White-Files database

Undetermined whitefly species from Madagascar with wax secretions

Project summary

Focus: Collating global database of whitefly species
Funding: Indexing for Life

The White-Files is an online taxonomic database for the world's whiteflies.

Each entry contains, where available:

full taxonomy (valid names and synonyms)
geographical distribution
type specimen pictures

The information is linked to its original source in the literature. The White-Files brings together taxonomic data scattered in the literature and regional catalogues.

Some whitefly species, such as Bemisia tabaci, are major crop pests. We hope to improve pest management by gathering and sharing information on these species.

We will also aid better identification of species by publishing high-resolution type specimen pictures.

Building the database

Data are entered using the free DataBase To Names and Taxa (DBTNT) software which allows dynamic navigation of online records.

The distribution of each species is mapped using the EDIT Map REST Service, and follows the Taxonomic Databases for Plant Sciences standard World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions levels 3 and 4.

The pictures of Takahashi’s type specimens hosted at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris) have been published in collaboration with Jean-Claude Streito.