Leaf Beetle Digitization
Conference Year
2024
Abstract
One of the largest beetle families on Earth, leaf beetles are key indicators of local biodiversity, due to their abundance, variety, and high degree of specialization to plant hosts. Studying leaf beetle specimens from the Carl Parsons arthropod collection therefore reveals Vermont's changing biodiversity. For my internship with the Thompson Zoological Collection, I am digitizing, imaging and georeferencing 4500 leaf beetle specimens, and uploading them into a public database called the ecdysis network. The collection, identified by James Talbot, encompasses nine subfamilies, featuring 222 species. This effort increases accessibility for researchers, streamlining future projects monitoring the biodiversity of Vermont.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Sara Cahan
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Biology
Primary Research Category
Life Sciences
Leaf Beetle Digitization
One of the largest beetle families on Earth, leaf beetles are key indicators of local biodiversity, due to their abundance, variety, and high degree of specialization to plant hosts. Studying leaf beetle specimens from the Carl Parsons arthropod collection therefore reveals Vermont's changing biodiversity. For my internship with the Thompson Zoological Collection, I am digitizing, imaging and georeferencing 4500 leaf beetle specimens, and uploading them into a public database called the ecdysis network. The collection, identified by James Talbot, encompasses nine subfamilies, featuring 222 species. This effort increases accessibility for researchers, streamlining future projects monitoring the biodiversity of Vermont.