- Description
- ECatSym is the first catalog of sawflies (Insecta, Hymenoptera) which provides the data online.
It is freely accessible through the present database, thus enabling everybody to trace taxonomic
information without impediment.
The ECatSym database comprises tools to search for valid names, synonyms, misspellings, and
common names. The user is led to the valid name for a requested taxon and receives a complete
list of scientific and vernacular name combinations associated with this taxon, information on
its distribution and its status as a fossil or extant taxon, and - as far as available - specimen and
label images. Availability and nomenclatural status are given for each name combination. The
data are associated with literature references as far as available. Finally, the user can order PDF
copies of the literature as an external loan service from the library of the Deutsches
Entomologisches Institut.
The high quality of information contained in the ECatSym database is reflected by the amount
of data included (see Statistics site) and by the fact that among more than 13,000 original name
combinations less than 4% have not yet been checked against their original description.
- Citing this website
- Frequent updates make slight alterations in the citation of the website necessary, according to
which version is being referred to. See top of result pages for a recommended method of citation.
- Funding
- The catalog project has received funding from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility
(GBIF) and from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the
framework of the German Entomology Node of GBIF.
The GBIF seed money award (2004-2005) was invaluable in allowing work on the catalog to
proceed and in clarifying taxonomic problems by us and our collaborators. The data included in
the following publications were derived from the ECatSym database, e.g. as faunistic data, as
references and as data on the use of names. Some of these publications represent the results of
long-term projects (Smith 2006, Taeger & Blank 2004), but all contain, at least in part, a
significant contribution from ECatSym.
- Liston, A. D.; Taeger, A. & Blank, S. M. 2006: Comments on European Sawflies
(Hymenoptera: Symphyta). Pp. 245-263. In: Blank, S. M.; Schmidt, S. & Taeger, A.
(eds): Recent Sawfly Research: Synthesis and Prospects. Goecke & Evers, Keltern
- Saini, M. S.; Blank, S. M. & Smith, D. R. 2006: Checklist of the Sawflies
(Hymenoptera: Symphyta) of India. Pp. 575-612. In: Blank, S. M.; Schmidt, S. &
Taeger, A. (eds): Recent Sawfly Research: Synthesis and Prospects. Goecke & Evers,
Keltern
- Smith, D. R. 2006: Checklist of the Pergidae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) of the Western
Hemisphere, with a New Genus and Two New Species. Pp. 613-626. In: Blank, S. M.;
Schmidt, S. & Taeger, A. (eds): Recent Sawfly Research: Synthesis and Prospects.
Goecke & Evers, Keltern
- Taeger, A. & Blank, S. M. 2004: Fauna Europaea - Hymenoptera, Suborder Symphyta.
- http://www.faunaeur.org
- Taeger, A. & Blank, S. M. 2006: Bibliographic Notes. Pp. 319-330. In: Blank, S. M.;
Schmidt, S. & Taeger, A. (eds): Recent Sawfly Research: Synthesis and Prospects.
Goecke & Evers, Keltern
- Taeger, A.; Blank, S. M. & Liston, A. D. 2006: European Sawflies (Hymenoptera:
Symphyta) - A Species Checklist for the Countries. Pp. 399-504. In: Blank, S. M.;
Schmidt, S. & Taeger, A. (eds): Recent Sawfly Research: Synthesis and Prospects.
Goecke & Evers, Keltern
- Wei, M.; Nie, H. & Taeger, A. 2006: Sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) of China -
Checklist and Review of Research. Pp. 505-574. In: Blank, S. M.; Schmidt, S. & Taeger,
A. (eds): Recent Sawfly Research: Synthesis and Prospects. Goecke & Evers, Keltern
At this point we wish to express our sincere thanks to Andrew D. Liston (Mncheberg), who has
conducted a good deal of the data capture and control during the GBIF project period, and to our
project partners, Akihiko Shinohara (Tokyo), David R. Smith (Washington) and Meicai Wei
(Changsha) for the provision and control of data and for supplying missing literature.
The funding provided by the BMBF for the project "GISHym: Globales Informationssystem
Hymenoptera" (2003-2006) was used to catalog primary type specimens housed in German
natural history collections. About 6,000 images of type specimens and their labels have been
included in ECatSym version 3. Both projects have cooperated closely in digitalizing sawfly
literature and capturing published data in databases.
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