• Sean Menke
• Lake Forest College
• Biology

• Students
• Elise Grossman
• Olivia Parrott
• Benjamin Wyatt
• Elisabeth Bacon
• Cortney Oates
• Schuyler Kogan
• Michael Penn
• Amanda Gibbs
• Alexis Rosanova
• Jeremy Boeing
• Gabriel Trujillo
• Nicole Vachter
• Jenifer Yost
• Kaya Cuper
• Emilee Gaulke
• Allison Hamel
• Natalia Wilkins
• Joshua Davendonis

Natalia C. Wilkins

Currently: Manager of Media and Graphics at the Energy & Geoscience Institue at the University of Utah

Contact: Natalia

Lake Forest Biology Senior Project 2011

Title: The development of a web based pictorial guide for the ants of Illinois

Abstract: The correct identification of organisms is a critical component of biology. The most commonly used tool for identification of an unknown specimen is a dishotomous key. However, dichotomous keys are often difficult to use and are predominately written with specific scientific jargon unknown to the layperson. For experts in the field this is not an issue but for those who are beginning it is a tedious and difficult experience. I have created a website that presents a user friendly pictorial based dichotomous key of the ant genera of Illinois. The key uses the images from antweb and the dichotomous key created by Fisher and Cover in the Ants of North America: A Guide to the Genera.