Project:

The Increasingly rare New York State Insect: Are There Any Left in the City?

Students:

Ellie McFadden, James Roane, Esme Quirk

School:

Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn

Mentors:

Nicholas Harbison

Abstract:

Coccinella novemnotata, the nine-spotted ladybug, was once a thriving member of New York State's ecosystem. However in recent years, C. Novemnotata’s population has plummeted due to a combination of factors, including competition from invasive species like Harmonia Axyridis, the asian lady beetle. We intend to collect and analyze DNA samples from ladybugs collected from Battery Park and compare them to control samples where the species is known. DNA analysis is essential for confirming the existence, or lack thereof, of native ladybug species, since different lady beetle varieties may look nearly identical. We believe our will confirm the absence of C. novemnotata and the near complete takeover of H. Axyridis in the New York ecosystem.

Poster:

Team samples: