Pollinator+ is a network of 38 collections (see map, plus one in Alaska; see list) that submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation's ADBC program in October, 2014. The proposal is entitled "Digitization TCN: Mobilizing collection data to examine how environmental changes affect insect life history parameters and pollination." The proposal's overview is below. Its full narrative is at proposal.pdf.

Xylocopa virginica pollinating Passiflora incarnata		Overview. We propose to mobilize historical insect data for assessing their responses to environmental changes. We will photograph over 6 million specimens and their labels, digitizing occurrence records of over 200 exemplar insect species selected for their life history strategies and to better understand pollination over the past century across North America. We seek three years of funding to use our existing strong national network of insect collections to 1) train students and staff to process specimens at collections, 2) digitally image all specimens and their labels for the exemplar species and synoptic members of other species,
3) capture data from these images with OCR, measurement software, natural language processing, crowdsourcing, and high-quality error checking, 4) use Discover Life's maps, phenological graphs, and other tools to share them publicly, 5) integrate all records into iDigBio and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and 6) generate sufficiently large sample sizes for comparative statistical analyses and predictive modelling of insects, plants, and their interactions. Contact If you would like more information or would like to join Pollinator+, please contact us.       Brian Wiegmann • brian_wiegmann@ncsu.edu • 919-515-1653       John Pickering • pick@discoverlife.org • 706-254-7446 Use our template to send a Letter of Collaboration.