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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Palearctic Australian Nearctic Neotropical Ethiopian Oriental Species Accumulation 9

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

north of Kalbarri National Park, Western Australia October, 1996 Gerry Cassis 111

Australia: Localities > 400 localities 112

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

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 114

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Status as of recognized tribes 485 described genera 3900 described species ~ 90 new genera ~ 1200 new species in collections Target Taxa: Orthotylinae and Phylinae 116

Exemplar Orthotylinae and Phylinae 117

~ 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

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

Transmitting Systematic Information over the Internet 120

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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

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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

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

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GEOLocate Stand alone program Easy to use Individual & batch processing Manual correction capability Limitations – parsing of locality names – still under development Georeferencing 133

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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

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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

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

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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

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

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Acquisition of Collections: Specific Principal PBI Collection Resources 145

Microptics-USA Unique lighting High depth of field Real-time focusing Rapid image acquistion High resolution Digital Imaging of Specimens 146

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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

Collecting Equipment 149

(A video of collecting was shown at this stage in the slideshow.) Collecting Video 150

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

Locality and Host Labels 152

Host Specificity in the Miridae 153

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

Processing host vouchers, Sept. 2004, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town Vouchers ready for drying 155

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: Namaqualand–Little Karoo–Fynbos 156

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,

South Africa: 2003, 2004 Localities >120 localities 158

> 250 species: + 250% > 350 documented hosts: + 700% > 20,000 specimens: % South African Orthotylinae and Phylinae,

Looking west from Vanrhyns Pass Summit 160

Northern Namaqualand, SE of Kamieskroon 161

Collecting near Kamieskroon, northern Namaqualand 162

Cupressaceae: Widdringtonia sp.Widdringtoniola sp. 163

Solanaceae: Lycium sp.Karoocapsus sp. 164

Geraniaceae: Pelargonium cucullatumundescribed 165

Aizoaceae: Lampranthus sp.Eminoculus sp. 166

Fabaceae: Lebeckia sericeaPseudosthenarus sp. 167

Asteraceae: Leysera sp. undescribed 168

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

Open Acacia woodland, South Australia 170

Sand dune, north of Kalbarri Park, Western Australia 171

Heath lands, near Esperance, Western Australia 172

Xanthorrhoeaceae: Lomandra sp.Kirkaldyella sp. 173

Restionaceae: Hypolaena humilisundescribed 174

Loranthaceae: Amyema sp.Hypseloecus sp. 175

Proteaceae: Conospermum sp.undescribed 176

Proteaceae: Grevillea sp.3 undescribed 177

Proteaceae: Adenanthos cuneatusundescribed 178

Myrtaceae: Melaleuca sp.undescribed 179

Chenopodiaceae: Rhagodia sp.undescribed 180

Casuarinaceae: Casuarina sp. Austromirini sp. 181

Fabaceae: Acacia sp.Austromiris sp. 182

Asteraceae: Waitzia acuminata“Wallabicoris” sp. 183

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

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

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

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 Acknowledgments 87