# How to delete a taxon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Curators\ **Created:** [March 5, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372 "2024-03-05T18:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blue\_lotus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/blue_lotus/32/6451_2.png) [@blue\_lotus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/blue_lotus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/1 "2024-03-05T18:29:20Z")
This seems pretty basic, but I cannot find any information on how to delete a taxon. Not _inactivate_ an old name for a taxon. Somehow it appears I created a name under the wrong genus: a plant genus has a name shared by a sponge and I want to delete the plant, as there is no such species (so far as I can tell). [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1485612-Crambe-panamensis](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1485612-Crambe-panamensis) ---
**Author:** ![egordon88](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/egordon88/32/29204_2.png) [@egordon88](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/egordon88)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/2 "2024-03-05T18:40:02Z")
On the edit taxon page at the bottom. Some limitations on deleting, but if you made it and it’s otherwise blank, shouldn’t be an issue. Did you try changing the parent to a sponge first? Then you wouldn’t need to delete. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_lotus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/blue_lotus/32/6451_2.png) [@blue\_lotus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/blue_lotus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 6:59pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/3 "2024-03-05T18:59:54Z")
I already made a separate, correct entry for the sponge and have used that taxon multiple times. ![can't delete](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/2/5/256b8a93fe2663936eda0da87d36ae2c837a9355.png) Delete is crossed out, but I don’t think this taxon is being used in any way. ---
**Author:** ![chrisangell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/chrisangell/32/20651_2.png) [@chrisangell](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/chrisangell)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/4 "2024-03-05T19:13:53Z")
I’m not sure… maybe there are withdrawn (erroneous) identifications that the website wants to preserve for posterity. Is there a reason you don’t want to just inactivate it? ---
**Author:** ![blue\_lotus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/blue_lotus/32/6451_2.png) [@blue\_lotus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/blue_lotus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/5 "2024-03-05T19:18:51Z")
If it’s inactive will it keep popping up as a suggestion? I’d like it to be erased entirely since it’s not a real species. If it were an older synonym for an existing species, I could understand just inactivating it. If that at least gets rid of it from suggestions that’s a step in the right direction though. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_lotus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/blue_lotus/32/6451_2.png) [@blue\_lotus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/blue_lotus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/6 "2024-03-05T19:21:58Z")
Hmm. Just deactivated it and now I can’t even bring it up intentionally searching for it lol. I guess that works. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_lotus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/blue_lotus/32/6451_2.png) [@blue\_lotus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/blue_lotus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/7 "2024-03-05T19:22:51Z")
Btw that makes sense. I did erroneously use this taxon at least once and withdraw it. ---
**Author:** ![t\_e\_d](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/t_e_d/32/21669_2.png) [@t\_e\_d](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/t_e_d)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 8:00pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/8 "2024-03-05T20:00:10Z")
Maybe you can edit and change the name and make it another totally different taxon ? ---
**Author:** ![t\_e\_d](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/t_e_d/32/21669_2.png) [@t\_e\_d](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/t_e_d)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/9 "2024-03-05T20:04:18Z")
There is one withdrawn identification here : [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/175436626](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/175436626) and you made it. Maybe you can delete the identification ? And then, maybe you will be allowed to delete the taxon ? ---
**Author:** ![kevinfaccenda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kevinfaccenda/32/10265_2.png) [@kevinfaccenda](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kevinfaccenda)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/10 "2024-03-05T20:12:25Z")
> [@blue\_lotus](#): > > This seems pretty basic, but I cannot find any information on how to delete a taxon. Not _inactivate_ an old name for a taxon. Somehow it appears I created a name under the wrong genus: a plant genus has a name shared by a sponge and I want to delete the plant, as there is no such species (so far as I can tell). You can’t delete taxa if they’ve ever been used IIRC. Inactiving in the correct solution here. There are hundreds of non-sense names on iNat which are inactive since they can’t be deleted. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_lotus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/blue_lotus/32/6451_2.png) [@blue\_lotus](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/blue_lotus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/11 "2024-03-05T20:25:21Z")
I deleted the withdrawn ID and managed to delete the species. Problem solved. Thanks, t\_e\_d ---
**Author:** ![t\_e\_d](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/t_e_d/32/21669_2.png) [@t\_e\_d](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/t_e_d)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/12 "2024-03-05T20:49:35Z")
You are welcome ! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-delete-a-taxon/49372/13 "2024-05-04T20:49:39Z")
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