ID resources from FSC Identikit

There are a growing number of ID resources created using FSC Identikit. Follow the links on the main menu to explore a variety of ID resources created from the Identikit (or in some cases tools which pre-figured the FSC Identikit). You can link to a few of them below.

Megabunus diadema by Paul RichardsHarvestman ID visualisation. There are some 30 different species of harvestmen (Opiliones) in the UK. This interactive guide is a resource for anyone who wants to identify a harvestman and/or learn about the features that can be used to separate the different taxa in the field. Visual features such as pattern and colour are quite hard to capture with traditional (and non-traditional) keys, but much better represented by pictures.  This ID resource incorporates Paul Richard's excellent and comprehensive set of harvestman photographs . This knowledge base was developed by Richard Burkmar in association with Paul Richards.

Earthworm.  Illustration: C BellEarthworm multi access key. An online multi-access key to aid identification of the 27 UK earthworm species. It an also be used to explore earthworm taxonomic and ecological characteristics, via visualisation of the knowledge base in the AIDGAP key put together by Emma Sherlock. Four identification tools are accessible from the the website. The first is the original multi-access key tailored specifically for UK earthworms and created before the FSC Identikit came into being (the remaining are all implemented by the FSC Identikit). The second is also a multi-access key, but it emphasises different features - zoomable photographs are also accessible from this key. The third - the Circle Pack Key - allows you to explore the distribution of morphological features across different earthworm genera. The fourth - a side by side comparison tool - allows you to directly compare features from two ore more different species of earthworms and also to compare photographs where they exist.

Grasses keyGrasses multi access key. A multi-access key to provide an introduction and guide for beginners in the identification of grasses in flower. The knowledge-base construction, written information on morphological features and illustrations are the work of Sally Hyslop for The Natural History Museum's Identification Trainers for the Future project. The visualisation, key design and programming was carried out by Rich Burkmar for the Tomorrow's Biodiversity project before the FSC Identikit was created. Images of specimens were sourced from the Natural History Museum’s British and Irish Herbarium and digitised with the help of John Hunnex.

Linyphiidae keyLinyphiidae multi access key. The knowledge-base behind this key is based on a spreasheet created by Nigel Cane-Honeysett by transcribing information from the Linyphiidae tables in Michael Roberts' The Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland.

The key only uses a restricted range of characters and aims, like Roberts' original tables, to narrow down the possibilities of what is a very large group. The characters used can only be discerned on preserved specimens. Because of the large number of taxa, it is a good demonstration of the Identikit's circle-pack key.