Cicia norape male (type),
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent
Cicia norape female (type),
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent
Hi All,
Ryan Saint-Laurent who was selected as contributor of the year for 2013 continues to send type images from the Smithsonian. In many cases the images are of species not previously depicted on WLSS. In some cases the images are of the actual holotype.
Here are types male and female of Cicia norape, a first for WLSS
Cicia norape male (type),
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent
Cicia norape female (type),
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent
Meroleuca nigra male, type,
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent
Meroleucoides albomaculata male, type,
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent
Meroleucoides flavodiscata male, (type),
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent
Eubergioides bertha male, (type),
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent
Hirpida choba male, (type),
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent
I have chosen this beautiful image of a Calosaturnia mendocino larva as the WLSS 2013 larval image of the year.
Calosaturnia mendocino fifth instar (yellow form) on manzanita,
June 6, 2013, courtesy of Richard Wasson.
Greg Bingaman has sent images of larva, male and female from hybridization of Actias sinensis male x Actias dubernardi female, all posted in hybrid section. I have included the especially beautiful male below.
Male from Actias sinensis male x Actias dubernardi female,
courtesy of Greg Bingaman.
Jurgen Vanhoudt sends this beautiful image of an Adetomeris erythrops larva from Chile.
Images I have seen of adults reveal this species as quite variable, or perhaps there are an additional number of cryptic species often lumped as erythrops.
When in a mix, they also accept Cotoneaster, although they do not eat much of it. Surprising is that when placed in a mix of other plants, they completely ignore Ligustrum species. But, when they don't have a choice, they will accept both L. ovalifolium and vulgare. Young instars accept Hedera helix, however this plant is completely ignored by older instars, so maybe too early to put Hedera amongst the host plants. I will do more tests with Hedera as soon as I have the next generation. When on a mixed diet caterpillars grow not larger then on a single plant diet.
"One last thing: I don't know if you have noticed it on the picture of the 4th instar caterpillar I have sent you, but caterpillars on Prunus laurocerasus seem to be much more blueish. I dont know if this is because of substances in the Prunus leaves or just a natural colorform. Have you heard about this from other people (more blue caterpillars)?"
Gonimbrasia belina annulata pupae, South Africa,
courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt.
Melanocera menippe pupae, Kenya,
courtesy of Jurgen VanhHoudt
Automeris denudata pupae, Costa Rica,
courtesy of Jurgen van Houdt.
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New member Matthew Nochisaki recently sent me these images of a freshly emerged Automeris io from the cocoons I had shipped to him in October. Rather than put the cocoons in cold storage, Matt wanted some early eclosions, so he kept the cocoons indoors at room temperature. He asked me what I thought would happen, and I replied, "I think the lunas will probably hatch before end of February, maybe much sooner now that days are getting longer, but I think the ios will take longer as they love higher temperatures. You should have them in a non-porous container since you are keeping them indoors where the air is very dry. The pupae, even inside the cocoons, can lose moisture into the dry indoor air and become desiccated (dehydrated) and can even die."
I am glad that Matthew had success with the io eclosion. Now I can tell others what to expect if they keep them (ios) at room temperature during winter months.
As far as I know, increasing photo period (days start getting longer around December 21) helps to break diapause, and development will occur if there is sufficient warmth. Keeping diapausing luna and polyphemus cocoons at room temperature during winter months will usually see the moths emerging in January-February, depending upon temperature. I will have to ask Matthew if he turned up the heat on the io.
Note the snow cover on the Connecticut landscape, visible through the window.
Automeris io male, Connecticut, January 21, 2014,
indoor winter eclosion, courtesy of Matthew Nochisaki.
Automeris io male, Connecticut, January 21, 2014,
"Suprise!"
Antheraea polyphemus male, Connecticut,
never chilled, January 29, 2013, courtesy of Matthew Nochisaki
Antheraea polyphemus male, antennae, Connecticut,
never chilled, January 29, 2013, courtesy of Matthew Nochisaki
On January 16, 2014, Alex Baranowski removed some Actias selene pupae, which he had reared from eggs, from their respective cocoons. He noticed one pupa which he felt might be a mosaic gynandromorph, and sent me some images of the pupa.
I indicated that I felt it was either a gynandromorph or a deformity and wished him luck with subsequent eclosion.
The moth emerged on February 4 and proved to be a mosaic gynandromorph. There are additional images of pupae, antennae and moth via a link in the Aberrations and Gynandromorphs section of the WLSS, or directly via Actias selene Gynandromorph, courtesy of Alex Baranowski.
Actias selene mosaic gynandromorph, February 4, 2014,
courtesy of Alex Baranowski
congratulations to Alex on a successful rearing project and a rare eclosion!
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Actias luna fifth iinstars, Linn County, Iowa,
July 18, 2013, courtesy of Thomas Jantscher.
The luna larvae image above shows the variability in regards to degree of red on fifth instar larvae.
Thomas has been updating me with regard to Sphingidae and Saturniidae images and sightings from Iowa each year since 2010, and I have been updating the Iowa range maps (Saturniidae) and county thumbnail checklists (Sphingidae).
The beautiful specimen/image (in Sphingidae Express section further down) of Eumorpha fasciatus was taken in October.
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John Christensen writes,
"If any WLSS members are looking for a butterflying/mothing adventure this year, I'm planning to head to Peru in May 2014 on this 10-day trip: http://www.kolibriexpeditions.com/Birding/Peru_Tours.aspx?TOUR=Butterflies-satipo&idtourk=193.
"The trip visits Rio Shima, a butterfly hotspot that has been baited by collectors for years where one can see hundreds of species (previous trip reports suggest that you can expect to see about 400 species within yards of the camp!). Satipo Road has diverse butterfly populations as well as numerous rare bird species (and the guide is a birding enthusiast). The specific dates are May 19-28, 2014.
"I'm not affilitated with the tour group, nor have I ever travelled with them, but I'm trying to advertise the trip to ensure there are enough participants for the trip to happen (and to keep costs down since the pricing is dependent on the number of participants). I've requested with the tour leader, Gunnar Engblom, that they bring MV/UV lights for nighttime mothing, so hopefully we'll attract some interesting peruvian Saturniidae for photography. Note that this is not a collecting trip. For more on the tour group (which specializes in birding), see their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/KolibriExpeditions
"If anyone would like to contact me directly about this trip, email me at jaspersail@comcast.net.
Thanks,
John Christensen
Jasper Sailfin Photography
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Rothschildia lebeau forbesi cocoons have been harvested in Texas in good numbers and have been shipped to those who have requested them with additional shipments for most recent orders to go out soon, but to avoid severe cold.. There should be lots to go around, based on preliminary reports, and overwintering Eupackardia calleta cocoons are also expected in good numbers. In Texas there are usually two broods of calleta, but Jeff has found that some of his first brood calleta cocoons are going to overwinter with the second brood cocoons. We also foundthat some of the early spring brood cocoons yielded moths in June.
Rothschildia lebeau forbesi cocoons are also now available from Texas. I am now discounting these two species to $6.00 each to move out large inventory.
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.
If you have a cool spot in your basement, that is where I would keep the overwintering forbesi, fridge crisper would be second choice for forbesi. The same applies to pupae of Citheronia splendens sinaloensis.
I still have some ios (small number) for Canadian distribution.
My other US shipping partner in Maine still has luna (luna now sold out, except for those committed) (4.50), polyphemus (4.00), io (4.50), and Pterourus glaucus (eastern tiger swallowtail) (4.00) cocoons and pupae. I do not expect these to last beyond the end of January as there have been many responses to recent mailouts.
there are also polyphemus and luna (luna now sold out, except for those committed) cocoons in Texas that could be shipped with the forbesi and/or calleta.
I have put a hault to all shipping while the Polar Vortex hs the northeastern part of the country in a deep freeze. Shipping will resume when we have soem warmer temperatures.
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I have been quite busy working on many comparison plates, and I am currently working on Pseudobunaea from Africa.
I recently received my copy of Saturnafrica #15 ($$88.00 US) from Erich Bauer. Images in this book are of much higher quality than the ones published in earlier releases by Darge. I will be contacting Philippe to get prices on #'s 1-14.
Philippe redirected me back to Erich who has some of the other journals, but they are not listed on his site. I have placed an order for journals 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 which I hope to have in a couple more weeks. Each journal with shipping will probably cost beteeen $80.00-90.00 US. ($541.33 USD) I cannot post images from those journals, but I can write my own descriptions of the images and use the journals to help identify specimens whose digital images I receive. I suspect there are many cryptic species already in your collections. In many cases precise location will be a key factor in determinations.
I am also doing a major update to Zambia checklist, and have added some maps, additional species, and bioregion descriptions.
I have also recently ordered the last Entomo-Satsphingia journal for 2013 which features many recently described species from Ecuador. I have not received it yet, but when it arrives I will focus on a major update to the Ecuador checklist. I have also ordered the other earlier journals which I did not have in my library. The journal set will be complete to date with this order.
+++++++++++++++++++While looking on the internet for some additional information on DNA barcoding analysis, I stumbled upon the website, Morphology and Molecules Reveal Unexpected Cryptic Diversity in the Enigmatic Genus Sinobirma Bryk, 1944 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) under Creative Commons license via PLOS.org; January 19, 2014
I have created the following plate and the files linked from it under the creative commons licensing agreement. There is some very interesting information on the entire article on the PLOS site as well as some other articles (at least one) on DNA barcoding.
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I have created many comparison plates for other African genera, but images which I either do not have or are not under the creative commons licensing agreement do not appear on those pages. Hopefully over time, members will contribute images and the plates will be come more complete. The two newer Sinobirma species probably would have gone unclassified if not for barcoding analysis.
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Please also have a look at the December newsletter as there are many new images there that I am only now posting.
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New member Johann Mueller sent me a beautiful image, illustrating the large size of a female Athletes albicans. I made up some notes with a dignostic image to help distinguish this species from A. ethra ogouensis which is from the same area.
Athletes albicans female, Obout, Centre Province, Cameroon,
180mm, courtesy of Johann Mueller, id and slight digital repair by Bill Oehlke.
Albicans is a significantly larger moth and
1) The hyaline spot in the hindwing ocellus is small and circular. In ogouensis there is more of a v-shaped marking
2) The forewing subterminal/submarginal line forms a large inturn loop as it approaches the inner margin. In ogouensis the line runs almost straight to the inner margin.
3) The hindwing subterminal/submarginal line turns downward (accentuated by inturn loop described above) before reaching the inner margin. In ogouensis the
line runs almost straight to the inner margin.
The features mentioned above are also carried in the males.
Athletes albicans female, Obout, Centre Province, Cameroon,
180mm, courtesy of Johann Mueller, id and slight digital repair 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
I recently did an update to the Panama Sphingidae checklist, adding at least twenty species to my original list, based on an annotated list sent to me by Albert Thurman covering the Sphingidae species in the Panama collection at the Mississippi Entomology Museum.
I will be updating the individual Sphingidae species files for Panama over the next couple of weeks.
Eumorpha fasciatus Noel Ridge Park, Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa,
October 4, 2013, courtesy of Thomas Jantscher
Cautethia exuma PT, Exuma-Simon's Point, Bahamas,
January 24, 1982, Cornell University Collection via Ryan Saint Laurent
Erinnyis guttalaris Petionville, Haiti,
June 8, 1930, Cornell University Collection via Ryan Saint Laurent
Pachylia syces insularis, Jamaica?, listed as South America,
Cornell University Collection via Ryan Saint Laurent
Adhemarius globifer, Mexico, 2012,
courtesy of Juan Carlos Garcia Morales.
Trogolegnum pseudambulyx, Tlalpujahua, Michoacan, Mexico,
courtesy of Juan Carlos Garcia Morales.
This is first time either of these species has been depicted live on Sphingidae of the Americas website. Ids by Bill Oehlke.
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Catocala Capers
Thomas Payne has recently sent me many Saturniidae and Catocala images from Tennessee. Among the images is this one of Catocala lacrymosa form zelica, not previously depicted on Catocala of North America website.
Catocala lacrymosa form zelica, Haynes Bottom WMA,
Dotsonville, Montgomery County, Tennessee,
July 5, 2012, courtesy of Tom Payne.
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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 $1.10 (2013 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).
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 $1.10 postage. 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.
