Well, since there is no standard number of base pair differences to define a species, perhaps an easier approach would be to a take a “lumper’s” point of view and hold that this complex is really just intraspecies variation. Then they’re all correct again.
The “Yes? No? Maybe?” was with reference to the idea of people taking on the task of parsing a large backlog of officially incorrect IDs created by the change in iNat’s definitions and maybe bumping some nominally correct high-level IDs to species. The philosophical questions, however interesting, would be off topic and (just this once) I will resist the urge to go there.
I hasten to add that IDing to species requires only the ability to ID an Asian lady beetle while telling the difference between a fairly distinct, translucent, greenish fungus that manifests as little finger-like projections and the specks of dust that a pretty remarkable number of folks insist are beetle hanger fungi, expert opinion be damned. Dead easy for the ID hotshots hanging in this thread.
Not that it’s Friday today, but:
It’s about four and a half months till the 2023 City Nature Challenge, and yet over 24,000 observations from the 2022 CNC remain as true Unknowns, assuming I filtered correctly (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?iconic_taxa=unknown&project_id=city-nature-challenge-2022&identified=false). I think I see a lot of Dicots in my future.
Not Friday, but close enough. I just IDed over 450 Atocion observations in the US today. Since, every Atocion species in the US is Atocion armeria, I all I really needed to do was confirm that it was Atocion. There were a surprising amount of misidentifications that happened to actually be phlox, true catchflies, annual honesty, and carnations. For those looking to get the last ~50 observations to research grade, look for indented, hot pink, five-petaled flowers, with hairless stems (or with brown/yellow sticky areas below nodes), long, simple, opposite, smooth, elliptical leaves.
Here’s the link if anyone would like to attempt: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=1&taxon_id=204204
Be careful not to confuse with similar looking species.
I’m sorry, but that person who uploaded all that mess, still active, and doesn’t want to do some basic work and id 9 pages of own observations shouldn’t get ids, plus duplicates, omg.
Oof that sucks :( the worst kind of user! Maybe a direct message to them would be appropriate?
Well I’m bored and need something to distract me for a while, this seems as good of any of a thing to go through tonight.
You have my heartfelt sympathy. I can’t face tackling a tsunami of Here Be … Dicots
Anyone want to tackle a mystery package. Probably planty but … it has far too many ‘eyes’.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/140960916
I’ve thought about that, but I don’t know their language, unfortunately.
Judging by their profile, probably Spanish
I write notes in English (simple sentences) and figure that if they want to know, they’ll use Google translate.
I have gone ahead and pasted in the google translation followed by my original english. Even along with characters in languages I can’t read, in languages I don’t know. I’m not sure if that is considered poor form but I’m just trying to be polite by using the language that is likely to be most common to them and not assert english as dominant. I have not had a negative response yet and who knows, maybe I gave them a chuckle at a possible poor translation. I definitely had my fingers crossed with my last Armenian translation but if it is really poor, then the english is there and they can translate that themselves but hopefully I saved them a step.
[edit: https://translate.google.com/ ]
That’s a good idea!
My area is at least 50% cultivated plants
same for Colombia… it´s only 30 pages but basically all plants and many planted … do not feel motivated to get to them
Eidt: Ok, I pulled the animals out at least… only lants left on 28 pages
I don’t know what their motivation is in posting so many photos (over two thousand) without IDs. In many cases, they have also posted multiple photos of the same bird or whatever as separate observations. I suspect that they need more instruction in using iNat than simple sentences in English can help with.
Sounds like you’re right.
It’s already Saturday, but I realised I’m still doing IdentiFriday anyway, I decided to clear as much from Czech Republic as I could, here’s a regular link https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?place_id=8264, it also is included in low growth project, so it’s 2in1.
For Christmas Eve last night, I went through some pages of Euphorbia Section Poinsettia.