Hi All,
Just after sending out the Mothly newsletter for December, many
new images arrived and some corrections have been made:
Al Hill advised me of some missing images in the Actias and Travassosula sections
(now uploaded);
John Ciseski and Eurides Furtado collaborated to correct moth I had
previously listed as Automeris submaculata to
Automeris goiasensis which had not previously been depicted on
WLSS.
Female Cerodirphia zikani which I had improperly listed as Prohylesia zikani has also been corrected, courtesy of Eurides Furtado.
Shin-ichi Ohshima corrected what I had listed as Rhodinia fugax "Female with eggs on stem" to Caligula jonasii.
Shin-ichi also sent me beautiful images of Rhodinia davidi from Sichuan, China. Images have been poisted to that file.
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I am extremely pleased that Eurides Furtado has sent me many images of species not previously depicted on the WLSS. He has sent me images of and information about (now posted) Arsenura meander, Arsenura pandora, Automeris basalis, Automeris castrensis, Automeris goiasensis, Rhescyntis hippodamia gigantea, Mielkesia paranaensis, Jaiba kesselringi, Megaceresa pulchra, Scolesa nebulosa, Eacles bertrandi, Eacles fairchildi, Eacles lemairei, Eacles mayi, Kentroleuca novaholandensis, Gamelia pygmaea, Titaea orsinome female (grey form-very beautiful and male and female red and male grey) and Dirphiopsis trisignata.
Information about Almeidaia romualdoi (only one known specimen in existence) and a new set of images and information about Prohylesia zikani, Pseudautomeris erubescens, Othorene hodeva, Gamelia remissoides, Gamelia catharina, Hylesia schuessleri, Hylesia nigricans, Hylesia gyrex, Automeropsis umbrata, Cerodirphia rosacordis, Cerodirphia apunctata, Cerodirphia zikani and Dirphiopsis delta have also been uploaded.
Check out the beautiful Automeris amoena amoena aberration, the Automeris goiasensis aberration and the Arsenura sylla sylla bilateral gynandromorph, added to aberrations section and to individual files.
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I've updated the Molippa files to include foodplant info courtesy of Kirby Wolfe and new images courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Viktor Suter.
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Kirby Wolfe has sent me beautiful images of the following:
Attacus caesar male and larva, southern Philippines
Automeris jucunda male and larva, Panama, northern South America
Epiphora bauhinia male, Senegal
Hemileuca stonei male and larva, Arizona; Sonora, Mexico
Pseudautomeris pohli female and larva, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia
Kirby welcomes comments on his images and has been extremely helpful to other photographers.
Click on the flashing butterfly at bottom of his page to help promote his public site.
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Dominique Ades sent me many new hybrid images which I will shortly post with his commentary to the Hybrid section. I have created a special section for his work, linked from the Hybrid page.
Dominique has also sent me exceptional images of an Eacles ducalis male and larvae. Check out the middle instar larvae. They are spectacular!
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Bruce Passarelli had success crossing a male euryalus with a female columbia. Pictures of the pairing up in Hybrid Section. Bruce indicates he will send images of hybrid moths when they emerge in spring of 2005. He also notes success rearng H. columbia on choke cherry.
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Martin Jagelka sent me beautiful images of Aglia tau f. melaina, male and female.
Martin has also sent Antheraea rosemariae male and female; Attacus erebus male; Attacus caesar greenish-yellow female; Aglia japonica larva; Aglia tau f. fernigra; Brahmaea japonica larva; Caligula jonasii male; Antheraea paukstadtorum; Cricula quinquefenestrata; etc.
Images have been posted to either Photography section or individual files.
Visit Martin's livestock and papered specimens listings at http://www.insectweb.net or contact him by email: martin@insectweb.com
Very interesting larva and cocoon images of Rhodinia newara have been posted in the species file and in the Photography Section.
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Robert J. Nuelle, III, sent me a very interesting image of a melanic Syssphinx montana. See the moth in the S. montana file.
Robert also sent me a beautiful image of Lonomia electra. I have added it to the page I am creating for checklists for the states of Mexico.
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Matt Curtis also sent me images of very dark Syssphinx montana and I have added comments from Scott Smith, Kirby Wolfe and Chris Conlan to the file.
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Darrell Gulin sent me beautiful images of male and female Callosamia promethea (from cocoons my father sent him) as well as a Rothschildia species I will have to look at.
Images will shortly go up in Photography section. (now up)
Darrell also sent me several nice surprises, including a large print of the female, which I now have framed and mounted on wall. He also sent some greeting cards adorned with his photos.
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Bernhard Jost has just sent me images of live Meroleucoides bravera from the Andes in Venezuela. Images up, very nice.
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Joseph Sheer has sent me some beautiful images of greatly enlarged wing scales on Hyalophora cecropia and Citheronia regalis, added to 2005 Photography section.
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Discussion over different Arsenura orgbignyana larval images (Kirby Wolfe and Eurides Furtado) may lead to confirmation that Arsenura angulatus is a valid species.
Eurides writes, "The larva presented by me is very different from the one presented by Kirby Wolfe. Without a doubt they are two different species. This reinforces the hypothesis that Arsenura angulatus Bouvier, 1924 from central and southeastern Brazil to be a good species, sister group but different from Arsenura orbignyana (Guérin-Menéville, [1844]) from Bolivia."
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Russell Witkop writes, "I have a museum show and also an educational show at the Denver Wildlife Experience Museum next Aug. throug Jan. Any donations of silk or sphinx moths would be appreciated while people are collecting through the year. I am going to have to make a bunch of acrylic displays... and will need material to fill them. The show is with Joseph Scheer "Night Visions" author."
Thanks
Russell Witkop at Nothumn1@aol.com
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Received this email from Amy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, January 4:
"Hello,
"I'm having trouble identifying a moth that made its cocoon back in the beginning of October. It was a large green caterpillar with a shimmery iridescence to its skin. It formed a white oval cocoon and hatched January 2nd. (It has been inside all this time. - 3 months) The moth's body is shaped like a bumble bee and black in color. It seems hairy and so are its legs, which seem long too. Its antennae are feather-like and the wing span is at least 6 inches."
I sent info and pictures, and the moth is confirmed as Antheraea polyphemus.
Your overwintering stock of multivoltine species will emerge prematurely unless kept cold. See March 2004 newsletter. *******************************
Contests 2005
The images that members have been sending are very much appreciated and do much to make the site attractive and helpful to those who have collections and wish to identify specimens. Even some experienced veterans are making corrections to their collection data.
I am constantly upgrading the site, also, to make corrections and add new images.
There will be two main Photography contests in 2005. We will continue with the Best Individual Photo and Best Life Cycle Composite.
The winning photographer in each category will have his/her choice of any one of the following prizes:
1) Peigler's and Naumann's Samia Revision
2) Five rearing sleeves, any combination of standard sizes
3) Cds of both North American Saturniidae and WLSS
4) Free lifetime membership to Caterpillars Too!
5) Three 8.5" x 11" prints of Tim Dyson's Catocala
Members who participate in the vote in the Best Individual Photo competition will have their ballots entered into a draw for same set of prizes.
Images of spread specimens, species checklists and rearing articles are also very much appreciated. I will designate an "Article of the Year" award (same choice of prizes).
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2004 Photography Contest:
The fifteen finalists for the 2004 photography contest are posted from link on Photography Section. Members have until January 16, 2005 to cast a ballot.
The winning photographer will have his/her choice of any one of the following prizes:
1) Peigler's and Naumann's Samia Revision
2) Five rearing sleeves, any combination of standard sizes
3) Cds of both North American Saturniidae and WLSS
4) Free lifetime membership to Caterpillars Too!
5) Three 8.5" x 11" prints of Tim Dyson's Catocala
Each person who votes will have his/her email ballot put into the raffle box, and the winner will be drawn on January 16. The winner will have the same choice of prizes above. Have a look and cast your vote via email. Just name the photographer and species.
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Livestock still available includes Actias luna, Automeris io, Callosamia promethea and Samia cynthia cocoons as well as butterfly pupae: Papilio glaucus, Papilio troilus. All are $4.00 U.S.
Antheraea polyphemus were sold out (more available now) at $4.50 U.S.
Minimum order is five pieces, and there is one shipping and handling fee of $7.00 in U.S.; $10.00 overseas.
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Please check the Members' Wish list periodically and help when you can.
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Sphingidae Express
Eurides Furtado has sent me images of and information about Eumorpha adamsi, Orecta lycidas lycidas, Neogene curitiba, Xylophanes amadis goeldi, and Xylophanes obscurus.
A second set of images, (since last newsletter) has also come in: Isognathus allamandae, Isognathus swainsonii, Isognathus australis, Isognathus leachii, Nyceryx alophus alophus, Pachygonidia caliginosa, Eumorpha satellitia excessus.
Jim Snyder has recently sent me beautiful images (posted) of Daphnis nerii, courtesy of Jim Snyder, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, December 24, 2004.
Joseph Scheer sent me great images of Proserpinus terlooii taken this year (2004) from Pena Blanca as well as Callionima denticulata.
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Catocala Capers
Non member Jeff Slotten has sent me a checklist of Florida Catocala. Help would be appreciated in this area, even if it is just a confirmation of a single species in a specific county for any state.
The Catocala are truly beautiful and extend the mothing season into the fall when these moths typically fly in the northern half of the United States and southern Canada. Flights tend to be a bit earlier in warmer regions.
Moths are attracted to lights and to bait. See bait recipes along the trail at http://www.huffmantaxidermy.net/oehlke/tdysonphoto.htm
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