Welcome to the Lucidcentral Key Search

This tool enables the user to identify 72 of the most common adult grasshoppers of the western United States, many of which pose environmental and economic threats. This Edition 3 of Grasshoppers of the Western United States features links to high resolution images of all life stages (instars through adults) of nearly all the species to aid in identification. A total of 14 species added to the tool since Edition 1 are illustrated with new high quality digital photographs. Changes since Edition 2 include improved image quality for many of the original images derived from original 35mm slides.

Grasshoppers of the Western United States, Edition 3 in Lucid version 3 is available through the “Site for key download” link at the bottom of this page.

Common Grasshoppers of the Western United States (Edition 1) is still available online in Lucid version 2 only and is accessible at

http://www.lucidcentral.org/keys/grasshopper/nonkey/html/index.htm

Cost: Free

Published By: USDA-APHIS-PPQ

Publisher Email: amanda.j.redford@aphis.usda.gov

Release history: Edition 1: 04/04; Edition 2: 02/08; Edition 3: 07/08

In this identification and information resource, 9 individual tools cover groups of commonly intercepted mite taxa, each with an interactive identification key. Mites (Arachnida subclass Acari) include a host of parasites that can devastate crops by their feeding or by transmitting plant pathogens, and a great diversity of parasitic mites that can infest domestic and wild animals. Because mites are tiny (mostly less than 1 mm in length) and highly diverse, they present a major challenge to quarantine. The 9 mite tools in this resource are designed to support training in mite anatomy and identification, preliminary identification, and advanced taxonomic support. Also included is an illustrated glossary of mite terminology with more than 700 defined terms.

Published by: USDA-APHIS-PPQ- CPHST

Cost: Free

This tool can be used to identify disseminules (mostly seeds and fruits) of all the plants on the Federal Noxious Weed List. Richly illustrated with images and drawings, and including descriptive and background information, this tool helps users recognize and verify these invasive and potentially invasive agricultural and environmental worldwide weeds.

This new second edition of Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the U.S. includes the 11 new taxa that have been added to the Federal Noxious Weed List since Edition 1 was released in 2005. The tool has been given a new look and improved in several ways:

• new and simplified key features make the keys easier to use
• a "Key to Keys" assists users in choosing the correct key
• high qualilty images illustrate the new FNW taxa
• new pages provide instructional information about disseminule types and about Fabaceae and Poaceae family recognition

For further information, contact:

Published by: USDA-APHIS-PPQ-CPHST

Release date: April, 2010

Cost: Free

A Resource for Wood Boring Beetles of the World will be a portal for links to a variety of identification tools for wood boring beetles worldwide. Wood Boring Beetle Families is the top-level component of this resource—it helps users identify to which family a wood boring beetle (adult or larva!) belongs. (A number of family level tools are currently under development.)

Wood boring beetles can cause widespread damage and are of great economic concern, particularly because of globalization and the resulting increase in transport of commodities worldwide. Wood used to support and package commodities provides a pathway for global transport of non-indigenous beetle taxa.

Multimedia associated with the Lucid key greatly faciliate identification of both adult and larvae wood boring beetle families. Each of the nine families is illustrated with finely detailed photographs and drawings of representative species, and fact sheets include family descriptions and pest information. The Lucid key characters are clearly illustrated with explanatory drawings and photographs.

Cost: Free

Published by: USDA-APHIS-PPQ-CPHST

Publisher Email: amanda.j.redford@aphis.usda.gov

Release Date: December 11, 2008