The interactive keys allow the user to make an identification by narrowing
down the range of possible taxa by clicking on one or other of the toolbar
buttons, for example, in the keys to genera and species the ‘world’ button
selects all genera and excludes Australian species, while the ‘Australia’
button makes the reverse selection. When using the key to families, clicking
on the ‘region’ button allows the user to select the general biogeographic
region of interest, while clicking on the habitat button allows selection
of taxa based on their preferred habitat types.
When using the keys, clicking on any character (in the top left window
of the Intkey screen) allows the user to select one or more character
states that match the specimen being identified. Those characters with
greatest power to identify a specimen with the fewest number of decisions
are by default placed at the top of the list, but the user should choose
the characters with which she or he is most familiar. Selecting a taxon
(in the top right window) allows the user to display information and images
of that taxon. Other buttons on the toolbars provide various tools which
display, for example, differences between remaining taxa (this is an especially
useful feature when only a few possible matches remain in the top right
window). When an identification terminates at a single taxon, be careful
to compare the description and figures with the specimen; any key
will deliver an answer, irrespective of mistakes made by the user.
In the final version of this identification tool, it will be possible
to link directly from a family name identification made within the key
to families directly to the key to all genera and Australian species known
within that family. This facility is not available in this demonstration
version, instead the family keys are accessed from the "Browse families"
toolbar button on most introductory screens.
The keys are constructed using the DELTA program Intkey. More
information about the DELTA data format and other programs in the DELTA
system can be found at the DELTA
web page . The DELTA program and data format was developed by MJ Dallwitz
TA Paine and EJ Zurcher, CSIRO Division of Entomology, GPO Box 1700, Canberra
ACT 2601, Australia. The following references document the DELTA system:
Pankhurst, RJ (1986). A package of computer programs for handling taxonomic
databases. CABIOS 2, 33-9.
Dallwitz, MJ (1980). A general system for coding taxonomic descriptions.
Taxon 29, 41-6.
Dallwitz, MJ, Paine, TA and Zurcher, EJ (1993 onwards). User's Guide
to the DELTA System: a General System for Processing Taxonomic Descriptions.
4th edition. (Edition 4.12, December 2000). http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/
