A plea for help!!!

[eucera]

Over the last 10 months I have banged out over 300 messages to this board, and virtually all of them answering enquiries from members of the site.

I am a great believer in encouraging those that have information to share it with those that would like it. However, I would like to put in a request for some assistance from the membership so that the relationship between those that disseminate information and those that “need” it is a little more equable than it is at the moment.

Identification of insects from pictures or descriptions is not easy without a lot of experience (and I talk primarily about bees and wasps as they are my area of competence). This takes ages to aquire. Hardly ANY pics or descriptions posted here contain even the most basic of data: WHERE was the pic taken? WHEN was it taken? and WHO took it? (and pseudonyms look faintly ridiculous in databases).

The locality detail is absoultely CRITICAL in narrowing down possible species names, and should ideally include a Grid Reference - the very least that should be there is a name that can be found on a map. I visit French and Dutch message boards and messages are treated very brusquely by the moderators if basic data is missing. Please can the mods here request or even insist on this data being supplied with each and every request for help with identification?

There is so much information flying around this site that I would LOVE to add to the national database - but in the absence of critical information I can’t. This means that your efforts at photography, and my (and others) efforts at determining things, does not get the use it would if entered onto a dedicated database... and thence to the National Biodiversity Network... and then onwards and upwards to GBIF (the Global Biodiversity Information Facility)

Come on everyone - the value of data is in its use, not merely in its possession. Make your data work and affix locality, date and recorder information as a matter of habit

[thunder]

Very fair point, eucera, but of course not everyone wants their full name and address appearing on a public forum, and not everyone appreciates that their records are useful and valuable.

Perhaps if people could pm the details to you (or to other recorders) when you have made a full identification it would solve the problem.

henrya

[eucera]

Originally Posted by thunder

Very fair point, eucera, but of course not everyone wants their full name and address appearing on a public forum, and not everyone appreciates that their records are useful and valuable.

henrya

One of the points I am trying to make is that the basic data is often ESSENTIAL to allow me (and doubtless others) to make the determination in the first place! Of course... I am not be the only person trying to id material - there is a nucleus of specialists here, most (if not all) of whom would find additional data either helpful or essential. If the info was to be pm'd, and in advance of identification ...that could require a heck of a lot of pm's.

I'm not sure I asked for full name and address... just name and where the pic was taken. Even if it was taken at the photographer's home, what about a 1km (4 figure)grid reference?. Also... no need to disclose if the pic was taken at home.

The purpose of my submitting my initial plea was to convince folks that their records were valuable - and not just to me but to lots of others too. I co-authored a paper published in SCIENCE last year. ALL the raw data was generated by amateur effort, both here and in the Netherlands
Parallel Declines in Pollinators and Insect-Pollinated Plants in Britain and the Netherlands -- Biesmeijer et al. 313 (5785): 351 -- Science

Currently amateur generated data is being used to look at effects of pesticide and nitrogen deposition on bee distributions across the UK; generate a new Red data book for bees and wasps in UK; look at pollinators in relation to NATURA 2000 sites across the continent and so on

Stuart

[nightshade]

I am prepared to give any required info. but as a PM not openly online

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by nightshade

I am prepared to give any required info. but as a PM not openly online

I emailed Stuart with information last year and would be happy to do that again, as it is essentially a secure way to give out details of species, and also not making personal data general knowledge.

I would be unhappy about putting grid-references on an open forum, however.

I do appreciate the importance of the work of the entomologists on this site and understand that information is essential in developing an idea of what is going on in the natural world.

jules

[Gill Catton]

I'm not sure why a broad grid ref is a risk to people??

as stated you don't need to say 'this is my garden' or anything even if you made regular posts at the same grid ref nobody would know if it was your house or your local patch... and why would they be interested anyway?

if you have a tesco clubcard you gave them all your details far more specific than a grid ref and god knows how secure that database is......

I regularly state 'to the immediate west of Reading' or whatever but will now be using a broad grid ref now that I can see my data might be so useful....

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I'm not sure why a broad grid ref is a risk to people??

as stated you don't need to say 'this is my garden' or anything even if you made regular posts at the same grid ref nobody would know if it was your house or your local patch... and why would they be interested anyway?

if you have a tesco clubcard you gave them all your details far more specific than a grid ref and god knows how secure that database is......

I regularly state 'to the immediate west of Reading' or whatever but will now be using a broad grid ref now that I can see my data might be so useful....

I'm glad I haven't got a Tesco clubcard then.

[eucera]

Thank you Gill. This will make life easier

si sic omnes

Stuart

[Wild-Woman]

BWARS is on my favs now-ready to submit records.

[Susie]

I'd be happy to provide details. Can't see any problem with that.