CSBR: Natural History: Digitized Images from the Cornell University Insect Collection Support D.I.Y. Entomological Training

用于区分昆虫物种多样性的特征往往只在初级分类学出版物中才能找到，这使得主要研究机构以外的个人很难获得用于识别物种的具体标准。这对于北美蛾（鳞翅目）尤其如此，其中许多物种缺乏学名。自然历史收藏品包含了大量关于北美生物多样性的未开发信息，这些信息基本上是非科学家无法获得的。数字革命使摄影图像和相关信息得以整合，从而使任何人都可以沿着获得关于物种多样性的信息，以及用于将物种分离的标准。此外，如果这些信息的最终用户获得有关用于描述物种特征的方法的适当信息，他们可以为我们的动物群知识做出重要贡献。康奈尔大学昆虫标本馆（CUIC）包括一个主要的北美蛾类标本馆，其中有来自美国大部分地区，特别是美国西南部山区森林栖息地的大量蛾类标本。CUIC的鳞翅目标本库共有170万个标本，目前分为四个独立的平行收藏。这些标本将被整合到一个单一的综合蛾收集反映现代分类和最新的命名。目前平行的收藏品存放在狭窄且部分不安全的储存条件下，将被重新安置在包含档案储存材料的扩大橱柜中，确保标本的长期保存并使研究人员能够充分获取所有材料。这些任务将由本科生员工进行，他们将接受策展和昆虫分类学方面的培训。代表至少2800种北美蛾的大约8700个成年标本将沿着拍摄其相关的显微镜载玻片安装生殖器准备。这些图像和相关的标签数据将被上传到NSF支持的Morphbank网站，使所有图像和信息可用于蛾类识别或分类描述。在这个特殊的收藏中，大约有1500个标本从未被分配给已知的，描述的物种，支持它们作为未描述的，神秘物种的代表的地位。 一个硕士。研究生将进行论文研究，强调使用蛾的解剖特征进行物种鉴别和描述。该学生还将开发简短的教育视频，解释蛾分类的各个方面，包括如何收集蛾，如何解剖蛾，以及如何识别和解释用于蛾识别和分类描述的形态特征。这些视频将针对所有年龄段的知识渊博的业余爱好者，从而将大量的公民科学家社区整合到更大的努力中，以了解我们的蛾类动物群。成虫和生殖器蛾的图像将在Morphbank（www.morphbank.net）上提供，并与iDigBio（www.idigbio.org）共享。互联网视频以及飞蛾图像将链接到康奈尔大学昆虫收藏网站（cuic.entomology.cornell.edu）。

Characters used to differentiate the vast diversity of insect species are often available only in primary taxonomic publications, making the specific criteria used for recognizing species difficult to access by individuals outside major research institutions. This is especially true for North American moths (Lepidoptera), within which many species lack scientific names. Natural history collections contain substantial amounts of untapped information concerning North American biodiversity that is largely unavailable to non-scientists. The digital revolution that is allowing the integration of photographic images and associated information permits the availability of information on species diversity along with the criteria used to separate species to anyone with internet access. Moreover, the end-user of such information can make important contributions to the knowledge of our fauna if they are given appropriate information on methods used to characterize species. The Cornell University Insect Collection (CUIC) includes a major North American moth collection, with extensive representation of moth species from much of the United States, especially the mountain forest habitats of the American southwest. The CUIC Lepidoptera holdings total 1.7 million specimens and are currently stored as four separate, parallel collections. These specimens will be integrated into a single comprehensive moth collection reflecting modern classification and up-to-date nomenclature. The currently parallel collections, housed under cramped and partially unsafe storage conditions, will be rehoused in expanded cabinetry incorporating archival storage materials, ensuring long-term preservation of the specimens and full access to all material by researchers. These tasks will be conducted by undergraduate student employees who will receive training in curation and insect taxonomy. Approximately 8700 adult specimens representing at least 2800 species of North American moths will be photographed along with their associated microscope slide-mounted genitalic preparations. These images with associated label data will be uploaded onto the NSF supported Morphbank website, making all images and information available for moth identification or taxonomic description. Approximately 1500 of the specimens in this special collection have never been assigned to a known, described species, supporting their status as representatives of undescribed, cryptic species. An M.S. graduate student will conduct thesis research that emphasizes the use of moth anatomical characters for species discrimination and description. This student will also develop short educational videos that explain various aspects of moth taxonomy, including how to collect moths, how to dissect moths, and how to identify and interpret the morphological characters used for moth identification and taxonomic description. These videos will target knowledgeable amateurs of all ages, thereby integrating the substantial community of citizen scientists into a larger effort to understand our moth fauna. The adult and genitalic moth images will be made available at Morphbank (www.morphbank.net) and shared with iDigBio (www.idigbio.org). The internet videos as well as the moth images will be linked to the Cornell University Insect Collection website (cuic.entomology.cornell.edu).