|
Post by africaone on Mar 15, 2015 9:45:09 GMT
Human needs such myth to dream or believe It gives some Pepper to life This is like the Loch Ness monster or Rosswel ET
One of my "entomological Masters" recalled often me that an uncaught specimen doesn't exist ... I tried during many years to convince him that is untrue, but finally, I have to admit he was right ....
How many times before a trip we dreamed about what will be encountred, how we missed the Graal last time, the extraordinray insect we were sure to have seen, etc.
You can't imagine the number of hunters that have seen lydiae (flying of course, never in their net ) especially in areas where the species is "supposed" to not occur. The answer is there : "supposed", that let a door open to dream.
Entomologists are like chidren, we need such dreams and to feed the legend ! Thanks Barns for a such story, it is a big chapter of the entomological mythology !
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Nov 7, 2017 20:04:25 GMT
Is there still no news of this giant swallowtail. Papilio antizox ? A canopy specialist for sure.
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Nov 7, 2017 21:51:29 GMT
I suspect that it flies at 30,000 feet. I also think that females scatter eggs in the clouds and a few of them land near something the larvae can eat, and once every 150 years a male flies down to the ground to see whether there are any people with nets nearby. Adam.
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Nov 7, 2017 22:17:59 GMT
I suspect that it flies at 30,000 feet. I also think that females scatter eggs in the clouds and a few of them land near something the larvae can eat, and once every 150 years a male flies down to the ground to see whether there are any people with nets nearby. Adam.
What is the food plant?
Chuck
ps. Surely there has to be ONE big lep find somewhere!
|
|
|
Post by deliasfanatic on Nov 7, 2017 23:32:38 GMT
I suspect that it flies at 30,000 feet. I also think that females scatter eggs in the clouds and a few of them land near something the larvae can eat, and once every 150 years a male flies down to the ground to see whether there are any people with nets nearby. Adam. And adults have no legs, and feed on "falling dew"..... Papilio apoda
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2017 8:17:17 GMT
There is a rumour of a colony just outside Rotherham.
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Nov 8, 2017 8:24:10 GMT
ps. Surely there has to be ONE big lep find somewhere! Yes. We still find several new Delias species in remoted mountains of New Guinea and close islands (about 1 or 2 new species per year)... maybe we will find one day a new Papilionidae species there too. Some mountain ranges like the Foja Mts, the Wandammen Mts and many others have had less than 3 entomological expeditions of few days each in the last centuries. Who knows what is flying there ? Ornithoptera pequini is waiting for us ! I guess there are few other non-well studied areas in Africa and South America too.
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Nov 8, 2017 9:07:09 GMT
There are still very many new butterfly species to be discovered around the world, even in Papilionidae, but many of them are not as ostentatious as "Papilio antizox" would be.
Adam.
PS. Dunc, any chance of waving a net around Rotherham for us? I guess it's too dangerous as you might get arrested for attempted murder of defenceless flutterbys.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2017 9:48:10 GMT
You'll have to wait until next spring Adam, they congregate around the tops of Hawthorne bushes.
As an aside has anyone heard anything recently about bhutanitis ludlowi, I seem to remember a couple of years ago the Japanese found it and made a video but I've heard nothing since.
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Nov 8, 2017 11:28:14 GMT
As an aside has anyone heard anything recently about bhutanitis ludlowi, I seem to remember a couple of years ago the Japanese found it and made a video but I've heard nothing since. Several expeditions have gone to Bhutan since then and all have seen many specimens. The species being on CITES 2 list and living in a Bhutanese nature reserve, you won't find them available but it is a good news they are rather common there.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Nov 8, 2017 17:25:42 GMT
I believe I detect some skepticism regarding Papilio antizox. I believe before the butterfly is discovered some industrious entomologist might discover the larva of Papilio zalmoxis or Papilio antimachus. If only would could get up in the canopy, I expect there would be some truly wondrous discoveries in Lepidoptera and imagine one of those was the mythical Papilio antizox sitting on its throne.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Nov 9, 2017 19:36:34 GMT
Its interesting that there are now a few more females of Papilio antimachus on the market. I wonder how these are captured? If the female remains up in the canopy, has some gained tree top access to a breeding site. I do not believe those females would have been taken mud puddling with the males.
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Nov 9, 2017 19:58:18 GMT
I heard the answer at Juvisy, Peter. :-)
A local collector has found a magic flowering tree that attract few females very early in the morning. A golden-egg tree for him ! AFAIK there is one single source for these females.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Nov 10, 2017 7:18:17 GMT
A golden-egg tree for him ! AFAIK there is one single source for these females. The Golden Bough for sure
|
|
|
Post by africaone on Nov 10, 2017 7:21:29 GMT
The name antizox itself is a kind of joke as the picture of the supposed seen specimen . antizox is not a so sexy name "anti - zox" is like a kind of medecine against something bad. Good luck to recognise antimachus and zalmoxis in it Every hunter have seen in his life something strange that become a kind of Yeti or ET in the discussion or conversation with others . When I was younger and innocent, I have seen and heard incredible things in Congo (The Africans likes particularly this sport) ... never caught (of course ). If the name of Barns wasn't attached to antizox in a serious publication, probably many more people would have been skeptical (to not say more). Antizox survived also because collectors and hunters are dreamers and it is difficult to find something so incredible to dream today
|
|