Arthropod Easy Capture (AEC) is an arthropod specific, open-source solution for handling specimen level host interactions. Developed in conjunction with the Plant Bugs Planetary Biodiversity, Tri-Tropic Interactions TCN, and Bee Database projects, AEC is designed for rapid, and accurate data capture, utilizing controlled vocabularies to maintain data quality. The application is Web-based, allowing for collaboration from multiple partners to a centralized, easily maintainable, database.
The AEC community, as part of the Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections (ADBC) program, is already tasked to develop the appropriate Web service for sharing data with the iDigBio data portal. This includes the application of Globally Unique Identifiers (GUIDs) for specimens, and mapping relevant data fields to DarwinCore. iDigBio is the aggregator for all of the ADBC Thematic Collection Network projects, including trophic level interaction data from the Tri-Tropic Interactions TCN.