From historical to interoperable data: Darwin Core Standardisation of selected carabid beetles records in Italy...

Carabid beetles (Coleoptera) are a group of living organisms with characteristics that make them suitable as model organisms for ecological studies, because they are good bioindicators and one of the most widespread beetle families in the world. Although numerous scientific works are available on the different aspects of carabid biology, there is a lack of open and standardised data. This work focuses on carabids present in various Italian habitats, from forests to pastures. Their presence was recorded across mountain areas of Italy, specifically in the Apennines (Tuscan-Emilian, Abruzzese, Lucanian, Calabrian and Sicilian Apennines) and in the Alpine area of the Lessini mountains, in natural and semi-natural environments, located at altitudes ranging from 150 to 1840 m a.s.l. The aim of this work is to develop a dataset from a selected pool of studies, standardise it according to the Darwin Core standard and make it freely accessible to the scientific community. This approach facilitates data integration, sharing and reuse, promoting transparency and collaboration in ecological research.

This study provides a unified and standardised dataset combining previously dispersed sources, some of which were in Italian and not easily accessible. This new dataset adheres to the FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and contributes to feed the information on carabid beetles already stored in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The dataset incorporates new elements not included in the original publications: activity densities were calculated for species represented by a single individual in the research of De Felici and collaborators (1995) and missing site information from the research of Brandmayr and Pizzolotto (1990) was completed with four additional sites. By harmonising these records according to Darwin Core standards, the dataset enhances data integration and reuse, demonstrating the value of standardisation and "FAIRification" for biodiversity research and enabling the scientific community to access a comprehensive, high-quality resource on Italian carabid beetles communities.