The terrestrial arthropod species entity contains taxonomic, morphological, and ecological ("ecomorphic") data for each species of arthropod. Data is provided in the ETE database only for the particular life stage encountered as a fossil (notably for insects: naiad, nymph, larva, pupa or adult) without extrapolation of presumed ecomorphic, morphological or other attributes to conspecific life stages. In addition to the Data-Entry Authorization section, each species entry must be associated with at least one reference (which requires the fields ref.author_1 and ref.date). See Reference Data Fields.
Required fields for a terrestrial arthropod species consist of:
Genus asp.genus Species asp.species Unique field asp.unf Data Coordinator sau.coordinator Data Authorizer sau.authorizerHigher taxonomic information should be supplied for any genus that is new to the database. Later entries of congeneric species will be automatically supplied with the higher taxonomic information by the software, so it is not necessary to provide it in these cases.
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
Time during a 24 hour cycle during which activity (feeding, reproduction, etc.) is greatest.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.activity
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example crepusc crepuscular (dawn and dusk) many Sphingidae, Lampyridae diurnal diurnal (day) Apidae noctur nocturnal (night) Cimicidae undet undetermined
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
A categorization of defensive structures that assist in avoiding predation.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.antipred
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example absent absent Aphididae bite to bite, puncture, etc. from Centromachidae the caudal region cerci cerci Japygidae color coloration some Nymphalidae cuticle thick cuticle some Tenebrionidae feign behavioral modification: some Scarabaeidae threat posturing or feigning death glands special glands Coreidae ins_fabr insect constructed (web Embiidae tunnels, cases) mimicry mimicry many Membracidae other pla_fabr plant constructed (galls, Gracillariidae mines, borings) spines spines some Acrididae sting sting Megachilidae undet undetermined
DATA TYPE
A real number (optional decimal point).
DESCRIPTION
The average adult body length estimated for the species, in millimeters. This length estimate excludes appendages.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.body_length
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
A character field not exceeding 30 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The Linnean class to which the species belongs.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.class
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
Character field not exceeding 255 characters.
DESCRIPTION
Each time a species is added to the database, the Data-Entry Authorization section (see the Overview) must be filled out. The same thing occurs whenever the data for the species are updated. Included in this part of the data fields is a comment field. Include here reservations about certain data, explanations of what some inferences were based on, what references were used for what data, and other miscellaneous useful comments on your work in preparing the data for entry. Be brief!
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
sau.comment
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
A character field not exceeding 25 characters. MANDATORY FIELD.
DESCRIPTION
The name of the member of a research group who authorizes the entry of information into the database. This may or may not be the same as the Data Coordinator. It is intended that the currently empowered Authorizers be a small and restricted set of research group members who work closely with the database. Their job is to certify that the data prepared by the Data Coordinator(s) meet the current standards for scientific accuracy and have been entered logically. They are also responsible for catching major errors of a scientific nature, inconsistencies, and misunderstandings on the part of whoever filled out the datasheet. No datasheet can be entered without an Authorizer.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
sau.authorizer
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
A character string not exceeding 25 characters. MANDATORY FIELD.
DESCRIPTION
The data for each entity are prepared by or under the supervision of a particular researcher (or group of researchers). This (these) person(s) is designated the Data Coordinator, and is the primary source of the information and is responsible for its accuracy. Data Coordinators may or may not also be Data Authorizers. Data Coordinators possess such rights over the data as the Consortium has decided in its general policy on the subject. Briefly, for entities designated as "private", the Data Coordinator's data are treated as a collection that the Data Coordinator is actively working on. Thus, the Data Coordinator must be consulted/informed when other researchers use the data in some project intended for publication. The Data Coordinator may deny permission for such use. The Data Coordinator may initially or at a later time designate the status of a species or locality as "public". In this case, the data become "public domain" and can be used by anyone with access privileges to the database, for any purpose, without informing or obtaining permission from the Data Coordinator. The Consortium has established a time period (5 years from date of entry or last modification) after which data of a particular entity will convert to "public" status, unless there are compelling reasons to retain private status.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
sau.coordinator
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
A character field not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The primary type of ametamorphic or metamorphic development for the species.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.development
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example ametabol ametabolous (metamorphosis Archaeognatha absent) hemimet hemimetabolous Hemiptera (adult-dissimilar naiads present; pupae absent) holomet holometabolous (larvae and Hymenoptera pupae present) hypermet hypermetamorphic (larvae many Rhipiphoridae strongly differentiated morphologically) oligomet oligometabolous (adult-similar Dermaptera nymphs present; pupae absent) other other undet undetermined
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The most general food type consumed by the taxon being entered (commonly, the genus).
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.diet_type
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example algae algivory (algae) Hydroscaphidae, some Corixidae all omnivory (eclectic diet) Blatellidae, some Forficulidae animal carnivory (live animal tissue) Aeshyidae, Belostomatidae blood sanguinivory (blood, lymph, female Simuliidae, female liquified tissues, or any Culicidae other internal bodily fluids) carrion necrivory (dead animal tissue) Calliphoridae, most Silphidae detritus detritivory--macrovorous Ephemerellidae, some (consump- tion of dead Perlidae macroscopic particles, including unspecific necrivory) eggs ovivory (eggs) some Phoridae, some Chloropidae excreta stercovory (excreta) Scatophagidae, many Muscidae fil_feed filter feeder (siever or larval Simuliidae filterer of microscopic particles) flowers flowers some Scarabaeidae fruit fruit some Tortricidae fungi fungivory (fungi) some Staphylinidae, Mycetophilidae gran_sem granivory/seminivory (seeds Bruchidae, Xyelidae and grain) leaves folivory (leaves) most Pyralidae, Chrysomelidae nectar nectarivory (flower, fungal Sphingidae, Nemestrinidae and plant fluids, including nectar, honeydew, guttated fluids, surface sweat, deliquescing fungal surfaces, etc.) nontroph nontrophic (no feeding) adult Ephemeroptera, some adult Lepidoptera (e.g. Tineidae) plan_sap phytosuccivory (plant sap) Cicadellidae, Thripidae plants herbivory (undifferentiated) many Acrididae roots roots Hepialidae spor_pol sporivory/pollenivory (spores some Curculionidae, some and/or pollen) Helio-dinidae undet undetermined unique unique Galleria on wax (Pyralidae), Psilopa on petroleum (Ephydridae) wood lignivory (wood) larval Siricidae, larval Buprestidae
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
Mode of egg deposition, including the presence and/or type of egg-embedding substances.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.eggs
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example ani_ovip animal-piercing ovipositor Ibaliidae (narrow and stylate) free eggs freely laid (external Mallophaga ovipositor absent) gen_ovip generalized ovipositor Cleridae (unelaborated) marsup marsupiate Belostomatidae mucus embedded in fluid some Chironomidae polysaccharide (froth, mucus, colloidal matrix) ootheca oothecate (eggs in leathery Blaberidae case) other other pla_ovip plant-piercing ovipositor Tenthredinidae (broad and serrate, or telescopic for inserting eggs into crevices of plants, flower buds, etc.) sting ovipositor with a sting Anthophoridae undet undetermined wd_ovip wood-boring ovipositor (very Ichneumonidae long with a drill tip)
DATA TYPE
A character field not exceeding 30 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The Linnean family to which the species belongs. It should, as usual, begin with an upper-case letter.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
vsp.family
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The microhabitat where feeding occurs.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.feeding_hab
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example aerial aerial (in air) Asilidae algae algicolous (algae) most Elmidae benthic benthic (in substrate; Chironomidae aquatic) caverns cavernicolous (in caverns) some Gyrillidae dung in dung Scathophagidae edaphic edaphic (in soil on land) most Termitidae epibenth epibenthic (on substrate; nymphal Perlidae aquatic) epiedaph epiedaphic (on soil on land; Carabidae unspeci- fied, generalized, and ecologically broad in feeding habitat that may include terrestrial ground-level feeding among dead or live plant material such as, leaves, foliar litter, tree trunks,and decomposing wood, and on soil and unspeci- fied detritus) epizoic epizoic (on animals) Pulicidae flowers floricolous (flowers) Thripidae fruit in or on fruit Tephritidae fungi fungicolous (fungi) many Ciidae intrzoic intrazoic (in animals) Hypodermatidae in_wood in or on wood, includ. tree Cupedidae trunk surf. leaf_lit in leaf litter larval Dolichopodidae leaves folicolous (foliage) Tenthrediniidae nektonic nektonic (in water column) Dytiscidae nests in or on animal's nests, Paussidae including other insects, mammals, birds, & arthropods neuston neuston (in neuston zone) larval Culicidae not_app aphagic organisms adult Ephemeroptera other other roots radicicolous (roots) Hepialiidae sem_gran seminicolous or granicolous some Eurytomidae (seeds/grains) shorelin along the shoreline of fresh many Staphylinidae or marine bodies stems caulicolous (stems) Cephidae wat_surf water surface Gerridae undet undetermined
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The macroscopic form of the food for the species.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.food_form
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example liquid liquid Lygaeidae not_app not applicable some adult Lasiocampidae & Saturniidae particle particulate larval Simuliidae solid solid Petaluridae undet undetermined
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 9 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
A general descriptor of how the fossil is assembled or disassembled.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.fos_pts
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation fi_arti final instar, articulated fi_disart final instar, disarticulated mt_arti molt, articulated mt_disart molt, disarticulated not_app not applicable, as in the case of trace fossils
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
A general descriptor of what body part or collection of body parts that constitute the fossil.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.fos_type
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example bf_soft body fossil--organs other than wings bf_valves body fossil--valves bf_wings body fossil--wings tf_cases trace fossil (e.g. caddisfly Phryganeidae cases) tf_plant trace fossil--plant damage Cynipidae, Incurvariidae (e.g. wood-boring, stem gall, leaf mine) tf_soil trace fossil--trail or burrow larval Chironomidae
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
A general descriptor of the mode by which food is consumed.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.feeding_grp
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example borer borer (in indurated tissue; larval Anobiidae, larval no nutritive tissue) Xiphydriidae chewer chewer cutan cutaneous adsorber larval Gasterophilidae, (nutrients sequestered female Halic-tophagidae through the skin) eff external foliage feeder (on Acrididae, larval Saturniidae live foliage) fil_feed filter feeder (small larval Hydropsychidae, particle siever or filterer) nymphal Oligo-neuridae galler galler (in various tissues; most Cecidomyiidae, most nutritive tissue present) Cynipidae gras_pre grasper-predator (chewer Coenogrionidae, Nepidae with raptorial structures) miner miner (in soft tissue; no Nepticulidae, Agromyzidae nutritive tissue) not_app not applicable pier_suc piercer-and-sucker (suction Membracidae, Reduviidae of subcutaneous fluids, in- cluding specialized methods such as piercing-and-cutting) sff surface fluid feeder (e.g. Muscidae, Apidae honeydew, urine, wounds) undet undetermined unique unique
DATA TYPE
A character field not exceeding 30 characters in length. MANDATORY FIELD.
DESCRIPTION
The generic name of the species. It should, as usual, begin with an upper-case letter. Exception: Generic names may also be given as "cf." followed by a generic name, or the entries "gen." or "indet.".
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.genus
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
A general descriptor of the life-history strategy by which food is obtained for the species.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.hunt_forage
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example amb_pred ambush predator (prey can be many mygalomorph spiders; smaller or larger than larval Myrmeleontidae; adult predator and not Odontomachus (Formicidae) necessarily consumed in its entirety) ectopara ectoparasitic (host is Ceratophyllidae initially larger than "predator") endopara endoparasitic (host is Stylopidae larger than "predator") ex_plant external plant feeder larval Sphingidae (includes plant fluids) net_capt net capture Philopotamidae not_app not applicable scaveng scavenging or foraging some Mycetophilidae (includes mucus entrapment) stl_pred stalk predator (prey can be Mantidae; Reduviidae; smaller or larger than Psychodidae predator and not necessarily consumed in its entirety) undet undetermined unique unique
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
A general descriptor of the major life-stage of the fossil.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.life_stage
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation adult adult egg egg larva larva nym_nai nymph (terrestrial) or naiad (aquatic)
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The dominant mode of organismic movement from one place to another.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.locomotion
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example bur_nat burrower and natant Phryganeidae undifferentiated burrow burrower (sensu lato) Gryllotalpidae cursor cursorial/gressorial Salpingidae (walking) hydrosta hyrdrostatic creeping (e.g. larval Sciaridae apodous larval movement) natant natant (swimming) Hydrophilidae other other phoretic phoretic (attached to a Nycterbiidae shelter host) saltator saltatorial (jumping) Tettigoniidae undet undetermined volant volant (flying) Papilionidae
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 9 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
A category that structurally categorizes the mouthpart ensemble (both single and functionally co-opted elements) and adjacent structures on the head capsule. The phenetic analysis for which mouthpart classes were established for modern insects is Labandeira (1990).
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.mouthpart
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example adu_ecto adult ectognathate adults & nymphs of most mandibulate in-sects buc_cone buccal cone Anoplura, Haematomyzidae cheli generalized chelicerate Araneida chel_sty chelicerate-stylate some Acari di_tetr distylate/tetrastylate adult Anisopodidae, Rhagionidae, Mydidae, Therevidae, Ironomyiidae ecto_sty ectognathous-stylate some adult taxa in Sphaeridae, Rhysodidae, Leiodidae, Cerylonidae, Corylophidae, Eu-cinetidae, Coolooidae entognat entognathate Collembola, Diplura ento_sty entognathous-stylate Protura, Neanuridae fos_com fossate complex larval Planipennia glossate glossate adult Sapygidae, Scolioidea, Vespoidea & Apoidea; Nemopteridae haust haustoriate adult Trichoptera hexasty hexastylate most adult nematocerous Diptera, Tabanoidea labellate labellate adult Tipuloidea, Tanyderidae, Ptycho-pteridae, Bibionoidea, Brachycera, Nan-nochoristidae laciniate laciniate hypoperlids (e.g. Caloneuridae) lar_ecto larval ectognathate larvae of Mecoptera, Siphonaptera, many Diptera, Coleoptera & Lepidoptera mandibul mandibulobrustiate larval Trichoptera maxillo maxillolabiate most adult apocritan Hymenoptera max_man maxilloped and mandible Crustacea bearing monocond monocondylate Archaeognatha mono_di monostylate/distylate adult Asilidae, Acroceridae, Empididae, Bombyliidae mor_pes mortar-and-pestle Psocoptera, Mallophaga mthbrush mouthbrush many larval nematocerous Diptera mouthcone mouthcone Thysanoptera mouthhook mouthhook larval Cecidomyiidae and Brachycera nontroph nontrophic adults of Ephemeroptera, Hepialoidea, Lasiocampidae, and Saturniidae pectinate pectinate subadult Ephemeroptera rap_ecto raptorial ectognathate Odonata rasp hypostomal rasp some Acari red_trop reduced trophic adult Nymphomyiidae, Hyperoscleidae, Gasterophilidae, Acroceridae, Zygaenoidae; adult Hymenoptera-'Parasitica' rhyncho rhynchophorate adult Curculionoidea rob_beak robust beak Palaeodictyopteroidea rostrate rostrate adult Mecoptera, adult Nemopteridae seg_beak segmented beak Hemiptera sericter sericterate most larval glossate Lepidoptera and larval symphytan Hymenoptera siph_man siphonomandibulate some adult Meloidae and Rhipiphoridae siphonate siphonate most adult Lepidoptera siph_sty siphonostylate some adult Noctuidae tristylat tristylate adult Siphonaptera tub_sty tubulostylate adult Glossinidae, Hippoboscidae, Streb-lidae, Nycterbiidae tubulo tubulomandibulate larval Hygrobiidae, Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae, Lampyridae, Drilidae, Lycidae, Pheno-godidae, Cantharidae undet undetermined
DATA TYPE
A character field not exceeding 30 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The Linnean order to which the species belongs. It should, as usual, begin with an upper-case letter.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.lorder
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
A descriptor of the measure of shape and appendicularity of the fossil.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.physiog
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example asthenic asthenic (gracile; high Hydrometridae surface to volume ratio) mesic mesic (moderate body shape) Tenebrionidae pycnic pycnic (robust; low surface many Scarabaeidae to volume ratio) undet undetermined
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The degree to which the population structure is characterized by caste polymorphism and division of labor.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.pop_struct
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example sbsocial subsocial or gregarious Cryptocercidae social social (castes) Formicidae solitary solitary Labiidae undet undetermined
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The degree to which embryo-surrounding tissues and structures are produced and/or retained by a gravid female.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.reproduction
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example other other ovipar oviparous (eggs are laid) Corydalidae ovi_viv ability to switch between oviparous and viviparous ovovivi ovoviviparous (eggs hatched Tachinidae internally) undet undetermined vivipar viviparous (no eggs) Hippoboscidae
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 7 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The taxonomic specificity to which host tissue (plant, fungal, animal or otherwise) is consumed. Stenophagy=a few related species within a genus; Oligophagy=related genera within a family or among closely-related families; Euryphagy=no pattern of host specificity.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.selectivity
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation eury euryphagous (broad specificity) - unrelated species, genera and families not_app not applicable oligo oligophagous (intermediate specificity) - closely related genera within families steno stenophagous (narrow specificity) - closely related species undet undetermined
DATA TYPE
A character field not exceeding 30 characters in length. MANDATORY FIELD.
DESCRIPTION
The species name of the species. It is always entirely in lower case. Species may also be recorded as "sp.", "indet.", or preceded by "cf." to indicate different levels of uncertainty in assignment. These three strings are the only ones that the graphical interface recognizes as alternatives to Linnean names. "sp." implies that it is known that this is a new or separate species, but that it currently has no formal taxonomic name; use "indet." for a species that is not identifiable at the species level. "cf." is to indicate any of the many tentative assignments (including "aff.", "near", ? species, etc.). "cf." entries always are recorded as separate species, not as instances of the referred species.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.species
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 15 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
Every species or locality record in the Database at any moment is assigned a status, which indicates the level of access permitted to that record. Currently, the value "public" indicates that the record is essentially "public domain" and will be made available without restriction in the public domain version of the ETE Database. The value "private" indicates that the record will be accessible only to those researchers who have access to the ongoing working database. Records will ordinarily be entered with "private" status until the members of the Project (q.v.) that has generated them releases them to the public. The Data Coordinator (q.v.) for each record is ultimately responsible for any changes of its status. Additional values for status may eventually be added if it becomes necessary to specify in finer detail the access level of an entity.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.status
ALLOWED VALUES
private public
DATA TYPE
A character field not exceeding 30 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
At times the occurrences of the same species at different localities will still differ in some ecologically meaningful way. For example, the same named species may be of substantially different size in different fossil localities. In order to record the size appropriate to each locality, one must somehow separate the two species occurrences -- as if they were two separate species. At other times, adequate identifications may be unavailable, or systematic work needs to be done, such that the best one can do is to identify to some higher taxon (e.g., Somegenus sp.). In such a case, "Somegenus sp." is what the computer will search on when a species list is entered. But there may be many undescribed species of Somegenus, each different in ecologically meaningful ways, and found in a variety of localities. Yet, they all have the same generic and specific name as far as the computer is concerned. They need to be treated individually.
The unique field is the way to do this. In addition to Genus and Species, this field is also searched when a species name is input as part of a species list. In effect, the ETE Database uses "trinomial" designations for its "species". Thus, to separate occurrences of Somegenus, all one has to do is to specify an entry in the unique field. It might be a letter or a number, or an abbreviation for a locality, or any string of 30 characters or fewer that will serve to identify it uniquely. Remember that other people might be working with Somegenus as well, so naming a species "Somegenus sp. A" (i.e., the unique field = "A") might inadvertently identify it incorrectly as another one already in the database. One fairly safe solution would be to include some kind of locality, regional, or temporal designations within the 30-character string -- increasing the probability that the unique field will really be unique.
Data Coordinators must keep track of their own usages and assignments using this field, and they should become aware of the ways in which the species (or close relatives) that they are working with may have already been entered by other workers. The computer cannot sort out a nomenclatural mess where two different things have been given the same name by mistake. On the other hand, excessive use of the unique field, resulting in a situation where all or most occurrences of a species are distinguished as unique, should also be avoided. This is surely unnecessary, takes up valuable storage space, and can also become confusing to other workers.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.unf
ALLOWED VALUES
Any
DATA TYPE
A predefined character string not exceeding 8 characters in length.
DESCRIPTION
The degree of spatial mobility during the lifetime of an individual.
INTERNAL TABLE.FIELD NAMES
asp.vagility
ALLOWED VALUES
Explanation Example act_vagi actively vagile (under own Lestidae power) pas_vagi passively vagile (external Ricinidae power) sessile sessile (fixed) Pseudococcidae undet undetermined