Keep the evidence behind the explanation.

Start with a record that someone else can understand

Give each finding a stable record label, observation date, state or broad region, room or material, and a description written before assigning a species. Keep a wider location photograph with a focused detail image. Record scale when it can be included safely; otherwise state that it was not measured. Do not disturb waste or unsafe spaces to complete a record.

Save the original files separately from crops or marked-up copies. Record the photographer and every edit. A close-up of an egg, a larva, an adult, and an empty skin describe different evidence; captions should make that distinction explicit.

Use identification labels that match the assessment

Unidentified observation

The record describes what was seen. A suspected name remains a question.

Tentative identification

An identifier proposes a match and states what is missing. The caption preserves that uncertainty.

Confirmed identification

A qualified identifier records the supported taxonomic level, method, date, and relevant distinguishing features. Confirmation of one specimen does not establish infestation extent, current building activity, or the identity of every other finding.

Independently reviewed article

A reviewer has examined a specific version of the text and relevant captions. The page records their name, relevant qualification, review date, scope, and any remaining limitations, with permission to publish those details.

An organization's publication can support a factual statement without making that organization the reviewer of our page. A credential is checked for relevance to the work; an insect identification does not certify structural condition or assess a person's health.

What a documented case needs

1. The original question: what the observer found and initially suspected.
2. A dated sequence: which observations came before identification, inspection, or any later action. Unknown dates remain unknown.
3. The evidence: original photographs, associated record labels, and any assessment that supports the published conclusion.
4. The alternatives considered: the actual feature or assessment that ruled a possibility in or out.
5. The outcome and its limits: what was established, by whom, and what was not assessed. A follow-up with no visible finding is not automatically a pest-free clearance.

Illustrative examples in worksheets remain examples. They are not presented as customer stories, inspections we performed, or proof that a management method worked.

Review permission and privacy before publication

The editorial record needs documented permission for the particular photographs and case details we intend to publish, the agreed credit, and any use restrictions. Preparing a worksheet does not grant permission. Keep private contact details and permission documents outside the public article.

Prepare a publication copy that excludes unnecessary addresses, identifying paperwork, people, and private location metadata. Keep a note of any crop or redaction so the published image can be traced to its original. An editor must check that the changes preserve the features used for identification.

What happens before a record is added

We check that the files match the record, review the rights and proposed public details, obtain an appropriate identification assessment, and resolve material corrections. A published caption then identifies the subject, life stage or evidence type, source, scale limits, identification basis, and edits. Unresolved findings can be described as unresolved; they cannot be promoted to confirmed examples.

The original-evidence worksheet runs only in your browser. It does not upload photographs or submit a case. A contribution inbox is not yet connected; the contact page shows the current status.

Find help with the identification itself

Use our curated agency and Extension resources to find an appropriate service. Check its current scope and submission instructions first. The identification-request guide explains how to prepare a focused question, and the editorial policy describes our source and correction standards.