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Getting a Grip on 5000 Taxa and 500,000 Specimens: Lessons from a

1. Getting a Grip on 5000 Taxa and 500,000 Specimens: Lessons from a Planetary Biodiversity Inventory Project presented by Randall T. Schuh Curator and Chair Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History, New York. 2. Heteroptera: True Bugs. 7 infraorders

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Getting a Grip on 5000 Taxa and 500,000 Specimens: Lessons from a

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  1. 1 Getting a Grip on 5000 Taxa and 500,000 Specimens: Lessons from a Planetary Biodiversity Inventory Project presented by Randall T. Schuh Curator and Chair Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History, New York

  2. 2 Heteroptera: True Bugs • 7 infraorders • 85 families • 40,000 described species

  3. 3

  4. 4 Miridae: Plant Bugs • Infraorder: • Cimicomorpha • 1,350 valid genera • 10,200 valid species • mostly phytophagous • high host specificity • many myrmecomorphic • some aposematic

  5. Systema Naturae, 1758 5 Linnaeus,C. World fauna 17 Miridae spp. No figures

  6. Biologia Centrali Americana, 1883, 1884 6 Distant, W. L. Central American fauna 200 Miridae spp. 5500 specimens of Heteroptera Hand-colored figures

  7. Fauna of British India, 1904, 1910 7 Distant, W. L. Tropical Asian fauna 86 Miridae spp. ~ 300 specimens B&W line drawings

  8. South African Animal Life, 1960 8 Carvalho, J. C. M. South African fauna 42 Miridae species < 500 specimens studied B&W figures

  9. Species Accumulation 9 Palearctic Nearctic Neotropical Ethiopian Oriental Australian

  10. Australian Miridae, 1994 10 1 • 180 described species • 1.8% of known world fauna • ~ 500 species in collections • 25,000 specimens in collections • 35 published host records

  11. Gerry Cassis 11 1 north of Kalbarri National Park, Western Australia October, 1996

  12. Australia: 1995--2002 Localities 12 1 >400 localities

  13. 13 1 Australian Miridae: 2002 • 210 described species: + 15% • > 1,500 spp. in collections: + 300% • > 100,000 specimens: + 400% • 1,400 recorded hosts: + 4000%

  14. Planetary Biodiversity Inventories 14 1 Funding: US National Science Foundation, 2003 Criteria: Worldwide and monophyletic taxa Duration: 5 years Projects: Eumycetozoa (slime molds): 1000 species Solanum (Solanaceae): 1500 species Miridae (Heteroptera): 5000 species Siluriformes (cat fishes): 2500 species http://research.amnh.org/pbi

  15. 15 1

  16. 16 1 Target Taxa: Orthotylinae and Phylinae • Status as of 2003 • 8 recognized tribes • 485 described genera • 3900 described species • ~ 90 new genera • ~ 1200 new species in collections

  17. Exemplar Orthotylinae and Phylinae 17 1

  18. 18 1 PBI Goals • ~ 1000 new species to be described • improved classification • 5,000 target spp. in Systematic Catalog • 27,000 pages in Digital Library • ~ 500,000 specimens in Specimen Database • 3500 vouchered host plants • ~ 20,000 habitus, morphology, host, and habitat images

  19. 19 1 Overview of PBI Approaches • Internet dissemination of information • Systematic Catalog • Specimen Databasing • Georeferencing • Unique Specimen Identification • Species Pages • Processing of Existing Collections • Digital Imaging • Field Work/Specimen Processing • Host Documentation

  20. Transmitting Systematic Information over the Internet 20 1

  21. 21 1

  22. 22 1

  23. 23 1

  24. 24 1 Systematic Catalog:On-line Relational Database Features • Up-to-date nomenclature and classification • Annotations on relevant literature • Host and geographic information from literature • Portal to other databases/features • Specimen Database • Species mapping • Host data from specimens • Digital Library • Image Database • Species pages • Web-based aids to identification

  25. 25 1

  26. 26 1

  27. 27 1

  28. 28 1

  29. 29 1

  30. Specimen Database 30 1 • Functions of PBI Specimen Database • Capture specimen data • Incorporate unique specimen identification • Serve data over the Internet • Possible Approaches • Off the shelf vs. newly developed application • Browser-based vs. program-based access • Open source vs. proprietary software • Stand-alone vs. network-based usage

  31. PBI Specimen Database Approach 31 1 • Tailored to invertebrate collections • Browser based • Open source software • Data entry over Internet to central server • Efficient data entry • Batch loading of unique specimen identifiers • Multiple modes • Museum Mode • Field Mode • Identification Mode • Edit Mode

  32. 32 1

  33. Georeferencing 33 1 • GEOLocate • Stand alone program • Easy to use • Individual & batch processing • Manual correction capability • Limitations • – parsing of locality names • – still under development • http://www.museum.tulane.edu/geolocate/default.aspx

  34. 34 1

  35. 35 1

  36. Unique Specimen Identification 36 1 • Justification • Facilitate specimen tracking • Necessary Attributes • Machine readability • - Bar codes • - Matrix codes • Human readability • Small size of code-bearing labels • Ease of integration into • existing collection practices

  37. 37 1

  38. 38 1

  39. Species Pages 39 1 • Original concept • Nomenclatural history • Descriptions/diagnoses • Figures • Distributional summary • Biological data • New capabilities via Internet • Dynamic updates • Dynamic mapping • Improved access • Links to additional resources

  40. Fauna Insectorum Germanicae, 1805 40 1 Panzer, G.W.F. 9 Miridae spp. Hand-colored figures

  41. 41 1

  42. Processing of Existing Collections 42 1 • Select specimens that: • Increase taxon numbers • Extend geographic coverage • Extend host coverage • Groups of taxonomists sort specimens to: • Minimize handling • Speed processing • Sort according to following hierarchy: • Taxon • Geography • Sex

  43. Difficulties and Solutions 43 1 • Difficulties encountered • Historical organization of collections • Pinned directly into boxes/drawers • No sorting to family-rank taxa and below • Lack of web-based inventories • Solutions proposed • Systematic organization of collections • Movement to drawer and unit system • Sort to family-rank taxa and below • Use of unique specimen identification • Creation of web-based inventories

  44. 44 1

  45. Principal PBI Collection Resources 45 1 Acquisition of Collections: Specific

  46. Digital Imaging of Specimens 46 1 Microptics-USA • Unique lighting • High depth of field • Real-time focusing • Rapid image acquistion • High resolution

  47. 47 1

  48. Field Work Fundamentals 48 1 • Application of taxon focused techniques • Maximize discovery of new taxa • Extend geographic coverage • Maximize biological information • Maximize specimen quality • Maximize specimen numbers

  49. Collecting Equipment 49 1

  50. Collecting Video 50 1 (A video of collecting was shown at this stage in the slideshow.)

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