Application of a Computerized General Purpose Information Management System (SELGEM) to Medically Important Arthropods (Diptera: Culcidae).
Abstract
The Mosquito Information Management Project was initiated in 1979 for the purpose of developing a computer-based systematic and ecological master file (data bank) of the National Museum Mosquito Collection housed in the Smithsonian Institution. The approximately 500,000 specimens with associated data constitute the best mosquito collection in the world. The data management system SELGEM (Self-GEnerating Master) was adapted to meet the needs of the project. A new mosquito collection information format has been developed, and programmed for ENTREX (data input hardware-software system) and the Honeywell 6620 computer. ENTREX indices were created for collectors, depositories and countries to permit use of abbreviations in collection records. Five subprograms were written to test the capability of SELGEM in addressing specialized questions to ensure its competence in handling hierarchically arranged data. The computer program, MILREF, which permits conversion of military grid reference coordinates to geographical coordinates (latitude-longitude), was obtained from the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA), making it possible to computer generate distribution maps with either of the above type of coordinates. All available medium and large scale maps (over 2000), and gazeteers were obtained for Middle and South America from the DMA. The following collection records were submitted to the computer master file via ENTREX: (1) 61 collections containing about 3600 specimens from Ecuador and (2) 1100 collections for 15 of the 43 Middle and South American countries concerning the Albimanus Section of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) (Faran, 1980). (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA111365
Entities
People
- Terry L. Erwin
Organizations
- Smithsonian Institution