How to use our manual?

System requirements:

PC Computer, Windows 98 or higher, 16 MB RAM, CD-ROM, Graphic card of high quality with True colour mode, any Internet explorer (the manual was tested with Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator), Acrobat Reader 4.0 or higher, monitor 15’ or larger.

Start of exploration:

Internet version: see example below.

CD version: The manual has no autostart mode. Insert CD, open Windows explorer and click on your CD drive. You can start exploration from any HTML file visible in the directory. Start page is named "Home" (its file is named "Index") and link to the page is available on the right corner of each file.

Structure of Manual:

The Home page of the manual has links to several chapters: Introduction, List of tribes, List of genera, List of species, References, Abbreviations, Acknowledgements, List of photos, List of host plants, Key to genera, and Immature stages. On the right corner each page has links to at least four chapters listed above, thus at any time we can find one of the most important chapters.

Each species page has the same structure: name of species, list of synonyms with reference data, host plant (if available, marked with green), distribution (terra typica in original spelling is marked with red), links to photos and figures, links to previous and next species, link to genus page, and links to general chapters. Species on Genus pages are arranged alphabetically, valid subgenera are available in the structure of particular genus.

Each page with colour photo has link to the species page, genus page, and to general chapters. If more than one photo is available within one species, there are links to other photos below it. For genera with numerous species below the photo there are links to the most similar species of the genus (or other genera if Muellerian mimicry was observed).

List of species page contains all species names used in the references, including synonyms, homonyms, errors, nomina nuda etc.

On pages within List of photos chapter there are names of all species from the catalogue. Only species marked with numbers have available photos.

List of host plants chapter has links to particular plant families. Genera and species within the Family page are arranged alphabetically and have links to each beetle species page.

List of immature stages chapter contains list of species names arranged alphabetically with links to particular references with descriptions of immature stages.

Key to the genera chapter has links to keys to genera within particular tribe. Keys are in PDF format. Each genus name is a link to the Genus page in HTML catalogue.

Example:

In the literature you found the name Omoplata pallidipennis. You have three ways to find this taxon. If you know its tribal placement (it is a member of the tribe Stolaini) you can start with List of tribes chapter, click on links to the tribe Stolaini, and search for the name Omoplata. Unfortunately, the name is not listed within the list of genera. Probably it was synonymized. The second way is to return to the Home page, click on List of genera chapter, click on K-O link, and find the name Omoplata. It is marked with italics because it is an older synonym. Click on Omoplata name and you are within the genus Echoma page. Unfortunately, the name pallidipennis is not available on the page. Probably the species Omoplata pallidipennis was transferred to another genus. You have a third way to find the name. Return to Home page, click List of species, next click P link and find pallidipennis. It is marked with bold and is followed by Oma. abrreviation. It is the information that pallidipennis is a valid name with Omaspides as generic placement. Click on the name, and you will find page with history of the name Omoplata pallidipennis, links to references, host plant and distribution. In the left corner there are links to colour photo and previous and next species within the genus Omaspides. If you want to find colour photo directly, without surfing of taxonomical structure of the manual, click on List of photos chapter of Home page, click P link, find the name pallidipennis and click on it. If more than one photo is available, you can click on each photo independently.

Abbreviations
List of tribes
List of species
List of genera
References
List of photos
Home