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Hi All,
The virus seems very much under control in Prince Edward Island and neighbouring provinces here in Canada. I realize people in other areas, in many cases, are not so lucky.
Mail delivery has been greatly slowed to some of the western provinces and it also seems there is some slow down in the United States which has caused some problems with egg shipments. Due to increasing problems in US with egg shipments reaching destinations in time, I have suspended egg shipments as of August 9. Sorry if you did not get all you had requested. Extreme heat, delivery delays, and virus spread are things I do not wish to mess with.
As of July 19, I still have some cecropia eggs hatching, but most of my early sleeving is now done. Some sleeves have large numbers of larvae so over the next couple of weeks I will be setting out more sleeves to eliminate the overload. I think I cam going to be extremely busy, but am heading to the beach for the first time this season after a bite to eat.
Hope to be able to offer rosy maple pupae (pupating in large numbers in early August) this fall as well as pupae of Anisota virginiensis, and I hope to have good numbers of luna, polyphemus, columbia and cecropia cocoons. I am also starting to get pupae of Sphinx drupiferarum August 8.
Pachysphinx modesta, huge ones, and Smerinthus cerisyi are also pupating, August 8.
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Usually I have four shipping partners who assist with distribution of Citheronia regalis eggs in the United States. Virus outbreaks in Ohio shut down that source and Alabama and Virginia sources did not seem to get any pairings this year. As a result not everyone who requested regalis eggs will be getting them this season. Sorry.
Ty was able to ship several batches from Maryland, but he did not get as many pairings or eggs as anticipated. e have also had some problems with the imperialis egg orders.
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Andrew Spicer has sent an image (posted) of a live male Holocerina guineensis from Cameroon. Andrew has also sent images (posted) of early, third and fifth instar larvae. This moth seems very similar to Holocerina angulata, but Thierry Bouyer indicates they are separate species.
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Steve Ife has sent me images (posted) of instars 1-2-3-4 Epiphora intermedia larvae, which he is rearing on Ceanothus. Hope he has continued success. This species seems to go through larval instars quite rapidly.
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Francierlem Oliviera has sent me an image of what I believe is a female Molippa simillima from Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. It may be a new species as it seems far from known range of simillima. I have posted it to both the simillima page and the Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, page.
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Sphingidae Express
On June 5, 2020 a female Smerinthus cerisyi emerged and successfully called in a wild male that same night. Eggs begain hatching June 16, and hatchling larvae were promptly set out in sleeves on poplar. Larvae began leaving foliage July 15-16 and some have already pupated as of July 18.
I am beginning to wonder if possibly there will be a second brood. I will not chill all of the current set of pupae until October to see if there is possibly going to be a second brood. I will chill some, however, to see if stock that would not normally overwinter can be shipped and kept cold to yield successful eclosions the following spring.
I am rearing Sphinx drupiferarum, the first time in many years. I remember the larvae as being very large with vibrant colouration. I look forward to seeing them soon.
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Catocala Capers
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