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Post by nomihoudai on Mar 1, 2018 20:11:08 GMT
I had to share this. Still working on my Lycaenidae website. Chrysoritis from South Africa: I never came across any of these for sale. These specimens are from the McGuire Centre in Gainesville.
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Post by nomad on Mar 2, 2018 16:29:26 GMT
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Post by mcheki on Mar 2, 2018 16:37:06 GMT
Just a quick photo of one of my two drawers of Chrysoritis. These were obtained over many years directly from South African collectors. As you say not a genus that is readily available for purchase. Nevertheless an attractive and varied number of species are to be found.
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Post by nomihoudai on Mar 2, 2018 17:11:33 GMT
This is an amazing drawer mcheki. They are indeed not very common in collections. I also have not seen them in that many museums yet.
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Post by wollastoni on Mar 2, 2018 17:57:51 GMT
Wonderful genus !
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Post by mcheki on Mar 2, 2018 19:44:54 GMT
This is the second of the two drawers which contains this genus. These are not quite as bright as those in the first drawer, many lacking the metallic blues. Sorry, the quality of the photo is not as good but will still give added information on the genus. South Africa offers a very different range of species from other African areas and these are well worth studying.
Attachment Deleted
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Post by nomihoudai on Mar 2, 2018 21:36:03 GMT
Less bright, but still as amazing. I really like the underside of this genus. They also have a strong sexual dimorphism like most Lycaenidae. Here is a picture of sp. braueri: Attachment Deleted
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Post by mothylator on Apr 19, 2019 15:15:56 GMT
This is the second of the two drawers which contains this genus. These are not quite as bright as those in the first drawer, many lacking the metallic blues. Sorry, the quality of the photo is not as good but will still give added information on the genus. South Africa offers a very different range of species from other African areas and these are well worth studying.
Hi mcheki, Your pics are not displaying on my screen. Are they still on the forum, or have you uploaded them say to Imgur? I would really really like to see them. I've just acquired an old Southern African collection with a particular specialist interest in Lycaenidae (3,000 or so Lycaenids). It was collected between 1968-1986 with a very few additions thereafter to 1992. The collector was interested in collecting series of up to 12 pairs of each taxon, and was definitely interested in undescribed formes locales, as well as described subspecies. All specimens are capture/bred data labelled, but only paratypes are ID-labelled. There are rows upon rows of tightly-shingled Chrysoritis, over three drawers each with 13 columns of up to 30 specimens per column, including several paratypes. Also there are many many specimens of most of those (difficult-to-ID) Aloeides species, plus stacks of Aphnaea, Trimenia, and several specimens of three species now South African Red-Book-Listed as CE. I'm having great difficulty determining ID on many of the Aloeides, and would probably benefit from some help if I may post some pics... The original owner has no interest in it, unfortunately, and I didn't get any of his field books or study records, if they still existed. Here's a pic of the left half of one of the three drawers of Chrysoritis, to show how amazingly opalescent they truly are, even after 45 years in a relatively suboptimal standard of collection storage. I'll post more when I've transferred them into my curated collection drawers if anyone's interested... Attachments:
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Post by luehdorfia on Apr 19, 2019 20:01:18 GMT
mothylator are you based in South Africa, or did you get the collection shipped somewhere? Quite amazing drawer!
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Post by mothylator on Apr 19, 2019 23:48:37 GMT
No it was the collector who returned to UK after retirement from a life in South Africa.
I acquired his 9 drawers of Charaxes and his P. dardanus series, a few months ago. I put a lot of work into cleaning up as needed and curating some rarities like dowsetti and also his dardanus cenea female forms, and some red-book listed satyridae, which has been very successful and well worth the research and effort.
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Post by mcheki on Apr 20, 2019 9:53:49 GMT
This is the second of the two drawers which contains this genus. These are not quite as bright as those in the first drawer, many lacking the metallic blues. Sorry, the quality of the photo is not as good but will still give added information on the genus. South Africa offers a very different range of species from other African areas and these are well worth studying.
Hi mcheki, Your pics are not displaying on my screen. Are they still on the forum, or have you uploaded them say to Imgur? I would really really like to see them. I've just acquired an old Southern African collection with a particular specialist interest in Lycaenidae (3,000 or so Lycaenids). It was collected between 1968-1986 with a very few additions thereafter to 1992. The collector was interested in collecting series of up to 12 pairs of each taxon, and was definitely interested in undescribed formes locales, as well as described subspecies. All specimens are capture/bred data labelled, but only paratypes are ID-labelled. There are rows upon rows of tightly-shingled Chrysoritis, over three drawers each with 13 columns of up to 30 specimens per column, including several paratypes. Also there are many many specimens of most of those (difficult-to-ID) Aloeides species, plus stacks of Aphnaea, Trimenia, and several specimens of three species now South African Red-Book-Listed as CE. I'm having great difficulty determining ID on many of the Aloeides, and would probably benefit from some help if I may post some pics... The original owner has no interest in it, unfortunately, and I didn't get any of his field books or study records, if they still existed. Here's a pic of the left half of one of the three drawers of Chrysoritis, to show how amazingly opalescent they truly are, even after 45 years in a relatively suboptimal standard of collection storage. I'll post more when I've transferred them into my curated collection drawers if anyone's interested...
SNAP! I have also acquired a southern Africa collection that was sent direct to me from South Africa a month or so ago. Over 8000 specimens in cabinets, covering all the families except Hesperiidae. A lot of specimens of interest in there but all needs to be carefully checked and all the drawers refurbished. This will take some time. The second photo I posted is missing from my screen as well but the first is present. This is now not worth replacing. I attach a photo of another drawer from the recent acquisition instead.
From your later post I would be interested in finding out more about the dardanus cenea and acene forms as there seems to be more variety in the specimens than in the available texts. Where in the UK are you based? Send PM if preferred.
Sorry. Can not insert photo, add attachment not functioning. I'll try again later.
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Post by mothylator on Apr 20, 2019 10:14:01 GMT
Click on a username to get their profile 😎
Nicely done, mcheki! Southern African butterflies are ever more infrequently seen since the South African collecting permits system has been operational. The Benton Blue Society is doing some good work publicising the conservation concerns and habitat degradation for many vulnerable or critically endangered species there. I would dearly love to get photographs of the Chrysoritis Opal Jewels in their habitat.
Fortunately I have a number of Hesperiidae species series in my acquisition, but hardly a complete array. The less often seen, and more interesting / curious species seem to be well represented though. But I haven’t really got that far in my thorough review.
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Post by mothylator on Apr 20, 2019 10:18:45 GMT
Click on a username to get their profile 😎 oh that doesn’t work on others only when I click on myself! Duh! Staffordshire, UK
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Post by trehopr1 on Apr 21, 2019 3:24:56 GMT
WOW, mothylator and mcheki did you guys fall into some great collections!! OMG 8000 prepared specimens in cabinets and 3000 Lycaenids + 9 drawers of Charaxes and a Dardanus series.... How do you find out about such collections. Holy cow, that's like stumbling into King Solomon's mine. What a treasure trove.... Cannot imagine what sort of cost was involved but, BRAVO for acquiring them. At least these treasures will be appreciated and cared for in the long term.... I have never had the means to buy anyone's collection (on masse) however, I have had the privilege of "cherry-picking" a number of old collections over the years and I treasure every bit of it. I feel I too have saved many nice things from an uncertain fate. Incredible opportunities that both of you have had. Green with envy but, happy the material has found righteous new caretakers !
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Post by mothylator on Apr 21, 2019 21:53:56 GMT
Well phrases like right place right time right contacts and a dollop of luck spring to mind. Tbh, old collections have downsides too, depending on prior care of preservation and storage environment. Risk of importing new types of infestation into the lab is an issue. Specimen problems can come to light after acquisition, Eg mildewed Charaxes antennae in 3 boxes, required patient tender loving care: I used a sable brush with surgical spirit, which contains methyl salicylate (smells nice and might even have some small property of breaking down fungal hyphae) plus a tiny amount of castor oil (which is cytotoxic and relatively non-volatile, so leaves an ultrathin residue keeping the antenna dark and smart as in life, and suppresses risk of recurrence). Very gentle brushing along antennae to remove strands of mildew, and a touch on the eye globes which are almost always affected too, and sometimes the proboscis, brings back the clarity of outline. So easy to break antenna if one has a momentary lapse of concentration or visual depth perception. And don't use British Surgical Spirit on wings... that's another story! Re-setting rarities which have suffered wing movement badly, or have unmanageable pin-spinning syndrome. Preserving faint or foxy labels. Confirming IDs. De-greasing any oily specimens, particularly freshly emerged fat-bodied female lycaenidae of larger species, that were evidently sacrificed as soon as wings were hardened... Mending dropped abdomens or wonky wings. Assessing ancient pins for corrosion before lifting and repinning them in fresh display drawers Etc etc. Then new labelling in the curated drawers. A labour of love that makes for an intimate knowledge of the new acquisitions. Well worth the effort though, when one sees the end results... Charaxes marieps, karkloof capensis, karkloof karkloof, and one column of some vansoni, with karkloof larval instar head moults to demo. (Just waiting for me to print and pinpoint the drawer labels). Attachments:
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