ZOOM IN HELICON REMOTE SOFTWARE
ZOOM IN HELICON REMOTE PROFESSIONAL

The pictures of the specimens and their original labels, as well as the new information from this endeavor were placed in an online public catalogue. Using digital photographs allowed for a rapid screening of specimens in the collection and resulted in an updated taxonomic identification of the Calligrapha collection at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. A photographic inventory of specimens belonging to the leaf beetle genus Calligrapha was compiled by volunteers using a low-cost compact camera and the species were identified using these images. In addition, we provide an assessment of the avoided monetary costs and the time needed for each step of the process. We present the results of combining citizen science for the digitization of an entomological collection in conjunction with the cooperation of a taxonomic expert for the remote identification of samples. Cheaper, easy-to-use methods and volunteer programs are developing quickly to help bridge the gap. Time, workforce and the need of specialized infrastructures limit the processing of the vast number of specimens in natural history collections. Digital databases help to avoid unnecessary manipulation hazards to delicate collections, increase their accessibility to third party researchers, and contribute to the ongoing documentation of global biodiversity. The digitization of museum specimens is a key priority in the Digital Era.

As technology advances, more institutes and amateur entomologists will be able to easily and affordably catalogue their specimens. In general, it is found that, aware of its limitations, this compact camera is capable of digitizing entomological collections with sufficient quality.

ZOOM IN HELICON REMOTE SOFTWARE

Producing the image slices in the compact camera is a matter of seconds and when optimal image quality is less of a priority, the internal stacking function omits the need for dedicated stacking software altogether, further decreasing the cost and speeding up the process.

ZOOM IN HELICON REMOTE PROFESSIONAL

The compact camera’s image quality, although inferior to the professional setup, is exceptional considering its fourfold lower price point. Parameters considered include image quality, digitization speed, price, and ease-of-use. Images of a professional setup were compared with the Olympus Stylus TG-4 Tough, a low-cost compact camera with internal focus stacking functions. An assessment is made on whether a low cost compact camera with image stacking functionality can help expedite the digitization process in large museums or provide smaller institutes and amateur entomologists with the means to digitize their collections. The camera systems built for this purpose are expensive, providing a barrier in institutes with limited funding, and therefore hampering progress. Digitization of specimen collections has become a key priority of many natural history museums.

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