A resource of Biophilia: Pittsburgh, #bioPGH is a weekly blog and social media series that aims to encourage both children and adults to reconnect with nature and enjoy what each of our distinctive seasons has to offer. 

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This past Sunday, June 11, Phipps hosted its second BioBlitz event in Schenley Park! Over the course of the day, researchers and naturalists from local universities, museums, and the Parks Conservancy identified over 237 species of insects, animals, fish, plants and fungi in areas surrounding Panther Hollow Lake and along Phipps Run and Panther Hollow Run. We are very excited to add this to our results from last year’s BioBlitz and to continue highlighting the importance of monitoring wild populations. You can find the list of total observed organisms below.

Beyond identifying what lives in the park, BioBlitz guests were able to play games and have fun with learning at the Biodiversity Festival on the front lawn of Phipps.  Local organizations such as Nine Mile Run Watershed Association and the Allegheny Land Trust (among many others!) and state agencies such the Fish and Boat Commission and the DEP all brought interactive activities to join us in celebrating the exciting wonders of our own local biodiversity.

If you came out that day, be sure to post any exciting pictures from the park to social media with the hashtag #bioPGH! Thank you to everyone who was involved—your presence and dedication to nature was truly appreciated. And to all of us who love the outdoors, let’s keep exploring!

Birds

Acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens)

American robin (Turdus migratorius)

Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula)

Blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)

downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)

European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Hairy woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)

House wren (Troglodytes aedon)

Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura)

Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus)

Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea)

Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

Tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

White-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

Yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia)

House finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)

 

Trees and Plants

Alder (Alnus sp.)

American basswood/linden (Tilia americana)

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

American bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia)

American elm (Ulmus americana)

American Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)

American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Arbor vitae (Thuja occidentalis)

Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina communis)

Bedstraw (Galium aparine)

Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)

Black walnut (Juglans nigra)

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

Black Snake Root (Sanicula canadensis)

Black willow (Salix nigra)

Blue lettuce (Lactuca biennis)

Box elder maple (Acer negundo)

Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Burdock (Arctium lappa)

Bush honeysuckle (Diervilla sp.)

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)

Cattails (Typha sp.)

Chestnut oak (Quercus prinus)

Chestnut, Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)

Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

Crown vetch (Securigera varia)

Curly dock (Rumex crispus)

Dames rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Dawn redwood (Metasequoia sp.)

Deptford pink (Dianthus armeria)

Dock (Rumex sp.)

Dogwood (Cornus sp.)

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)

European Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

Field pepper (Lepidium sp.)

Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)

Grape (Vitis vinifera)

Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus)

Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

Hawthorn (Crataegus sp. )

Hop hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)

Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida)

Joe pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

lowland elderberry (Sambucus sp.)

May Apple (Podophyllum peltatum)

Mint (Mentha sp.)

mockernut hickory (Carya tomentosa)

Moss (Bryophyta)

Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria)

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiac)

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.)

Mulberry (Morus sp.)

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Mustard (Brassicaceae)

Non-native maple (Acer sp.)

Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)

Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

Pignut hickory (Carya glabra)

Pin oak (Quercus palustris)

Plantain (Penstemon digitalis)

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)

Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota)

Ragweed (Ambrosia sp.)

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Red maple (Acer rubrum)

Red mullberry (Morus rubra)

Red oak (Quercus rubra)

Rough avens (Geum laciniatum)

Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra)

Small hop clover (Trifolium sp.)

Solomon's plume (Smilacina racemosa)

Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

Spiderwort (Tradescantia sp.)

Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

Swamp buttercup (Ranunculus septentrionalis)

Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)

Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanoids)

Blunt lobe cliff fern (Woodsia obtusa)

Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)

Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)

Watercress (Brassicaceae)

White ash (Fraxinus americana)

White clover (Trifolium repens)

White mullbury (Morus alba)

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Wild garlic (Allium sp.)

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Yellow wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia)

 

Fish

Blue gill (Lepomis macrochirus)

Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)

Yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)

Goldfish (Carassius auritus)

 

Arthropods

Honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Aphid (Aphidoidea sp.)

Aquatic sowbug (Isopoda)

Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)

Assassin bug nymph (Zelus sp.)

Bee (Apoidea spp.)

blackheaded birch leaffolder moth (Acleris logiana)

Blow fly (Caliphoridae sp.)

Bumble bees (Bombus spp.)

Bot fly (Oestridae sp.)

Cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae)

Case-building caddisfly (Trichoptera)

Cellar spider (Pholcus sp.)

Centipede (Chilopoda)

Crane fly (Tipulidae)

Crayfish (Procambarus (Scapulicambarus) clarkii)

Dimorphic jumping spider (Maevia inclemens)

Dragonfly (Odonata)

Eastern tailed blue (Cupido comyntas)

Ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata)

Flat-backed millipede (Pseudopolydemus sp.)

Flesh fly (Sarcophagidae sp.)

Goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus)

Greenhouse milipede (Oxidus gracilus)

Ground spider (Zelates duplex)

Hairstreak butterfly (Lycaenidae sp.)

Hover fly (Syrphidae sp.)

Jumping spider (Paraphidippus aurantius)

Jumping spider (Sitticus fasciger)

Lady bug (Coccinelidae sp.)

Leafroller moth (Tortricidae)

Long jaw spider (Tetragnathidae sp.)

Lynx spider (Oxyopidae)

Minnow mayfly (Baetidae)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Mosquito (Culicidae sp.)

Multiple sweat bee species (Halictidae sp.)

net-spinning caddisfly (Hydropsychidae)

Orb weaver spider (Agriope sp.)

Orchard spider (Leucauge venusta)

Picture wing fly (Uliliidae sp.)

Pseudoscorpion (Pseudoscorpionida)

Scud (Amphipoda)

Silver spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus)

Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Soldier fly (Stratiomyidae sp.)

Spittlebug (Cercopoidea sp.)

Thread-waisted fly (Physocephala tibialis)

Water strider (Gerridae)

Woodlice (Armadillum vulgare)

Zebra spider (Salticus scenicus)

 

Mollusks

*Vitrea contracta (non-native snail)

Arion hortensis (slug)

Carychium exile (snail)

Carychium minimum (snail)

Cochlicopa lubrica (snail)

Deroceras laeve (slug)

Glyphyalinia indentata (native snail)

Helicodiscus parallelus (snail)

Limax maximus (non-native slug)

Punctum minutissimum (small spot snail)

Zonitoides arboreus (native snail)

 

Mammals

Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

Racoon (Procyon lotor)

 

Fungi and Slimemolds

Amanita flavoconia

Armillaria mellea (mycelium)

Boletus subvelutipes

Ceratiomyces fruticulosa

Clitocybe gibba

Coprinopsis variegata

Daldinia concentrica

Diatrype stigma

Fuligo septica

Ganoderma applanatum

Hemitrichia calyculata

Hydnochaete oliveacea

Inocybe fastigieata

Inonotus dryadeus

Kretschmaria deusta

Lycogala epidendrum (slime mold)

Marasmius rotula

Mycena haeatopus

Parasola sp.

Peziza sp.

Phellinus robiniae

Pluteus sp.

Polyporus squamosus

Polyporus varius

Radulomyces copelandia

Russula flavisiccans

Schizophyllum commune

Scleroderma citrina

Scutellinia scutellata (eyelash cup)

Stemonitis splendens (slime mold)

Stereum ostrea (false turkey tail)

Trichaptum biforme

Xylaria polymorpha

Xylobolus frustulatus

Thank you to researchers and volunteers from Duquesne University, the University of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Parks Conservancy, Beechwood Farms of the Western Pennsylvania Audubon Society, Kate St. John, and June Bernard.

Continue the Conversation: Share your own nature discoveries with our community by posting to Twitter and Instagram with hashtag #bioPGH, and R.S.V.P. to attend our next Biophilia: Pittsburgh meeting.