Butterfly & Insect Collector

Insects such as some butterfly species, may be endangered and therefore collection is prohibited. We have written this application for users to primarily collect photographs and document characteristics of the insects rather than destroy them for obvious environmental reasons. Please be aware of local and federal laws that may prohibit collecting specimens. The Butterfly & Insect Collector application allows you to collect, track and document your bug watching incorporating images, video, audio recordings, and/or text. It also allows you to track (with GPS) your path and enables the data gathering about arthropods to be synchronized to our website, edit, and/or share your work with others. You can also allow friends to view your work during or after your insect collection by sharing it through your website, social networks, e-mail, etc. Once the media about the bug, moth, or butterfly collection is uploaded to your website, you can edit the data, create reports and/or maps, and download the data or reports to spreadsheets or other documents. (You do not need to have access to the internet to run the application). Once your gathering is completed, you can automatically create a powerpoint or video.

Highlights:

Track unlimited GPS paths within each watching program and have each track/path displayed on a map in different colors.

Create events during your field watching documenting common name, genus and species, etc. or even the hotel or camp area where you stayed. Each event is marked along your GPS track(s) with a numbered pin on Google maps allowing instant access to the media you captured at each site. When an event is created it automatically documents the longitude, latitude, altitude, time, and date with instant access to the smartphone camera, audio recorder, notes, and a theodolite tool (for calculating distances to or elevation of objects). Each event comes with formatted fields to record a description of the event, detailed notes, size of the butterfly or insect, and genus and species. Specific fields can be hidden and an unlimited number of additional fields can be added.

Share your watching while you are in the field instantaneously with colleagues or other watchers with the ability to post all your GPS tracks and media on social websites or communicate information via e-mail, Skype, and other IM systems.

Create your own free website to share your watching with others in real time. The website includes a gallery of your videos and images along with standard Google maps with tracks and pins representing events. Don't worry about the loss of any data.

This application automatically synchronizes your data collection in the background in our database and, if desired, your website, effectively backing up your data for later use. Once you return from your watching, the data can be downloaded to a spreadsheet, powerpoint, or other documents. You can also extensively filter the information to hone in on certain aspects of your field watching. Our reports section of the website allows you to create specialized documents and graphs from the filtered data. You can also upload new data once you return.

If others are watching with you, they can add their own events and media through their smartphones or tablets if you choose to share your username with them. All smartphones and tablets will be instantaneously updated with the shared information through the application and include all the watching information on your website. Or each individual in the field can create their own account and website on MajorForms to document the work themselves. Make your own sampling video or powerpoint presentation automatically once you return to share with colleagues or for presentations. With one click, the videos, maps, and images are integrated into a video timeline or a powerpoint presentation.