Taxonomy & Citizen Science Through The Eyes Of A Beekeeper

I’m not a scientist. In fact, growing up, I was far more interested in dancing, singing, drawing, and making all sorts of cool stuff with my Janome sewing machine. Nature was something I loved, but I didn’t really think too deeply about it. However, as I’ve gotten older my curiosity about the world around me has taken a whole new path. Now, one thing that fascinates me is biodiversity and how we can look after the amazing living things all around us.

It all started when I became a beekeeper. I had to think more about what the bees needed to survive and, suddenly, I became more aware of the plants and animals around the beehive. At first, I didn’t think about how everything fit together. I’d spot a flowering gum tree, a sunflower or a European wasp, but I wasn’t thinking; Corymbia Ficifolia, Helianthus Annuus, or Vespula Vulgaris.

That all changed when I started using iNaturalist to track the biodiversity on our farm. Suddenly, I was stepping into a whole new world of learning! The scientific names gave me a fresh lens through which to view the natural world. And because iNaturalist is a global platform, I realised that Latin names are a universal language across all regions and scientific communities. That's one of the greatest strengths of Citizen Science - it unites and harnesses the power of a global community of nature enthusiasts.

Making an observation on iNaturalist is very easy!

But Wait - What About Common Names?

I’ll admit, I still use common names! I’m not about to give up calling a dog “dog” or a sunflower “sunflower.” But as I observe more and more biodiversity, particularly lesser-known species, I’ve come to realise something interesting: Most classified organisms don’t have common names!

While many familiar animals and plants have widely recognised common names, the majority of species - especially microorganisms, insects, fungi, and deep-sea creatures are only identified by their scientific names.

Why Do Some Organisms Lack Common Names?

• Limited Human Interaction: Many species are so obscure or live in areas we don’t often visit - deep-sea creatures for example! so they don’t have widely recognized names.

• High Biodiversity: With over 2 million classified species, it’s just not practical to assign common names to all of them.

• Scientific Precision: Some species look so alike that a general name would be misleading - thousands of beetles, for example, look almost identical.

• Regional Naming Variations: Different areas and languages often have different names for the same species, so scientific names offer global consistency.

Bandidus canifrons - an insect with relatively few observations in iNaturalist. This one came into our shed at the farm when we were working late one night

What Is Taxonomy?

Taxonomy is the science of classifying and naming organisms. It’s like a giant filing system for the natural world! Taxonomy helps scientists organise living things based on their characteristics and evolutionary relationships. It follows a hierarchical structure, from broad categories (like kingdoms eg Plants, Animals, Fungi etc) down to specific ones (like species). This classification helps us understand where different species fit into the broader picture of life on Earth.

Whenever I try to identify a species on iNaturalist, I always check the Taxonomy tab to see how far I’ve come in figuring out where the species fits in the big classification puzzle. The goal, of course, is to get all the way to the species level!

So, What Does Taxonomy Look Like for Bees? 🐝

Bees are a great example of how taxonomy works. Here's a quick guide to the taxonomic hierarchy for bees, from the highest level all the way down to the specific species level:

• Kingdom: Animalia (all animals)

• Phylum: Arthropoda (invertebrates with segmented bodies, exoskeletons, and jointed legs)

• Class: Insecta (six-legged arthropods)

• Order: Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps, and sawflies)

• Superfamily: Apoidea (bees and some wasp relatives)

• Family: Apidae (the largest bee family, including honey bees, bumblebees, stingless bees, and carpenter bees)

Genus: (some examples)

• Apis – Honey bees

• Bombus – Bumblebees

• Tetragonula – Stingless bees

• Xylocopa – Carpenter bees

Species: (some examples)

• Apis mellifera – European honey bee

• Bombus terrestris – Buff-tailed bumblebee

• Tetragonula carbonaria – Australian native stingless bee

• Xylocopa violacea – Violet carpenter bee

  
  

This is just a quick peek with some examples. There are over 20,000 species of bees worldwide, and in Australia, we have over 2,000 species! That’s a lot of buzzing biodiversity to keep track of. 🐝

Australia is home to around 14 species of blue-banded bees in the genus Amegilla. These native bees are known for their vibrant blue stripes and their role in buzz pollination, which helps pollinate crops like tomatoes and blueberries.

Pronunciation Challenge!

Okay, I admit it - I still find myself Googling how to pronounce Latin names and I rarely get them right. However, YouTube is a great help!

Thankfully, we have so many resources to help us learn about the biodiversity that is all around us. I can be standing on top of hill, 5km up a 4WD track and be able to whip out my smartphone to make an observation in iNaturalist. It's very empowering! The more I learn, the more motivated I am to do my part in protecting the planet and building habitats on our farm to support biodiversity.

Get Involved in Citizen Science!

The beauty of citizen science is that you don’t need to be a scientist to contribute! Whether it’s using an app like iNaturalist, identifying species, or participating in a bioblitz event, everyone can play a part in recording the biodiversity around us.

If you’re curious about how you can start recording biodiversity and become a citizen scientist, Friends with Honey offers workshops on just that! From using apps like iNaturalist to running your very own bioblitz event, we’ll guide you through it all - and have a great time in the process!

Ready to become a citizen scientist? Get in touch with us today, and let’s get started!