A restraining device to aid identification of bees by digital photography

James Douglas Thomson; Jessica Lauren Zung

doi:10.26786/1920-7603(2015)20

Authors

James Douglas Thomson University of Toronto
Jessica Lauren Zung University of Toronto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2015)20

Abstract

We developed a simple restraining chamber to hold captured bumble bees temporarily so they could be photographed in the field using inexpensive “point-and-shoot” digital cameras. The process is quick, and the resulting “digital voucher” images allowed us to correct a substantial fraction of field identifications based on visual inspection. The system can improve the accuracy of monitoring programs in which it is undesirable to kill specimens to provide traditional vouchers.

Author Biographies

James Douglas Thomson, University of Toronto

Professor, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Jessica Lauren Zung, University of Toronto

Resarch Assistant, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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