Hi All,
After a very cool, wet spring here on P.E.I., the weather has finally warmed, end of June, and silkmoths are flying.
June 30 was an especially good night with five polyphemus and three luna pairings as well as a columbia pairing around 5:00 am. We are at least two to three weeks behind "normal" weather pattern.
Many thanks to those who have assisted me with earlier egg shipments. I still have to get out a good bunch of cecropia, and there are always late orders coming in.
I continued to get polyphemus, luna and cecropia pairings into early July.
Three or four wild female columbia were taken at lights in late June and I also had three or four reared female matings with wild males.
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I received an interesting image of a gynandromorph promethea from Linda Scholton, posted in Photography section.
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I did not send out individual copies of June Newsletter, but continue to post Newsletters to site as they develop.
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Beautiful images of female Coscinoscera hercules have come in from Anthony Darby.
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Bernhard Wenczel sent me images of Pseudautomeris pohli (San Gaban, Puno, Peru) and Ptiloscola rorerae adults and larvae.
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Rolf Oberprieler continues to be a great help with ids of African species and country distributions/checklists. He recommended Pinhey' s 1972 book, Emperor Moths of South and South-Central Africa and I received a copy that had been signed and presented to Claude Lemaire.
Although the book contains some errors, most of the information and images are accurate and will be used to update individual pages.
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Fascinating image of a fossil moth from China was sent to me by Richard Fisher. The image is up in the Photography Section and in the Far east Section.
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Dan Zieher sent me some beautiful images from Jose Bottger (Peru): Copaxa herbuloti and Rothschildia zacateca. Images are posted in photography section.
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Beautiful pictures of male and female Antheraea paphia, courtesy of Alan Marson, in individual species file.
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I continue to incorporate images from Eric van Schayck. Many more now in Hyperchiria, Hylesia, Hemileuca, Ithomisa, Copaxa, etc.
I am working on complete upgrades to Automeris files now (mid-late July), including some of Eric's images.
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Very interesting notes on Callosamia angulifera on sassafras from Bruce Feller in Members' Articles section.
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Jan Hellert reports the "aberration" depicted at http://www.s89032563.onlinehome.us/ponchotdsinensis.htm is probably actually a "form". He writes, "I really would not call this an aberration because some of mine looked almost the same. Perhaps this "special" coloration is usual for some regions in which the moths can be found."
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Chuck Vaughn sent me a nice picture of second generation Hyalophora hybrid, posted in Hybrid index. Chuck also indicates he can probably supply euryalus eggs in June of 2005. His email address is aa6g@aa6g.org
Contact him in advance for details.
Chuck Vaughn
10 McKinney Creek Pl.
Mountain Ranch, California 95246
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Sphingidae Express news:
Joel Szymczyk writes, "This morning (June 30, 2004) I found what appears to be Smerinthus cerisyi. Location was: 63 19 42.884N 142 48 31.346W; Near MP 1308.5 Alaska Highway; Tok, Alaska"
Here on P.E. I., this spring I have seen female S. poecila, H. gallii, S. kalmiae, S. cerisyi (rearing about 90).
I also expect to see female P. modesta, P. excaecatus and D. choerilus and hopefully H. thysbe and A. floridensis which I will rear if I get females.
Bryon Peterson, Bardstown, Kentucky, confirms (image posted on Sphingidae site) presence of Sphecodina abbottii although that species is/was not on USGS Kentucky list on Opler's site.
A very nice image of Smerinthus cerisy, courtesy of Steve Danell, Stevens County in northeast Washington, has been posted to Smerinthus cerisy page. I am rearing a local batch of cerisyi this season. My observation has been that these moths eclose around midnight.
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