Sourcing hierarchy
When sources disagree, we prefer them in this order. Lower-tier sources do not displace higher-tier sources.
| Tier | Source type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary peer-reviewed literature | Journal of Medical Entomology, Toxicon, Journal of Arachnology |
| 2 | Government public-health agencies | CDC NIOSH, NIH, U.S. Geological Survey |
| 3 | University extension publications | UC IPM, UF IFAS, Penn State Extension, Texas A&M AgriLife |
| 4 | Museum taxonomic references | AMNH, Smithsonian NMNH, World Spider Catalog |
| 5 | Authoritative tertiary sources | Encyclopedia of Life, ITIS |
Review process
- Draft. Every entry is written against at least two tier-1 to tier-3 sources.
- Fact check. Each numeric claim (measurement, LD₅₀, year, state range) is linked to a specific source. Unsourced numbers are removed.
- Range claim review. Any geographic claim is checked against the most recent county-level specimen review available.
- Clinical review. Bite-symptom and first-aid content is reviewed against current poison-control and CDC guidance.
- Publish with timestamp. The "last reviewed" date is set on publish.
Update cadence
- Medically significant species: reviewed at least annually.
- Invasive / range-expanding species: reviewed at least twice per year while expansion is active.
- Stable reference content: reviewed at least every 24 months.
- Any source-replacement or factual correction: logged publicly within 7 days.
Corrections policy
We log every factual correction at /corrections-and-updates with the date, the affected page, what changed, and the source that prompted the change. We do not silently revise text.
What we don't claim
- We are not a substitute for clinical care. Any suspected envenomation warrants medical evaluation.
- We do not provide species-level identification of submitted photographs.
- We do not certify pest-control practitioners.