# Able to select inactive taxon for ID **URL:** \ **Category:** Bug Reports\ **Created:** [February 24, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398 "2019-02-24T16:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cmcheatle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cmcheatle/32/37_2.png) [@cmcheatle](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cmcheatle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/1 "2019-02-24T16:15:21Z")
I know it has been reported before, but just getting it formalized here. There is still some odd functionality somewhere in the site that allows users to select an inactive taxa for their identification,. See [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20729658](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20729658) for an example. [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20730741](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20730741) Screenprint also added in case it disappears. ![Capture](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/1X/cd1fe2f202c20116a3d015e487ef68fffebc91c4.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![cmcheatle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cmcheatle/32/37_2.png) [@cmcheatle](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cmcheatle)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/2 "2019-02-25T14:10:38Z")
Just for the development team, I followed up with the observer of the 2nd link, and asked if they had done something different to enter that inactive taxa. They replied they just ‘typed it in’. Everywhere I tried to do just that, either when I hit enter the field blanked out or if I tried to save with that in there it blanked out the taxa box upon saving. I dont know if there is another variant of ‘just typed it in’ I missed trying. The only obvious difference was the observer was on a Mac and I am on a Windows machine, so maybe some behaviour difference between how Chrome and Safari deal with lookahead typing ? ---
**Author:** ![tiwane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tiwane/32/54612_2.png) [@tiwane](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tiwane)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 6:18am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/3 "2019-02-26T06:18:03Z")
It’s not coming up for me in Safari. Here’s what “Avicularia h” gets me: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/1X/9becd0c666a728c51084b698e5536a7254e6ca4f.png) “Avicularia hu” shows nothing. ---
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 12:42pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/4 "2019-02-26T12:42:37Z")
The coywolf one was made from an iPhone, so maybe related to how it selects a taxon when the data connection is not perfect? ---
**Author:** ![cmcheatle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cmcheatle/32/37_2.png) [@cmcheatle](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cmcheatle)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 12:43pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/5 "2019-02-26T12:43:29Z")
I interpreted it to mean they just kept typing despite the lack of the entry in the dropdown, as the text had to get completed somehow. ---
**Author:** ![tiwane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tiwane/32/54612_2.png) [@tiwane](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tiwane)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/6 "2019-02-26T16:06:01Z")
I used Avicularia huriana as a placeholder in both Safari and Chrome and iNat selected the inactive taxon both times: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/1X/5bbd182bf18ee14192bec903919988aba6950f4c.jpeg) Same thing happened with Canis latrans × lupus. I’ll write up an issue. ---
**Author:** ![tonyrebelo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tonyrebelo/32/317_2.png) [@tonyrebelo](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tonyrebelo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 10:53am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/7 "2019-03-01T10:53:06Z")
Obviously related to this, but not quite exactly the same. see here: [https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/340737](https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/340737) I added the ID of “Nata” when it displayed it showed this ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/1X/c65ac482770cc15993b8497816134cc23be31203.png) after 5 minutes, when I opened the observation again, the red “inactive taxon” icon just vanished, but it displayed for 5 minutes (and fortunately was still in my browser for a screen grab). The real issue is that there is no inactive taxon. see here: [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/search?is\_active=any&q=nata&utf8=✓](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/search?is_active=any&q=nata&utf8=%E2%9C%93) So why did it display “inactive taxon”? ---
**Author:** ![cmcheatle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cmcheatle/32/37_2.png) [@cmcheatle](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cmcheatle)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 1:27pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/8 "2019-03-01T13:27:16Z")
This is not an isolated happening, it has been reported before. Somewhere in the system is another flag where it was reported twice in a single day. I will see if I can track that flag down. ---
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 1:06pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/9 "2019-06-28T13:06:35Z")
Same for zooplankton and phytoplankton, which have been long inactive. [https://www.inaturalist.org/identifications?taxon\_id=363348,363351¤t=any](https://www.inaturalist.org/identifications?taxon_id=363348,363351¤t=any) [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26446398](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26446398) [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/23842828](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/23842828) ---
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/10 "2020-01-15T18:18:32Z")
Another example from @cmcheatle: “desert tortoise” [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37619460](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37619460) ---
**Author:** ![cmcheatle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cmcheatle/32/37_2.png) [@cmcheatle](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cmcheatle)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/11 "2020-01-16T19:47:47Z")
And another [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37658522](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37658522) ---
**Author:** ![jwidness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jwidness](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jwidness)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 2:32am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/12 "2020-01-21T02:32:33Z")
[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37731907](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37731907) ---
**Author:** ![jwidness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jwidness](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jwidness)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/13 "2020-02-14T13:17:26Z")
@tiwane I know for sure of two additional ways people can select inactive taxa for IDs. One is when there is a taxon change and someone has opted out of having their content updated for them – which is presumably what happened with the most recent ID on this one: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/d/de118b1244b220ca9d75316d02f6e654c51e8ea4.png) The other is because [inactive taxa show up in Suggestions](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/inactive-taxa-are-displayed-in-compare-suggestions-tool/6547). ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/5/55220995ecdffef55bb19bbcb9820b07556d3fd5.jpeg) EDIT: Actually, I would argue the first scenario is a special case of the general situation where there is already an ID of an inactive taxon. So I think the fixes are: - remove the Agree button from IDs of inactive taxa (regardless of how the initial inactive ID showed up) - remove inactive taxa from Suggestions, or at least remove the ability to select them ---
**Author:** ![graysquirrel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/graysquirrel/32/127_2.png) [@graysquirrel](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/graysquirrel)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 6:19am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/14 "2020-03-02T06:19:14Z")
Another Inactive Taxon that just got added as an ID (“Mixed Collection”) [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/39394557](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/39394557) ---
**Author:** ![jwidness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jwidness](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jwidness)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/15 "2020-06-26T14:15:49Z")
> [@jwidness](#): > > remove the Agree button from IDs of inactive taxa (regardless of how the initial inactive ID showed up) Still a problem, both on the observation page (screenshot above), and also on the dashboard. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/3/33d71386e1dc17dcf99fc370bc08692f2653113a.png) (Thanks again for fixing Suggestions/Compare though!) ---
**Author:** ![saturnring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@saturnring](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/saturnring)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/16 "2020-07-05T00:03:52Z")
Here’s one posted today if you’re collecting examples: [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51944032](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51944032) ---
**Author:** ![jwidness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jwidness](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jwidness)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/17 "2020-07-05T00:07:43Z")
Interesting, that observation was created with EcoExplore: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/e/e0e06741b4b40d8ef568878a0b5a8855ee6bdfbe.png) Probably something can be gleaned from that… ---
**Author:** ![jwidness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jwidness](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jwidness)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 3:32am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/18 "2020-12-11T03:32:48Z")
> [@tiwane](#): > > I used Avicularia huriana as a placeholder in both Safari and Chrome and iNat selected the inactive taxon > [@tiwane](#): > > I’ll write up an issue. I didn’t see an issue from Tony in github (though there is [this](https://github.com/inaturalist/inaturalist/issues/1479) one). But it seems placeholders can still create IDs for inactive taxa: > [@Why is the taxa Temnothorax tuscaloosae "inactive" on iNat?](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/why-is-the-taxa-temnothorax-tuscaloosae-inactive-on-inat/18701/3): > > All I did was I used a placeholder for the observation ---
**Author:** ![norm\_shea](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/norm_shea/32/20776_2.png) [@norm\_shea](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/norm_shea)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 9:09pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/19 "2021-10-03T21:09:01Z")
I know there have been some revisions with the Leucauge genus. There’s a puzzling situation going on with a particular observation, though. It’s [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16867026](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16867026) and the original observer IDed it as Orchard Orbweaver (Leucauge venusta) and it is showing up as an “inactive taxon”. I was pretty sure it was still an active taxon, so I tried entering it and that attempt worked. See below. ![Screen Shot 2021-10-03 at 16.53.30](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/c/7/c786d5ff349214175b037e4fe49c750d582f9229.jpeg) When I investigated further there are these species pages, [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/53467-Leucauge-venusta](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/53467-Leucauge-venusta) (listed as inactive) [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/778499-Leucauge-venusta](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/778499-Leucauge-venusta) (listed as active) The spelling seems the same, so why is the first listed as inactive? And I’m not sure if this should be moved to Bug Reports, and if so, I’m happy for a moderator to do that. And, as an FYI, when/if you go to the observation, I have deleted my ID because I really don’t think it is Orchard Orbweaver (Leucauge venusta), but I wanted to see if that species could be added. ---
**Author:** ![norm\_shea](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/norm_shea/32/20776_2.png) [@norm\_shea](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/norm_shea)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398/20 "2021-10-03T21:21:53Z")
Ope, I think I solved my own question. I found this, **Heads up:** this taxon concept is inactive. [Leucauge venusta [53467]](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/53467-Leucauge-venusta) was split into [Leucauge argyrobapta [776900]](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/776900-Leucauge-argyrobapta) and [Leucauge venusta [778499]](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/778499-Leucauge-venusta) So, I’m assuming the original Leucauge venusta [53467] couldn’t be kept because of the separation and a whole new “species,” Leucauge venusta [778499], had to be created to accommodate this split. [Next page](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/able-to-select-inactive-taxon-for-id/398.md?page=2)