Please can ‘we’ have a list of Taxonomy issues (only) here?
If the Dictionaries get updated, without a review of Taxonomy it will create even more issues
You could begin to add the tag taxonomy1 to any Observation that reveals a Taxonomy problem (though not specifically Dictionary ones) The tag absent1 can still be used for dictionary issues, absences, misspells, double entries, dual genera in the Drop-down (Prunella say).
Maybe NOT Grouping Issues like Marine Algae (for example)
Insecta and, I think, Hexapoda are flawed (becoming Other Organisms)
Lepidoptera is flawed (but not in Global)
Oomycetes are Plants in iSpot but not in the real World.
Potato Blight is not a plant, except in iSpot
Slime moulds
Myxomycetes is flawed - accepted as ID but not present in iSpot’s Tx-Browser)
Myxogastria is absent
Myxogastrea is accepted
Some common names lead to mis-identifcation - if someone types in Sycamore when they have seen the trethey get Acronicta aceris - if you are not used to scientifc names then the first one on offer will get accepted - Perhaps it would be better to say Sycamore moth.
Mark
Arachnids are classed as Other Organisms.
Hope I’m at the right spot to report a dictionary issue-
Not recognised in iSpot SA
So this beetle may be lost
ID’d by Shobie as Coenomorpha nervosa:
Some searches seem to confirm this - but I can’t find a name on iSpot to agree.
The best is
https://www.insectimages.org/browse/projectthumb.cfm?proj=1149
Then searching with the terms “Coenomorpha nervosa” and “South Africa”
I find quite a lot of sites in RSA - looks as if it maybe an invasive species
Adding “invasive” I think this may be a duplication - but some good images https://www.invasive.org/browse/subthumb.cfm?sub=76262
Some others
http://www.beetlesofafrica.com/beetle_detail.asp?beetleid=436&page=1&count=y
It does seem to be this species and the species is missing from the dictionary.
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Minor issue - the dictionary maps Rorippa islandica to Rorippa palustris, which seems to be odds with current taxonomic opinion (which recognises both species).
A fascinating ID at https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/observation/507563/poecilochirus-carabi: many thanks to Matthew Shepherd. What a pity it seems to be missing from the iSpot dictionary.
You’ve linked to an edit page. Only the author can open that.
I haven’t been able to guess the correct link.
But from your activity tracker - https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/observation/507563/poecilochirus-carabi
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Came across this anomaly in the UI Fungi Project. The initial identification was Clavulina; however, iSpot classed this an Other Organism. Clavaria and Clavulinaceae identifications were added and classed as Fungi.
It’s one of those names with two meanings (in this case a foram and a fungus), and as we know iSpot doesn’t deign to tell us which entry on the drop down list represents which meaning.
One today https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/observation/58025/bolete (comments)
The Slime Tricia is also a Mollusc as seen here. The observation is in the group - Fungi but linked to snails in Other Observations. Re-entering Flaxton’s ID will probably change the banner. Just flagging it up.
I had to ask dejay to remind me about the use of the tTag Taxonomy1, and he directed me to this forum post.
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So I’m adding a note here, in case it is useful to others too.
European Grass Snakes Natrix spp.
Please can iSpot stop perpetuating the myth that N. natrix occurs in the UK? Our species is N. helvetica, Barred Grass Snake.
Thank you
https://www.arguk.org/get-involved/news/what-does-the-re-classification-of-european-grass-snakes-mean-for-our-native-grass-snakes
and https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/07/new-species-of-grass-snake-discovered-in-england
and https://www.gbif.org/species/6161347
I am not certain you can attribute the ‘myth’ to iSpot
Interesting information about the grass snake. Hopefully when dictionaries are updated this will be taken into account (this is being worked on but it is a very difficult task), in other groups of organisms such as fungi thousands of taxa have been reclassified in recent years with changing ideas and DNA. There are no myths it is simply how taxonomy changes over time as new information is discovered.
The ongoing reclassification and Latin renaming of taxa undermines the contention that the scientific names are better or more universal or less confusing than the English vernacular names where the latter exist (most of which remain unchanged except for rather pointless tinkering such as the insistence on calling a Swallow a Barn Swallow).