New York City is recognized as one of the most explored areas globally. Established nearly four centuries ago, it has become the largest and most densely populated city in the United States, with a population density of approximately 28,000 people per square mile. Despite this, scientists believe there may be hundreds or thousands of undiscovered animal species, particularly small insects like flies and wasps, residing in the city's parks and streets.
Research indicates that a significant portion of insect species remains unknown worldwide. For instance, in the fly family Cecidomyiidae, there are potentially 1.8 million species, yet only about 7,000 have been documented. To address this knowledge gap, Vox is initiating a project this summer to discover new species in New York City, aiming to document biodiversity as part of conservation efforts.
The project involves insect sampling in Central Park and Prospect Park, in collaboration with several institutions, including the Central Park Conservancy and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The process includes collecting insects using Malaise traps, which capture small flying insects without attracting larger ones. The collected specimens will be sent to the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics in Canada for DNA sequencing to create genetic barcodes, which will help identify potential new species.
If unique genetic codes are found, the specimens will be analyzed by expert taxonomists to confirm their novelty. The final step involves publishing a description of any new species in an academic journal, thereby adding them to the scientific record. This project aims to highlight the importance of discovering and understanding the biodiversity that exists, especially as many insect populations face decline.
