Entomological Bioinformatics at the Texas A&M University Insect Collection

在约翰·d·奥斯瓦尔德博士的指导下，美国德州农工大学获得了一笔拨款，用于支持该大学昆虫收藏的计算机化，这是一个大约220万个标本的研究收藏，主要来自美国西南部、墨西哥和北部新热带地区。该项目将从超过54万个固定昆虫标本的标签中获取数据，构建一个可搜索的昆虫鉴定（分类）、地理分布和采集日期信息在线数据库。要取样的主要类群有甲虫、蝉、叶蝉、蚜虫、黄蜂、蚂蚁和蜜蜂。在线数据库将向全世界的研究人员提供有关收集的信息。收集地理和其他收集数据将有助于更好地了解这些重要昆虫群体的分布，其中许多昆虫对人类社会具有重要的经济和生态意义。此外，该项目将为大约25-35名昆虫系统学、生物信息学和采集管理领域的研究生和本科生提供教育机会。

A grant has been awarded to Texas A & M University under the direction of Dr. John D. Oswald to support computerization of the university Insect Collection, a research collection of approximately 2.2 million specimens, primarily from the southwestern United States, and Mexico and the northern neotropics. The project will capture data from labels from over 540,000 pinned insect specimens to construct a searchable, online database of information on insect identification (taxonomy), geographic distribution, and dates of collection. Among the major groups to be sampled are beetles, cicadas, leafhoppers, aphids, wasps, ants, and bees. The online database will make information on collection available to researches worldwide. Capturing geographic and other collection data will allow for improved understanding of the distribution of these important groups of insects, many of which are economically and ecologically important to human society. Additionally, the project will provide educational opportunities for an estimated 25-35 graduate and undergraduate university students in the fields of insect systematics, biological informatics and collection management.