November 16, 2019 to December 15, 2019

Hi All,

I am typing and posting this on December 12.

Shortly after returning home from my trip to Maine, November 12-14, to inspect and help with shipping of this year`s overwintering cocoons and pupa, I received a pleasant surprise. I was contacted by a cecropia enthusiast from Massachusetts who indicated he had a very nice crop of cecropia cocoons. I was skeptical at first, based upon the number he indicated were available, and the fact that I had never heard of him before.

I asked him to send a jpg image of a representative sample of what he had with ten of his cocoons alongside a ruler. He obliged and most of the cocoons were about 3.5 inches long with a good girth. He also honoured my sampling request by sending ten cocoons to my shipping partner in Maine. Philip inspected the sample cocoons and reported they were of very good quality so I placed an order for 140 more of them, and 138 proved to be very nice cocoons. Of those cecropia, I think we have about fifty to sixty left which have not been spoken for, and I can get more if needed. They are available as of December 12 to members at $7.50 US per cocoon plus shipping.

Upon my return home I also acquired about 40 additional polyphemus, thirty additional io and thirty-five additional gloveri.

I am looking to purchase more polyphemus if anyone has good quality cocoons of that species that they would be willing to send at wholesale prices. Contact me at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com.

Here is December 12 inventory status.

If you are in USA and wish to order overwintering cocoons and or pupae, please select what you would like from the following list:

Actias luna at $6.00 US per cocoonsold out
Antheraea polyphemus at $5.50 US per cocoon; very limited supply left, will certainhly be sold out before end of December unless I can get more
Automeris io at $6.00US per cocoon, nice cocoons still available
Callosamia promethea at $6.00 US/cocoon; very limited supply; now sold out
Citheronia regalis at $19.00 US/pair; $23.00/trio= 2 males and 1 female; now sold out
Hyalophora cecropia at $7.50 US per cocoon; very nice cocoons still available
Hyalophora columbia gloveri at $7.50 US/cocoonl nice cocoons still available

I also have pupae of one Sphingidae species still available:

Pachysphinx modesta at $11.00/pair; $15.00/trio=two males and one female; only one pair still available
Sphinx drupiferarum at $13.00/pair (seldom offered; very short supply (only five pairs); now sold out

I also have two butterfly species promised:
Pterourus glaucus, eastern tiger swallowtail at $5.50 US; still available
Pterourus troilus, spicebush swallowtail at $5.50 US; still available.

A third swallowtail species has been added: Papilio polyxenes asterius, black swallowtail at $6.00 (very limited supply; two still available)

There will be one shipping and handling fee of $9.00 for all shipments to US destinations.

Please speed up my processing efforts by providing the following when you email me back with your order:

1) provide your complete name and shipping address;
2) specify species and quantities of each desired; note the pupae will likely be sold as trios, so specify how many trios;
3) indicate your payment method: Paypal which will cost an additional 4.5% due to Paypal transaction fee; personal check; cashier's check; money order.

I will be filling last of requests coming for WLSS members in December 16 shipments, which will also include many shipments to non-members who are quickly depleting the remaining inventory at 10% higher prices in most cases.

If you are in USA and have good quality extra livestock of any North American Saturniidae pupae or cocoons or Sphingidae pupae that you would be willing to sell to me at wholesale prices please let me know as soon as possible. Many of my usual suppliers have had some problems this year. I am especially interested in luna, polyphemus, promethea, regalis and imperialis.

Thanks for your interest.

Bill Oehlke

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I have been very busy creating files and rearranging images for the many recently described species from the Hyperchiria nausica group. Hope to have this section completed by December 15.

Jhonatan Santos recently provided a very nice image of a live Almeidella corrupta from Campo Magro, Parana, Brazil. This marks first time a live specimen from this genus has been depicted on WLSS.

Rainer Marx has been collecting at high altitudes in Cusco, Peru, and has recently sent images of live or freshly caught. Bathyphlebia aglioides, Bathyphlebia johnsoni, Hirpida levocuscoensis, Herpida levis. I hope to have these posted before the weekend, December 15.

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Also recently received a larval image from La Rioga, Argentina, of Manduca sexta paphus confirmed by Jim Tuttle (Manduca sexta subspecies) and Jean Haxaire (Manduca sexta papjus). I hope to have it posted before the weekend, December 15. It is slightly different from the other image of a tentative id for this species

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