March 16 to April 15
Hi All,
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I am anticipating that eggs of double brooded stock of Eupackardia calleta from central Texas will be available in March (became available March 5) and possibly into April, and then hopefully again in the fall from September until November. Eggs of single brooded calleta from southern Arizona are expected in late July to early August.
I will be posting a 2013 egg price list to this page shortly.
Here is 2013 Egg Price List and ordering instructions.
For my own records: luna (Alabama and Texas) and cecropia (Texas) and calleta (Texas) eggs have been shipped in March 2013; luna (from Alabama and Texas) and calleta (from Texas) eggs have been shipped in early April 2013.
Luna cocoons from March eggs (Alabama) should be ready for shipping shortly after April 15 to US destinations. These are expected to hatch in late April or early May. $5.00 US/cocoon and one S&H of $8.00. Always, when placing a request or order, please provide complete shipping address and specify species and quantities.
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Adeloneivaia bellardi male, 42mm, Moroturo??, Lara, Venezuela,
June 2, 1938, Cornell University Collection, courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent.
The specimen label for the image above was very difficult to read, but Ryan has indicates he thinks it is Moroturo in Lara, Venezuela, which would be in harmony for the specimen type locale for bellardi in Trujillo, Venezuela.
The display of this image represents a first for WLSS, and it may be the first time a colour image of this species has been published anywhere.
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In the process of updating the Rothschildia species as per Entomo-Satsphinigia Jahrgang 5 Heft 3 30.11.2012 journal, I came across this image of one of the recently described species, Rothschildia fabiani. I have moved several of the Rothschildia images to new locations.

Rothschildia fabiani male, Boquete, Chiriqui, Panama,
April, 2011, courtesy of Seamus O'Malley,
id and digital repair by Bill Oehlke.
Below are a few more of the recent Rothschildia moves:

Rothschildia vanschaycki, Caroni Swamp, Caroni, Trinidad,
June 27, 2011, courtesy of Harald Kranz.

Rothschildia hopfflapaziana male, Nor Yungas, LaPaz, Bolivia,
courtesy of Thibaud Decaens and Greg LeCourt.

Rothschildia chiris male, Cochabamba, Bolivia,
wingspan: 137mm, courtesy of Kelly Price.

Rothschildia arianae, 149mm, Tafe de Valle, Tucuman, Argentina,
November 18, 2009, 2000m, courtesy of Nigel Venters,
id by Bill Oehlke.

from the same journal edition, there is a section on Paradaemonia:

Paradaemonia winbrechlini male, Chiapas, Mexico,
June 15, 2006, courtesy of John Kamps, id correction by Bill Oehlke.

Paradaemonia samba sambdensis, Ecuador, courtesy of Charles DeRoller.
At first I thought the following recent submission from Albert Thurman might be Paradaemonia castanea, but I have since acquired an image of undersides of castanea, and the images below are not a good match. Nor are they a good match for P. platydesmia so I think there is a good chance the specimen is of an undescribed species/subspecies.

Paradaemonia castanea??, Santa Rita Arriba, Colon, Panama,
May 18, 1976, courtesy of Albert Thurman, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Paradaemonia castanea male??, verso, Santa Rita Arriba, Colon, Panama,
May 18, 1976, courtesy of Albert Thurman

I have been updating Actias genus files, and have moved several images to more appropriate new species files, based on a recent Entomo-Satsphingia publication.
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*Pseudautomeris irene irene** male, Cerro Chucanti, Darien, Panama,
August 2012, courtesy of Albert Thurman.
* The Pseudautomeris irene irene specimen depicted in the 2010 Entomo-Satsphingia Journal shows a much less squarish forewing anal angle than depicted in the specimen, above, from Panama. The ESs image is much closer to those specimens of irene in the digital image provided by Bernhard Wenczel on the irene file page. I also note that the Albert Thurman image, in addition to having a very squarish forewing anal angle, also has a quite concave forewing pm line. I think the Panamanian specimen might be an undescribed irene subspecies? It could also represent a slightly more southerly range for recently described Pseudautomeris rudloffi but even that species dot not have such a squarish anal angle?? The hindwing ocellus is more harmonious with rudloffi than with the smaller ocelli associated with irene irene specimens??? (Bill Oehlke)
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Ryan Saint Laurent continues to contribute greatly with images of many species not previously depicted on WLSS. Ryan is working at Cornell University in the Entomology Department and is helping with identifications of specimens in the collection.

Travassosula subfumata female, Nova Bremen, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
June 18, 1936, Cornell University Collection, courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent.
With regard to the following Travassosula subfumata male trio, Ryan Saint Laurent writes, "I've included this image to display the size variation. The last, smallest male seems different. It does not have a red abdomen and it has a more prominent notch on the hindwing relative to other subfumata males. Forewing coloration is also darker, more brown, in the larger males. Locale for small, bottom male (all three are from Brazil): Guarani, R.G.S., Brazil; date for bottom male: Jan. 20, 1934, C.M. Biezanko; WS for small male: 21mm, the other two above 22mm and 24mm, respectively.

Travassosula subfumata male, trio, Guarani (bottom male), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,
21mm, 22mm, 24mm, January 20, 1934, Cornell University Collection,
courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent.

Below is a larger image of the smallest male from Guarani. I recommend that Ryan check this one as a possible new species, based on smallest size, colouration differences noted (wings and body), more southerly location and size of the hindwing costal notch.

Travassosula subfumata?? male, Guarani (bottom male), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,
21mm, January 20, 1934, Cornell University Collection,
courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent.
For the first time on WLSS male and female Catacantha latifasciata are depicted, courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent.

Catacantha latifasciata male, 34mm, Cordisburge, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
November 8, 1919, courtesy of Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent.

Catacantha latifasciata female, 38mm, Parana, Brazil,
October, 1953, courtesy of Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent.
For the first time a female Automeris melanops is depicted on WLSS.

Automeris melanops female, 97mm, Itatiaya, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
January, Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent
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Kirby Wolfe writes, "Our Giant Silkmoths book is finally being delivered from Amazon.com in the U.S. In Europe it has been selling very well and is being translated into German. It is now no.2 of Insect & Spider books for Amazon Canada, and it hasn't even been released there yet. Here's the URL for the U.S.: http://www.amazon.com/The-Giant-Silkmoths-Mimicry-Camouflage/dp/1906506256/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332781819&sr=1-1
"I imagine many of your members would be interested in this book, which is large coffee table format with over 100 color photos of live saturniids, and is very reasonably priced. The reviews in Great Britain, where it has been available since early November, have been filled with superlatives."
I (Bill Oehlke) have read some commentary on the new book, and it has all been very good. Check it out!.
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Sphingidae Express
Albert Thurman has sent recto and verso images of Eumorpha capronnieri, documenting the presence of this species in Panama. I have posted images to the capronnieri file. This also marks the first time a verso image of capronnieri has been depicted on Sphingidae of the Americas website.
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Catocala Capers
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Please note: I reside in Canada at the following address and payment for Saturniidae livestock (eggs, cocoons, pupae) and/or sleeves must be sent to me only at this address:
Bill Oehlke
Box 476
155 Peardon Road
Montague, Prince Edward Island, C0A 1R0
Canada
Postage from USA to Canada is $0.85 so please use that amount on your envelope with your payment.
If you are in US and order cocoons or pupae from me this fall or winter, you will probably see a New Jersey return address on the shipping box. Do not send payment to the New Jersey address; send it to name and address above please.
This website has been created and is maintained by Bill Oehlke without government or institutional financial assistance. All expenses, ie., text reference support material, webspace rental from Bizland, computer repairs/replacements, backups systems, software for image adjustments (Adobe Photoshop; L-View), ftp software, anti-virus protection, scanner, etc. are my own. The one-time-life-time membership fee that is charged at the time of the registration covers most of those expenses.
I very much appreciate all the many images that have been sent to me, or of which I have been granted permission to copy and post from other websites. All images on this site remain the property of respective photographers.
If you would like to contribute to the maintenace of this website by sending a contribution to
Bill Oehlke
Box 476
155 Peardon Road
Montague, Prince Edward Island, C0A1R0
Canada
your donation would be much appreciated and would be used for
1) paying for webspace rental;
2) paying for computer maintenance and software upgrades;
3) purchases of additional text reference material (journals and books) in an effort to stay current with new species;
4) helping to pay my daughter's tuition.
I also hope to expand the North American Catocala site as well as the Sphingidae of the Americas site, to worldwide sites, and that will require additional funds for reference materials, etc. Both of those site are linked from your WLSS homepage.
If you are mailing a check from USA, please use $0.85 postage. Donations can also be made through Paypal via the button below.
Donations are not required to maintain your standing as a WLSS member, nor do they gain you any preferencial treatment with regard to livestock and/or supplies (sleeves), compared to othe rWLSS members. All WLSS members get first crack at my annual offerings and get an approximate discount of 10% as compared to non-members.
I do usually ask donors if they have any special requests for material on WLSS, and I try to accomodate when appropriate or within my ability to do so.