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

用于区分种类繁多的昆虫物种的特征往往只在主要的分类学出版物中提供，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。北美飞蛾(鳞翅目)尤其如此，其中许多物种缺乏学名。自然历史收藏包含大量关于北美生物多样性的未开发信息，非科学家基本上无法获得这些信息。数字革命使摄影图像和相关信息得以整合，从而使任何有互联网接入的人都能获得关于物种多样性的信息，以及用于区分物种的标准。此外，如果向这些信息的终端用户提供关于描述物种特征的方法的适当信息，他们可以对我们的动物群的知识做出重要贡献。康奈尔大学昆虫收藏(CUIC)包括一个主要的北美飞蛾收藏，广泛代表了来自美国大部分地区的飞蛾物种，特别是美国西南部的山林栖息地。Cuic鳞翅目标本总数为170万个，目前储存为四个独立的平行标本。这些标本将被整合到一个反映现代分类和最新命名的单一综合蛾子收藏中。目前的平行收藏品存放在狭小和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展橱柜中，以确保标本的长期保存和研究人员充分获取所有材料。这些任务将由本科生员工进行，他们将接受管理和昆虫分类学方面的培训。大约8700个成虫标本，代表至少2800种北美飞蛾，将与它们相关的显微镜载玻片安装的生殖器标本一起拍照。这些图像和相关的标签数据将被上传到NSF支持的Morphbank网站上，使所有图像和信息都可以用于蛾的识别或分类描述。在这个特殊的收集中，大约1500个标本从未被分配到已知的已描述物种，支持它们作为未描述的神秘物种的代表的地位。一名理科硕士研究生将进行论文研究，强调利用蛾的解剖特征进行物种鉴别和描述。这名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鉴定和分类描述的形态特征。这些视频将针对各个年龄段知识渊博的业余爱好者，从而将公民科学家的大量社区整合到更大的努力中，以了解我们的蛾类动物。成虫和生殖器蛾的图像将在Morphbank(www.morbank.net)上提供，并在iDigBio(www.idigBio.org)上分享。互联网视频以及飞蛾的图片将被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).