U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners with Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

On March 23, 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) signed a partnership agreement with the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). As a USGS-led partnership of federal agencies, international partners, and non-governmental organizations, ITIS meets the shared need of scientifically credible taxonomic information by providing an easily accessible database with reliable information on species names and their hierarchical classification. The scope of ITIS is global, providing authoritative taxonomy of the world's biota with a special emphasis on North American species. ITIS has also dedicated resources to maintain accurate and current information on protected species, which is integral to supporting the mission of the USFWS and other Department of Interior bureaus. Other U.S. federal agencies in partnership with ITIS include the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII).


(Photo: American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) near the surface of the water with turtles on its back. © 2008 Bruce Avera Hunter, NBII LIFE.)

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Offers Additional Butterfly Data

Working with butterfly specialists nationwide, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (a vital USGS-NBII component) has recently made a large quantity of new information on North American butterflies available. More than 3,600 scientific names and 1,000 common names for more than 800 species and 1,600 subspecies are now included. The comprehensive list contains both scientific and common names with associated data for this important group that includes numerous pollinators and endangered species as well as some invasive species. For more information, visit the ITIS website.




(Photo: A monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) feeding on a thistle flower. Photo Credit: Elizabeth A. Sellers/life.nbii.gov.)