Easy Capture (AEC): history, workflows, and impact

Christiane Weirauch, Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside

Randall T. Schuh & Katja Seltmann, Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History 1 The beginnings: The Plant Bug Planetary Biodiversity Inventory (PBI) database

2 Data output and dissemination

3 PBI database in the true bug community and from bugs to

4 Mono-trophic to tri-trophic database: from PBI database to Arthropod Easy Capture Development started in 2003/2004 as part of the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Plant Bug PBI project

Dilatops fici Weirauch, 2006

 Global revisionary taxonomic studies of two subfamilies of Miridae or plant bugs  PIs R. T. Schuh and G. Cassis  2003-2011  ~60 papers  >550 new species described  70 new genera  > 250,000 specimens treated Taxonomic work on Miridae: some challenges  Several 100 to 1,000 specimens per project  Genitalic dissections  Images: males and females

 Lots of information to keep track of 1 The Plant Bug Planetary Biodiversity Inventory (PBI) database: basics

Taxonomic work on Miridae: some challenges  Specific to certain plant hosts  Distribution maps important for forming species concepts  Additional layers of information that need to be integrated 1 The Plant Bug Planetary Biodiversity Inventory (PBI) database: basics

Goal: track specimens throughout the revisionary process  Generate material examined sections from the database  Allow data download for geographic mapping (distribution maps)  Produce lists of plant host species (appendix)  Generate tables for a) imaged specimens b) measurements c) dissections (for appendices)  Direct dissemination of research outputs to the public: generate “Species Pages” with maps, images, etc.

Initial goals did NOT include:  Descriptive database, e.g., semi-automated species descriptions  Mapping directly from database  Species Pages for public outreach

BUT:  All three tools were subsequently developed and implemented with instances of the original PBI database How does the database achieve these goals?  MySQL database with PHP-driven web pages  Darwin Core standards (TDWG, 2010)  Schuh et al. (2010): Specimen Databases: A Case Study in Entomology using Web-based Software. American Entomologist 56: 206-216.  3 “modes”: Museum, Edit, Report

1 Museum Mode: data entry 1 Museum Mode: data entry 2 Edit Mode: data edits, updates, and error fixes 3 Report Mode: tables, material examined, etc.

Unique Specimen Identifiers

 Matrix code labels  Unique combination of prefix and number  Uniquely identify each specimen  Read by barcode scanner and human eye  Project code and depository information  USI information: “Material Examined” of publications  Taxonomic work  Vouchers for ecological, behavioral, and molecular studies Georeferencing  Attachment of latitude/longitude data to localities  Increases value of specimen records  Specimen can be mapped and becomes available for GIS analysis & ecological modeling  Various tools: Fuzzy Gazeteer, GEOLocate, Google Earth “Heteroptera Species Pages”

 Assembled directly from database  Publicly available

 Mapped from database Simple Mapper  Simple maps, but effective for taxonomic publications

Discover Life Discover Life  Species Pages (maps, images, etc.)  Mapping tools: Global Mapper Discover Life  Linked to Online Systematic Catalog  Host association The Reduviid PEET (= Partnership for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy)

 Taxonomic and phylogenetics of  PI C. Weirauch  2009-2014  Emphasis on student training  examples for use of database Taxonomic revision of Apiomerus Hahn: our approach  Assembled specimens from >30 collections  Databased 16,717 specimen records  Semi-automated species descriptions (Winclada, Delta)  2 species groups revised (Berniker et al. 2011), remaining in progress Apiomerus Hahn: what to do with distributional data?  Evaluate geographic distribution of polychromatism  Color gradient in A. flaviventris

 Test hypotheses on historical biogeography  Isthmus of Tehuantepec divides Nearctic and Neotropics for Apiomerus

Berniker & Weirauch (2012) Synopsis of Reduviidae of California (work in progress)  Species list and distribution maps for all species of Reduviidae in California  Representative images databasing project  Assemble specimen records of bees at 10 US collections

 PIs J. Asher (AMNH) and D. Yanega (UCR); 2010-2013 J. Asher  PBI database, File Maker Pro, and others: data served to Discover Life Oonopidae PBI

W. Fannes

 Planetary Inventory of Oonopidae  Only 20% described  Lead-PI N. Platnick (AMNH)  30 investigators  2005-2012/3  PBI database: new instance  26,873 specimen records Oonopidae PBI o Initiated Species Pages & Simple Mapper o Developed descriptive database  Output to Species Pages Tri-Trophic Database (TTD): Advancing the Digitization of Biological Collections (ADBC) Thematic Collections Network (TCN)  Geographic focus: North America  , their host plants, and hymenopteran parasitoids  10 PIs, numerous collaborators

5 Mono-trophic to tri-trophic database

Tri-Trophic Collections Network: PIs and Project Manager

plants

Hemiptera

parasitic Hymenoptera Tri-Trophic Database (TTD): main goals 1. Database >1.1 million Hemiptera specimens; assemble > 390,000 existing records. 2. Image and database ~600,000 specimens in 20 host-plant families. 3. Capture ~200,000 records for hymenopteran parasitoids; assemble 12,000 existing records. 4. Capture images for ~7,000 species of Hemiptera; assemble images for ~2,000 additional species; and capture/assemble images for ~2,000 species of parasitoid Hymenoptera. 5. Integrate specimen data and digital images for all taxa in the tri- trophic association through Discover Life; provide records to GBIF; and collaborate with the ADBC-HUB.

 Collaboration between 34 museums  Making available more than 2.3 million specimen records Tri-Trophic Database (TTD): approaches

 Network of collaborative grants and subcontracts  Databases: mixed approach – some institutions use PBI database, some their own  Data are being integrated through Discover Life and the iDigBio Portal (among other sites) Tri-Trophic Database (TTD): where are we?

 457,500 new records added to Arthropod Easy Capture database; some additional data in the other databases  >520,000 plant specimens imaged  Databasing and imaging ongoing