ITIS is currently using Apache Solr Vers. 5.4. Output from ITIS Solr is available in XML (default), CSV, JSON, JSONP and Serialized PHP. For example, add "&wt=json" to the end of the query string to get JSON output returned like this https://services.itis.gov/?q=tsn:182662&wt=json. The Apache Solr Reference Guide can be quite helpful in generating queries and using their output. The ITIS Data Model will also be helpful in elucidating the finer points of field definitions and validation rules.
Fields are listed in the order in which they appear in a Solr response. All are Solr strings.
Field Name |
Required | Definition and Notes |
Multi Valued |
Example Value |
tsn |
Yes |
ITIS Taxonomic Serial Number or TSN. It is a globally unique and persistent identifier assigned to every scientific name at every rank in ITIS. It is unique for every record. It is never null. It is always a positive integer with no leading zeros. For more information about TSNs as non-intelligent unique identifiers see What is an ITIS TSN. |
false |
182662 |
multiplyLinkedSynonyms |
No |
Set to true when an invalid or not accepted name is linked to more than one valid or accepted name. Otherwise this field is absent. |
false |
true |
nameWInd | Yes |
Taxonomic name string with rank indicators |
false |
Agave americana ssp. americana var. expansa |
nameWOInd |
Yes |
Taxonomic name string without rank indicators. It may hold the same value as nameWInd if the name lacks rank indicators. |
false |
Agave americana americana expansa |
unit1 |
Yes |
First atomized unit of the taxonomic name string. |
false |
Agave |
unit2 | No |
Second atomized unit of the taxonomic name string. |
false |
americana |
unit3 | No |
Third atomized unit of the taxonomic name string. |
false |
americana |
unit4 | No |
Fourth atomized unit of the taxonomic name string. |
false |
expansa |
ind1 | No |
Rank Indicator in front of unit1 of the taxonomic name string. It is often used to indicate hybrid genera. |
false |
X Amelasorbus jackii |
ind2 | No |
Indicator between unit1 and unit2 of the taxonomic name string. |
false |
Lycopodium X habereri |
ind3 | No |
Indicator between unit2 and unit3 of the taxonomic name string. |
false |
Agave americana ssp. americana |
ind4 | No |
Indicator between unit3 and unit4 of the taxonomic name string. |
false |
Agave americana ssp. americana var. expansa |
usage | Yes |
Status of the taxonomic name. Acceptable values foe this field in the kingdoms Plantae, Fungi and Chromista are "accepted" or "not accepted". In Archaea, Bacteria, Animalia and Protozoa acceptable field values are "valid" or "invalid" |
false |
accepted |
unacceptReason |
Yes if usage = 'no accepted' or 'invalid' |
Unacceptability reason for an invalid or not accepted name. For more information about unacceptability reasons see ITIS Data Submittal Guidelines. |
false |
junior synonym |
credibilityRating | Yes |
Level of quality review of the taxonomic name. For more information about ITIS data quality indicators see ITIS Glossary of Terms. |
false |
TWG standards met |
completenessRating |
Yes if rankID <= 180 |
Indication of the completeness of taxonomic coverage. Acceptable values are: "unknown","partial", and "complete". For more information about ITIS data quality indicators see ITIS Glossary of Terms. |
false |
complete |
currencyRating | Yes if rankID <= 180 |
A 4-digit year reflecting the currency of the treatment in ITIS, or a value of “unknown� when currency hasn’t been specified. For more information about ITIS data quality indicators see ITIS Glossary of Terms. |
false |
2016 |
taxonAuthor | No |
Authorship string for the taxon represented in the record in the customary format for the taxonomic group |
false |
Lam. |
kingdom |
Yes |
Highest level of the taxonomic hierarchy (Animalia, Archaea, Bacteria, Chromista, Fungi, Plantae or Protozoa) |
false |
Archaea |
rank |
Yes |
Taxonomic rank of the name in this usage. For more information about ITIS ranks see ITIS Data Submittal Guidelines. |
false |
species |
hierarchySoFar | Yes |
The hierarchical name path of the scientific name represented by a tsn with a usage of valid/accepted, or the hierarchical name path or paths of the valid/accepted scientific name linked in synonymy to a tsn with a usage of invalid/not accepted TSN. Begins with valid/accepted TSN, then a colon, then a dollar character delimited name hierarchy from kingdom down to the rank including that name. |
true |
41107:$Plantae$Viridiplantae$Streptophyta
$Embryophyta$Tracheophyta$Spermatophytina
$Magnoliopsida$Lilianae$Poales
$Poaceae$Poa$Poa annua$ |
hierarchyTSN | Yes |
The hierarchical tsn path of the scientific name represented by a tsn with a usage of valid/accepted, or the hierarchical tsn path or paths of the valid/accepted scientific name linked in synonymy to a tsn with a usage of invalid/not accepted TSN. Consists of a dollar character delimited tsn hierarchy from kingdom down to the rank including the tsn with a usage of valid/accepted. |
true |
$202422$954898$846494$954900$846496$846504
$18063$846542$846620$40351$41074$41107$ |
publication | No |
Publication reference linked to the scientific name, or scientific and vernacular names. It consists of a dollar character delimited string with the ITIS reference type, publication ID, title, author(s), and other fields describing the publication and ending in the create and update date. |
true |
$PUB$6355$American Ornithologists' Union$Thirty-third Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds$The Auk, vol. 93, no. 4$1976-10-01 00:00:00$1976-10-29 00:00:00$$$$$875-879$$2015-10-28 00:00:00$ |
comment |
No |
Comment about the scientific name. It consists of a dollar character delimited string with the ITIS comment ID, commentator, comment text, create date, and update date |
true |
$66484$WoRMS - World List of Holothuroidea$LSID urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:529884 associated with the scientific name Actinocucumis longipedes Clark, 1938 acquired on 15 October, 2015$2018-07-27 13:00:26$2018-07-27 00:00:00$ |
expert | No |
Expert reference linked to the scientific name, or scientific and vernacular names. It consists of a dollar character delimited string with the ITIS reference type, expert ID, expert name, expert comment, create date, and update date. |
true |
$EXP$203$Mark Mort $Associate Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, Kansas, USA 66045 $2012-05-31 00:00:00$ |
otherSource | No |
Other reference linked to the scientific name, or scientific or vernacular names. It consists of a dollar character delimited string with the ITIS reference type, source ID, source type, source name, version, acquisition date, source comment, create date, and update date. |
true |
$SRC$1119$website$Zoonomen - Zoological Nomenclature Resource, 2015.02.01$01-Feb-15$2015-01-02 00:00:00$'Zoonomen Nomenclatural data' maintained by Alan P. Peterson at http://www.zoonomen.net$2015-10-28 00:00:00$ |
vernacular | No |
Common name associated with the scientific name. It consists of a dollar character delimited string of the vernacular name, language, approved indicator, vernacular ID, and update date. |
true |
$goldmoss stonecrop$English$N$146430$2012-05-31 00:00:00$ |
acceptedTSN |
Yes for usage = invalid or not accepted |
Taxonomic Serial Number of the accepted or valid name or names for a tsn with a usage of invalid or not accepted. |
true |
41107 |
synonyms |
Yes for usage = invalid or not accepted |
The valid or accepted name or names linked to the invalid or not accepted name. It consists of the Taxonomic Serial Number for the accepted or valid name, then a colon, then a dollar character delimited list of all synonyms linked to the valid or accepted name. |
true |
41107:$Poa annua aquatica$Poa annua reptans$Aira pumila$Catabrosa pumila$Ochlopoa annua$Poa aestivalis$Poa algida$Poa annua annua$Poa annua eriolepis$Poa annua rigidiuscula$Poa annua reptans$ |
rankID | Yes |
Series number indicating relative physical placement of the taxonomic rank in a table. For example, both Phylum and Division have a rankID of 30 |
false |
220 |
parentTSN | Yes for usage = valid or accepted |
Taxonomic Serial Number of the accepted or valid direct parent taxon |
false |
23453 |
hierarchySoFarWRanks | Yes |
The hierarchical name path of the scientific name represented by a tsn with a usage of valid/accepted, or the hierarchical name path or paths of the valid/accepted scientific name linked in synonymy to a tsn with a usage of invalid/not accepted TSN. Begins with valid/accepted TSN, then a colon, then a dollar character delimited 'rank:name' hierarchy from kingdom down to the rank including that name |
true |
41107:$Kingdom:Plantae$Subkingdom:Viridiplantae
$Infrakingdom:Streptophyta$Superdivision:Embryophyta
$Division:Tracheophyta$Subdivision:Spermatophytina
$Class:Magnoliopsida$Superorder:Lilianae
$Order:Poales$Family:Poaceae$Genus:Poa
$Species:Poa annua$ |
synonymTSNs |
Yes for usage = invalid or not accepted |
The valid or accepted name or names linked to the invalid or not accepted name. It consists of the TSN for the accepted or valid name, then a colon, then a dollar character delimited list of all synonym TSNs linked to the valid or accepted name. |
true |
41107:$538978$538979$785854$787993
$791574$793946$793954$802116
$802117$802119$803667$ |
createDate |
Yes |
The date and time upon which the TSN record was created. |
false |
1996-06-13 14:51:08 |
updateDate |
Yes |
The date and time upon which the TSN record was last updated. |
false |
2016-02-15 00:00:00 |
geographicDivision | No |
Geographic value or values associated with the scientific name, and the geographic update date. For more information about ITIS geographic divisions see ITIS Data Submittal Guidelines. |
true |
$North America$1996-11-05 00:00:00$ |
jurisdiction | No |
Geographical jurisdiction value or values associated with the scientific name, and the jurisdiction update date. For more information about ITIS jurisdiction values ssee ITIS Data Submittal Guidelines. |
true |
$Continental US$Introduced$2000-03-15 00:00:00$ |
hierarchicalSort | Yes for usage = valid or accepted |
A hyphen-delimited name hierarchy from kingdom down to the target valid or accepted name, with names in the hierarchy prefixed by a 4 digit high-to-low rank identifier computed as 10,000 - rank_id |
false |
9990Bacteria-9980Negibacteria-9970Proteobacteria-9940Gammaproteobacteria-9900Pseudomonadales |