PEST EVIDENCE GUIDE · PRINTABLE WORKSHEET

Photo identification submission kit

Prepare a useful, organized photo set for an Extension service or pest professional without claiming a diagnosis.

For: You need someone else to assess a visible insect or clue.

Outcome: An organized photo set and a concise identification request.

Do not handle an unknown animal, disturb waste, or open a wall to obtain a photo. Check the recipient’s sample and attachment instructions first.

Fill in the fields, then use your browser’s print dialog. Entries are not sent to us or saved by this worksheet. Use the evidence log for a record saved on this device.

1. Build the photo set

Each image should answer a different question. More near-identical blurry pictures rarely help.

Take a context view showing the exact surface and nearby features.
Take a close view in good light, keeping the body or object in focus.
If safely possible, add another angle showing features missing in the first view.
Keep an unedited original. Avoid filters, artificial sharpening, or generated detail.

Context image filename

Close-up image filename

Additional angle / scale image

2. Add collection context

A clear image still needs a place and time. State-level location is often useful for geographic range; do not publish your street address.

Include state, date, indoor or outdoor setting, and exact room or material.
Distinguish a live insect, a dead insect, a cast skin, and an unidentified object.
State whether a physical sample exists; ask before preserving or shipping it.

State / date / setting

Size or “not measured”

Number / life stage if known

3. Write the request

Ask for the level of identification the evidence can support. Species may require a specimen or microscopy.

Use a neutral subject such as “Identification request: small beetle at bedroom window.”
Describe what you observed and list the attached files.
Ask whether more photographs or a properly collected sample are needed.
Keep the reply with the original record and note any uncertainty expressed by the identifier.

Receiving service / instructions checked

Question to ask

Response / identification limits

Reference guides for this worksheet

Sources and scope

The worksheet structure is an original editorial aid. The resources below inform its identification or management context; they have not reviewed or endorsed this worksheet.

Pest Evidence Guide · September 26, 2026 · https://pestevidence.com/toolkits/photo-identification

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