The Nomenclator allows users to check names, find the status (valid or invalid) and correct (valid) name for obsolete ones as well as basic information such as type, family classification and source for all names. The Species database is being designed to answer queries about the attributes of species, such as distribution, biological associates and economic importance. This database will also serve as a portal by providing links to other World-Wide-Web resources, such as species pages where further information may be found.

A reference database is provided to allow users to find printed works about flies. And lastly a set of tools will be provided for taxonomists working on flies. These include or will include a database on collections, databases with historical information on authors, serials where papers on flies have been published, et cetera.

Information about quality of the data, the current status of the project, future work plans, team, as well as details about of the format, abbreviations, et cetera, can be found by following the project links in the frame.

The Standards, Description and Data Sources are only available in PDF Format. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.

You may also find information about North American fly names at the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) World Wide Web site. Some 25,000 names for North American flies from our BioSystematic Database of World Diptera were incorporated into the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) Code back in 1989. So, you can retreive information about the status of these names by querying of the ITIS or Species2000 databases.

The BDWD works with ITIS and was an initial member of the Species2000 program. The BDWD is endorsed by the Council for the International Congresses of Dipterology, a scientific member of the International Union of Biological Sciences.