British Insects => Online key now available

[christian thompson]

Another example, just announced. Try it.

--------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2003 15:22:53 +0800
From: Les Watson <leswatson at WESTNET.COM.AU>
Reply-To: DELTA Software Discussion List <DELTA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
To: DELTA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL
Subject: BRITISH INSECTS, announcement

BRITISH INSECTS
A new suite of Intkey packages, with illustrations from classic works
(L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz)

The first posting of this endeavour can be accessed at the DELTA Web
site:

http://delta-intkey.com

It currently comprises thirteen packages, viz.:
the Orders of insects; the families of Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera,
Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Trichoptera; the genera of Ephemeroptera,
of
Lepidoptera-Geometridae, of Lepidoptera-Noctuidae and of Orthoptera
(sensu
stricto); the species of Lepidoptera-Gracillariidae-Phyllonorycter
(Lithocolletis), and the species of Odonata.

Introductory notes, source references for the descriptive data,
illustrations, and other relevant information, can be accessed within
each
package. All are at early stages of development, and the descriptive
data
throughout need checking and extending, with input from persons with
expertise in particular groups. On the other hand, taxon images of
good
quality (and often of historical interest) are provided on a large
scale,
and every set offers a capacity for interactive identification and for
retrieval of morphological, ecological and taxonomic information.

The original intention was to make available scans of the fine,
hand-coloured engravings of insects from John Curtis's 'British
Entomology:
illustrations and descriptions of the genera of insects found in Great
Britain and Ireland' (1824-1840), of which the first 12 volumes (up to
1835)
are available to us. (The botanical components of these plates are
utilized
in our 'Families of Flowering Plants' package, also available at the
DELTA
site.) However, addition of numerous images from early classic works
such as
Shaw and Nodder ('Naturalist's Miscellany', 1789-1813), Newman (1869
and
1871, for Macrolepidoptera), Walker (1851-1856, for Diptera), Saunders
(1896, for Hymenoptera-Aculeata), Lucas (1900, for Odonata), etc.,
enables us to
illustrate nearly all the groups quite extensively, in what we hope is
an
interesting way. Curtis's illustrations are widely supplemented with
scans
of his accompanying descriptive text, partly to provide legends for
the
plates, and partly for their potential interest to present day
students. In
paticular, they exemplify his meticulous, detailed comparative
descriptions and assessments of taxonomic relationships, which, though
pre-evolutionary, are couched in quite modern terms.

The JPEG illustrations have been prepared for convenience of
distribution and screen display, and are less sharp than the TIFF scans
from
which they were generated. The latter have been retained, and are
available
on request for worthwhile applications.

Adaptation of early illustrations has involved laborious pursuit of
the
nomenclature, mainly via the check-list of Kloet and Hincks (1945) and
subsequent updates of this. L.W. has tried to ensure that they conform
with
the corresponding morphological descriptions; but in the absence of
specialist taxonomic input, without direct access to a British
entomological
library, and mainly without specimens for comparison, there are
obvious
hazards. Persons wishing to use the pictures for their own purposes
should
take the necessary precautions for themselves.

We invite constructive comments on any of these data sets, and will try
to
correct errors as they are pointed out. We also want to improve them
and
develop them properly, by encouraging input from interested and
suitably
knowledgeable amateur or professional entomologists. Contributions will
be
appropriately acknowledged, and could lead to joint authorship.
Dr. Les Watson
78 Vancouver Street         Email: leswatson at westnet.com.au
Albany, WA 6330, Australia  Phone: +61 (08) 98 416181