Request to verify western US Ancistrocerus campestris records

[bdagley]

Existing North America potter wasp Ancistrocerus campestris GBIF occurrence records also verified in literature are primarily located in the eastern US, although GBIF includes a few scattered occurrence records far westward in western US (https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?geometry=POLYGON((-124.98705%2045.50037,-103.77384%2045.50037,-103.77384%2053.98565,-124.98705%2053.98565,-124.98705%2045.50037))&has_coordinate=true&has_geospatial_issue=false&occurrence_status=present&taxon_key=5037503).

Multiple data submitting organizations transferred these records to GBIF, at least two of which are genetic barcode-based websites, including BOLD Systems. I've personally made many Ancistrocerus identifications on iNaturalist and BugGuide, and am very familiar with Ancistrocerus campestris morphology. I'm wondering if the data submitting organizations can provide more information about these records, ideally including specimen photos that I or other identifiers can verify. I'm also aware that barcoding in the case of certain species or species groups can only give a tentative species identification, which I'd be open to discuss with the data submitters. I also am not necessarily doubting the records and would be interested if they turned out to be verified new locality records.

[ktotsum]

You can filter by basis of record to show specimen records only. https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?basis_of_record=PRESERVED_SPECIMEN&has_coordinate=true&has_geospatial_issue=false&taxon_key=5037503&geometry=POLYGON((-124.98705%2045.50037,-103.77384%2045.50037,-103.77384%2053.98565,-124.98705%2053.98565,-124.98705%2045.50037))&occurrence_status=present

I found a specimen photo from one of the results. Links are listed in associated sequences. https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/1841357322 http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Public_RecordView?processid=NGNAN3998-14

[bdagley]

Thanks @ktotsum. Although so far I think that specimen is misidentified and is a different Ancistrocerus species. For example, the abdomen is less bulging, the hair is shorter, the legs are more orange, and despite that coloration sometimes differs for species in different parts of the US, there seems to be no resemblance in color pattern to the known A. campestris eastern populations. I can also ask additional taxonomists if they agree, if necessary. Based on this, all of those records may be misidentifications. In general for cases like this, is creating a Issue for GBIF best or fastest, or should I contact the identifier or BOLD systems? I'd be fine creating Issues here, if they can eventually be sent to the data submitters. I also created a similar Issue in the past about misidentified honeybee records, which I never heard back about.

[ktotsum]

Thank you for the feedback. We have notified the publisher of this dataset. We would like to recommend contacting publishers directly for content errors using our feedback system on the top right of the website, where you can find an email address by choosing “Content”, which is a quicker way. GitHub issues are reviewed first and then forwarded to publishers accordingly (it could take time).

[bdagley]

@ktotsum Okay, I will for future identification checks. I Just did a test trial by clicking on the Content option. When I did, the webpage said "Please login to leave feedback. Alternatively you can use Github or helpdesk@gbif.org." I'm unsure if that only means to use alternative routes. I'm wondering if creating a GBIF account is the only way to use the Content button? If so, I can create a GBIF account.

[ktotsum]

You can see a contact through feedback system on occurrence pages (in this case, here) and you do not need to login to see this. The contact is originally derived from the dataset page here.

[MortenHofft]

@bdagley we had a lot of spam, so we had to add the login requirement. It used to be completely open, but it was a nuisance with all the nonsense issues.

[bdagley]

Okay. I first used the Content button on the occurrence records, but my email was undeliverable, saying "[kwright@tamu.edu](mailto:kwright@tamu.edu): Recipient address rejected: User unknown in virtual alias table)." I also just now checked the dataset page above, which lists four different people. Should I contact one of them, and if so who would be best to contact?

[ktotsum]

@bdagley The administrative point of contact would be the best to start with. Metadata author might be able to guide you to the right person.