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Post by nomad on Feb 20, 2016 17:17:42 GMT
In a reply to a wanted ad on InsectNet for D. weiskei I got this email from Buddy Butterfly Homes. "Hi Peter. Andrews, we are texting regards to your request for Good specimens of Delias weiskei from Papua . We are glad to inform you that we have in stock Fine Quality specimens of Delias weiskei from Papua available at reasonable prices. Please inform us if you are still in need. Thanks". Scammer alert code RED. No one has any stock of that rarity. So I asked if they could send me some images of their D. weiskei with full data. Also did they have some Delias fantasai. This confused them, so they send three images of Graphium weiskei, this is one of them and asked would that do for you. No I do not think they got confused and if you are interested in these fine quality specimens please send me a PM. Any funny scammer stories most welcome here, we need a laugh sometimes.
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Post by nomad on Feb 20, 2016 20:13:10 GMT
I can confirm that this seller from Indonesia is a SCAMMER. How I loath them all. He or she offered this. AKA: Weiskei Origin: Arfak Mnts, Irian Jaya Indonesia Sex: F Quality: A1 Size mm: 60 Price: $90.00 Females are quite rare and few collectors have them. Borrowed from here, they even used Butterfly and things own words. www.butterfliesandthings.com/product/graphium-weiskei-arfakensis-femaleThese scammers must think we are all stupid.
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Post by deliasfanatic on Feb 20, 2016 20:16:39 GMT
It's a genuine female on the photo....the subspecies "arfakensis" is a figment of someone's imagination, however.
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Post by nomad on Feb 20, 2016 20:38:36 GMT
Interesting that the Arfak subspecies of Graphium weiskei is not Recognised as a valid taxon . A nice Graphium weiskei female specimen from the Bonafide seller and owner.
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Post by deliasfanatic on Feb 20, 2016 23:28:07 GMT
Many dealers (or their suppliers) seem prone to make up names that don't exist, or sometimes were actually described but aren't currently considered valid. I've noticed that many of these "invented" names use the common technique of adding -ensis to the location name. Of course this is a real and often-used way of creating actual names (and meaning that the taxon is from that given location), but I suspect that it's so often used by dealers et al because it's the only Latin terminology that they know how to use.
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mantisboy
Junior Aurelian
Posts: 81
Country: U.S.A.
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Post by mantisboy on Feb 21, 2016 0:08:20 GMT
I've got some good stories over the years. I was able to talk one African scammer down to $100 for an Ornithoptera alexandrae and paradisea (which he said were very common there). The best part was, when sending pictures, he sent one of the orange paradisea from Butterfly Replicas! He couldn't even get a PICTURE of a real one!
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Post by nomad on Feb 21, 2016 8:41:53 GMT
mantisboy that is one of the best and funniest scammer stories I have ever heard.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 21, 2016 19:43:15 GMT
Interesting that the Arfak subspecies of Graphium weiskei is not Recognised as a valid taxon . A nice Graphium weiskei female specimen from the Bonafide seller and owner. Graphium weiskei has no subspecies in New Guinea because it is not possible to distinguish specimens from different parts of the island. The only named subspecies, goodenovii, which comes from Goodenough Island and was recently rediscovered by Laurie Wills, may possibly not be the same species. Adam.
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Post by wollastoni on Feb 22, 2016 16:23:01 GMT
If someone needs the never offered and rare in collection, Pieris rapae milanoensis, just drop me an email !
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Post by nomad on Feb 22, 2016 19:40:28 GMT
Now the word is out there, I am awaiting several emails with offers of the very rare Delias fantasai. It flies on a single very high mountain top in New Guinea and very close to and sometimes over one of the last remaining patches of snow that is left on that Island. It feeds only at one species of tree height blue rhododendron and when flying at ground level, it can only be caught by running or better skiing downhill so swift is its flight. You will know you have this species because both the verso and rectos are a lovely creamy white, it being so well adapted to its biotope. Being so rare, I am prepared to pay a high price for this so far elusive butterfly that is missing from collections. This Delias has only been seen once, when Meek, the Pratts and Wollaston joined forces on their 1915 expedition to the remote White Mountains of Heaven in the deep hinterland of darkest New Guinea. Even these great collectors combined, were unable to catch a specimen although they saw several. Expecting offers soon.
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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 23, 2016 7:31:06 GMT
My, this curious topic is certainly taking on a life of it's own. It rather reminds me of a certain " Gilligan's Island " episode I saw a couple of times on television when I was a kid. It is the 75th episode in the series titled "Man with a net". It originally aired on Oct.24.1966 (for those of us who can remember that far back); myself included. The episode was about a renowned but, eccentric butterfly collector named Lord Beasley Waterford who shows up on the island all on his lonesome with net in hand and plenty of British determination looking for the elusive "Pussycat Swallowtail". Hey, it was the sixties..... Anyway, it's an amusing yarn and if you have never seen it you should probably at least see it once. Not seeing it would be tantamount to a lepi collector not ever having seen the movie "The Collector" of 1965 with the actor Terance Stamp who also happened to play General Zod in the 2nd? superman movie of the 1980's. The gilligan episode may even be on YouTube these days !
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Post by Paul K on Feb 23, 2016 8:22:17 GMT
Talking about movies...I like and watch few times " The Blue Butterfly" based on true story as sick for cancer boy wants to feel full his dream and catch a Morpho. I recommend that one, production 2004.
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mantisboy
Junior Aurelian
Posts: 81
Country: U.S.A.
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Post by mantisboy on Feb 23, 2016 13:33:25 GMT
Although not a necessary a scam, this interesting advertisement was posted in a birdwing Facebook group a few days ago. Apparently some translator took the word 'birdwing' a bit too literally! Attachments:
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Post by nomad on Feb 23, 2016 20:36:56 GMT
My, this curious topic is certainly taking on a life of it's own. It rather reminds me of a certain " Gilligan's Island " episode I saw a couple of times on television when I was a kid. It is the 75th episode in the series titled "Man with a net". It originally aired on Oct.24.1966 (for those of us who can remember that far back); myself included. The episode was about a renowned but, eccentric butterfly collector named Lord Beasley Waterford who shows up on the island all on his lonesome with net in hand and plenty of British determination looking for the elusive "Pussycat Swallowtail". Hey, it was the sixties..... Anyway, it's an amusing yarn and if you have never seen it you should probably at least see it once. Not seeing it would be tantamount to a lepi collector not ever having seen the movie "The Collector" of 1965 with the actor Terance Stamp who also happened to play General Zod in the 2nd? superman movie of the 1980's. The gilligan episode may even be on YouTube these days ! I remember seeing Gilligan's Island when I used to stay with my grandparents in London when I was a wee lad. I loved it but we could not get it on our channels back home. A most wonderful Garden Tiger Moth was found in their tiny Catford concrete garden in the heart of the urban jungle of Lewisham and I took the fertile eggs she laid, home with me and reared the larvae.
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Post by nomad on Feb 23, 2016 20:54:49 GMT
Another Scammer :email to me from Eagle Wings
Hello,
I can offer a couple of Delias talboti specimens
I can also offer some other Delias specimens.
Please email me if you need some.
Thank you.
My second reply was as follows. How about those Delias talboti images with their data. Name and address, Delias list. If you have them, please show them, we agree, you send the butterflies, I send by return your money by Paypal. I am very trustworthy, you produce the goods and I pay you.
Peter.
And of course I never heard from Eagle Wings again. The bird had flown.
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