Core Concepts
Understanding Lifebook, Albums, Tag Collection, and taxonomy in Moeyo
Core Concepts
Learn about the key terms and concepts unique to Moeyo.
Lifebook
What is Lifebook?
It's your personal wildlife observation journal.
All your uploaded photos and identification records are stored in Lifebook. Like a photo album, you can revisit your observations anytime.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Record Storage | All photos and metadata saved |
| Search/Filter | Filter by species, date, location |
| View Modes | Timeline/By species/By album |
How does it get filled?
- Upload photos → Auto-identifies
- Confirm identification → You review and confirm
- Saved to Lifebook → Automatically recorded
Lifebook is automatically filled when you upload. No extra work needed!
Albums
What are Albums?
Themed species lists. Use them like achievement challenges.
Albums are basically organized by species, though subspecies, varieties, or cultivars may be included. They group species by theme and track your collection progress.
Examples:
- Passerines of Korea (150 species)
- Butterflies in Seoul (30 species)
- 100 Wildflowers of Jeju (100 species)
Progress Tracking
Bookmark an album to track your collection progress.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Bookmark | Register albums of interest (max 20) |
| Progress | Shows percentage of species collected |
| Missing List | Species you haven't found yet |
Publishing Albums
You can display your progress on your public profile.
When published, anyone can see it at moeyo.ai/yourhandle:
- Album progress
- Thumbnail of your representative image for each species
You can set representative images on the species detail page.
Show off your challenges to friends!
Even if your profile is private, published albums are accessible via their individual URLs.
Tag Collection
You can collect tags for each species.
For example, for a Silver-spotted Skipper:
- Adult
- Caterpillar
- Chrysalis
Level System
Taking photos of the same tag on different days increases your level.
| Level | Requirement | Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Lv.0 | Not collected | Silhouette |
| Lv.1 | 1+ days | Grayscale |
| Lv.2 | 3+ days | Color |
| Lv.3 | 10+ days | Gold border |
"Days" means different shooting dates. Taking 100 photos on the same day counts as 1 day.
Why collect tags?
- Encourages diverse observations: Different states of the same species
- Gamification: Fun of collecting
- Scientific value: Diverse data helps improve the service
Tag Types
Different tags are used for each taxon group.
Bird Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| Male | Male individual |
| Female | Female individual |
| Juvenile | Young bird |
| Breeding | Breeding plumage |
| Non-breeding | Non-breeding plumage |
| Flight | In flight |
Butterfly Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| Egg | Egg |
| Caterpillar | Larva |
| Chrysalis | Pupa |
| Adult | Adult butterfly |
| Dorsal | Wings open, upperside |
| Ventral | Wings closed, underside |
Plant Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| Flower | Flower part |
| Fruit | Fruit/seed |
| Leaf | Leaf part |
| Bark | Tree bark |
| Whole | Entire plant |
Tags can be added or modified later. You don't need to be perfect from the start!
Moeyo's Taxonomy
Taxonomy Foundation
Moeyo is based on the taxonomy of iNaturalist.
iNaturalist is the world's largest citizen science biodiversity platform, with data on over 500,000 species. Moeyo uses this verified data as a foundation, with some extensions for Korean/Japanese cultivars.
For iNaturalist data integration, see FAQ.
Taxonomy Hierarchy Overview
Organisms are classified hierarchically. Main levels in Moeyo:
| Level | Example |
|---|---|
| Family | Paridae |
| Genus | Parus |
| Species | Great Tit Parus cinereus |
Species is the basic unit of identification. Albums are also organized by species.
What Auto-Classification at the "Species Level" Means
When we say "species level" identification, it actually includes several taxonomic ranks:
| Rank | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Species | Great Tit Parus cinereus |
| Subspecies | Regional variant | Northern Blue-tongued Skink Tiliqua scincoides intermedia |
| Variety | Morphological variant | White Asian Hawksbeard Ixeridium dentatum albiflorum |
| Cultivar | Cultivated variety | Koshihikari Rice Oryza sativa 'Koshihikari' |
| Complex | Similar species group | Oyster Mushroom Complex Pleurotus ostreatus |
When auto-classification "identifies to species level," it means one of these ranks.
Species Complex
Complex is a taxonomic rank defined by iNaturalist, positioned between genus and species.
Complex in iNaturalist
According to the iNaturalist Curator Guide, Complex is used for:
- Closely related species groups that are difficult to identify to species from photos
- Cryptic species: Nearly identical in appearance, requiring DNA analysis or dissection
- Groups with unclear taxonomic boundaries: Including undescribed species or undergoing revision
For detailed discussion, see iNaturalist Forum - Discussion on Species Complex.
Moeyo adopted this rank for data compatibility with iNaturalist.
For example, Black Nightshade Complex includes several species morphologically nearly identical to Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum).
Should I identify to Complex?
Neither recommended nor discouraged. Complex provides compatibility and options.
| Situation | Recommended ID |
|---|---|
| Confident at species level | Identify to species |
| Can't distinguish similar species | Identify to Complex |
| Auto-classified as Complex | Accept as-is, or specify a species |
Either choice is up to you. You can always modify it later.
Album note: Albums primarily count species. Photos identified as Complex may not count toward album progress.
Taxon Groups
Moeyo divides organisms into 15 taxon groups.
This is separate from scientific classification - it's a practical grouping for user convenience. Used for interest selection, filtering, and group-specific tag systems.
View all 15 taxon groups
| Icon | Group | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Birds | All birds | |
| Insects | Butterflies, beetles, bees, etc. | |
| Vascular Plants | Flowers, trees, grasses, ferns | |
| Arachnids | Spiders, scorpions, mites | |
| Mollusks | Clams, snails, squid | |
| Fungi | Mushrooms, molds, lichens | |
| Fish | Freshwater, saltwater fish, sharks | |
| Crustaceans | Crabs, shrimp, crayfish | |
| Reptiles | Lizards, snakes, turtles | |
| Mammals | Whales, bats, rodents, etc. | |
| Amphibians | Frogs, salamanders | |
| Algae | Seaweed, kelp, green algae | |
| Bryophytes | Mosses, liverworts | |
| Other Invertebrates | Worms, jellyfish, starfish | |
| Other | Organisms not in above categories |
Each taxon group has different tags to collect. Birds have male/female/juvenile, insects have egg/larva/pupa/adult, etc.
Identification Status
Identification means determining the species of an organism.
Moeyo distinguishes confidence levels with 5 statuses.
| Status | Description | Recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Agree | Confirm auto-classification result is correct | Yes |
| Assign | Confidently assign a species | Yes |
| Assume | Uncertain guess | Yes |
| Cannot Identify | Unable to ID due to photo quality | No |
| Hold Off | Postpone identification | No |
Only statuses marked Yes are reflected in Lifebook species view, album progress, and species detail pages.
Feel free to record casually in Moeyo:
- You can always modify later
- When the classification engine is updated, results auto-refresh (your manual IDs are preserved)
- It's your personal record - it's okay to be wrong
Summary
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Lifebook | Storage for all your observations |
| Albums | Species-based themed challenges |
| Tag Collection | Per-species tag collection (level system) |
| Taxon Groups | 15 practical groupings |
| Complex | Visually similar species groups |
| ID Status | 5 levels: Agree/Assign/Assume/Hold/Cannot ID |
Related Documents
Questions? Check the FAQ or contact support@moeyo.ai.