with relevance to the location of the recorder. This is amongst the first collaborative citizen science approaches aimed at involving participants across Europe in recording a group of insects. In the near future, we aim to expand the use of the application to all countries in Europe.

Establishment and spread of the invasive ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Greece: based on contributions from citizen scientists

“…Training the citizen scientists on ladybird identification and ecology, could improve the degree of confidence. Existing recording applications could be promoted to citizen scientists in Greece for example the European Ladybird app (Skuhrovec et al 2021).…”

“…It was considered a suitable biological control agent as it is easy to rear (Adriaens et al 2007;Roy et al 2016;Kulijer 2017), it can track prey in space and time (Koch 2003) and it has voracious feeding habits (Sloggett et al 2011). However, there is also evidence that H. axyridis has adverse impacts on biodiversity and it is considered an invasive alien species (hereafter IAS) (Roy et al 2012(Roy et al , 2016Skuhrovec et al 2021).…”

“…Furthermore, H. axyridis can affect human health, by causing urticaria and allergic reactions (such as rhino-conjunctivitis and asthma) or bite induced injuries (Goetz 2007;Roy et al 2016;Roques et al 2018). H. axyridis has attracted the interest of researchers and the public because of its dramatic spread and adverse impacts on nature and people (Roy et al 2016;Kulijer 2017;Honek et al 2018;Haelewaters et al 2020;Skuhrovec et al 2021).…”

“…Citizen or community science is a valuable tool for recording invasive alien species at wide geographical scales and for engaging non-professionals in scientific research (Dickinson et al 2012;Roy et al 2018;Johnson et al 2020;Pataki et al 2021). Community science in entomology can give valuable information regarding the distribution of insect species and their role in ecological networks (Gardiner & Roy 2022;Groom et al 2021;Skuhrovec et al 2021). In an effort to collect data from the general public and farmers Martinou & Kontodimas (2008) published a popular science article in Greek in a farmer's magazine, describing the life-forms and other attributes of H. axyridis asking the readers to send photos or specimens to the Benaki Phytopathological Institute.…”

Establishment and spread of the invasive ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Greece: based on contributions from citizen scientists

“…This species was considered a suitable biological control agent as it is easy to rear (Adriaens et al 2007;Roy et al 2016;Kulijer 2017), it can track prey in space and time (Koch 2003), and it has voracious feeding habits (Sloggett et al 2011). However, there is also evidence that H. axyridis has adverse impacts on biodiversity and it is considered an invasive nonnative species (hereafter invasive species) (Roy et al 2012(Roy et al , 2016Skuhrovec et al 2021).…”