Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Images

How do I submit my image so I can find out about my mystery bug?

You must register and be logged in before you can submit your image.

After logging in you'll see a new "add image" link show up when you click on "ID Request". When you click "add image" you'll see a submission form where you'll be able to provide various pieces of information that will help others determine the identity of your mystery bug. There's lots of tips on the form, so be sure to read the fine print for each field.

How come whenever I attempt to submit my image it takes a long time and then my browser displays an error?

If you attempt to send a large image over a slow connection your browser may give up before the image has been completely sent. Try reducing your image so that it's 1024 pixels on the longest side.

I submitted my image and I even saw it appear in my browser, but now it doesn't show up on the site?

Most likely the submission process was not completed. When you successfully submit your image you'll see a screen thanking you for your submission. Previewing the form does not actually submit the image. If there was an error on the form, you'll see a preview with the problem noted. You must correct the problem and preview again until no more problems remain. When no more problems remain, you'll see the submit button again and will be able to complete the process.

How do I submit my image for inclusion in the guide?

If you're confident about the identity, you should feel free to submit the image directly to the appropriate place in the guide. First navigate to the best place in the guide. Searching for the scientific name and restricting the results to guide pages might be the quickest way to get there. Once you're in the right spot, click the images tab and you'll see all the images for that spot along with an "add image" link just like for "ID Request". Proceed like you would for "ID Request".

I know I submitted an image previously but now I can't find it. Where is it?

You can see all of your submitted images by clicking on the "Your Images" link, which appears just under the search box after you log in. If your image is not there then either there was a problem submitting (see above), you deleted it yourself, or we moved it to "Frass" and the system removed it 30 days later.

How can I submit multiple images of the same specimen?

Submit the first one just like any other image. Then view that image and you'll see an "add image" link. Click that and you'll see an image submission form prefilled with the information from your first image. That's just for convenience and you are free to change those details, if appropriate. Images submitted in this way are linked and viewing any one of them will include thumbnails for all of them.

What's this "tag" link that I keep seeing on images?

Whenever you tag an image it'll appear to the left of your screen along with any other tagged images. Tagging serves many purposes. First, it's a handy way to keep track of an image that you might want to return to or reference in a posting. Tagging is also useful for moving images around on the web site and for linking images of the same specimen (see below).

You can untag all your tagged images at once by clicking the "untag" link below the collection of tagged images. You can untag specific images by viewing them and clicking the "untag" link.

Any tagged images are forgotten when you log out.

How do I move my image from "ID Request" to the guide, to another spot in the guide, or to "Frass"?

First, tag all the images that you want to move to a particular spot. They will appear to the left of the page to remind you what's been tagged. Then browse to the desired spot and you should see a "move tagged images" link. For the guide, be sure to click the "images" tab just like you would to submit an image at that spot.

How can I link images that were submitted separately?

Simply tag each image and then click "link" below the tagged images that appear to the left of the page. "Link" only appears when all tagged images were submitted by the same contributor.

Only images of the same specimen or group of specimens should be linked together.

I linked the wrong images. How do I undo it?

View any one of the linked images and click "unlink" which appears above the thumbnails of the linked images.

How can I change the order of the thumbnails for linked images?

Just tag them one at a time in the order you wish them to appear. Then click "link" at the bottom of the tagged images block that appears to the left of the page. They'll be relinked in that order.

How can I create a clickable thumbnail to an image on the site?

Use a thumb tag.

How do I replace an image on my existing post?

If the insect on the image you uploaded is too small to see, or you realize that you have a much better image that you should have used instead, you don't have to delete your submission and make a new one. Instead, you can just replace the picture. When you are viewing your image, click on Edit. You'll notice it has the same Image field as when you uploaded it the first time. Just click on the Browse button to select the new file (or improved version of the old one). Once you click the Submit button, the new image will replace the old one. Of course, do not replace an image with a new one if you're not certain it's the same individual.

If there are comments posted that are specific to the old image, it's a good idea to add a mention in the remarks about what you've done. As long as the details surrounding the image haven't changed too much (i.e. it's a different individual, or a different time or place), it's perfectly legitimate and accepted to do that here.

Creating an entirely new post for an updated image and deleting the post for an older image causes the original comments to be lost. Replacing the image in your existing post (as described above) is a much better option, as it maintains all of the comments.