1 Reply by ser

  • ser
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Re: Argyresthia conjugella synonymy error

I have found a serious problem with the species dictionary:

If records are entered as Argyresthia conjugella (B&F 418) from the Recorder 3.4 checklist - these are translated to A.brockella when reporting (B&F 410)

Recorder 6 and the NBN Gateway are the only places I can find these two species synonymised (the Gateway actually gives two different distribution maps when searching for A.conjugella - one for conjugella and one fro brockeella - I don't believe either map is now reliable)

Craig Slawson
Staffordshire Ecological Record

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2 Reply by Graham French

  • Graham French
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Re: Argyresthia conjugella synonymy error

Hello Craig

Argyresthia conjugella has 2 entries in the species dictionary with 2 taxonversionkeys, a well formed recommended name - A.conjugella Zeller, 1859 and an illformed non recommended name A.conjugella Zeller. The issue seems to be in the nameserver table where the well formed name points to itself but the ill formed name points to A.brockella. This is the reason why when searching for Argyresthia conjugella on the NBN Gateway you end up with 2 distribution maps. It looks like the ill formed name needs to be corrected in the nameserver to point to the well formed A.conjugella Zeller, 1859

Best wishes

Graham

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3 Reply by ser

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Re: Argyresthia conjugella synonymy error

Hi Graham

Thanks for the clarification and confirmation of the error - any idea WHEN it will be corrected in Recorder? - Errors like this do not help LRCs reputation for supplying accurate data - I had to spend all yesterday afternoon redetermining all my records for A.conjugella because they all mapped to brockeella in reports!

Craig Slawson
Staffordshire Ecological Record

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4 Reply by Mary Campling

  • Mary Campling
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Re: Argyresthia conjugella synonymy error

Hi Craig,
I would recommend that you adjust your NameServer table accordingly if you are happy to do so, as the next Recorder dictionary update is not likely to be until the end of the year. If you need any help on adjusting NameServer then let me know.
Mary

5 Reply by ser

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Re: Argyresthia conjugella synonymy error

Mary,

I've not got a problem with editing the NameServer technically, but I do have an issue with people editing what is supposed to be a National standard - if everyone starts editing the NameServer then everyone's copies of Recorder will be different.

I have loads of changes I'd like to make (most importantly being entries for common species not mapping to English names if the wrong list was used to enter the species), but I've been loath to alter anything.

I wonder if we need a protocol for making any changes like this and somewhere there could be a master list of all changes people report they have made - these can then be independently validated and those proven to be correct added to any forthcoming Dictionary updates

Craig Slawson
Staffordshire Ecological Record

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6 Reply by stevemcbill

  • stevemcbill
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Re: Argyresthia conjugella synonymy error

Craig,

I totally agree regarding changing the NameServer - I too greatly dislike the idea of locally changing what is meant to be a National standard.

I am interested in the 'LONG' list you have of name changes and additions which you feel would help in the Dictionary.  Perhaps you could post that list in the "Species Dictionary" area of the Forum here so that we could see them and have a chance to both comment and perhaps more importantly, to ADD to the list.  Posting the list now would give time for them ALL to be added and/or changed in time for the next Dictionary Update at the end of the year !!!

I agree that there are a lot of English/Common Names still missing from the Dictionary !!  I would like to see many more synonyms (Latin/Scientific) added in too.

Cheers.

Steve

Steve J. McWilliam
www.rECOrd-LRC.co.uk
www.stevemcwilliam.co.uk/guitar/

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7 Reply by ser

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Re: Argyresthia conjugella synonymy error

Hi Steve,

If I get chance I'll look at producing a list, but I have other priorities at the moment - most are only annoying e.g.

1) Deschampsia cespitosa on the preferred list has no common/English name so appears as the scientific/Latin name in lists

2) the taxon Lepidoptera has the common name of "Unidentified Lepidopteran" which looks silly in taxonomic lists - this harks back to Recorder 3 where there was a "Species" entry of Lepidoptera

I realise these are not part of the NameServer per se, but the principle is the same - editing system supplied data

Craig Slawson
Staffordshire Ecological Record

ser's Website

8 Reply by ChrisR

  • ChrisR
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Re: Argyresthia conjugella synonymy error

I have fixed this now in the master NameServer ... I can only assume that it was a typo because the 2 records are next to each other in the table.

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)