|
Post by Paul K on Feb 12, 2016 16:00:24 GMT
Walking around tropical forest and being unable to collect those beautiful little leps is really annoying . They are there in the tree tops as with some luck sometimes one or two can be seen within the reach. Is there anyway to lure them down ?
Paul
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Feb 12, 2016 16:34:08 GMT
Even in the UK, our Hairstreaks are mainly arboreal but come down on occasions to visit flowers. One of the more common species Neozephyrus quercus, likes to stay around the tops of Ash and Oaks and rarely descends. Your tropical Theclinae are probably exclusively canopy species feeding up there on blossoms. It is the same problem with many other species, they have no real need to descend from the canopy. I am afraid unless you can join them, you may just get a ground floor view.
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 12, 2016 17:33:22 GMT
Sometimes some of them come down to 'the right type' of flowers at particular times of day, often very early. I have also found some species in thick forest, usually sitting where shafts of sunlight come down through the trees. Careful observation and a bit of luck are necessary.
Adam.
|
|
cormion
New Aurelian
Posts: 6
Country: France
|
Post by cormion on Feb 12, 2016 17:43:26 GMT
Hello, L. Diringer and C. Faynel - two neotropical Lycaenidae specialists - wrote several papers about the behaviour of neotropical Theclinae and gave very useful advice to observe those jewels in rain forest (best hours, flower, type of forest, etc.). See especially : "Lépidoptères de Guyane - Tome 5 - Lycaenidae" : www.lepido-france.com/monographies/103-guyane-tome-4.htmlYvan
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Feb 12, 2016 18:06:07 GMT
Indeed, a great book.
|
|
jhyatt
Aurelian
Posts: 224
Country: U.S.A.
|
Post by jhyatt on Feb 13, 2016 1:31:56 GMT
I don't know anything about the eastern tropics, but in South America, some "Theclas" are baitable. One uses rotten fish bait (very old - almost totally liquefied, like you use for Nymphalids) in a bait trap raised to the canopy. The Lycaenids often don't enter the trap, but sit on the outside netting... but they tend to remain there if you very carefully lower the trap, and you can bottle a few then. Do collectors use fish bait in the East? I'm told it is not very effective in Central America, but works best in the Andes and Amazon.
In the US, I have on about 3 occasions had the lovely Lycaenid Atlides halesus come to traps baited with beer/bananas.
So many bugs, so little time!
|
|
|
Post by cabintom on Feb 13, 2016 4:32:33 GMT
Do collectors use fish bait in the East? I've used it to lure in Heliconiinae ( Telchinia mostly) and Charaxinae... but that was a lure placed on the ground, not in a trap. I'm curious about this as well.
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Feb 13, 2016 9:03:29 GMT
Hello Paul, I would not necessarily conclude from the behaviour of the South American Lycaenidae on the behaviour of the East Asian ones. The reason is because these two habitats are completely different. The neotropics have soils completely covered in rapid growing plants with few small flower much of the year, but this is what Lycaenidae need. In Asia you are actually more likely to find shrubs with flowers.
One general behaviour, that I would conclude to be true for most of them, is what Adam already told. They may come down to feed in soil region at specific times very early in the morning, on specific small flowers. You will have to observe and have some luck. Other than that I would suggest getting a lightweight 6m net. I will probably go that way soon, after a "disappointing" (don't get me wrong, it was great) visit in Central America where most of the things I saw, were out of reach.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Feb 13, 2016 11:04:36 GMT
As Claude mentioned, you could try one of these, although as Heslop and others mentioned it takes a strong person to wield it. The poles might be lighter today but I still should imagine it would not be easy to use.
|
|
|
Post by cabintom on Feb 13, 2016 11:19:31 GMT
I have a an extendable net handle... it's a nice feature, though at full extension it's very tough to swing with any speed and accuracy (not because of weight, but just because it's fairly unwieldy).
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Feb 13, 2016 15:32:28 GMT
Thank you all for your comments. As Adam said , observation and luck is the key. Claude, it is great idea for long pole , the only problem is that all 5m poles are about 1 m long when collapsed . That is a problem when travel, but I have to think about it as my 2m is definitely too short. I have collect some Theclinae also afternoon hours but indeed they are more visible in the morning. Jan, if one can find the spot like that I think should play lottery ...really I think is possible but not easy as the trails will take you only that far As for bait trap I would love to put it in the canopy , but who will bring the rope there at the first place ? Paul
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Feb 13, 2016 16:16:38 GMT
Claude, it is great idea for long pole , the only problem is that all 5m poles are about 1 m long when collapsed . That is a problem when travel This is also my problem. I have not found a solution yet, but will let you know if I do so.
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 13, 2016 18:53:41 GMT
You need to put the pole in a fishing rod bag, but if you are flying you will also need to wrap it well in bubble plastic, as the relatively lightweight japanese pole can smash if a heavy suitcase is thrown on top of it by baggage handlers.
Adam.
|
|
|
Post by cabintom on Feb 13, 2016 19:41:30 GMT
Claude, it is great idea for long pole , the only problem is that all 5m poles are about 1 m long when collapsed . That is a problem when travel, but I have to think about it as my 2m is definitely too short. This is also my problem. I have not found a solution yet, but will let you know if I do so. When I last traveled from Canada to Congo, I packed my handle in my big camping backpack, though about half a meter of it stuck out the top. It was stuffed in there quite well so I worried about losing it. Almost lost the whole bag though. British Airways processed the bag as oversized without issue, but the bag didn't make the flight from London to Entebbe, Uganda. All five of our other bags did (including two other oversized bags). When we finally had the bag delivered to us, the end of the handle was noticeably scuffed up. I assume it got itself stuck somewhere it the conveyor belt machinery. Next time around I'll do something like what Adam suggests.
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Feb 14, 2016 4:33:52 GMT
You need to put the pole in a fishing rod bag, but if you are flying you will also need to wrap it well in bubble plastic, as the relatively lightweight japanese pole can smash if a heavy suitcase is thrown on top of it by baggage handlers. Adam. Adam , do you know Japanese site for equipment? Japanese stuff should be at top quality as I have heard . Paul
|
|