The top contenders in an ASU-NAU contest may bug you, but that shouldn’t stop you from voting.

The 2009 Ugly Bug online contest features 10 heavyweight contenders of the insect world — all with a variety of abilities to either disgust or impress the voting public.

The Web site uses microscopes to show the bugs with color imaging that makes them more appealing to look at, said Marilee Sellers, assistant director of Imaging and Histology Core Facility at NAU.

Sellers created the contest in 1997 as a way to get third-graders more interested in insects, she said.

“Originally I would go out to visit the classrooms and ask the kids if they wanted to help teach people about the bugs,” she said. “[The kids] would collect the bugs and I would photograph them.”

After several years and transformations, the contest became a part of the Festival of Science in Flagstaff and last year linked up with ASU’s Ask a Biologist, a Web site aimed at getting elementary school students more interested in science.

Bugs featured in the contest are judged on their appearances as well as how impressive their individual abilities are, said Charles “Dr. Biology” Kazilek, an ASU research professional.

“We say ugly is only cuticle deep, but actually many of the bugs are not ugly,” he said. “In fact, they are very elegant and often quite beautiful. Somehow calling a contest the Beautiful Bug Contest seemed contrary to most people’s idea of bugs.”

Last year’s winner, the tick, won by a landslide for the bloodsucking factor, Kazilek said.

“Seeing bugs up close and learning about the cool things they do is a great way to learn,” Kazilek said in an e-mail. “The contest is a fun way to get up close and personal with a bug that might be walking, crawling or flying next to you.”

Page Baluch, tech lab manager in the School of Life Sciences, worked initially to help collect the bugs and then put color into the microscopic images.

She said she likes the Stretch Snakefly because of its coloring. The Snakefly is currently leading the contest with 2,400 of the more than 5,000 votes.

“People are attracted to the images ultimately because of the close-up photos by the electron microscope,” she said.

Voting will be held online until Dec. 15, when the contest winner will be announced.

Cast your vote at askabiologist.asu.edu/uglybugs

Reach the reporter at allison.gatlin@asu.edu.