# Cryptic moth species (UK) **URL:** \ **Category:** Nature Talk\ **Created:** [August 5, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102 "2024-08-05T14:51:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![petemella](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/petemella/32/42095_2.png) [@petemella](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/petemella)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/1 "2024-08-05T14:51:45Z")
There’s a lot of UK moth trappers on iNat, which is great and I really enjoy getting as many as I can into Research Grade. But what I’ve noticed is a large amount of observations get initially recorded to species level on groups that are simply not do-able from photos. I suspect this is often from overconfident AI suggestions. I’ve put together this guide - [Cryptic species of UK macromoth · iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/20079). I wondered if people have any comments on whether this would be useful to post on observations an explainer when people post Marbled Minors, Common Rustics, etc? (Note it’s easier to read in card view) ---
**Author:** ![shauna1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/shauna1/32/45781_2.png) [@shauna1](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/shauna1)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/2 "2024-08-05T15:05:08Z")
This is an incredible resource! Anyone want to make one for the Eastern US? :) In the guide format, would you be able, for each species, to list what the current best iNat taxon would be for each from photo (without e.g. DNA, genital dissection)? I’m sure most would be to genus, but some have complexes listed or so on. This would enable people to proactively fix their own observations (or at least start fixing them). ---
**Author:** ![jhbratton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jhbratton/32/3718_2.png) [@jhbratton](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jhbratton)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/3 "2024-08-05T15:29:35Z")
It looks useful. But don’t you need to have them all in the display? You show The Uncertain and if you click on it, it tells you it can’t be easily separated from The Rustic. But isn’t The Rustic equally difficult to tell from The Uncertain? At present, if you think you have caught The Rustic, this doesn’t warn you to be cautious. ---
**Author:** ![chipperatl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/chipperatl/32/27720_2.png) [@chipperatl](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/chipperatl)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 3:41pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/4 "2024-08-05T15:41:58Z")
I’ve been slowly adding to an Apple Note so I can quick paste into IDs to try to correct. Not very far into things. ---
**Author:** ![petemella](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/petemella/32/42095_2.png) [@petemella](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/petemella)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 3:46pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/5 "2024-08-05T15:46:35Z")
Good point, I think the point of showing the species was as an illustration to indicate it’s _unlikely_ you’d be able to take it further, with one to illustrate, but I get your point. I’ll have a play to see how I can display things a bit differently. ---
**Author:** ![petemella](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/petemella/32/42095_2.png) [@petemella](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/petemella)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 4:33pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/6 "2024-08-05T16:33:18Z")
Added some edits based on feedback. I’ve learnt a few things about building the guides on here now! ---
**Author:** ![shauna1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/shauna1/32/45781_2.png) [@shauna1](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/shauna1)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 4:54pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/7 "2024-08-05T16:54:23Z")
This is amazing! An incredibly valuable resource for those IDing moths in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![kharkovbut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@kharkovbut](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kharkovbut)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 5:26pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/8 "2024-08-05T17:26:53Z")
Aplocera efformatdone → Aplocera efformata ---
**Author:** ![petemella](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/petemella/32/42095_2.png) [@petemella](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/petemella)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 6:16pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/9 "2024-08-05T18:16:54Z")
Copy-paste weirdness! Thanks for spotting it. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/cryptic-moth-species-uk/54102/10 "2024-10-04T18:17:10Z")
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