Criteria for Vetting NC Arachnid Records

I. Sight records from vetted observers.

      A. Verbal descriptions are generally acceptable for “unmistakable” species or where the observer can give details about diagnostic features.

      B. Sight records should generally not be accepted for species new to the state or for regions where the species has not been previously documented.

            1. Exceptions can be made for records submitted by taxonomic experts and where details about the observations are provided.

II. Vetted photographic records.

      A. Photos are acceptable where they provide enough detail to rule out similar species.

            1. They should be of sufficiently high quality to make out easily visible morphological features.

III. Vetted specimens.

      A. Records are acceptable if based on specimens identified by people experienced using diagnostic features described in published keys.

            1. Specimens representing species new to the state (or region) should be vouchered, i.e., deposited in an accepted reference or research collection.

      B. Records from museums and other institutional collections or from peer-reviewed literature are generally considered to be vetted by experts.