I thought it would be nice if there was one place for BugGuide editors to look when trying to figure out which taxonomy to follow when creating and revising guide pages. My hope is to make this list as complete and current as possible, so please chime in if you have any resources to add (or subtract). If any major debate needs to happen regarding a particular taxon, it would be best to start a new forum discussion and mention it here. I'll include links to relevant discussions that I know about.
With the many exceptions noted below, it seems to me that
ITIS is the best default reference to use. I've been using Nomina Nearctica as a last resort when all else fails; it is going offline on Oct. 1, but for anyone who has a personal copy it will still be a good resource for neglected taxa (copies can be purchased
here). It really is a last resort, though: see Bob Carlson's comment
here.
The various "Species File" websites are proving to be very valuable resources. The existing ones are noted below, and we can check
this site periodically for new ones.
ARACHNIDA
Mites & ticks: We have been using the "
Acari Project," a.k.a. "Synopsis of the Described Arachnida of the World." It is a pain to naviagate (not searchable) but I haven't been able to find a better alternative. It would be nice if there was one, though, since our mite experts often seem to disagree with this classification. I contacted the person who is allegedly in charge of the Oribatida section there, and he said he had nothing to do with it; he referred me to a recent catalog that has already been incorporated into ITIS.
Spiders (World Spider Catalog)
Windscorpions (Solifugae):
Brookhart and Brookhart (2006), "An annotated checklist of continental North American Solifugae with type depositories, abundance, and notes on their biogeography."
Pseudoscorpions of the World
Scorpions:
Kari's Scorpion Pages vs.
The Scorpion Files
Other Arachnids:
Class Arachnida in North America (north of Mexico) (maintained by Mark Harvey, Western Australian Museum)
MICROCORYPHIA (Bristletails)
ZYGENTOMA (Silverfish)
EPHEMEROPTERA (Mayflies) -
Mayfly Central, Purdue University;
Ephemeroptera Galactica
ODONATA (North American Odonata, University of Puget Sound)
PLECOPTERA (Stoneflies) -
Valid Stonefly Names for North America by B.P. Stark, R.W. Baumann, and R.E. DeWalt;
Plecoptera Species File.
This USGS site appears to give a common name for every species in the US.
EMBIIDINA (Webspinners) -
Embioptera Species File;
World List of Extant and Fossil Embiidina (=Embioptera)
PHASMIDA -
Phasmid Study Group has been
proposed;
Phasmida Species File is another option and is easier to navigate.
ORTHOPTERA (Orthoptera Species File)
NOTOPTERA (Rock Crawlers)
DERMAPTERA (Earwigs) -
Earwig Research Centre has been suggested; there is also
Dermaptera Species File
MANTODEA (Mantids) -
Mantodea Species File
BLATTODEA (Cockroaches & Termites) -
Blattodea Species File for cockroaches (it will include termites eventually, but doesn't yet);
On-line Termite Database for termites.
ZORAPTERA (Zorapterans) -
The Zoraptera Database
PSOCODEA (Barklice & Parasitic Lice) -
Psocodea Species File does not include Phthiraptera (parasitic lice) yet, but intends to eventually.
HEMIPTERA
Scale Insects:
scalenet looks like a great resource.
Aphids: I propose following
Aphid Species File.
Psyllids:
www.psyllids.org, while not complete, may be the best reference for this group.
Leafhoppers: this
USDA checklist is useful in figuring out which subgenus a species belongs in.
Coreoidea Species File
Pentatomoidea Home Page maintained by Dr. David Rider
Miridae:
On-line Systematic Catalog of Plant Bugs
THYSANOPTERA (Thrips) -
Thrips of the World Checklist
NEUROPTERIDA (Megaloptera, Rhaphidioptera, Neuroptera)
"
Species catalog of the Neuroptera, Megaloptera, and Raphidioptera of America North of Mexico"
(1), published in 1997, is comprehensive for our area.
J.D. Oswald's "
Neuropterida Species of the World" catalogue is more up-to-date. So the latter should presumably be what we use to verify the current name of a taxon, but the former is a useful reference for other purposes.
COLEOPTERA (Beetles) - The
American Beetles books
(2),
(3) are our standard (down to genus level). ITIS is up-to-date for many groups, but is missing some big ones. Also see
Synopsis of the Described Coleoptera of the World.
Tree of Life seems to have all the subfamilies, tribes, subtribes, genera, and subgenera of Staphylinidae (there's also the catalog at
www.staphylinini.org), and may be useful in sorting out other higher beetle taxa.
Buprestidae:
The World of Jewel Beetles
Cerambycidae:
Checklist of the Oxypeltidae, Vesperidae, Disteniidae and Cerambycidae, (Coleoptera) of the Western Hemisphere
Carabidae:
Catalogue of Geadephaga (Coleoptera: Adephaga) of America, north of Mexico [see discussion below the dead link]
HYMENOPTERA (Ants, Bees, Wasps, Sawflies)
The
Hymenoptera Name Server seems to be a good default, but there are better references for certain groups (also see
Hymenoptera Online Database):
Symphyta (Electronic World Catalog of Symphyta) [
discussion]
Ichneumonidae (Classification and Systematics of the Ichneumonidae, list maintained by David Wahl) [
discussion]
Cynipidae is not included in Hymenoptera Name Server and is incomplete on ITIS. I have been using a combination of Nomina Nearctica and
this page at Discover Life, which seems to be taken from the 1979 Hymenoptera Catalog.
Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, and Crabronidae -
Catalogue of the Sphecidae sensu lato
Bees -
Discover Life
TRICHOPTERA - What do people think about using the
Trichoptera World Checklist?
LEPIDOPTERA
Butterflies (Interactive Listing of American Butterflies at www.butterfliesofamerica.com) [
discussion]
The Nymphalidae Systematics Group
Moths: We now follow
Moth Photographers Group, which is updated constantly. There is a species list
here, and a "taxonomic notes" page
here that summarizes changes to the Hodges list. We had been using
All-Leps as our reference, and while it is very useful for looking up synonyms, it is apparently never updated, nor was it complete or accurate to begin with. (Some discussion of All-Leps
here.) (11/2009 edit: at least the family structure of All-Leps has now been updated to some extent.)
Global Taxonomic Database of Gracillariidae
Revised Checklist of Gelechiidae in America north of Mexico
Online World Catalogue of the Tortricidae
Noctuoidea:
Lafontaine & Schmidt 2010
MECOPTERA (Scorpionflies etc.) -
World Checklist of Extant Mecoptera Species (last update 1997, at least in some cases)
DIPTERA (Flies) -
The Diptera Site is the most accurate and up-to-date resource for the order as a whole. There are also some taxon-specific sites:
Sciaroidea (see
note)
Asilidae
Bombyliidae
Therevidae
Mydidae & Apioceridae
Sphaeroceridae
For Cecidomyiidae, the
Gagné & Jaschhof World Catalog is the best reference.
STREPSIPTERA (Twisted-winged Parasites) - One possibility is using the list in
Kathirithamby and Taylor (2005), but see discussion
here.
SIPHONAPTERA (Fleas)
DIPLURA, PROTURA (rarely encountered non-insect hexapods)
COLLEMBOLA -
www.collembola.org
CHILOPODA (Centipedes) -
Chilobase has been suggested.
DIPLOPODA (Millipedes) - How about this
World Checklist of Millipede Groups?
SYMPHYLA, PAUROPODA (other myriapods)
CRUSTACEANS
An updated classification of the recent Crustacea (2001) can be checked for higher taxonomy.
For isopods,
World List of Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans may be our best bet;
Checklist of the terrestrial isopods of the New World (1999) is another resource to check.
For crayfish:
The Crayfish & Lobster Taxonomy Browser