Daves Leps World

[Dave McCormick]

This is now the official thread about my butterfly and moth website I am creating. I will keep progress reports here. I will need to register my site location in May as server I am using is allowing regestering at odd times.

Here is all the superfamilies information pages we have (number): 68
Here is number of Sub family pages: End up being more than superfamily.
I just added a thumbnail index that is a good ID and links directly to the moth/butterfly page and superfamily and subfamily pages it belongs too.

On our section, Geographic locations we have information on all areas you'd find butterflies and moths:

There is a map of world on geographic locations page, you cick on an area, one of these:

Nearctic, Neotropical, Western Palearctic, Eastern Palearctic, Middle Eastern, oriental, Afrotropical and Australlisian and this will bring you to a page that has information on the different types of fauna and what basic types of butterfies/moths you'd expect to see there.

Here are all main sections:

Home Page = Home Page you see after entering site

News = News from the butterfly and moth world (either my breeding, sightings, website updates and info and other important related stuff goes here) Found on home page

About me = About me and my site

Photos = Families, Subfamilies and all photos we have and all information on butterflies and moths go here

Geographic locations = Different geographic locations and what to expect in each one

How to take good photos = A list of tips for taking good photos of butterflies and moths. Learned a lot from this site.

Sign Guestbook = Guestbook (May not come in finished website)

External Links = Important butterfly/moth related websites and pages.

Breeding with Caterpillars = From egg to adult and how to do it. The complete guide to breeding butterflies and moths and my won experience jotted down which include: Small Tortoiseshell, Map Butterfly and Large Copper breeding logs.

Moth traps = Information on ranges of moth traps and how to attract moths and where to do it.

Species identification = Identify a type of species and understand differences within each type = e.g. swallowtails, skippers, apollos, birdwings, hook-tips, burnets etc...

Seasons to find Moths and Butterflies = Based on U.K. and migrant times to find moths and butterflies. (based on 2005 recording of butterflies and most common moth you'd expect to see in U.K. flight times and migrant times)

Disclaimer = Rules for using and viewing content

Videos = linled within photo pages under specific butterflies and moths. Like the video I showed you here, most will be similar showing "behaviours" and if possible abberations and rarities and other important things related to them. Also I made a navigation video so you can see how to navigate this site.

Unusual butterflies and moths = Place where people can submit gyndomorph or abberation or other unusual image of butterfly or moth they find and I will make a page just for their images and a bit about them.

You cannot download vidoes, only stream them. I have said what bit rate, file size and resolution videos are. Mainly 640x480 full screen view and around anything from 1MB-30MB in filesize. (I try not to get higher than that) Thats why I use Windows Vista Movie Maker, saves in good quality wmv and simple to add simple stuff, what I want to videos.

Started this site in August and its still not finished. 8 or so months and still unfinished. Its a huge site. has 130 pages so far with around 50-60 still unwritten. (Do not worry, site is straight forward to navigate)

I will keep you posted.

P.S. thanks to Pete Eeles image from Farm Lator, I used part to create a cool website banner logo that should attract attention to site. I also have a bit of neat "unusual" javascript in site in form of a button.

[TonyS]

Personally speaking, I cannot wait for your website to be up and running. Perhaps then you will have your own forum within which to confine your ramblings. Due to Peter Eeles seemingly endless patience I think you have shamefully parasitised this brilliant site for too long.

[Dave McCormick]

I am not going to make a forum as of yet. The web server I want to upload it to only is allowing regestering at od times during may, so I will do my best to register it. I am starting with 2GB webspace and 100GB bandwidth then moving to 100GB webspace and 1000GB bandwidth when site gets larger.

I tried making a forum before using PHPBB and I could not get it to work. When my sites up and running, if someone where to help me with that itr would really help. Keep checking.

I decided since it would be easier show people how to navigate the site, I made a video on how to do it.

Here are a few screens to keep you entertained.

First one is website logo with part of image is one of Pete Eeles trip to Farm Lator.



Here one of the Identification pages showing how to identify white butterflies.



And here is a page with the small tortoiseshell information, here is how it works:

1) The top of the page has information on the small tortoiseshell and slight below has the list of similar species and if I get a pic of that similar species I will create a page on it and link it. Below that is the list of abberations and same applies here.

Then there is a inline fram and when you click a thumbnail of a pic it will display the full 800x600 pic in this (looks neat this way, first time it looked different but changed it to make it neat)

Here is top of page:



Here is what happens when thumbnail is clicked:



All butterfly and moth information pages will look similar.

Hope that tides you until I can register and finish site.

[Dave McCormick]

Have slight problem. I need s secure and always there location of uploading my videos so I can stream them to my website (I don't want downloads) Anyone know a good place?

I tried imageshack and found it to be poor quality. Please help.

[roundwood123]

This stuff just amazes me.

[Dave McCormick]

I may have found my video upload place. I have worked on this site since August and tried really hard on it. Many things still need done but as soon as I find out, my sites getting registered, don't want to miss out. Hope to be ready by end of may.

I have seen many sites, but they just provide a bit of info and a pic. My site is dedicated to all aspects of butterflies and moths as well as photographing them, conservation, breeding and various forms and subspecies and families there are out there. Its scientific and really detailed.

P.S. videos work on my site so I will be able to show you them when its ready! I decided only streaming video was allowed
Here is the trailer for my site!:

http://download350.mediafire.com/0y2wnx ... sPromo.wmv

[Lance]

Dave
That is simply amazing
When do you think your site will be ready??

[Dave McCormick]

First, I need to register in May, this will only be hapening at random times so I need to try. I want the site to be ready by end of May, not sure if it will happen yet.

[Dave McCormick]

Not much is happening with site. Hoping to register next week. ANyway, Added a Green veined White page, an Orange-Tip page and a Holly Blue page with shots I got and a couple of videos. The hardest part was writing in all abberations. Took ages. fixed site up so now when you click say:

Small Tortoiseshell, you see all adult pics first, then there is links below to:

Foms, Caterpillar, Mating, Sub-Species and Pupae. If I have pics, i will create a page and add information about that stage. Finished one family and subfamily section. This is hard work. May or may not be finished by end of May, I will keep you posted anyway.