Development of a statewide voucher collection and Specify database for macroinvertebrates in South Dakota

Macroinvertebrates comprise a critical component of aquatic biodiversity and are the focus of many state and federal biological monitoring programs.  However, South Dakota currently lacks a centralized voucher collection to support these efforts.  The objectives of this project were to (1) establish a voucher collection of aquatic macroinvertebrates collected from South Dakota waters and (2) create a digital database in support of research and monitoring efforts.  Specimens were submitted from recently completed aquatic projects in South Dakota.  These specimens were inventoried, digitally photographed, measured and curated within museum cabinets.  A database containing metadata for each specimen was constructed using the Specify biodiversity collections software.  Specimen taxonomic information, measurements, tolerance values, habit and feeding guilds, site and collector information, digital pictures and project report files were included in specimen records.  Specify provides capabilities to query specimen occurrence, examine spatial distributions, view digital images and view ecological attributes.  The collection currently holds 2093 specimens representing 6 phyla, 14 classes, 30 orders and 87 families.  All macroinvertebrate habit and functional feeding groups are represented with tolerance values ranging from 0 to 10 (median = 4.0).  Maintenance of the collection will be supported using funds earmarked within state-supported project budgets.