Help:Ant Collections

Lists of Collections
Ant collections with an Antwiki page are organized into these categories.


 * Institution based collections: Category:Museum Collections
 * Individual collections, e.g., the Forel Collection: Category:Individual Collections
 * A combined list of both institution based and individual collections: Category:Collections

There is also a list of collections, alphabetized by their abbreviation, with their names and locations Formicidae Collections.

Ant Collections and Templates
The most basic ant collection webpage states where the collection is located. Additional details can also be added to any collection page by anyone with editorial privileges. Each collection should also have an associated template page. Templates provide an easy means of referring to ant collection from an Antwiki webpage. Instead of typing in the name of a collection add the collection abbreviations (matching the appropriate template) enclosed in double brackets on the edit page. The webpage will then show the full name of the collection with a link to that collection's webpage. The Australian National Insect Collection, for example, could be entered as on an edit page and would then be displayed as. This can be useful, for example, to state on a species page where the type material is deposited (Acropyga myops). You can see a list of Collections templates here: Category:Collections Templates

Creating New Ant Collection Webpages
If you would like to add an ant collection that has yet to be included in Antwiki, you can help everyone out by following these steps (going through this process allows everyone to easily find and use the information for any collection you add):

Check Existing Ant Collections
Collection names and abbreviations change or have different variations. Some ant collections, for instance, may be referred to by the name of the museum or by the name of that museum's entomology collection. If you go to the Formicidae Collections and type "CTRL F" you can search the contents of that page by name, city or country. Before you add a new collection be sure to check that it is not already included in Antwiki.

Names and Abbreviations
If it is not already on Antwiki, the first step is to settle on the name and abbreviation to use. Two good lists of collections and abbreviations can be found here http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/codens/codens-inst.html and here http://www.biodiversitycollectionsindex.org/static/index.html.

The following will use the collection abbreviation ABCD and collection name of Ant Example Collection to step through creating a new template and collection page.

Create a Collections Template
Create a new page named TEMPLATE:ABCD

In the edit window of this newly started page add the following:

Ant Example Collection

Once you save this page it should display the name Ant Example Collection as a red link. Click on the name to.......

Create a Collection Webpage
Following the red link from the previous step will open a new page. In the edit window you should, at a minimum, add the name of the collection and the location where it is housed.

You will also need to add two categories, depending on what kind of collection you are adding. For an institutional collection the last line of your entry should be:

and if this is a private collection or information about a taxonomist's collection:

Once you have all the information you want to add about the collection, save the page.

The Formicidae Collections Page
Go the Formicidae Collections page and edit in the information about the collection you just added. THe collections are alphabetized by collection abbreviations.

The entry on the edit page will take the form:
 * ABCD - Ant Example Collection. City, Country

That's it!