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10010 Processing Mites and Springtails Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute www.abmi.ca Processing Mites (Oribatids) and Springtails (Collembola) Version 2009-05-08 May 2009 ALBERTA BIODIVERSITY MONITORING INSTITUTE Acknowledgements Jeff Battegelli reviewed the literature and suggested protocols for sampling mites and springtails. These protocols were refined based on field testing and input from Heather Proctor. The present document was developed by Curtis Stambaugh and Christina Sobol, with the training material compiled by Brian Carabine. Jim Schieck provided input on earlier drafts of the present document. Updates to this document were incorporated by Dave Walter and Robert Hinchliffe. Disclaimer These standards and protocols were developed and released by the ABMI. The material in this publication does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of any individual or organization other than the ABMI. Moreover, the methods described in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the individual scientists participating in methodological development or review. Errors, omissions, or inconsistencies in this publication are the sole responsibility of ABMI. The ABMI assumes no liability in connection with the information products or services made available by the Institute. While every effort is made to ensure the information contained in these products and services is correct, the ABMI disclaims any liability in negligence or otherwise for any loss or damage which may occur as a result of reliance on any of this material. All information products and services are subject to change by the ABMI without notice. Suggested Citation: Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, 2009. Processing Mites and Springtails (10010), Version 2009-05-08. Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, Alberta, Canada. Report available at: abmi.ca [Date Cited]. Use of this Material: This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational, data collection or non-profit purposes without special permission from the ABMI, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. No use of this publication may be made for resale without prior permission in writing from the ABMI. Contact Information If you have questions or concerns about this publication, you can contact: ABMI Information Centre CW-405 Biological Sciences Centre University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E9 Phone: (780) 492-5766 E-mail: [email protected] Table of Contents Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 2 Data Management ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Transferring Data from the Sample Tracking Log to the Sorting Database ........................................... 3 Data Entry During Sorting ...................................................................................................................... 3 Checking and Storing Data During Sorting ............................................................................................ 3 Data Entry During Advanced Identification ........................................................................................... 3 Transferring Data from the Taxonomic Expert to the ABMI Information Centre ................................. 3 Specimen Management ............................................................................................................................. 4 Specimen Transfer from the Field to the Sample Processing Centre ..................................................... 4 Specimen Transfer from the Sample Processing Centre to the Taxonomic Expert ................................ 4 Specimen Transfer from the Taxonomic Expert to the Sample Processing Centre ................................ 4 Long-term Specimen Curation at the RAM ............................................................................................ 4 Sample Processing ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Supervision and Quality Control ............................................................................................................ 5 Specimen Extraction ............................................................................................................................... 5 Sorting to Morphospecies Groups .......................................................................................................... 7 Timeline for Laboratory Training, Sorting and Identification ................................................................ 9 Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 9 Day 1: Goals and Expectations ...................................................................................................... 9 Day 2: Goals and Expectations ...................................................................................................... 9 Days 3-5: Goals and Expectations ............................................................................................... 10 Week 2: Training ............................................................................................................................... 10 Days 1: Goals and Expectations ................................................................................................... 10 Days 2-5: Goals and Expectations ............................................................................................... 11 Subsequent Weeks: Sorting to Morphospecies Groups .................................................................... 11 Goals and Expectations ................................................................................................................ 11 Advanced Identification of Specimens .................................................................................................. 11 Selecting the Expert .............................................................................................................................. 11 Identifying the Mite and Springtail Specimens .................................................................................... 12 Verification Process .............................................................................................................................. 12 Specimen Storage ................................................................................................................................. 13 Species References/Authorities ............................................................................................................ 13 Appendix 1: Sample Tracking Log ....................................................................................................... 20 Appendix 2: Oribatid and Collembola Sorting Database ................................................................... 21 Appendix 3: Soil Arthropod Sorting Data Sheet ................................................................................. 22 Appendix 4: Sample Shipping Checklist............................................................................................... 23 Appendix 5: Sorting Techniques ........................................................................................................... 24 Appendix 6: Introduction to Sorting Springtails (Collembola) .......................................................... 25 Appendix 7: Introduction to Sorting Mites (Oribatids) ....................................................................... 33 ALBERTA BIODIVERSITY MONITORING INSTITUTE Summary This document outlines the training, procedures, and resource materials used to process and identify mites and springtails for the ABMI. During Spring Data Collection Protocols, ABMI laboratory technicians extract soil arthropods from the organic soil samples that were collected from the field. Mites and springtails are then separated from the extracted arthropods and sorted into morphospecies groups. By removing the debris from the samples and sorting the specimens into groups, less work is required by experts. Sorted mite and springtail samples are then sent to taxonomic experts to be identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. PROCESSING MITES & SPRINGTAILS VERSION 2009-05-08 2 ALBERTA BIODIVERSITY MONITORING INSTITUTE Data Management Transferring Data from the Sample Tracking Log to the Sorting Database All organic soil samples received by the Sample Processing Centre (RAM) are tracked using the Sample Tracking Log (Appendix 1). As soil samples are processed, organic soil sample information that was recorded in the Sample Tracking Log is transferred to the Oribatid and Collembola Sorting Database (Appendix 2). Data Entry During Sorting Lab technicians are responsible for entering information into the Soil Arthropod Sorting Data Sheet (Appendix 3) while sorting specimens. This information is transferred to the Oribatid and Collembola Sorting Database (Appendix 2) as time allows. While transferring the data, if more that one morphospecies is identified in a sample, the lab technician inserts new rows below the original row and fills in the required information for each morphospecies present. Checking and Storing Data During Sorting Soil Arthropod Sorting Data Sheets are checked for accuracy at
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