Introduction to Using Discoverlife Insect Identification Guides
Channel: Sam Droege
Date: 24/01/2013

This is a brief introduction to the basic features of Discoverlife Matrix Identification guides.  (www.discoverlife.org)  The objective in this video is allow the user to use these guides efficiently and dial down their dichotomous key mindset so their can more quickly and accurately identify their specimens.  Unlike dichotomous keys, these flexible guides allow the user to answer identification questions in any order they like and include geographic location, illustrations, taxonomy, photographs, and often the primarily descriptions for each species as integral parts of the guides.  In this video we use bee species as an example, but the thinking and workflow applies to any taxonomic group and any guide.  Many thanks to John Pickering at the University of Georgia for developing the free online system that anyone can use to develop an identification guide to anything they please.  The DL people can be contacted at dl@discoverlife.org and Sam Droege can be contacted at sdroege@usgs.gov.  Future videos will demonstrate advanced features of the guides.