Introducing BugFiles

How about Critter Files? After all a critter can be anything animal. Dotti

Can the' add a bug' link be put at the top of the page, rather than the bottom?

There is a good precedent for the name BugFiles. The term bug is used in a general sense in the great web site bugguide.net http://bugguide.net/node/view/1

what about 'Critterology' for the name of the Bug Files? Then it could cover bugs, birds, and beasts.

This message was edited Jul 24, 2006 9:05 PM

Thanks for the hard labour Dave. The Bug Files is a great addition and, as you can see by the rate its growing, very popular with the membership!
So popular that it seems we are now asking for Bird Files and Critter Files as well - sometimes we are never satisfied ;>) . You must feel you have a "Tiger by the Tail" at times, but we do appreciate you - truely.

I think the BugFiles is great!! Thanks, Dave!

One thought on the critter files if it gets done...perhaps there should be a limit on the dog and cat pictures before it sucks all the file space? lol

What I was saying is just have the one BlahFiles, but allow for all species of insects, spiders, animals, reptiles, etc... Since all the information you would want for any of them is the same, why not allow for the inclusion of more information.

I just found the BugFiles tab. This is a wonderful addition. Thanks, Dave.

Kennedyh

Great website but on the home page, third section down is entitled "North American Focus". As we can see already in the BugFiles there are several non-US contributors already :)

That makes ours potentially even better LOL!

One strength of BugGuide is the ability to search through the various groups of creatures, selecting phylum, class, order, family, genus and species as well as a lot of the intermediate levels as well.

It worries me a little, how searches will operate when we cannot even select all butterflies for instance.

I feel that the addition of Order, eg Lepidoptera for the butterflies and moths and Coleptera for the Beetles is almost essential if the BugFiles is going to work,

Ken

Indeed! It's the use of Bug I'm whinging about LOL

I agree on the addition of the Order classification, it's much easier to search that way.

Dave, if you could add an Order field for the BugFile entries, I would be happy to go through all existing entries and add the correct order (if you could give me edit rights for the purpose)
Ken

kudos to vee8ch.... he too has been working hard

I'll add "Order" today and will give Ken access to edit all entries.

I'm interested in including fauna in the database. Is there a reason why it couldn't be all together (CritterFiles instead of BugFiles) or maybe we should add a third database some other day for the animals?

dave

Critter files sounds to me more like just animals. Bugs files sounds good and is easily recognised but doesn't really cover other things, and doesn't sound quite right for such like as butterflies.

Perhaps a general title to include everything and then have sub-titles for differnet types of creatures. I can see we are going to get frogs,&toads, birds, snakes and lizards, flying insects, beetles, butterflies & moths, deer and ?.

They are all visitors to gardens in different places. Perhaps a thread could be started for suggestions for a general title, then sub-titles to cover different groups.

For example, frogs and toads etc 'Amphibians'. The different titles given on this link are a good clue.

http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/content/animals/amphibians/

Thanks Dave,

adding Order will be a big help. I have organised that nearly all have the family correctly stored now and I will be pleased to take on Order tomorrow. I am going to bed now however.

Great to see all fauna in the one data base. Why not FaunaFiles if you go that way. It is unambiguous and all embracing.

Ken

I like that...

I agree with FaunaFiles, which is as Ken says "all embracing". The other half of "Flora and Fauna" and as this site is first about Flora it makes sense to add the second part.

I found this site which should be a great reference site for many countries

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/amphibians.shtml

A checklist of Amphibians for North America and Mexico and Identification Guide

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/herps/amphibid/index.htm

Another

http://netvet.wustl.edu/amphib.htm

Oh no not CritterFiles! FaunaFiles yes.

You know there are days I'd really like to learn to shut up and not add my tuppenceworth *G* (I expect a few others here do too ;)

If I may cast a vote...I think we need to take a step back from the precipice that overlooks the vast animal kingdom in its entirety ;o)

I'd prefer to see us limit this to insects and arachnids...whether we refer to them collectively as "bugs" or something else.

Other "critters" may be of interest, but I think we'd be well served by starting with a narrower focus and doing it well, then consider expanding into other fauna if there is interest (and the necessary resident expertise) to delve into mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, etc.

I think stuff like deer, rabbits, etc are pretty easily ID'd without the help of a database anyway! Although it would be nice to have a place to put in comments on how to control them, but I think having a source for info on bugs is much more needed.

Agree we should not get ahead of ourselfs and limit to the Phylum Arthropoda for now, this one on itself is a huge enough undertaking.

To me BugFiles is a good name. Some may not see a Butterfly as a bug but to many a caterpillar is :)

I think to crawl before you walk, walk before you run, is a good idea.

I do like BugFiles myself, it might be more encouraging for people to take a look. Insects does include butterflies anyway, and I think it's the main body of insects that visit the plants is what we should, at this stage anyway, be looking at.

Looking at all the other sites with the other 'critters' on can be a little daunting. Let's keep it fun and simple for now, 'for and by gardeners'.

Kennedyh: the admin access is now in place and you have full admin priviliges in BugFiles. Enjoy!

dave

Thanks Dave, All the entries are now updated with Order and Family.
So far there are:

Araneida Spiders 1
Coleoptera Beetles 12
Hemiptera Bugs 3
Hymenoptera Ants, Bees and Wasps 6
Lepidoptera Butterflies and Moths 49
Odonata Dragonflies 3
Orthoptera Grasshoppers and Crickets 1
Scorpiones Scorpions 4

Ken

Assuming we're going to provide a separate repository for entomology etymology, may I suggest the following name(s) for the bug counterpart to Botanary.......

insectipedia or insectopaedia (insectopedia and insectapedia are already taken...)

I'd plump for Insectipedia as they are both derived from Latin, Insectopaedia will no doubt have the purists complaining :).

Are worms, slugs, leaches and snails included in this? (for aquatic gardens)

Thanks Ken - great job!!

I'm going to say my piece again, as I see it.

A. The basic structure is already in place, or will be soon.

B. The BlahFiles are going to be set up being able to be searched by phylum, class, order, family, genus and species as well as a lot of the intermediate levels as well.

C. Those same exact categories are what you would search for any creature by.

D. ID is only one of the reasons for these files.
1. ID
2. Is x a threat, neutral, or beneficial
3. How to control those that are pests.
4. Does x live in my area.
5. Pictures of x.
6. I'm sure there are other's

E. All of these categories can be useful in non-insect cases.

Ok, now I do agree that most people know your basic animals like deer, raccoons, etc., but I still don't think it would do any harm or create much more work to include entries on them.

I've been all for the name FaunaFiles since the name was posted.

What a wonderful new feature! Thank you, again Dave for making DG such a informative site. It is the *best* garden in the www. LOL

I can't tell how much I appreciate this feature. So often, after moving to a new location, I'm having to deal with a new and unknown 'bug.' Is he a bad guy or a good guy? I added my two cents on the one causing the most damage in my garden this year that I had no idea even existed until this summer. This will inspire me to get out there and take more photos and do more research to help beef up the database. Thanks to everyone who suggested it and thanks to the powers-that-be at DG for implementing it.

How about CreepycrawlyFiles? ;)

One more vote against the name 'bug'files. One can use the file itself to prove it is innaccurately named, and accuracy is the whole point, isn't it? I'm glad it includes orders, it would be very unwieldy without them. Thank you