1 Reply by TonyP (edited by TonyP 16-01-2010 19:46:38)

  • TonyP
  • TonyP
  • Veteran
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  • From: Somerset
  • Registered: 15-05-2006
  • Posts: 306

Re: Taxon Search behaviour

While importing data and needing to match species names to those in dictionaries I find some strange behaviours.

Firstly I have set under options that I want taxon searches to be performed on 'unrestricted'. Every time I perform a search it always defaults to 'current checklist'. So this function does not seem to work.

Does anyone know why?

I've also noticed even thought I have done a search on the R3.3 dictionary for the current set of species that I can find exact matches using the 'current checklist' for species that have not been found in the same dictionary. For example "Apamea lithoxylea" had not been found using the search button but if R3.3 is the current checklist and I do a find I get back this "Apamea lithoxylea (Denis & Schiff., 1775) [Spp]"

I'm guessing that this should not happen.

Data Manger
Somerset Environmental Records Centre

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2 Reply by charlesroper

  • charlesroper
  • charlesroper
  • Digital Development Manager
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  • From: Field Studies Council
  • Registered: 26-03-2006
  • Posts: 906

Re: Taxon Search behaviour

In the case of Apamea lithoxlea, it looks like there is no preferred entry for this taxon:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/UNcgx.png[/img]

This looks like it might be an error in the dictionary, because there is a preferred taxon for this species (note the different spelling of the specific epithet):

NHMSYS0000495448
Apamea lithoxylaea (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Light Arches

If I do a search using unrestricted, then it is found on several (non-preferred) dictionaries:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/JmE17.png[/img]

If you do a search in the import wizard and a specific checklist is selected, then it can unambiguously select the taxon it finds on that list. If you don't selected a specific checklist and it finds the taxon ion several checklists, then it cannot make an automatic selection; therefore, the selection has to be made manually.

But this raises an area where the expected behaviour of Recorder is hazy to me. If I search 'preferred checklists' for 'Apamea lithoxlea', which is apparently an old, incorrect, non-preferred name, should it not show me the new, currently accepted name? The names appear to be linked in nameserver: Apamea lithoxlea points to Apamea lithoxylaea as the recommended taxon in INDEX_TAXON_NAME.

Charles Roper
Digital Development Manager | Field Studies Council
http://www.field-studies-council.org | https://twitter.com/charlesroper | https://twitter.com/fsc_digital

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