Properties for the correct insect catalog filter

Community and Forum → Taxonomy. Classification → Properties for the correct insect catalog filter

Peter Khramov, 27.07.2009 23:03

I highlight in a separate topic, because almost everything can be attributed not only to butterflies, but also so that the question is not lost.
So, there is an opinion that the correct illustrated catalog should contain a set of features (by which you can select views/photos) and service functions (in order to work more comfortably with the selected material).
As a result, you should create exactly the selection of views/photos that the user needs for their purposes.

On the example of butterflies, I see it this way.

Criteria for selection

Any taxon. In butterflies-starting from the superfamily
Author. Linnaeus, etc.
Year of the description. Not sure if it's necessary?
Length of the front wing. If only the wingspan is known for a species, it is reduced to length (is this possible?)
Primary color (not only for imago, but also for other stages). It is possible to detail the top / underside, front / rear fenders. The Lamerian attribute is very subjective, but it can still be useful
Geography. In the first case, there is a division at least into continents. Further details on administrative borders (it is clear to any teapot) or not on administrative ones (is it worth it?)
Maximum height that the view reaches. In general, this seems more relevant for Europeans who are obsessed with the Alps, but there are also mountainous areas in other places (although in the Russian Federation there are many untilled areas not in the mountains)
Time of summer (for adults), the time of existence of other stages of development. Here everything will be difficult because of the strong dependence of this very time on a specific place. But to begin with, you can give at least the maximum spread, and then detail it by district.
The life of caterpillars in a team. It is debatable whether it should be singled out as a separate feature.
Caterpillar food plant (useful if the larva is found on a well-defined plant)
Pupa — free in the soil / attached to the plant, etc.
Wintering stage
Accuracy of the definition. It is useful for selecting views if you want to see only precisely defined images. Or display and not exactly defined, but at the same time highlight them with color or something else
Actually, the stage of development/gender if you want to select them, as well as collectible specimens in the photo or field shooting, foreshortening (underside / top of the wings)
Photographer/Author of a text with a description

For those traits that may not be filled in (for example, forage plants), the option to specify is to assume for unfilled species that they meet the trait (greater coverage) or do not meet it (i.e. only species with reliable data, smaller coverage).
You can select multiple values for any feature (for example, select species from three genera).
You can combine arbitrary values for different attributes, such as yellow, size 33mm, Eurasia, and so on.

Now additional service functions for selection

Sorting: by Latin name, by Russian (is it necessary?), by time of publication of the photo, by time of appearance of the species in the site database (is it necessary?), by color, by wing size, by author (Linnaeus, etc.), by year of description, by maximum height, by stage of development.
By default-sort photos by the Latin name of the view with the option to choose — show only one main photo for each view, one photo for each stage, show all available photos, or do not display illustrations at all. One view is visually separated from the other and signed
Number of photos or views displayed on a single page
Photo size — the ability to display not only small previews in the general selection, but also medium-sized photos at once
Ability to display / hide the main and additional names of butterflies, fore wing size, food plants, geography, etc. from the above list of characteristics in the general selection

If anyone can add or comment on the above list — please speak out.

Comments

28.07.2009 8:20, taler

So.Well, what can I say?..Of course,America wasn't discovered and the bicycle wasn't invented.Basically, the standard scheme for many determinant atlases.Holding in my hands the atlas-determinant of butterflies of Israel, I can tell you what is in it from your points and what is not.
So:
All items are available.
The year of the author's description is required.It's like a passport.
In butterflies, the size is determined precisely by the wingspan.For example, a wingspan of 70 mm (necessarily in mm), then, accordingly, we know approximately the length of the front wing.
Colour.There's nothing Lamer about it.This is how it should be.In adults, of course, the outer and underside,+ forms, in caterpillars, the main color of all stages(if the same color, then you don't need to describe all stages)and of course the color and size of the egg.
Geography.This work has already been done and divided into butterflies polyarcts etc
I don't think it should be divided into continents,but it is necessary to cover the habitat(general).For example, Damora Pandora (Denis&Schiffermuller, 1775) range North Africa, Bl.East, Europe.Then more specifically about biotopes.
Height.You don't need to select it separately.It can be found in the "Geography"section.
Summer time is a must!There is nothing to look for a birch silkwing in July.There is a difficulty depending on natural conditions (cold, heat) and by region,but in general you can write it down.
Caterpillars in a team.Don't select it as a separate item.But regarding the imago, it is worth highlighting.The atlas also indicates whether the butterfly is a territorial butterfly,a mass migrant or a non-mass butterfly, a local mass species, or tied to a food plant.
Caterpillar feed plant-a must!In the paragraph above,it is written that there are imagos tied to a forage plant.(I used to look for butterflies myself just by looking at the plants)
Pupa.You can make it a general description, color, size, and features.
The wintering stage is a must!+how many generations per year.
Accuracy of the definition.It is not always done based on photos/images.In principle, all the points you have written are just for definition.But photos/images will certainly help.
Photographer/Author of a text with a description-of course!

Of course ,you should sort by Latin names.But you also need local names.I would also add it geographically and by the time of summer.It is also useful to get such information, knowing where I am going and when and who I can meet.

I can say that this work is huge, meticulous and very hard for one person.But since you decided to take it-good luck!

28.07.2009 13:46, Peter Khramov

taler, thank you for your reply.
In general, I don't seem to have fully formulated the question, being carried away by the enumeration of signs.
What was meant was what characteristics could be used to select species, not which ones would be included in the descriptions.
That is, we see a sheet with thousands of photos or views in front of us. We need to reduce this number, for example, to identify your butterfly in the photo. We choose the traits that we know and thus reduce the number of species, for example, from a thousand to thirty.
In this situation, I have doubts about whether the year of the description is needed as a sign of selection. In the description of the species, of course, the year is indicated...
And so on for all other reasons.
For one person, working with descriptions is impossible, this has already been discussed :-- ) Here the question is not about filling in the database, but about the composition of the beza to fill in, i.e. about the template.