1 Topic by Syrphus (edited by Syrphus 16-07-2014 10:37:05)

  • Syrphus
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  • From: Strathpeffer, Highland
  • Registered: 16-12-2008
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Topic: Dasineura fraxini inconsistency

Hello Chris.  I don't know if this is your dept or a G5 problem, but I have just been doing an import to R6 and Dasineura fraxini showed up as having two options.  One is

Dasineura fraxini (Kieffer, 1897), NBNSYS0100018760, a well-formed synonym of

Dasineura fraxini (Bremi, 1847), NBNSYS0000028195.

However, if you enter 'dasi frax' in the G5 species search page it only shows

Dasineura fraxini    Dasineura fraxini (Bremi, 1847), INSECT - TRUE FLY (DIPTERA), but shows it twice.

https://data.nbn.org.uk/Taxa/NBNSYS0100018760 shows the details for the Kieffer version.

Something not right, I think.

Murdo

Syrphus's Website

2 Reply by Graham French

  • Graham French
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Re: Dasineura fraxini inconsistency

Hello Murdo

The apparent duplication in the name field is the result of this taxa having 2 different taxonversionkeys with the same name. The authority is not included in this field as it is not normally known when searching for the species by name.

The browse species page goes to the main species page for the taxa which is for the preferred name (as given in the preferred name field) ie Dasineura fraxini (Bremi, 1847) and not the synomous name (eg Dasineura fraxini (Kieffer, 1897)), as this is the preferred taxonversionkey used in the Gateway reporting and mapping (so that records for synonymous names are automatically taken into account).

Species pages for the synonymous name do exist but are not linked from the browse species page (you can get to them via a direct URL as you did your example or from the link in the Synonyms
section of the species page). They provide additional taxonomic information but on clicking the reporting page links in the 'explore and download records' the maps and reports revert back to using the preferred name (preferred taxonversionkey)

Best wishes

Graham

Graham French's Website

3 Reply by Syrphus

  • Syrphus
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Re: Dasineura fraxini inconsistency

So once again we have an unhelpful inconsistency in the design of G5 from the point of view of the user, and once again it has forced me to spend my valuable time chasing what appears to be a fault.

How much simpler it would be for the user if the Kieffer version was shown in the search results alongside the Bremi as preferred name, in exactly the same way as if the taxon name was different.  Had that been done, I would have seen instantly which was the correct authority.

But simplicity and helpfulness, as we have discovered, is not something that features very much in G5.

M.

Syrphus's Website