Hi All,
I very much appreciate all the info and great images that have been arriving. Please keep sending them, but be aware that I am currently tending about three thousand larvae, and my son and his family are visiting from Ottawa so I may not get to post them immediately.
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I am interested in purchasing a copy of Lemaire's Ceratocampinae. If you have a copy you are no longer using, please let me know. The book is out of print. I wish to use it to create provincial/regional/state checklists for Central and South American Ceratocampinae.
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Leroy Simon has recently sent me a cd with over fifty of his newest images. Beautiful work! I hope to go through them over next several weeks and begin to post to the "Leroy Simon Collection".
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Franz Ziereis sent me (July 17) an image of Melanocera widenti, and I have visited Franz's website again recently and will shortly post some of his larval images, which are not yet posted on WLSS.
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Tim Dyson has sent dorsal and ventral surface images of a live Dryocampa rubicunda alba male from Peterborough, Ontario.
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Uwe Kauz has sent beautiful images of live Syssphinx bidens female from Ecuador. Image of eggs has also just arrived.
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Horst Kach has sent images of highly gregarious Arsenura albopicta larvae also from Ecuador.
Horst has also sent images of Automeris zugana and Automeris vomona pichincha as well as an Automeris zugana aberration.
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Eduardo Marabuto continues to send images from Honduras, confirming presence of Copaxa multifenestrata, Copaxa rufinans and Copaxa sophronia in that central American country.
He also recently sent Lonomia electra to add to the Paradirphia semirosea and Paradirphia rectilineata which he had sent earlier.
Eduardo is visiting Honduras and resides in Portugal. Of the Saturniidae from Portugal he writes, "Just a note: Aglia tau is absent from Portugal until any information proves the opposite. Its foodplant is mostly beech (Fagus sylvatica) and nowadays there are no natural forests of this species in Portugal (but 10000 years ago there were). The only Saturniidae present in Portugal are Saturnia pyri (widespread) and S. pavonia ligurica (or whatever), limited to the northern half of the country.
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Dominique Adès sent me beautiful images of the hybrid
Graellsia isabelae galiaegloria
x Actias gnoma gnoma male and larva as per results of
Dominique Adès, Raymond Cocault, Robert Vuattoux & Robert Zaun.
Powerful acknowlegments to Franz Renner by whom Actias gnoma
cocoons were obtained this winter and conducted by R. Vuattoux.
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Oz Rittner writes, July 29, "I checked A. naranja on your site today and I see that on the distribution there is no mention about Buenos Aires province. I am building a website about Argentina fauna of butterflies, moths and beetles. During research about few species I found that A. naranja is distributed in B.A prov. I have photos from San Miguel del Monte (about 100 km south to B.A. capital). So you can add B.A province to the distribution list. I also know of other reports in B.A province. Hope this info helps."
Thanks, Oz. I have updated naranja file and checklists for Argentina provinces.
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Philippe Darge sent me a collection of some of his publications and I have recently updated Epiphora feae and Micragone nyasae and am now working on updates to Nudaurelia bamendana and Saturniidae from Franceville, Gabon.
I will post notices of other updates as I go through Philippe's papers. Many thanks to Philippe.
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Sebastian Brandner has sent me a series of dorsal and ventral images of "Orthogonioptilum" and "Goodia" species, including Goodia perfulvastra veneris from southern Cameroon. Philippe Darge's book and publications have greatly helped with identifications. Sebastian also sent wingspans and collection dates. More recently Sebastian has sent images of Athletes ethra ogouensis, Imbrasia forda amieti, Imbrasia truncata, Lobobunaea acetes, an enormus male Micragone martinae, Nudaurelia alopia, Gonimbrasia (Nudaurelia) anthinoides, Nudaurelia jamesoni, Nudaurelia oyemensis, Orthogonioptilum adiegetum restrictum, Orthogonioptilum monochromum, Orthogonioptilum neoprox, Orthogonioptilum prox, Orthogonioptilum vestigiatum, Pseudantheraea discrepans, Pseudantheraea imperator, Pseudobunaea tyrrhena neglecta, etc.
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Taylor Jones of Richmond County, New York, (Staten Island), reports a wild male Samia cynthia flying in and mating with a caged, reared female, July 21, 2006.
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Montreal Insect Show
Yves-Pascal dion writes,
"Hello,
"It's time once again to plan the next Montreal Insect Show.
"This year, the Show will be held on October 14th-15th. The location
for the show is the Collège de Maisonneuve, 3800 Sherbrooke East,
Montréal, two corners away from the Olympic Stadium and the
Pie-IX subway exit.
"We hope that you will promote this event on your web site, in your
regular publications, and that you will advertise it directly to
your clients or entomologist friends.
"Please confirm your participation before August 20th.
"For more info, check our web site :
http://www.insect-trade.com
"Montreal Insect Show
"October 14th-15th 2006, from 9 am to 5 pm
at the College Maisonneuve, 3800 Sherbrooke East
Visitors entrance : 2700 Bourbonniere, Montreal
(Two corners from Pie-IX subway station)"
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Martin Jagelka has just sent me a series of beautiful larva and adult moth images, posted to photography sections.
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I will shortly be posting images of Adeloneivaia irrorata and Hemileuca sororia from Mexico from Manuel Balcazar-Lara's website.
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Sphingidae Express
I have recently received images of a Sphinx chersis adult from Curtis, Michigan (Mackinac County), and a beautiful shot of a Sphinx kalmiae larva from Becky Gregory in Hartford County, Connecticut (not previously listed for Hartford County on USGS).
Tim Dyson has sent me some great images of ventral surfaces of live Ceratomia amyntor, Darapsa myron, Deidamia inscriptum, Sphecodina abbottii, Sphinx drupiferarum and Sphinx kalmiae, from Peterborough, Ontario.
Mike and Jill DeVries sent me very nice images of Sphinx chersis, Mackinac County, Michigan. I have posted images to newly created Mackinac County page.
Nice image of nectaring Hyles lineata from south eastern British Columbia in the Columbia Valley near Radium Hot Springs has been posted to British Columbia page, courtesy of Cheryl Condy.
Tom Middagh writes, "Thought you might be interested. Just got back from a little bug hunting in Vermillion, South Dakota, July 21 and 22, right on the Missouri River. We set up a light for a couple nights. I was surprised to see 5 Hyles euphorbiae come in and sit on the sheet. I thought they were gallium but different. When I got home, had a chance to take a closer look at the specimens I brought home and IDed them as H. euphorbiae. Tom also sent additional species sightings from previous years for Clay County, South Dakota.
Ingrid Ryder from Cascade County Montana sent me images of Hyles euphorbiae larvae, July 29. This species seems to be spreading. The larvae are spectacular.
Mike van Buskirk has sent beautiful images of Sphinx dollii pupae and writes, "Pupae were very quiet until development started, and are now quite active. Note that even though this is a Sphinx-Genus pupa, there is no external tongue case."
Mike expects them to emerge in the next couple of days. I look forward to displaying Mike's images of fresh, live moths. Now up, male and female.
Ian Kitching writes, "I am sure some of you are better acquainted with this species than I, but having had a look at our collection, this male comes very close to what Clark described as dollii australis. Our specimens are somewhat paler but are 80 years old."
Dirk Bayer sent me an image of what appears to be Isoparce cupressi from southwestern Alabama. I am hoping for a larger image for a positive id. yes, it is I. cupressi. Dirk has sent additional sightings for Baldwin County, Alabama.
Horst Kach has sent images of three specimens of the very rare Pachygonidia odile with one of Pachygonidia subhamata from Los Bancos, Pichincha Province, Ecuador.
Jean Haxaire has sent me images of and information about Manduca neglecta, recently named and described by Jean Haxaire and Thierry Vaglia in Lambillionea, CVI, l Mars 2006.
Sphingidae pupae expected for sale this fall include Pachysphinx modesta, Paonias excaecata, Smerinthus cerisyi, Sphinx drupiferarum (beautiful larvae), and probably some others.
Please let me know if you are interested in a pricelist for Sphingidae.
Joan Rickert has sent numerous Sphingidae sightings from Taylor County, Wisconsin, and Matthew D. Arey has sent sightings from Washington County, Maine.
Johnny Marchant sent images of what appears to be a Eumorpha achemon larva from Contra Costa County, California.
David Bygott sent a beautiful image of a dark form (chocolate brown with creamy subspiracular line and oblique slashes) larva of Manduca quinquemaculata from Tucson Arizona. Id confirmed by Jim Tuttle.
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At the request of some members I am posting a "BAD TRADERS" report. It can be accessed from the main page of the WLSS.
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Please check the Members' Wish list periodically and help when you can.
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Catocala Capers
Tim Dyson has sent a beautiful image of Catocala antinympha from Peterborough, Ontario, July 18, and Tim sends dorsal and ventral images, July 28.
Tim has also sent nice images of Catocala connubialis, Catocala praeclara and Catocala similis. Tim shows amazing patience as he entices these moths, attracted to lights, to alight on a stick tipped with a beer-banana mush. Some of the larger Catocala are also starting to appear.
You will be surprised at what will come to the lights if you have some nicely scented bait in the immediate vicinity.
Tim has also sent a beautiful image of Catocala ilia form conspicua and another which appears to be form satanas.
I am hoping that more members will send me images of Catocala species with data as I would like to create state by state checklists. A few states have been posted. I believe the Canadian provincial checklists are quite accurate but am happy to confirm presence with posting of high quality images.
I recently received a very nice image of Catocala serena from Wisconsin courtesy of non-member Carroll Rudy.
Joan Rickert has sent images (August 3) of Catocala cerogama from Wisconsin.
Matthew D. Arey has sent numerous Catocala sightings for Washington County, Maine.
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Arctiidae Art
Matthew D. Arey reports on a recent trip to Washington County, Maine:
Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja) - 11 ( a good population this year)
St. Lawrence Tiger Moth (Platarctia parthenos) - 3
Virgin Tiger Moth (Grammia virgo) - 5
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Caterpillars Too!
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