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ANDY JACKSON/Stuff
The bug man Ruud Kleinpaste with a live weta crawling on his face.
What is this bug? It’s a question we usually get asked at least once a week, and a question Bugman Ruud Kleinpaste is asked on a daily basis. But he says there is a better way to identify insects, bugs, beetles and all sorts of creepy crawlies, and it’s available right to your hand.
Ruud says gardeners and nature enthusiasts can get an answer to their questions straight away instead of waiting for replies from hard-working entomologists and gardening columnists.
“We now have great apps on smartphones and computers – the very best one is iNaturalist,” he says.
“This app literally identifies everything that lives or lived, from mosses and lichens to lizards, fungi, slime moulds and bird calls (yes, sounds) to weeds, flowers, leaves, plants, insects, spiders, tracks and skulls and bones and poos.
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“If we all use it a lot more we truly become Nature Nerds and won’t call a sucking bug ‘beetles’ because you can tell simply by looking at them!
“In my six days-a-week job of training teachers, to teach outside, via Field-Based STEM, I use iNaturalist to open eyes and conduct bio-blitzes on school grounds. Kids love it! Teachers love it!
“Now, an example. Your St Heliers correspondent Annette asked the “beetle” question, which turns out to be a sap-sucking bug, named Acantholybas Brunneus, an introduced insect, common around Auckland.
Annette Copsey
Sap-sucking bug, named Acantholybas Brunneus, an introduced insect, common around Auckland.
“iNaturalist can identify that species quickly from that photo. A Google search then tells you where it’s from and what it does
“Often, common insects have their own page on Google and Wikipedia, and they provide all sorts of info.
“Honestly, I believe that all NZ gardeners should learn to use iNaturalist and report the occurrence of invertebrates and whatever group of life forms you like in Aotearoa.
PETER MEECHAM/STUFF
Graeme Niles has spent 30 years developing his Christchurch garden. He suspected he was a high water user, so he decided to do something about it.
“In the field I use it on my phone, but I love the computer version better as it allows me more flexibility to edit observations.
“Look, I am an old bugger and am not great at IT and computers, so I am not a perfect user on iNaturalist, but I can’t live without it, simply because the more I use it the more I realise I need to know”
Here is a tutorial guide on how to use iNaturalist.
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