Aphaereta vondelparkensis. Ptomaphagus thebeatles.

No, these aren’t magic spells or ancient incantations, they’re the scientific names of two new insect species discovered in the last five years – and not deep in the rainforest. The first species gives a hint as to where they were found. Yes, these species were discovered in Amsterdam’s bustling Vondelpark. The first species is a tiny parasitic wasp, and the second is a beetle named after a very famous rock band.

These species would not be discovered without Taxon Expeditions, a Leiden-based organization. Although their expeditions are often to distant destinations like Greece, Montenegro, and Borneo, they also plan expeditions in the Netherlands.

The first local expedition was to Vondelpark in 2019. At the time, it was considered crazy to survey the biodiversity of a Dutch city park. “You would think that the Netherlands is one of the most studied countries when it comes to biodiversity,” Maaike de Voogd explains, but they discovered two new species. Now the Taxon Expeditions organization continues with urban projects – including Leiden’s Singelpark. Although they don’t always uncover new species, they do find an unexpected variety.

This is where de Voogd has worked part-time for the past two years. She graduated last year with her Master’s degree in biology from Leiden University. Menno Schilthuizen, co-founder of Taxon Expeditions, was a professor of hers. With the rest of her working hours, de Voogd works on a project at Naturalis, improving models for predicting where wild bees can live.

The Singelpark Project

The Singelpark is a large 6,5 kilometre loop that surrounds Leiden’s centre. “It was made by connecting smaller parks.” Some dog parks, some cemeteries, and the Hortus Botanicus and Wereldmuseum are included too. Because of this mix, “there is a variety of management.” The grass at a dog park may be regularly mowed, while a cemetery’s vegetation is left to grow. Because of this variety of habitats, “we expected to find different species in different places.”

The Singelpark biodiversity project began in 2023, and there have been eight expeditions since. They’ve mostly taken place in spring and summer, as that’s the best time to find as many species as possible. “There are some species that are only adults in winter… but people are less inclined to go out,” de Voogd laughs. “So we try to pick the months with better weather.”

Involving Citizens in Science

These biodiversity surveys are an example of citizen science: when the general public helps with scientific research. Participants from all walks of life were thoroughly trained in the art of finding and identifying small creatures. Tools of the trade included nets, sieves, and small vacuum catchers. Of course, multiple experts guided the expeditions – specialists in spiders, snails, lichens, and more.

Citizens are not perfect identifiers, so their work is always double-checked by the researchers. “We check everything because it’s usually the first time they do something like that.” If something unusual is found, the DNA is also sent to a company for sequencing.

But the project isn’t just good for the scientists. “It’s usually really fun for everyone from children to grandmas … They want to keep going all day.”

It’s the Circle of Life

De Voogd also believes that citizen science is also good for the world. “The project is mostly about informing citizens and getting a clearer picture of the true biodiversity in parks,” she says. “It helps citizens appreciate or feel connected to their local park.” Before participating, many people had no idea of how much biodiversity surrounds them.

Most people understand that we need to protect nature, but what does that actually mean? “If you say nature, usually people think of a nature reserve in the Netherlands somewhere, or even another country.” Think again though – nature is here in our backyard.

This biodiversity matters because all species (including humans) are connected in some way. “You can’t just love this one bird in your garden without keeping in mind that everything relies on the network.” If you care about birds, de Voogd suggests, ask yourself: what do they eat?

“As biologists, we all know that this stuff is important, but I think the change will really come from the ‘normal’ people.”

1.443 Species

There is certainly a lot to discover. “Some of the most common insect species have not yet been recorded for a place like Leiden.” When asked about the most exciting find, de Voogd says, “It’s not the really big and colourful ones,” she says. Those are easily identifiable, so experts already know about them. “The small, brown, hard-to-distinguish species are the most interesting.” Among the rare species was Acrotona oxypodoides, a beetle typically found in North Africa.

Since 2023, a total of 1.443 species have been seen in the Singelpark. The complete list can be found on Waarneming.nl. Not all of these observations are from the Taxon Expeditions, but many are. “We found more than we expected, but if you take a good look at any park, you might find more than you expected.”

One Last Blitz

Unfortunately, there are no more Singelpark expeditions open for public participation. There will be one more experts-only trip during April’s Expeditie Stadsnatuur (Urban Nature Expedition), and after that, a lot of analysis: Which species were found in which park, and why? The results will be wrapped up in a nice report.

There will, however, be a public event in the second half of the year to “share the results and the final report to everyone who participated” and of course, “show some nice pictures of the crazy species they found.”

Taxon Expeditions hopes to do future projects in the same vein. The Leiden Municipality has plans to create a larger ring of connected parks further from the centre. De Voogd hopes that the results of the Singelpark project are used to determine the best way to make this park.

And if you feel the urge to go out and look for species yourself, it’s never too late. “The website will always be there,” says de Voogd. Anyone can visit the Waarneming.nl website or use the ObsMapp app to upload findings. Check your garden, you may even discover a new species.