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Post by mikelock34 on Jun 7, 2015 12:37:39 GMT
I always use 1000 W MV up on a tall pole and black lights on the sheets below whatever I am collecting. For Titanus giganteus, you start listening for them around 0100. They sound like bowling balls crashing through the trees. You run away from your light on the side you hear the noise on. When the crashing sound stops, you look back towards the light. You either see them as they crash into the ground against the light or if you do not see them, you wait to here the thump when they hit the ground. When you hear them hit the ground, you need to run over and quickly find them before they run under leaves or clutter on the ground. We were told by several people that they do not come directly into the sheet. That is not true. We sometimes had to stand in front of the lights to keep them from crashing into the bulb and breaking it. The numbers per night are variable. You sometimes will catch one, sometimes people catch dozens from what we were told. One man caught 72 in one night we were told by a very reliable source.
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Post by Paul K on Jun 7, 2015 12:54:59 GMT
Wow 72 Titanus that is a pay off for the whole trip ! Females are hard to find and as I remember someone said ( 2004 ) there they were selling for about 2000 Euros.
Paul
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 10, 2015 3:32:35 GMT
WARNING: If you find a Titan Beetle bigger than 16.7 cm. you better find a strong rope and a saddle OR a means of self defense !
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 11, 2015 15:21:48 GMT
Good heavens, that 16.1 cm. titan(osaurus) just hit $3050.00 and there is still 5 hours left to bid ! !
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dynastor
New Aurelian
Posts: 3
Country: France
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Post by dynastor on Jun 11, 2015 16:47:06 GMT
3100 right now !
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Post by wollastoni on Jun 11, 2015 19:04:26 GMT
It is a great specimen and I have pushed it with Collector's Secret. dynastor will be a happy seller !
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 11, 2015 19:17:41 GMT
Dynastor, I would find it very difficult parting with such a fine specimen of such extraordinary size --- unless I already had one of similar quality AND proportions. Do you already have a similar nicety like that one already in your collection? Just curious because money isn't everything.
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dynastor
New Aurelian
Posts: 3
Country: France
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Post by dynastor on Jun 11, 2015 19:17:43 GMT
I confirm
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dynastor
New Aurelian
Posts: 3
Country: France
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Post by dynastor on Jun 11, 2015 19:23:36 GMT
I study nymphalids from french guiana and really don't mind about having such a monster in my collection. So it's very easy parting with it.
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 11, 2015 20:40:43 GMT
Thanks dynastor for your reply. Just idle curiosity on my part. I've always had a thing for insects of extraordinary size. I just can't afford them !
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 11, 2015 20:48:03 GMT
Wow, hefty selling price but, I think worth it. Awesome....
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Post by mikelock34 on Jun 11, 2015 21:43:02 GMT
Less expensive to go and collect your own large specimen. There is a good spot off the road to Montsinery from Cayenne that is a good spot for large Titanus. Good place for Agrias near there too. You can catch several dozen specimens of Agrias a day there.
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 12, 2015 4:07:06 GMT
I don't exactly see how going to any foreign country is going to be less expensive than getting nice specimens through a dealer with good contacts. You can go to such places (even at the right time of year) and you still may not find what it is your really after. In short, there are no guarantees. And travel is expensive. Never mind about the round trip air tickets. How about having OR for that matter bringing all the needed equipment. Think about it. Lights, sheets, generator, ropes, killing agent, envelopes on and on and on. What about vehicle rental + gas cost. Food cost, and possible tent(s). My god, the list never seems to end ! And let's not forget permits or their possible cost. You would'nt want to spend 1 or 2 weeks somewhere just to find your material gets confiscated at the airport. Of coarse, I realize that a certain amount of this can be avoided by having a contact (over there) in place already. But, that's not a luxury available to all of us. It's all easier said than done. I traveled in the early 1990's with myself and a fellow collector friend to the Dominican Republic. Spent 2 weeks there. And it seemed like all we did just about the whole time was open our wallets for just about everything ! And the supplies that were harder to find or come by usually came at ridiculous cost. I absolutely love the adventure associated with exotic collecting trips (as I have done 3 of them). However, the logistics are daunting to say the least. Of coarse, if you want to pay someone else for the headaches and show up as the monied tourist then that's ok too but, where are the savings.
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Post by mikelock34 on Jun 12, 2015 10:49:09 GMT
Depends upon how well you plan. Local contacts always help out a lot with borrowing equipment and that sort of thing. When I bring my own generator and heavy equipment, I will usually trade it or sell it to someone local so that I do not have to bring it back home. Shipping specimens to yourself instead of bringing them in your luggage also helps when possible. Planning helps with getting the species you are looking for too. Never been anywhere that I did not get what I was after. Using the correct techniques makes all the difference. Some people do things to get specimens that seem strange, but work really well. In French Guiana the people who showed us around would show us collecting spots that had no special attributes that we could see, but where exceptional for collecting certain species that we were looking for. Travel is always the way to go. Find fun, not headaches and have fun is the way to go!
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Post by Paul K on Jun 12, 2015 12:26:24 GMT
In most cases the trip to tropical country will be more costly then buying specimen off internet . In case of Titanus for $3000 one would go there for a week, no problem . If can catch that large example ? That is no guarantees. However the advanture and fun associate with the trip is worth to take a risk , even if plan is not going to turn positive. On the other hand traveling there will open window to collect different species which are not available for sale on eBay or anywhere else simply cause they don't bring lot of interest around collectors ( mostly moths except Saturnidae ) For countries that request permits for collecting that is a different story.
Paul
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