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Hi All,
This newsletter covers updates from November 16, 2008 to December 15, 2008.
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Weiwei Zhang has just sent me beautiful images of many species from China. Included is an image of a live male of the recently (2008) described Salassa shuyiae Zhang and Kohll, 2008, from Hainan, China. I will also post in the aberrations section an image of a Loepa with five wings.
Weiwei writes, "I still have some eggs of Actias chapae, Rhodinia jankowskii & Saturnia pyretorum, if some friends are interested in them. I like to sell them or do exchange."
Weiwei can be contacted at racer@philfan.com or from his credit/contact page, linked from Salassa shuyiae file.
Among the beautiful new images posted are
Antheraea pernyi Chongqing, May 2008
Archaeoattacus edwardsii Yunnan, June 2008
Attacus atlas, Hainan, June 2008
Caligula thibeta, Hainan, Nov. 2008
Rhodinia fugax, Chongqing, Nov. 2008
Rhodinia jankowskii, Chongqing, Nov. 2008
Salassa shuyiae, Hainan, Nov. 2008
Saturnia cachara, Yunnan, June 2008
Saturnia pyretorum, Hainan, Nov. 2008
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Ian Edwards has sent a series of beautiful images of live male and female Saturnia walterorum. He also sends a closeup of the body of a live female Epiphora bauhiniae.
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Horst Kach has sent images (recto and verso) of a female Copaxa bachuea taken in Cosanga. He also sends images of egg and instars 1-4 feeding on Coriaria thymifolia.
Horst writes, "Copaxa bachuea is very very rare here (Ecuador: Napo: Cosanga). This was my first time in many trips to the same place at the eastern side and it`s the first time / year I got a female from this rare specimen in April. Just 3 weeks ago a friend of mine caught a second female (middle of September) from the same place, but unfortunately we have only 6 eggs this time. They have not hatched yet, but I hope to have more luck this time. In my first attempt at rearing, the caterpilars died one by one in fourth instar after changing them from the first hostplant to Avocado. I had them first in perfect condition, raising on a natural host from high altitude. The name of that plant is Shanshi (Coriaria thymifolia) and that plant works very best also for other Copaxas from altitude like Copaxa orientalis."
The berries of this plant are hallucinogenis and toxic, and are not appropriate (toxic) for human consumption.
Horst sends images of second and third instar Saturnia sinjaevi from China, linked for sinjaevi page.
Horst sends this beautiful image of a live Hirpida guajoni male. It is the first time I have seen an image of a live moth of this species.
Hirpida guajoni male, Gualaceo-Mendez, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador,
March 5, 2008, courtesy of Horst Kach.
He also sends this stunning image of an Arsenura batesii batesii female from Ecuador.
For the first time on WLSS, first instar of Arsenura rebeli is depicted from Hollin, Ecuador.
All instars of Rothschildia aricia xanthina from Cosanga, Napo, Ecuador, are now depicted.
Horst has sent beautiful images of a live female Eacles masoni tyrranus from Los Bancos, Pichincha, Ecuador, as well as images of instars 3-5.
Additional beauties: Automeris denticulata male and female, Rio Upano, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador;
Automeris napoensis males, Cosanga, Napo, Ecuador, 2100m, November 2, 2008;
Bathyphlebia rufescens male, (first time live specimen depicted on WLSS), Intag, Imbabura, Ecuador, 2840m, November 26, 2008;
Gamelioides elainae female, (first time live specimen depicted on WLSS), Papallacta, Napo, Ecuador, 3620m, November 24, 2008;
Meroleuca erythropus male, (first time depicted on WLSS), Intag, Imbabura, Ecuador, November 26, 2008;
Janiodes manzanoi male, (first time depicted on WLSS), Intag, Imbabura, Ecuador, November 26, 2008;
Rhodinia fugax female (possibly subspecies shaanxiana ??), China.
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Vladimir Izersky is now living in Peru and has begun to send me many Saturniidae and Sphingidae images.
Dysdaemonia boreas male (spread), Atalaya, Ucayali, Peru, November 1, 2008, 350m;
Paradaemonia samba male (spread), Atalaya, Ucayali Peru, November 1, 2008, 350m;
Paradaemonia platydesmia male (live and spread), Atalaya, Ucayali Peru, October 31, 2008, 350m;
Titaea timur male (live and spread), Atalaya, Ucayali Peru, October 31, 2008, 350m;
Titaea tamerlan amazonensis male (spread), Atalaya, Ucayali Peru, October 31, 2008, 350m;
Titaea lemoulti male (spread), Atalaya, Ucayali Peru, October 31, 2008, 350m;
copiopteryx jehovah male (spread), Atalaya, Ucayali, Peru, October 31, 2008, 350m;
copiopteryx semiramis male (live and spread), Atalaya, Ucayali, Peru, October 31, 2008, 350m;
Arsenura mossi male (spread), Coviriali, Junin, Peru, December 21, 2007, 662m;
Arsenura rebeli male (spread) and second instar larva, Coviriali, Junin, Peru, October 14 - November 7, 2008, 662m;
Eacles ormondei peruviana male (spread), Atalaya, Ucayali Peru, November 1, 2008, 350m;
Eacles penelope male, Rio Venado, Junin, Peru, November 19, 2007, 1050m;
Eacles imperialis cacicus males, Atalaya, Ucayali, 350m and Rio Tambo, Junin, Peru, 550m;
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Dave Rolfe has recently sent images of the following spread specimens:
Pararhodia gyra female from Papua New Guinea - first specimen from this genus displayed on WLSS.
Copaxa rufinans aberration - no trace of forewing cell, Nueva X-Can, Quintana Roo, Mexico. 18-vii-88. Wingspan-92mm.
Attacus atlas male and female - subspecies or new species from Selayar Island, South of Sulawesi.
Copaxa rufinans male aberration (no trace of forewing ocelli) from Nueva X-Can, Quintana Roo, Mexico. 18-vii-88. Wingspan-92mm.
Copaxa ignescens ?? male, Colombia, wingspan 98mm; this specimen might be decrescens, posted to ignescens file with ??
Antheraea frithi ?? male and female, China; sent as caypta, but I think these specimens are more likely an Antheraea frithi subspecies,
maybe javanensis, and I have posted them from a link from the frithi javanensis file. I received many images of ?? Antheraea caypta ?? this summer,
but I think they are more likely a firthi subspecies. They may have all originated from the same source. Perhaps they are caypta, generally known (little known)
from India; perhaps caypta and frithi javanensis are synonymous. Hopefully time will tell. I do not have a good resource for Saturniidae from India.
Stefan Naumann inidcates he feels the specimens in question are frithi.
Salassa species. Dave Rolfe writes, "The data reads 'Phulchowki Mtn. 2-vi-91. I checked the locality out and it is a mountain S..E. of Kathmandu,
Nepal. Wingspan is 93mm. Could this be belinda or royi?"
I (Bill Oehlke) do not know. I do not have good reference material for India or Nepal, and I am not sure that there is accurate hard copy anywhere,
asssembled as one book. I have posted the image of the Salassa species to the bottom of the Salassa genus page. Perhaps someone with more expertise can
help with the identification.
If anyone knows of a good reference for Nepal or India, please let me know.
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Anthony Darby has also sent beautiful images of the caypta/frithi moth.
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Serge yevdoshenko writes, "A good food plant for Actias rhodopneuma from my experience is Cotinus coggygria. It also works well for Argemma mittrei." I have added these hosts to the individual species files.
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Jacolene Meyer has recently sent me images of Gonimbrasia zambesina, Bunaea alcinoe, Aurivillius fuscus, Pseudobunaea irius from Limpopo Province.
Images have been posted either on South Africa page or on individual species pages.
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Victor Sinjaev has advised me that the Actias chapae moths from southern Vietnam with an April flight season have been described as a new subspecies: Actias chapae bezverkhovi. Nominate A. c. chapae is found in northen Vietnam and southern China with an October-December flight season. I have posted a new link and file for A. c. bezverkhovi and have added it to the Vietnam checklist.
Victor participated in the expedition of Yuri Bezverkhov and Victor Sinyaev, and Victor writes, "Mr. Bezverkhov has collected unique female of Actias chapae bezverkhovi on our joint expedition which he financed."
Victor has also sent images of eggs of both nominate chapae and of the new subspecies, courtesy of Steve Kholl and Victor Sinyaev. Victor also sends an image of a female of what may be a new Cricula species from Laos.
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Luigi Racheli has just sent images of two Salassa species not previously depicted on WLSS. he also places both S. excellens and S. katschinika in northern Myanmar.
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Larry Valentine sends beautiful images of an Rothschildia aurota speculifera larva feeding on citrus. This confirms a suspected presence in southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Citrus is a new foodplant.
Larry has also sent beautiful images of larvae of Erinnyis ello, Citheronia laocoon, Arsenura orbignyana, Procitheronia principalis, all from his Fazenda Pedra Negra ranch in Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Paul Smith has sent many images from Paraguay: Arsenura armida male, Alto Parana; Adelowalkeria falvosignata female, Laguna Blanca, San Pedro; Citheronula armata male, Laguna Blanca, San Pedro; Copaxa decrescens male, Mbaracayu Forest Reserve, Canindeyu; Molippa simillima Alto Parana, Atlantic forest; Eubergia caisa San Pedro, cerrado;
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Ryan Saint Laurent has sent very nice images of a freshly emerged Hemileuca maia male, that is preparing to inflate (linked from maia species file) and of a female which has just completed ovipositing an egg ring (posted to maia file).
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I am able to confirm images of larvae, male and female Adelowalkeria flavosignata from Dos des Mayo, Misiones, Argentina, based on images (posted) from Reinhard Foerster.
Reinhard has also sent image of female Automeris naranja and I have written a more precise description.
Reinhard also sends an image of a beautiful spread male (yellow form) of Copaxa flavobrunnea and he has sent images of Adeloneivaia fallax larvae. I will add this species to the Misiones, Argentina list.
It is also nice to display the verso images of a pair of Adelowalkeria flavosignata.
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Cyril Di Gennaro has sent many images from Ethiopia, including some recently described species and species not previously depicted on WLSS: Usta terpsichore abyssinica, Epiphora eliane, Gonimbrasia ungemachti, Micragone leonardi, Cirina melichari, Usta tersichore abyssinica, Gynanisa arba, Heniocha digennaroi.
Cyril offers dried specimens from many insect families. His contact info is on his credits page.
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Sighting Reports
I am very interested in receiving sighting reports (date and specific location, including county/parish and state and/or province) for Saturniidae and Sphingidae throughout the year. The reports will be posted in newsletters and will also be used to update the state files and flight times.
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If you are thinking of creating a website, I heartily recommend 1 & 1 webhosting.
Website hosting: |
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Although I am behind with some of the images that need to be posted, I expect to get caught up in the next couple of weeks. I am interested in the possibility of expanding moth coverage to include others families, possibly Arctiidae, Geometridae, Noctuidae, etc., but probably will not venture into those areas (very limited knowledge on my part), unless there are several members with interest and good camera skills who can send data and images. I get many image submissions for caterpillar identifications, especially for Arctiidae and Noctuidae larva so it would be nice to have coverage for those families.
If anyone has extensive coverage of non-North American butterflies and can send images and data, I will also consider building web coverage sites. I can work on these sites during the winter months.
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Sphingidae Express
Andre Kairouz has begun to send me some Sphingidae images from Lebanon. I will begin to expand the Sphingidae of the Americas site to a worldwide site early in the new year.
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Arctiidae Art
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Catocala Capers
Many states now have checklists and there is state by state links table on new Catocala of North America homepage.
Corrections, additions of data and or images would be appreciated.
I am going to expand the Catocala website to include worldwide species. I am very interested in receiving data and electronic images of European and Asian Catocala. I think there are also a couple of species in Central America.
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Caterpillars Too!, a North American butterfly website:
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A new Coleoptera (Beetles) page is being created.
This page will be resricted to those members of WLSS who have an interest in Coleoptera (Beetles) and who are willing to have their email addresses posted there for correspondence, limited to the Coleoptera family.
This list will not be available through any search engines and will not be linked by me from any of my websites. Instead, those members who register (no charge) will be directed to an unlisted URL.
Members whose names appear on this list have agreed to use the contact information solely for the purpose of furthering their interests in Coleoptera.
Members have also agreed that they will neither post this list/page nor divulge its contents nor share its contents with others.
To have your name and email contact information posted on the Coleoptera page, send email to Bill Oehlke, indicating you agree to terms above.
N.B. This is note a Coleoptera site, just a listing of contact info for WLSS members with an interest in Coleoptera.
There are also quite a few members interested in Sphingidae, so I will post special Sphingidae page under same conditions. I am also considering an African Sphingidae section if there is sufficient interest and those who can supply high quality images.
A Catocala page will also be posted.
If you wish to have your name, location, interests and email posted on the Coleoptera, Sphingidae or Catocala contacts page, please let me know.
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