Attacus wardi fifth instar (fresh molt), Australia,
courtesy of Jim Tuttle.
Hi All,
Just about all overwintering livestock has been sold out. All that remains is what I list below at special discount prices:
Antheraea polyphemus at $4.00/cocoon and Eupackardia calleta at $6.00/cocoon both from Texas plus one shipping and handling fee of $9.00. Sold out as of March 19, 2014.
For those of you who have received forbesi cocoons, please note these are from southern Texas where temperatures seldom get below freezing, and, when temperatures do dip below freezing, it is only a slight dip for a short period of time. They should not be stored outdoors for prolonged periods of cold or even short periods of subfreezing temperatures.
The overwintering Texas polyphemus cocoons have also begun hatching, March 19, 2014.
Rothschildia lebeau forbesi eggs are ready for shipping March 21.
If you are interested in shipping eggs for me, please send me an email indicating which North American species you expect to have available and please also indicate the months when you think you will have them available.
The following notes are for me so I can have a better idea of when eggs will be available each year:
Actias luna: March 31 TX; April 2 AL;
Eupackardia calleta: March 31, April 2, TX;
Rothschildia lebeau forbesi; March 31, April 2 TX
Antheraea polyphemus; April 4, Oregon
I hope to update the list throughout the season.
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Now is the time to begin ordering eggs. Please visit 2014 Eggs Prices and Ordering Instructions
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Jim Tuttle writes, "Thought I would send an image soon after it molted into the 5th instar and before the detail was hidden by the typical Attacus 'wax' build-up. A full-fed image will follow...."
Attacus wardi fifth instar (fresh molt), Australia,
courtesy of Jim Tuttle.
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I have added Manodirphia and Lemaireodirphia genera to the Saturniidae Family checklist based on Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 5 Heft 2 22.06.2012 publication, and have also created the appropriate species files for those two new genera.
Sue Cloutier provides the following images of what I am pretty sure is Manodirphia manes from Oaxaca, Mexico. The moth would have previously been classified as Paradirphia manes. Sue was referred to me by Ryan Saint-Laurent who also identified the moth as manes. This marks the first time a live specimen of this species is depicted on WLSS.
Manodirphia manes male, Oaxaca, Mexico, November 2009,
courtesy of Sue Cloutier.
Jim Tuttle provides the following image of a fifth instar Opodiphthera helena larva.
Opodiphthera helena fifth instar, courtesy of Jim Tuttle.
On April 14, 2014, Jim sends the following image of wa wild male: "Image of a wild adult, one of among 33 seen in a single night. Not bad for a species that was thought extinct for almost 100 years!"
Attacus wardi male, Dundee Beach, Northern Territory, Australia,
courtesy of Jim Tuttle, slight digital repair by Bill Oehlke.
Greg Bingaman has sent me beautiful images of hybrids which I have posted via links in the hybrid file:
Graellsia isabellae male x Actias sinensis female: male and larva.
Actias sinensis male x Graellsia isabellae female: male and larva.
Graellsia luna male x Actias artemis aliena female: male and larva.
Greg writes, "This one is Actias sinensis male X Actias isabellae female hybrid male, and L5 larvae. I don't see that anyone else has used a female isabellae for hybrids?"
Male from Actias sinensis male x Graellsia isabellae female,
courtesy of Greg Bingaman.
Larva from Actias sinensis male x Graellsia isabellae female,
courtesy of Greg Bingaman.
Harold Teising provides the following image of a Hyalophora columbia gloveri female that spent two winters in cocoon stage. I often get reports of both Hyalophora columbia gloveri and Hyalophora euryalus pupae spending two or more years in cocoons.
If you have cocoons of either of those species which fail to produce moths after a one winter diapause, don't give up on them if they have good weight.
Nick Richter sends this very nice image of a final instar Automeris cecrops pamina from his rearings last year.
Greg Bingaman has recently sent me images resulting from several different hybrid pairings and I have added them to the hybrid page. He writes, "This one is Actias sinensis male X Actias isabellae female hybrid male, and L5 larvae. I don't see that anyone else has used a female isabellae for hybrids?"
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Ryan Saint Laurent has sent images of Dirphia baroma females, not previously depicted on WLSS, and he has also sent this image of what I feel is an undescribed Dirphia or Periphoba species.
Dirphia or Periphoba female, unknown???, Amazonas, Brazil,
Cornell University Insect Collection, courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent.
Lemonia dumi fourth instar, Czech Republic,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
For the first time on WLSS early instars of Brahmaea japonica are displayed.
Brahmaea japonica hatchling, Japan,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Brahmaea japonica second instar, Japan,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Brahmaea japonica third instar, Japan,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Brahmaea japonica fourth instar on Ligustrum, Japan,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Juan carlos Garcia provides this image of a relatively high elevation Automeris from Michoacan, Mexico. I think it is probably Automeris occidentalis or an undescribed species.
Automeris occidentalis ??, Michoacan, Mexico,
2011, 2500m, courtesy of Juan Carlos Garcia,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke, based mainly on location.
Brian Fletcher provides this very nice image of Automeris miamazonica.
Automeris miamazonica male, Abra Patricia Reserve, Amazonas, Peru,
October 10, 2009; 2000m, courtesy of Brian Fletcher.
For the first time on WLSS a specimen of a female Rhescyntis hermes female is displayed courtesy of Bill Garthe.
Rhescyntis hermes
female, French Guiana,
January, 1998, courtesy of Bill Garthe.
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Lorenzo Comoglio sends what we feel is a Leucanella acutissima female from Costa Rica.
Leucanella acutissima female, Costa Rica,
courtesy of Lorenzo Comoglio.
Jurgen Vanhoudt has had good success rearing Adetomeris erythrops from Chile. This seems to be a highly variable and very beautiful species.
The eggs may give you a hankering for some ham.
Adetomeris erythrops male, Chile, courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Adetomeris erythrops female, Chile, courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Adetomeris erythrops eggs, Chile, courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Jurgen has many species on the go and has sent images which I have posted to respective files: Saturnia (Rinaca) jonasii second and third instars on Crataegus; Actias isis hatchling and second instar on Rosa; Rhodinia grigauti on Crataegus, first time larvae of this species depicted on WLSS; Saturnia (Rinaca) simla on Salix caprea:
Rhodinia grigauti first instar on Crataegus, Vietnam,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Rhodinia grigauti second instar (fresh) on Crataegus, Vietnam,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Rhodinia grigauti second instar (late) on Crataegus, Vietnam,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Automeris larra hatchling on Rubus fruticosus,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Automeris larra final instar on Rubus fruticosus,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Another first for WLSS:
Loepa peggyae male, 82mm, Vietnam,
April 2002, courtesy of Bill Garthe, id by Bill Oehlke
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
Jean Haxaire has recently provided me with many images: Xylophanes letiranti, Orecta comus, Nyceryx mielke, etc., as well as checklists for various regions. I have been updating the Sphingidae files accordingly.
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For the first time on Sphingidae of the Americas, live specimens of several species are depicted:
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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 $1.15 (2014 rate) 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 and 1&1, 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 (She has now completed her B.A. (two years ago) and B. Ed. (this spring) and is certified to teach)
and has been working full time as of October-November with contract until end of school term in June.
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 $1.15 postage (2014 rate). 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 other WLSS 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.