diff --git a/utilities.py b/utilities.py
index 7bdab413800aba2b75fb1f8660c204a22507311e..449fe8fbac9cf951a25c6b1a9a67f86b6f797404 100755
--- a/utilities.py
+++ b/utilities.py
@@ -144,17 +144,18 @@ def get_sp_picture(sp_dict_list):
     for sp in sp_dict_list:
 
         genus_species = get_gspecies_string_from_sp_dict(sp)
-        logging.debug("picture path for {0} {1}: {2}".format(genus_species,
-                                                             sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_STRAIN],
-                                                             sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH]))
+        # logging.debug("picture path for {0} {1}: {2}".format(genus_species,
+        #                                                      sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_STRAIN],
+        #                                                      sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH]))
 
         # no picture stored yet for this genus_species
         if genus_species not in sp_picture_dict.keys() \
             or (genus_species in sp_picture_dict.keys()
                 and sp_picture_dict[genus_species] == None):
 
-            if constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH in sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC].keys() and \
-                    sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH] != None:
+            if constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH in sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC].keys() \
+                and sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH] != None \
+                and sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH] != "":
                 sp_picture_dict[genus_species] = sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH]
             else:
                 sp_picture_dict[genus_species] = None
@@ -163,11 +164,12 @@ def get_sp_picture(sp_dict_list):
         if (constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_MAIN_SPECIES in sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC].keys()
             and sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_MAIN_SPECIES] == True )\
             and (constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH in sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC].keys()
-                and sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH] != None):
+                and sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH] != None
+                and sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH] != ""):
 
             sp_picture_dict[genus_species] = sp[constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC][constants.ORG_PARAM_DESC_PICTURE_PATH]
 
-    logging.debug("picture dict: %s" % sp_picture_dict)
+    # logging.debug("picture dict: %s" % sp_picture_dict)
 
     return sp_picture_dict