UPDATE (7 December 08): Shortly after posting Mantis v.2.0 I spotted a few minor bugs, mostly related to linking species and higher taxa to citations. These have been corrected. This also gave me an opportunity to add an extra feature - you can now backup the entire databse with a single clik (in the Database Maintenance). The new version (2.0.1) in the downloads section reflects these changes.

MANTIS v. 2.0 NOW AVAILABLE! (2 December 2008): The new version of Mantis is here. Mantis v. 2.0 includes a number of changes and improvements over the previous versions. The most important ones are the ability to attach images and sounds to individual specimens, a character matrix-based species descriptor, the ability to store genetic data (extractions, PCR's, sequences), and the ability to create records for any taxa, regardless of their rank (families, orders etc.) Also, synonyms are now treated as individual records, and the entire synonymy process has been streamlined. You can also attach PDF files to Citation records, add images to Localities, or browse species using a handy Taxonomic Index.

Importing data from Mantis version 1 and 2.0 beta is as easy as dropping the old files into a folder and clicking "Import" (details are explained in the Help system that comes with Mantis 2.0.)

I am now preparing a French language version of Mantis (with a huge help from François Génier.)

Downloads

Mantis is a biological database manager that features the ability to store taxonomic and specimen data, images and sounds, and it has built in managers of citations, specimen loans, and addresses. It has been designed by a practicing taxonomist, for taxonomists. It is also a tool for conservationists who want to keep tract of species distribution or create simple identification tools. The emphasis of its design is on quick data entry and painless exploration of data. Mantis has a number of tools that facilitate species description, generation of taxonomic catalogs, or mapping of species distribution. It allows users to store an unlimited number of links to external files, such as PDF's, images, or sounds.

In near future Mantis will include a set of tools for preparing IUCN Red List assessment reports, more flexible material examined generation, and additional specimen mapping tools.

Mantis is free and open. Free means that you don't have to pay me anything, although I do welcome comments and suggestions. Open means that the database can be unlocked and modified by those familiar with FileMaker Pro and the database design.

Note: Information about unlocking and customizing the database is included in the Help system of Mantis.

Some of the features available in Mantis include:

• citations manager
• taxonomy manager
• specimens and collection manager
• manager of incoming and outgoing loans
• the ability to generate publication-ready "Material examined" lists
• the ability to generate publication-ready "Specimen measurements" tables
• the ability to store and display unlimited numbers of images and sounds
• powerful host-guest relationships for storing information about parasites, host plants etc.
• flexible label design tools
• Help system

Mantis is copyrighted by me, Piotr Naskrecki, which means that you can use it and distribute it, but cannot profit from it or distribute it in whole or part without acknowledging the copyright owner. When using Mantis to prepare taxonomic or other publication please use the following citation:

Naskrecki, P. 2008. Mantis v. 2.0 - A Manager of Taxonomic Information and Specimens. URL: http://insects.oeb.harvard.edu/mantis

Mantis is distributed "as is" and I am not responsible for any data loss or damage to your computer or software.