Vox has embarked on a mission to identify and document new insect species within the urban landscape of New York City. The project, which began this summer, involves collecting flying insects in Central Park and Prospect Park.
In collaboration with several research and nonprofit organizations, including the Central Park Conservancy, Prospect Park Alliance, NTNU University Museum in Norway, and the Center for Biodiversity Genomics in Canada, the initiative aims to discover species that have never been previously described by science. This effort highlights the often-overlooked animal diversity present in urban environments.
The focus of the search is on insects that are both highly diverse and not well understood by scientists. These include parasitoid wasps, known for laying their eggs in or on other insects, and scuttle flies, belonging to the family Phoridae. These groups are classified as “dark taxa” due to the vast number of their species that remain scientifically undescribed.
The collection phase is scheduled to conclude at the end of August. Following the collection period, Vox will collaborate with scientists to analyze the samples and determine if any new species have been identified. Project updates will be shared as they become available.
The endeavor is motivated by the fact that a significant portion of Earth’s animal life, particularly insects, remains unknown. Advances in genetic sequencing tools are also playing a crucial role in this exploration.