More records are being submitted at genus level and above. Why - and does it matter? 

Since NatureSpot switched to using the UK Species Inventory (UKSI) we are receiving lots of records for genus only, or even for higher taxon levels such as family. In part this is because the UKSI drop-down menu on the recording form makes a wide range of options available. Some AI identification tools also stop at genus or family level if there's not enough information supplied to get to species. But does it matter? And most importantly, what should all recorders do that most currently don't?

While species-level data is the gold standard for tracking rare or threatened organisms, recording higher taxonomic ranks provides several pragmatic and scientific benefits. In under-studied and hyper-diverse groups (such as solitary parasitic wasps), identifying specimens to species level requires specialized expertise beyond the ability of most, and may even require specialized methods such as DNA barcoding. The data contained in any record which is submitted is retained and can be examined by experts in the future, so may be more valuable with time. Asking new contributors or amateur naturalists to record at the genus level (e.g, "Bumblebee (Bombus spp.)", or "Earthworm (Lumbricidae)") lowers the barrier to entry and can be a gateway to learning and future recording. Many ecological roles such as pollination, seed dispersal, decomposition, or nitrogen fixation are shared across whole genera or families. Recording functional groups or higher taxa provides insights into ecosystem functionality even without fine-scale taxonomic detail. Higher-level recording cannot replace species-level data when managing endangered species, identifying invasive species, or applying statutory legal protections that apply to specific taxa. But every single record contains valuable data, and if it encourages future recording all records are welcome.

Probably more important than any of this to improved the value of records is to USE THE COMMENTS BOX ON THE SUBMIT FORM. We realize this take a bit more work but adding all relevant details to your records, such as behaviours, identifying features, surroundings, HOW THE SPECIMEN WAS IDENTIFIED, etc - it doesn't need to be an essay, just a few short notes adds so much value to every record. And yet way less than 1% of records have any comments. Please help by adding this crucial detail.