Scientific Species Identification Made Easy: ID-Logics App Also Identifies Ladybugs

In recent years, the number of native ladybugs has declined, which is due to the mass emergence of the Asian ladybug. This larger and stronger species is displacing the native ladybugs, which are also threatened by natural enemies and predatory parasites.
In May 2024, a cross-university team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Denis Messig, Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg, in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Jorge Groß, Leibniz University Hannover, presented an extension to the "ID-Logics" app, which can now be used to identify and record ladybugs as well as other insect species. The update enables users to easily identify all 52 European ladybug species and provides extensive biological background information.

Encouraging a closer look: What's flying and crawling there?

Jorge Groß, Professor of Science Education, emphasizes that the project is intended to help get laypeople interested in nature and promote nature conservation: "The app's approach is to take people by the hand and get them interested in biology by having a closer look at the nature. The special feature of the app lies in its error tolerance: you can sometimes give the wrong answer to a certain extent. But the app's internal logic still leads you to the right species." Denis Messig, Professor of Science Education  at the Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg, brought his many years of experience in beetle identification to the project. Until now, this group of species was considered particularly challenging, as expert knowledge is required for the identification process. 
This means that not only experts but also interested laypeople can identify ladybugs easyly. Therefore, the new app uses simple recognizable characteristics for identification and includes detailed descriptions, videos, and pictures to help you immerse yourself in the world of ladybugs. Try it, it's very easy!

Ladybugs are therefore just one group among many that can be identified using the app. In addition to identifying ladybugs, the app also offers tools for identifying ants, trees, shrubs, wildflowers, bumblebees, owls, amphibians and reptiles. The app was developed 15 years ago by Prof. Dr. Jorge Groß. The basic principles were developed by an interdisciplinary collaboration team between biology educators, colleagues from the specialist sciences and software developers from the company Initree. Further updates for the simple identification of fungi and dragonflies are in the works.
"ID-Logics" is available free of charge for Android and iOS devices and can also be used offline. This provides nature lovers with a valuable resource and enables them to contribute to the conservation and research of ladybugs and other species groups.

• Press release Leibniz University [in German]: "Marienkäfer mit App „ID-Logics“ bestimmen"
• heise online has tested ID-Logics [in German]: Identifying insects with an app: Ten nature apps compared