First record of Paintedhand Mudbug (Lacunicambarus polychromatus) in Ontario and Canada and the significance of iNaturalist in making new discoveries

Abstract

Paintedhand Mudbug (Lacunicambarus polychromatus (Thoma, Jezerinac & Simon 2005)) (Decapoda: Cambaridae) was recently discovered at three locations in Windsor, Ontario. These represent the first reports of this burrowing crayfish in Canada. iNaturalist, a nature app and website designed to record photo-based observations of plants and animals, was instrumental in facilitating this discovery. We discuss the importance of collaborative platforms, such as iNaturalist, for linking naturalists and citizen scientists to taxonomic experts around the globe.