Which could win, the spider or the fly?

Long time no update

Well, here are the latest "contest" numbers:

Lepidoptera 1977 thumbnail pages
Coleoptera 1448
Hymenoptera 1021
Diptera 935
Spiders 753

Looks like there are no changes in the pecking order here.

… Jim McClarin, 16 January, 2009 - 10:14pm

Images rather than pages

Isn't it more accurate to use "recent images"? There are always 10/page, while in your search there can be 24 or less per page.
Go to the last page of recent images and just add a zero.

Total number of images as of Jan, 20/2009:
Lepidoptera 47,510
Coleoptera 34,780
Hymenoptera 24.500
Diptera 22,470
Arachnida 19,840
Hemiptera 19,110

… Beatriz Moisset, 20 January, 2009 - 9:27am

Much better system!!

That's what I enjoy about bugguide, the opportunity to learn from others who are way smarter than me :-) Thanks Beatriz!

… Jim McClarin, 20 January, 2009 - 5:19pm

Actually neither system works

exactly as described. The problem is that if you proceed to the last page of any group of images by skipping there, BugGuide always shows you a full page, 10 images in Recent images, 24 images in guide pages (there are, by the way, always exactly 24 images per guide page in Images). Right now there are 1979 full pages of 24 and 19 extra images for 47515 lepidopteran images. Once you determine there are 1980 pages, multiply 1979 by 24 and put that number at the end of the url string at the top.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/57/bgimage?from=47496

It will skip the first 1979 pages of images (47496 images) and show you how many images there are beyond that, at this instant 19, for 47515 lepidopteran images in the guide pages right now. Not that anyone really needs to know that exactly. Either of the above systems will give a close enough answer for comparisons.

… john and jane balaban, 20 January, 2009 - 8:22pm

I knew there couldn't always be a number

divisible by 10 (or by 24), but your explanation makes my head hurt. Let's just put an automatic counter on each category ;-)

… Jim McClarin, 20 January, 2009 - 8:49pm

Latest numbers

Lepidoptera 1006 (1225) pages of thumbnails
Coleoptera 888
Hymenoptera 611
Diptera 584
Spiders 467

I have decided to include catepillars with the Lepidoptera, which have opened a commanding lead any way you look at it. It's only fair since the immatures of the other taxa have been included. But let's face it, a drab, pale wasp or beetle grub that you have to dig out of a hiding place just does not generate the fascination that a brilliantly ornate "cat" munching the dickens out of a leaf in bright daylight does.

For that matter, what adult beetle or fly presents as tempting a target for the majority of camera owners as many adult leps? Admittedly spiders are attention-grabbing in their own right. Some researches say it's genetic.

As the cold settles in across the bugguide region the easier targets will grow scarce and no amount of hard work will scare up a caterpillar or adult lep (just chrysalises) in northern climes. Barring a glut of backlog processing of moth and butterfly images, the beetles should take back a little of the lost ground.

… Jim McClarin, 21 October, 2007 - 4:28pm

Leps explode, flies far outpace spiders.

A number of new butterfly and moth image contributors, coupled with the warm part of the calendar, has brought a tremendous increase in the adult Lepidoptera category since March, now at 956 thumbnail pages (usually 24 thumbnails per page). Beetles gained nearly 300 thumbnail pages in the same interval to stand at 853, but now lag over 100 pages behind Leps.

Spiders grew by 103 pages since March to stand at 439, but flies gained 212 pages, totaling 560, which must acount for their smug V signs in terms of the title question. However, flies failed to stay ahead of bees, ants, and wasps as well. The Hymenoptera added 218 pages since March and now have 577 thumbnail pages.

For those who just want the numbers:
Beetles 853
Lepidoptera 956
Spiders 439
Diptera 560
Hymenoptera 577

… Jim McClarin, 15 September, 2007 - 8:21am

Always interesting.

Thanks for the update, Jim. I've noticed more butterfly and moth posts. Personally, I'm finding more new bees and wasps than my once-favored flies; perhaps this is due to the drought.

… Ron Hemberger, 15 September, 2007 - 10:21am

As for bugguide contributors,

and certainly leaving out a number of people who ought to be mentioned, here are the numbers: (Add eleven to each from=# to get precise total at that moment.)

Tom Murray: from=10609
Jim McClarin: from=4830
Lynette Schimming: from=3655
Ron Hemberger: from=2856
Patrick Coin: from=2049
Cheryl Moorehead:from=1939
Thomas of Baltimore City: from=1857
Troy Bartlett: from=1793
John Davis: from=1651
Stephen Cresswell: from=1084

… Jim McClarin, 15 September, 2007 - 11:39am

Top 10

I polled the database and got this top 10:

Tom Murray 10621
Jim McClarin 4843
Lynette Schimming 3667
Jeff Hollenbeck 3487
Ron Hemberger 2868
Patrick Coin 2061
Cheryl Moorehead 1951
Thomas of Baltimore City 1870
Troy Bartlett 1805
Steve Scott 1784

… Mike Boone, 15 September, 2007 - 1:12pm

Mike, could you do this again?

I feel myself slipping in the polls.

… Ron Hemberger, 24 October, 2009 - 11:24pm

Ron,

I did this one back in July.

… Sam Houston, 26 October, 2009 - 8:18am

Wow! Quite an ambitious project.

Thanks four counting all those tally marks, publishing same, and alerting me. I figured you'd moved way up in the rankings.

… Ron Hemberger, 26 October, 2009 - 1:36pm

....

Yeah, but did you see Tom Murray's stats? Holy $#!+ ! Over 16000!

… Sam Houston, 26 October, 2009 - 1:40pm

Vespula and I have years to catch all of you...

;)

Of course, it might help to get that new camera- I've been camera-less for a couple months- I think it broke the day I got dumped coincidentally (And it wasn't even because of bugs... psh)... That was not a good day...

… Andrew Meeds, 26 October, 2009 - 4:27pm

Good attitude, Andrew.

I expect Sam to pass me next year. (Bad attitude, Ron.) I'd guess Tom in unbeatable; his contributions roughly equal the combined total of the next three shooters.

… Ron Hemberger, 26 October, 2009 - 4:50pm

Thanks, Mike.

As I was busy with other projects today I suddenly remembered Jeff as someone who should be on the list.

… Jim McClarin, 15 September, 2007 - 8:19pm

Flies widen gap, gain on wasps/bees/ants.

As of Mar. 5, 2007:
Flies 348 pages vs. Spiders 337 pages (Dif = 11)
vs. Hymenoptera 359 pages (dif = 11)
Beetles 562 pages vs. Leps 587 pages (Dif = 25)

… Jim McClarin, 5 March, 2007 - 10:13pm

flies

are going to crush spiders and overtake hymenoptera. Encouraging a spirit of friendly competition is a good idea, thanks!

… Keith Bayless, 15 February, 2007 - 3:31am

Flies Rule :-)

Flies have leaped way ahead of spiders, 505 pages of thumnails to 404 pages and have now overtaken hymenoptera at 500 pages. Beetles led adult lepidoptera for a few chilly months but warm weather has brought a big surge in moth photos in particular and leps now have a healthy lead over Coleptera 820 thumbnail pages to 794.

… Jim McClarin, 23 July, 2007 - 11:01pm

Glad to see that; thanks, Jim.

Now, should I hold back on my wasp posts? Naw.

… Ron Hemberger, 24 July, 2007 - 9:46am

Oh, Keith, you asked for it!

I have a substantial fly backlog, particularly bee flies and syrphids. Flies rule!

… Ron Hemberger, 5 March, 2007 - 11:04pm

I am partial to polistine was

I am partial to polistine wasps myself, which could take out nearly any fly they choose to. ;)

… Tleilaxu, 21 October, 2007 - 4:41pm