I am working on the Winter project of getting caught up with IDing all the pics I have taken over the last Spring/Summer, when I am OUTSIDE all the time and don't have much time to work on the PC. Why do you ask?

curious when various bugs are active. By the way there's a place to fill in the date when you post.

I simply did not fill it in this time.

Edit your submission and fill the date in now. You can also check the 'female' box while there

...I am feeling a bit 'chastised'. I did not realize it was an 'infraction' to not fill in all the info! I have been enjoying using Bugguide, have made a few contributions, and understand that the more info provided, the better for all. I was unsure of the date, filled in "Summer 2006", which did not take, so I left it blank. I can put in a 'guessed' date, I suppose, but I do have a question: is it 'necessary' to do so? I was under the impression that Bugguide was for the lay person as well as 'pros', and therefore one could be a bit casual with details if necessary. Mea culpe, mea culpe.

It adds to our Data table. I will add the gender.
I don't believe asking for a date is an imposition on the photographer, especialy when he/she is asking for an identification. What info one supplies on one's own website is nobody's business except the photographer's, but it is common courtesy to supply as much of the detail asked for when using a non-personal site.
It's not a matter of lay person vs. pros. Date can be critical for the identification of certain species. Similar species can sometimes be best separated by flight times, in your specimen the photo is good enough that date is not critical and the species is one of the commonest odes in NA so again date is not critical.
I think it's worth remembering that an insect collection, whether as images or as actual specimens, is a collection of labels (locality and date) illustrated by specimens; and not vice versa. In the scientific world a specimen (image) without both locality and date is regarded as useless!

I fully understand all that you state. However, I submitted the pic for an ID, not specifically for the guide...where I believe the info would be most necessary. However, I wonder if a 'guessed' date is so useful for the collection...if the date is off a month or so, wouldn't that make a difference in what you say is critical for ID?

Please understand that I understand and respect the viability and accuracy of a collection, and the importance of correct and complete info. In this case, however, I see a contrast between a 'public' site/collection, and a private/professional one. A great many of the photos submitted to the public Bugguide site "ID request" forum come from 'just curious' folks (including me), where a requirement of complete and/or scientific info, including sometimes, in my thinking, the exact date, is asking a lot.

With this I will end my end of this conversation and attempt to provide correct & thorough information with any future submissions I make.