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Post by trehopr1 on Jul 11, 2016 19:03:41 GMT
I've always had a particular like for Catocala moths but, have never seen much in the way of posts about them on this forum. It would be nice to see something from fellow members holdings. Here in America we have a good number of them (at least 110+) species recognized; with various named subspecies attributed to some of them. They hold something of a cult status here among lepi collectors as you are bound to come across them if you do any mothing of any sort at all. Also, the wide variety of species that can potentially be "self collected" along with the "thrill of the hunt" for them makes them forever endearing to young and old collectors alike. The baiting methods and various sorted recipes involved could probably make a small recipe book. Of coarse, other collecting methods such as bait traps and tree "tapping" are also utilized by some in the quest of finding yet another species new to one's own experiences and collection. All good fun through and through and you can even have a cold beer or puff on a good Havana in the process. Rather like fishing of a kind...I suppose. Anyway, living on the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. I have encountered some particularly beautiful species such as Cara, Amatrix, Nebulosa, Sappho, Lacrymosa, Concumbens, and Relicta just to mention a few of the outstanding species. And then there are the "vagrants" or strays which collectors occasionally find as well as the particularly "tough" or uncommon / localized species like Marmorata which make the heart skip a beat.... Need I say more. So let's hear something from those of you with "the passion" for this group. Could be a great tread.
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Post by trehopr1 on Jul 2, 2016 8:24:08 GMT
I too agree with bobw and nomihoudai. That certainly sounds a reasonable explanation. I have in my collection a wild caught Pieris rapae with a very similar perfect round hole in one of its wings. Caught it in early spring one year when they first start emerging here where I live. Looking at it I kind of figured something had gone wrong overwinter while it was a chrysalid. I just never really thought about the real dynamics at work which nomihoudai best explained.
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 27, 2016 6:48:11 GMT
Leon, at the Carnegie Museum there is a very well known coleopterist named Bob Davidson who I believe is the collection manager. He is also a specialist on the Carabidae family. You can look up that web site and see if you can contact him. He will tell you how and where to post your photo and I'm sure he will know what genus and species you are looking at. I'm certain it's common as I have seen it before myself. The Carabidae family is one of the five or six largest families of beetles with identified species running between 25 to 30 thousand species depending on which book you consult. A species level I.D. really requires a specialist except on the largest,most prominent,unique,or commonly encountered species. Good luck.
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 23, 2016 19:15:53 GMT
The brown spotting or staining is caused more so by waste products in the butterflies abdominal gut --- rather than by outright greasing of the specimen. Greasing of a specimen generally means that body (fats) have leached out from the body of the specimen and have consequently invaded the wing surface oftentimes distorting the colors (pigments). While acetone does a pretty good job of body fat removal (grease); it does remain a "double edged sword" so to speak. It can (and usually does) affect the pigmented yellows,greens, and reds on lepidopteran wings by somewhat "dulling" those pigments --- even though the grease has been removed. The colors of those treated areas or whole wings don't (in my opinion) look as vibrant when compared to other similarly fresh caught specimens. Acetone may remove some of the waste product staining but, it is possible it may imbed some of those waste product chemicals into the scales permanently. This is why africaone mentioned a cotton swab and water as another possibility. A more natural way of really removing "dirt" from a butterflies wing --- rather than grease. I myself have never been a fan of acetone use. For me (personally) if a specimen gets to looking like it requires an acetone bath --- I toss it out ! I don't even bother as most insects overall are a renewable resource which can be replaced. I have cleaned only a very few using cotton swab + water with reasonable success however, it is never really been100% affective as water will only "remove" certain waste product chemicals and "fade" others. If you can live with a faded (former)waste product stain than it is an acceptable result. Far better than leaving it alone or potentially distorting the pigmented colors through acetone use. Best of luck.
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 13, 2016 5:51:03 GMT
Incredible piece of work Nomad --- as always ! Pulling togather such articles as this cannot be easy and are certainly time consuming. I'm sure we are all in our own way indebted to you for disseminating the knowledge which you have gleamed from many painstaking hours of research. Bravo to you sir on your many,many contributions !
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 13, 2016 4:33:38 GMT
Thank you Paul for that correction on E. sylvester being a pair and not just two males as I presumed. What a beautiful sight that species is ! I'm sure that blue sheen in the sunlight just boggles the eyes.... Those Delias you managed to get are also really nice. They may be common compared to all those rarities other members show us but, I know I'd have no problem at all filling up a drawer or two with them. Some nice varying amounts of reds, and yellows present there ! Maybe even some melanism as well. Catopsilia scylla is also a very cool species. How very unique. I did manage to get a pair of them myself some years ago from a private collection. Much like yours mine are also fresh looking but, I had to make a stiff trade to get them. I just simply HAD to have that species for my collection. Of coarse, you additionally have the indelible memories of capturing your specimens firsthand !
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 13, 2016 3:38:57 GMT
Very nice indeed Paul K ! You really collected up some nice things across the board. Wonderful selection of species and descent series where possible ! And of coarse, you always do such an exemplary job in your preparation efforts -- my compliments. I see that you seem to have adopted deliasfanatic's (header label) format. A nice touch and looking very professional. I might add that I really like that Euploea species in the third drawer,third column,last two male specimens. Just beautiful... I'm sure if you could have collected more of those males you would have. I know I would have certainly focused my efforts on that one!
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 13, 2016 3:14:04 GMT
Now that is one splendid little Arctiidae species ! If I had opportunity enough to collect such a fine thing I would certainly have to fill a whole drawer with them. I've always had something of passion for Arctiidae and I love to see drawerfulls of them. However, in my experiences I've never really found many of them in my region much less in any numbers.
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 8, 2016 18:41:58 GMT
I have not heard anything "credible" yet from any of my sources here across the pond. However, it does seem that some finality to the case was reached but, honestly I've been hearing differing variations on the end result. The lawyer costs and court fees will likely be painful enough. The specimens themselves are likely "confiscated evidence".
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Post by trehopr1 on May 6, 2016 7:57:14 GMT
I agree with you wholeheartedly exoticimports. The canopy of rainforests still remains largely undiscovered. Who knows what sort of treasures are there to be discovered !
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Post by trehopr1 on May 5, 2016 7:02:48 GMT
After reading over this thread again I have to say that I still remain "optimistic" that we may one day see a new birdwing described. And not a subspecies. I say this because I truely believe there is a lot more undiscovered country in PNG than people think. Weather it be little known valleys or the backside of some mountain chain or a food plant no one has ever seen in a localized niche --- there are always possibilities . Another point to consider is that not all birdwing species are necessarily big butterflies easily seen as many have mentioned. Think for a moment how rather smallish rothchild's birdwing is. And how about the even smaller meridionalis. Lest I mention such Troides species as andromache, rhadamantus, dohertyi, and others. I've seen cecropia moths bigger in wingspan than all of these. My point is that why is it not possible for a species of birdwing unknown to science and in the size range as mentioned; not live in some little known valley of PNG in a localized environment ? I remain hopeful ....
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Post by trehopr1 on May 5, 2016 6:28:52 GMT
Love the article Nomad. Fine work as always ! Man, get a load of that Stone Age village. Looks like something out of a King Kong flick ! I can't even imagine having the (guts) or otherwise personal fortitude, daring, and blind trust in my luck that I could go to such a place as this circa 1912 --- and to be able to talk about it. You had to be of a special breed or calling to want to experiance such a place. Amazing.
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Post by trehopr1 on May 3, 2016 19:59:31 GMT
Now there's a group we hardly ever see posted. I love the first 4 rows of the first picture and the 2nd thru 5th rows of the second one. Your fortunate to have such nice variety among your African satyrinae.
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Post by trehopr1 on May 2, 2016 4:51:29 GMT
Gynandromorphs when encountered in the wild or in collections are most often mosaics much like the one posted above (with a smattering of one of the opposite sexes present to varying degrees). However, on a rarer note one may also encounter a specimen which is clearly 3/4 of one sex and 1/4 of the opposite sex. The odds of that are even more astronomical than a mosaic specimen. But, without doubt the epitome of awesomeness on yet another level is the bilateral gynandromorph. A true bilateral will only have a single male clasper present on whichever side is male. To put it best (bilateral gynanders) are the mythical unicorns of the lepidopterist world !
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Post by trehopr1 on May 2, 2016 0:18:31 GMT
That's a lovely little Lycaenid. Are they somewhat difficult to notice flitting about the bushes? Or do they glint like little emeralds when the sun hits them just right. We don't see very many green lycaenids of any kind !
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