A Dataset of Insect Micro-CT Image Stacks and Structure Labels

A specification for micro-CT data of insect or other small invertebrate research is formulated here. Data descriptor of two series of slice and label image stacks of two beetle species (Sinaphaenops wangorum and Trechiotes perroti) are presented here. With this specification, not only entomologists or taxonomists can efficiently exchange high-quality insect source data, encompassing both external and internal structures of the organisms, but also researchers can annotate the precise regions of interest on the insect and subsequently generate 3D models at the micrometer or even nanometer scale. Moreover, computer engineers can collaborate with biologists to create more valuable analytical tools. In accordance with this specification, we broaden the database to cover multiple facets of species and individual development, resulting in the creation of a diverse 3D insect morphology database. This resource proves exceptionally beneficial for entomologists and taxonomists engaged in research encompassing comparative morphology, systematics, evolution, rapid identification, gene phenotypic traits, and various other areas.

本文制定了昆虫或其他小型无脊椎动物研究的显微CT（micro-CT）数据规范。本文还呈现了两种甲虫（Sinaphaenops wangorum和Trechiotes perroti）的两组切片与标注图像堆栈的数据描述符。借助该规范，不仅昆虫学家或分类学家可高效交换涵盖生物外部与内部结构的高质量昆虫源数据，研究者还能在昆虫上标注精确的感兴趣区域（regions of interest），并随后生成微米级乃至纳米级的3D模型。此外，计算机工程师可与生物学家协作开发更具价值的分析工具。依据该规范，我们拓展了数据库的覆盖范围，纳入物种及个体发育的多个方面，最终构建了一个多样化的3D昆虫形态学数据库。该资源对从事比较形态学、系统学、进化、快速鉴定、基因表型特征（gene phenotypic traits）及其他多个领域研究的昆虫学家和分类学家而言，具有极高的价值。