diff --git a/dandi/metadata/util.py b/dandi/metadata/util.py
index d3f8f95b4..23f82b247 100644
--- a/dandi/metadata/util.py
+++ b/dandi/metadata/util.py
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ def extract_species(metadata: dict) -> models.SpeciesType | None:
                     break
         if value_id is None:
             raise ValueError(
-                f"Cannot interpret species field: {value}. Please "
+                f"Cannot interpret species field: {value_orig}. Please "
                 "contact help@dandiarchive.org to add your species. "
                 "You can also put the entire url from NCBITaxon "
                 "(http://www.ontobee.org/ontology/NCBITaxon) into "
diff --git a/dandi/tests/test_metadata.py b/dandi/tests/test_metadata.py
index 8c5229bd9..415658e0e 100644
--- a/dandi/tests/test_metadata.py
+++ b/dandi/tests/test_metadata.py
@@ -513,6 +513,12 @@ def test_species():
     }
 
 
+def test_extract_unknown_species():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as excinfo:
+        extract_species({"species": "mumba-jumba"})
+    assert str(excinfo.value).startswith("Cannot interpret species field: mumba-jumba")
+
+
 def test_species_map():
     # all alternative names should be lower case
     for common_names, *_ in species_map: