Got an bug? Don't know what it is? Do ya' wanna' know?

Then have I found the web site for you!
Check out BugGuide.Net!

What a fantastic site. I ran across this some time back when I was trying to identify a moth larvae that Pam and I found on our last trip to Arizona, bookmarked it, then lost it with the change ovre of computers. Well, yesterday I posted a photo of a beetle for Wordless Wednesday - I figured it was a good choice for the post because I didn't know what it was, so I couldn't say much about it. Unfortunately, that just didn't sit well with me. I hate not being able to put a name to something. (Possibly one reason I got into birding) So when I had some free time, I started combing the net to see what I could find out, and again I ran across this site. The description of the site says that they "are an online community of naturalists who enjoy learning about and sharing our observations of insects, spiders, and other related creatures. We enjoy the opportunity to instill in others the fascination and appreciation that we share for the intricate lives of these oft-maligned creatures." So it's almost like a Wiki for bugs. They do have a tremendous collection of photos and information that I'm sure I will be referencing again and again! At first I couldn't find any photos that matched what I had (which I now know was more an issue of my ignorance & impatience) so I submitted the photo for identification, with as much additional information as I could supply. Within 40 minutes, I had a clear and concise answer from one of the contributing editors of the site.
I have to admist, that much of the time I spent on-line yesterday was exploring the site, and trying to identify photos of spioders, beetles, butterflies, moths, etc that I had taken over the years. What I enjoyed the most was that I'd find a photo of something on the site, then remember - "hey! I have a pic of something that looks like that!" then was able to go back, find my photo and compare for an id.
If you haven't been there yet, definitely check it out - I almost guarantee that you'll be adding it to your "Bookmarks" list!