Database and digitization of bees from TIGER project (Thailand)
Citation
Nalinrachatakan P, Chatthanabun N, Thanoosing C, Kamram T, Liangchuea A, Sanunsilp N, Yendee S, Phaengphongsai S, Warrit N (2024). Database and digitization of bees from TIGER project (Thailand). Version 1.7. Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/p6zfzc accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-08-26.Description
Bees (Apoidea: Anthophila) are one of the most important groups of global insect pollinators. Public species occurrence database such as GBIF provides occurrence records for global bee distribution, an invaluable resource for bee conservation and pollination ecology. Our former GBIF project (BIFA5_05) provided the first digitized occurrence records of bees in Thailand and SEA [The dataset was published online under doi.org/10.15468/tf4ejd.]. Nevertheless, most of the bee data provided to GBIF were specimens collected through active sampling, i.e., aerial net collecting, on flower patches in non-protected habitats.
In 2006–2008, the TIGER project (Thailand Inventory Group for Entomological Research), an international collaboration between Thailand and the US launched a large-scale insect collecting expedition in 24 national parks throughout the county. 150+ bee specimens were DNA sequenced for COI gene and deposited in BOLD and GBIF. Nevertheless, since the end of the project in 2009, half of TIGER's bee specimens deposited at the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden (QSBG), were not properly processed and curated into the inventory. In 2019 a collaboration between QSBG and our team was initiated with aim to process and provide an inventory of these specimens.
Here, we propose to process, sort and identify, providing georeferenced data and high-resolution images of at least 3,000+ bee specimens deposited at the QSBG and publish a dataset in GBIF to provide representatives of Thai bee collected in exclusive and difficult to access protected areas to complement the published dataset for bees of Thailand, which until now as only records from non-protected areas. In addition, these occurrence records will be beneficial in complementing the available barcoding data of TIGER bees in BOLD and GBIF.
Sampling Description
Study Extent
All bee specimens studied were collected throughout the national parks in Thailand via TIGER project mostly with Malaise trap, and deposited at the QSBG (Thailand).Sampling
Bee specimens collected from TIGER project in QSBG collection were preserved as wet specimens in 70% ethanol along with another insect taxa. All specimens mostly collected by Malaise trap while some are from pan trap and plant carcass trap.Method steps
- The first step is to sort out bee specimens from all "cocktail" insect specimens deposited at QSBG. We primarily perform the preliminary identification by our bee taxonomists, gathering all bee specimens back to the Natural History Museum of Chulalongkorn University (CUNHM).
- The next two processes can be divided into two steps similar to the previous "Database and digitization of bees in Thailand" project (doi.10.15468/tf4ejd). For specimens identification, all bees specimens were identified under stereomicroscopes by our resident bee taxonomists. The identification were carefully made to the lowest taxonomic rank as possible and also compare to the credited references such as research publications (mostly to seek out the revision or the original descriptions), webtools (e.g. Discoverlife, iNaturalist, buggide, idtools, and GBIF), and museum data portal such as data.nhm.ac.uk for type specimens examinations. The original label records were extracted by our technical staff and initially placed into spreadsheet, especially for old and damaged labels with obscure handwriting records (all label photos were digitized as backup). The extracted data were then filled out on their relevance DwC terms in the spreadsheet. This spreadsheet will be used for data validation, especially for spelling and locality information, which were later subjected to data cleaning using Microsoft Excel 2019 and OpenRefine v.3.4.
- For the photo digitization processes, four standard microphotograph were produced: the original label, face, dorsal, and lateral habitus. Most of the specimens digitization were made on Canon 7D markII and Canon EOS 90D mounted on the Zeiss Stemi 508 and Zeiss Discovery V.8 stereomicroscope, whereas others were conducted on other configurations but in similar concept.
Taxonomic Coverages
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Apoidearank: superfamily
Geographic Coverages
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
Pakorn Nalinrachatakanoriginator
position: Research assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
email: pakorn.nlr@gmail.com
Nontawat Chatthanabun
originator
position: Research assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
email: n.chatthanabun@gmail.com
Chawatat Thanoosing
originator
position: Research assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
email: c.thanoosing@nhm.ac.uk
Thinadda Kamram
originator
position: Research assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
Achaphorn Liangchuea
originator
position: Research Assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
Nipit Sanunsilp
originator
position: Research Assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
Suparas Yendee
originator
position: Research Assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
Sutthikhun Phaengphongsai
originator
position: Research Assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
Natapot Warrit
originator
position: University lecturer/project leader
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
email: natapot.w@chula.ac.th
Pakorn Nalinrachatakan
metadata author
position: Research assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
email: pakorn.nlr@gmail.com
Natapot Warrit
metadata author
position: University lecturer/project leader
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
email: natapot.w@chula.ac.th
Rungsima Tanthalakha
distributor
position: Director
National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand
111 Thailand Science Park Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng
Khlong Luang
12120
Pathum Thani
TH
Songsri Govittavavong
content provider
position: Director
Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
100 Mu 9 Tambon Mae Ram
Mae Rim
50180
Chiang Mai
TH
Pakorn Nalinrachatakan
administrative point of contact
position: Research assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
email: pakorn.nlr@gmail.com
Nontawat Chatthanabun
administrative point of contact
position: Research assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
email: n.chatthanabun@gmail.com
Chawatat Thanoosing
administrative point of contact
position: Research assistant
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
10330
Bangkok
TH
email: c.thanoosing@nhm.ac.uk
Natapot Warrit
administrative point of contact
position: University lecturer/project leader
Chulalongkorn university
Chulalongkorn University, Department of Biology 254 Phayathai Road, Wang Mai
Pathumwan
1033
Bangkok
TH
email: natapot.w@chula.ac.th