ASEF 4-2009.indb - Laboratoire de Zoologie

Type collections are invaluable repositories of
biological information and comprise unique and
irreplaceable taxonomic and natural history reference
material (Suarez & Tsutsui 2004; Wheeler et al. 2004).
Type specimens, the “bearers of the scientifi c names of
all nominal species-group taxa” (art. 72.10 of the ICZN
1999) are obvious objects of interest for systematics
and taxonomists and studies in many other branches
of scientifi c endeavor (Alberch 1993; Winston 2007).
It is crucially important to catalogue and digitise this
information, noting the site of deposition of type
specimens and their state of conservation for wide
dissemination (Garrett 1989; Michalski 1992).
Th e use of label data from natural history
collections has improved our understanding of
ecology, biogeography and evolutionary biology and
conservation biology (Freitag et al. 1998; Soberón
et al. 2000; Soberón et al. 2003; Reddy & Davalos
2003; Meier & Dikow 2004, O’Connel et al. 2004).
Museum specimens are evidence of the geographic
location of a species at a given time. Th is information
can be integrated in models exploring the geographic
components of ecological processes, biodiversity and
global change (Graham et al. 2004; Rahbek et al.
2007; but see Rowe 2005). Results from these studies
attest to the benefi ts of modern database techniques,
especially in terms of the dissemination of information
from sources (museums) to users (scientists and policy
makers) (Meier & Dikow 2004).
Our fi rst objective was to review the type collection
of the Invertebrate Section of the Museum of Zoology
QCAZ (Quito, CAtólica, Zoología) at the Pontifi cia
Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) in Quito.
Th e museum was established in 1981 under the
direction of Dr. Giovanni Onore as a unit of the School
of Biological Sciences at PUCE. Additional information
concerning the Museum’s history, structure, functions
and challenges may be found in Barragán et al. (this
issue) and Dangles et al. (this issue). From its start
in the early 1980’s, PUCE scientists and students
have collected invertebrates in mainland Ecuador, in
the Galápagos Islands and associated shallow water
marine habitats, a practice that continues today. Th ese
specimens comprise the bulk of the museum’s holdings
and are stored in cabinets until they can be curated and
identifi ed by specialised taxonomists. Th ese collections
have motivated scientifi c research inside and outside
Ecuador and have resulted in the description of several
hundred new species to science. Vouchers of these new
species are stored in the Museum as type specimens. For
example, the collection holds the fi rst records of several
agricultural pests including several species of fruit fl ies
Anastrepha spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae; Calles & Ponce
438
D. A. Donoso, F. Salazar, F. Maza, R. E. Cárdenas & O. Dangles
2003), Eucalyptus pests, Phoracantha semipunctata
(Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and the potato moth,
Tecia solanivora (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae; Barragán
et al. 2004, Pollet et al. 2003). Collections of the
insect vectors of human and veterinary disease such
as the vectors of Chagas and other diseases caused by
trypanosomes (Aguilar et al. 1999; Cárdenas & Vieira
2005; Palomeque et al. 2003; Pinto et al. 2003; Pinto
et al. 2006;) are also housed in the Museum.
Our second objective was to examine spatial patterns
in the collection and potential bias of the type material
in documenting Ecuadorian invertebrate diversity,
using geographical information systems (GIS) coupled
to spatial analysis. Our goal is to provide to Ecuadorian
authorities and policy makers basic information on
the conservation status of the invertebrate fauna in
Ecuador. Th is information can serve as a guide for
conservation and biodiversity eff orts (Shi et al. 2005).
Review of type specimens
Materials and Methods
From 2005–2008, an intensive search of the wet and dry
collections of the Museum for specimens labeled or identifi ed
as “type” specimens (i.e. holotypes, paratypes, allotypes,
neotypes, topotypes; but also specimens with a colored label)
was done. Th ese specimens were separated from the collection
and their identity as type specimens was confi rmed using
original literature. When required, specimens were curated
(i.e. change of alcohol, container, oxidized pins, addition of a
restored label), but no original label, or other information, was
removed from any specimen. Type specimens are maintained
separately from the main collection and kept in designated
locked cabinets under specifi c light and humidity conditions
for long-term storage (Garrett 1989; Michalski 1992).
Type specimens were the initial focus of a current initiative of the
Museum to digitise specimen label information for all museum
specimens. Museum personnel established a strict digitisation
protocol, which consists of the following steps. Label data from
specimens stored in the museum cabinets (i.e. mainly country
of origin, province, locality, altitude, geographic coordinates,
date, collector, determination, and other ecological data) were
recorded in a specially designed database (Apple Macintosh
Filemaker Pro). Th e lowest taxonomic rank for each specimen
was checked and recorded in the database up to Phylum
(Triplehorn & Johnson 2005). Th is digitised information
was linked to a unique accession number label (e.g. Tipos
QCAZI 00001, for type specimens; QCAZI 00001, for other
specimens), which was added to every specimen.
Georeferencing
We used label data as the main source of information to
georeference type specimens deposited in the Museum. Due to
the age of these collections (mostly from 1980’s and 1990’s), a
considerable number of data labels (72%) had no geographic
coordinates. Before the widespread use of geographic
information systems (GIS) products such as global positioning
systems (GPS) and electronic gazetteers in the mid 1990’s, most