Wet collections accession: a workflow based on a large stonefly (Insecta, Plecoptera) donation

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Biodiversity Informatics
• Museum Studies

Background:

• Significant collections from renowned Plecoptera researchers (Kenneth W. Stewart, Stanley W. Szczytko, Barry C. Poulton) were donated to the Illinois Natural History Survey.
• These valuable entomological collections required a systematic approach for preservation and accessibility.
• Previous data from these collections were not electronically available.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail a workflow for accessioning, organizing, and digitizing a large Plecoptera collection.
• To make specimen data electronically available for the first time.
• To report new stonefly records and facilitate future research.

Main Methods:

• An industrialized workflow was employed for taxonomic organization, specimen and label imaging, and storage.
• Iterative transcription of digitized labels provided verbatim data.
• Data normalization, georeferencing, Darwin Core Archive formatting, and dataset creation using Pensoft's Integrated Publishing Toolkit were performed.

Main Results:

• 5,767 vials of Plecoptera specimens were processed.
• 243 stonefly species were confirmed, with potential for more.
• Twenty-one new state, province, and significant stonefly records were identified and verified.

Conclusions:

• The developed workflow successfully preserved and digitized legacy specimen data.
• The electronic dataset provides a valuable resource for Plecoptera research.
• Researchers are encouraged to utilize the data, collaborate, and borrow specimens.