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 1
Slide 2
7 infraorders 85 families 40,000 described species Heteroptera:
True Bugs 2
Slide 3
3
Slide 4
Infraorder: Cimicomorpha 1,350 valid genera 10,200 valid
species mostly phytophagous high host specificity many
myrmecomorphic some aposematic Miridae: Plant Bugs 4
Slide 5
Linnaeus,C. World fauna 17 Miridae spp. No figures Systema
Naturae, 1758 5
Slide 6
Biologia Centrali Americana, 1883, 1884 Distant, W. L. Central
American fauna 200 Miridae spp. 5500 specimens of Heteroptera
Hand-colored figures 6
Slide 7
Fauna of British India, 1904, 1910 Distant, W. L. Tropical
Asian fauna 86 Miridae spp. ~ 300 specimens B&W line drawings
7
Slide 8
Carvalho, J. C. M. South African fauna 42 Miridae species <
500 specimens studied B&W figures South African Animal Life,
1960 8
Slide 9
Palearctic Australian Nearctic Neotropical Ethiopian Oriental
Species Accumulation 9
Slide 10
180 described species 1.8% of known world fauna ~ 500 species
in collections 25,000 specimens in collections 35 published host
records Australian Miridae, 1994 110
Slide 11
north of Kalbarri National Park, Western Australia October,
1996 Gerry Cassis 111
210 described species: + 15% > 1,500 spp. in collections: +
300% > 100,000 specimens: + 400% 1,400 recorded hosts: + 4000%
Australian Miridae: 2002 113
Slide 14
Planetary Biodiversity Inventories 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 114
Slide 15
115
Slide 16
Status as of 2003 8 recognized tribes 485 described genera 3900
described species ~ 90 new genera ~ 1200 new species in collections
Target Taxa: Orthotylinae and Phylinae 116
Slide 17
Exemplar Orthotylinae and Phylinae 117
Slide 18
~ 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
PBI Goals 118
Slide 19
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 Overview of PBI
Approaches 119
Slide 20
Transmitting Systematic Information over the Internet 120
Slide 21
121
Slide 22
122
Slide 23
123
Slide 24
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 Systematic
Catalog: On-line Relational Database 124
Slide 25
125
Slide 26
126
Slide 27
127
Slide 28
128
Slide 29
129
Slide 30
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 Specimen
Database 130
Slide 31
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 PBI Specimen
Database Approach 131
Slide 32
132
Slide 33
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 Georeferencing
133
Slide 34
134
Slide 35
135
Slide 36
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 Unique Specimen Identification 136
Slide 37
137
Slide 38
138
Slide 39
Species Pages 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 139
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 Processing of Existing Collections
142
Slide 43
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 Difficulties and
Solutions 143
Slide 44
144
Slide 45
Acquisition of Collections: Specific Principal PBI Collection
Resources 145
Slide 46
Microptics-USA Unique lighting High depth of field Real-time
focusing Rapid image acquistion High resolution Digital Imaging of
Specimens 146
Slide 47
147
Slide 48
Application of taxon focused techniques Maximize discovery of
new taxa Extend geographic coverage Maximize biological information
Maximize specimen quality Maximize specimen numbers Field Work
Fundamentals 148
Slide 49
Collecting Equipment 149
Slide 50
(A video of collecting was shown at this stage in the
slideshow.) Collecting Video 150
Slide 51
Centralized mounting and labeling Label copy derived directly
from locality database Centralized rough sorting after host
labeling Unique specimen identifiers added as part of rough sorting
process Processing Field Collections 151
Slide 52
Locality and Host Labels 152
Slide 53
Host Specificity in the Miridae 153
Slide 54
Vouchers collected, pressed, and associated with insect
associates Vouchers photo-documented In field (digital SLR camera)
As herbarium specimens (scanning) Vouchers identified by
specialists Vouchers deposited in recognized herbaria Voucher data
part of insect labeling Host Documentation and Vouchering 154
Slide 55
Processing host vouchers, Sept. 2004, Compton Herbarium, Cape
Town Vouchers ready for drying 155
Slide 56
Extreme plant diversity and endemism Unique biotic affinities
Limited prior sampling Few publications and described taxa
Unstudied by classical & modern authors No local specialists
SOUTH AFRICAN FIELD WORK Western Cape as a PBI target area:
NamaqualandLittle KarooFynbos 156
Slide 57
1961: 12 described species 0 documented hosts 250 specimens
studied 1974: 100 described species: + 850% 50 documented hosts
2000 specimens studied: + 800% South African Orthotylinae and
Phylinae: 1961, 1974 157
Slide 58
South Africa: 2003, 2004 Localities >120 localities 158
High plant diversity and endemicity, especially in west and
southwest Limited sampling Few publications and described taxa No
local specialists historically Australia as a PBI target area
AUSTRALIAN FIELD WORK 169
Slide 70
Open Acacia woodland, South Australia 170
Slide 71
Sand dune, north of Kalbarri Park, Western Australia 171
Slide 72
Heath lands, near Esperance, Western Australia 172
20% increase in available specimens 20% increase in known
species diversity Continental-scale increase in geographic coverage
> 500% increase in host-documented specimens > 1000% increase
in host vouchers PBI Accomplishments 184
Slide 85
World vs. local collection resources World vs. regional
perspective Broad-scale vs. narrow taxonomic conclusions
All-inclusive phylogenetic theories Broad-scale vs. narrow
biogeographic conclusions Broad-scale vs. regional taxonomic tools
One-stop biodiversity information shopping PBI vs. Faunistics
185
Slide 86
Need for study of basic insect taxonomy Need to improve
biodiversity knowledge on a global scale Need to improve knowledge
of insect biology Issues Clarified 186
Slide 87
Gerry Cassis Sheridan Hewson-Smith Jason Larimer Brenda Massie
Ella Massie-Schuh Lorenzo Prendini Michael Schwartz F. Christian
Thompson Steve Thurston Christiane Weirauch Denise Wyniger National
Science Foundation American Museum of Natural History Australian
Museum http://research.amnh.org/pbi Acknowledgments 87