Hi All,
I took all my earth pupators (Sphingidae and Ceratocampinae) out of cold storage on May 17. The first Smerinthus cerisyi emerged May 28. I had a cerisyi pairing on May 30, another on June 4. Most of the cerisyi have emerged as of June 6. Some Deidamia inscriptum emerged May 29. I am hoping the pini and regalis will emerge mid to late June. A female Dryocampa rubicunda emerged June 6.
I have them indoors in a very large (probably about thirty gallons) clear plastic tub, lid on fairly securely. On the bottom of the tub I have damp paper towels, then a layer of bubble pack, then dry paper towels which will absorb some moisture from the humid environment inside the tub and then the pupae, most of them still wrapped in tissue. I have torn the twisted part of the tissue away from the head region to allow for easy escape. Paper towels or some other climbing strata (remay sleeve) will be draped top to bottom once eclosion time approaches.
I took many additional polyphemus, luna, columbia and cecropia out of cold storage on May 17 and have held only a small number to be taken out around May 21 and possibly another couple for May 25 just to cover very late egg orders and a trip to Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, planned for late June. Spring seems to be coming early this year.
June 5 I saw Antheraea polyphemus male and Hyalophora cecropia male and Dryocampa rubicunda males at lights, and I also took a female Hyalophora columbia at lights.
Sphingidae males of Smerinthus cerisyi, Paonias excaecata and Pachysphinx modesta are also appearing at lights. I had seen an Antheraea polyphemus male at lights end of May.
June 6 saw male A. polyphemus and took two beautiful male lunas on rooftop. June 7, took another wild female columbia, female polyphemus and female modesta at lights. Saw a few male modesta and cerisyi and saw first male poecila of season. Rosy maples are still flying June 7. June 9 saw Lapara bombycoides at lights. Paonias excaecata emerged June 8, 22 days aftercoming out of cold storage.
Reared female Paonias excaecata paired with wild male, June 16, gettinglots of polyphemus and columbia pairings, June 15-16.
*******************************
I continue to see Cabbage Whites in the garden as I work on the greenhouse and outdoor flight cages I am building.
May 20th I saw the first Spring Azure.
May 26 saw Mourning Cloak, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Spring Azure and Cabbage Whites. Cabbage Whites nectar at dandelions (late May - early June) and at strawberry blossoms (June 7-10), about the only nectar source available at this time. I saw males polyphemus, modesta and cerisyi at light June 1 and am seeing lots of Cabbage Whites and Canadian Tiger Swallowtails now (June 2). Hobomoke Skipper and Duskywings are making their appearance (early June).
Put three female Papilio canadensis in sleeve over pin cherry, June 15 (1), June 17 (2).
*******************************
One of my sisters recently found a 1950's photo of me and sent the scan along. I have posted it with a humourous anecdote in the Fun section. You might enjoy it.
*******************************
Callosamia securifera from spring brood are in cocoons now and eggs should again be available around mid June.
*******************************
Ryan St.Laurent writes, "I have some questions about moths (not saturniids). I recently have gotten interested in the Furcula and Cerura genera, Puss Moths. My questions are: 1) Is it at all possible to get me a list of the species in the two genera, and 2) do you know of any WLSS members or someone I can contact to purchase eggs/larvae of either or both genera?"
Ryan's email is posted in the Wish List section. Please help him if you can.
*******************************
Thierry Bouyer has sent me an extensive checklist for the Saturniidae of Kenya and also for Tanzania in addition tothe ones sent for Gabon, Malawi and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thierry has also suggested several revisions to Gynanisa files. Please check if you have sent images as they may now be revised. Goodia files have also been updated and wow (May 23) Thierry has sent me images of Goodia oxytela, canui, falcata and nubilata (males and females). There has also been an update to Gonimbrasia alcestris and G. alcestris godarti files. Thierry has also sent images of those species.
Thierry has also sent me a list of his publications, also posted to Listings Section and linked from his credits page where he indicates he is looking for feedback on the checklists (Gabon, Malawi, Kenya, D.R. Congo) and also has African specimens for sale/trade.
The lists that Thierry has been sending will greatly enhance the Africa section and should be a great help with identifications.
May 19, Thierry has sent some revisions/updates to Goodia genus and has helped with confirmation of some ids for specimens from Gabon, courtesy of Rodolphe Rougerie. Hope to have Goodia hierax and Goodia obscuripennis images posted shortly along with Thierry's revision.
Thierry has an online update for his Catalogue. It is an update / errata. Visit http://users.skynet.be/fa544363/catsatmaj14.htm
Many additional images have come from Thierry. See Goodia, Tagoropsis, Maltagorea files.
*******************************
Rodolphe Rougerie has sent me images and information about the Hispaniodirphia species from the Dominican Republic.
I have posted the images and have created a credits page for Rodolphe,linked from the Hispaniodirphia pages. A list of Rodolphe's publications is on the credits page.
*******************************
Alan Marson is rearing Rhodinia tensingyatsoi and will send images of all instars once rearing is complete (now done and images posted). He also sent images of Brahmaea christophi pupae of which I have now posted one image.
Alan has also sent stunning images of Rhodinia fugax larvae and cocoons from eggs from Shin-Ichi Ohshima of Japan.
Check out Alan's beautiful images of a seventh instar Automeris larra, posted in larva photos section. He also sent one of Caligula thibeta. Quite the hairdoo!
Cocoons of Rhodinia species also posted with some interesting observations.
*******************************
Kevin Wiebeld sent images of and observations regarding prepupal Brahmaea hearseyi larva, posted to hearseyi file.
*******************************
Dan Zieher is reporting early success with Leucanella lynx on apple.
*******************************
Franz and Julian Renner have just sent images of larvae (instars 2-5) of Loepa diversiocellata L2 - L5. The origin of this species is Thailand, Doi Pha Hom Pok 2050 Mae Ai / Chiang Mai, courtesy of Thomas Ihle.
They have also sent images of instars 1-5 of a Rhodinia species from Tibet. It may be a subspecies of R. tensingyatsoi or even a new species.
Images accessed from Rhodinia page.
*******************************
Don Adams reports a wild male Callosamia promethea responded to one of his caged females in Westport Island, Lincoln County, Maine, June 2.
Promethea and cecropia have been respondingto his caged females
in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
*******************************
Michael van Buskirk has sent me images (posted) of the Hemileuca
maia "peigleri" he has been rearing.
*******************************
Brad Darville had a luna pairing, May 19, in Spring Grove, McHenry County,
Illinois. Very nice image of the happy couple posted to the Illinois
maps page.
*******************************
Shin-Ichi Oshima has sent me an image of the rare Caligula grotei
female (Nepal Himalaya).
He also sends Caligula jonasii 2 males (Nagano, Honshu, Japan),
Rhodinia fugax pair (Aichi, Honshu, Japan), and
Rhodinia jankowskii hattoriae pair (Nagano, Honshu, Japan).
From South America he sends beautiful Leucanella apollinairie,
Leucanella flammans and Leucanella heisleri, and from
Changmai in northern Thailand Salassa thespis.
*******************************
May 19, Ulf Drechsel of Paraguay writes, "I have now 75 cocoons of
Automeris umbrosa and will have about 50 more in a
few days. These first 75 I offer for US $100.00."
Dipl. Biol.
*******************************
Jiri Zabokrtsky has sent me a link a Gambia site
so I will try to get permision to use the
images there and make contact to hopefully acquire additional images.
Thierry has provided ids (including one of Gonimbrasia occidentalis
and I hope to get them posted soon.
Jiri has also sent additional images from his collection and
some links to Australian Saturniidae which I have to explore.
*******************************
Daid Wikle sent me a correction to the California page where I had
neglected to include Hemileuca hera hera, listing one
of the subspecies by mistake.
*******************************
Jim Tuttle has just sent me some beautiful images of an
Sphingidae larva from Australia.
I will create a link in the Larval Photography section soon.
*******************************
New member Horst Kach from Ecuador has sent me nice images of quite a
few species not previously depicted on the WLSS. Included are
Automeris napoenis/caucensis, Erythromeris obscurior, Pseudautomeris yourii male,
Pseudautomeris antioquia female, Adeloneivaia jason nigripunctata male, female and larvae and foodplant,
and
Leucanella flammans
(now uploaded) and several more which I still have to upload.
Horst travels extensively in Ecuador and can offer species
not usually available elsewhere. His email is posted with the
credits for the above moths. Horst also does much rearing
and has sent larval images and foodplants as well as data for his
specimens.
See Titaea lemoulti, Rhodirphia carminata, Rothschildia lebeau inca,
Cerodirphia mota napoensis, Copaxa andensis, Hirpida gaujoni,
Cerodirphia nadiana, Eacles imperialis anchicayensis
(eggs and larval instars 1-3), Automeris abdominalis, Gamelia neidhoeferi
larva and foodplant, Copaxa satellita larvae and foodplant,
.
Kirby Wolfe has just helped identify Copaxa litensis and
Copaxa rufinans from northwestern Ecuador.
*******************************
New member Henrik Bloch has sent me images of Saturniidae of Ghana,
including Eudaemonia argus
(id confirmed by Thierry Bouyer, not previously depicted on WLSS),
a female Lobobunaea acetes and live and spread
Pseudantheraea discrepans.
Henrik has also sent images of Saturniidae from Bolivia:
Gamelia viettei, Pseudautomeris luteata and
Automeris hamata.
Carlos Mielke, Thibaud Decaens and Eurides Furtado all helped to
identify Adeloneivaia acuta, Adeloneivaia subangulata
and Dirphia fraterna.
*******************************
New member Uwe Kauz has sent me beautiful images of
Eacles imperialis anchicayensis male and larvae with foodplant.
Uwe has also sent larval images of Automeris banus argentifera,
Automeris belti zaruma and Eacles imperialis magnifica
second and fourth instar larvae as well as a male
Graellsia isabellae
*******************************
Joel Szymczyk has recently sent images of Citheronia sepulcralis
larvae from a wild female he took in Cottonwood, Alabama. Second
instar image is stunning, and now you MUST see the third instar.
Armaments are amazing.
*******************************
Oz Rittner sent me an image of an Ithomisa species from
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I have labeled it as Ithomisa umbrata
based on Lemaire's statement of range, but Claude also remarks that
umbrata may be the same as catherina.
*******************************
Deb King has sent a nice image of a spread Caligula anna male.
*******************************
Reinhold Hoge has sent nice images of spread hybrid
Actias gnoma gnoma x Actias selene ningpoana male
and female, posted to Hybrid section.
*******************************
Jonathon Tubbs has sent a beutiful image of a male
Antheraea polyphemus, very dark with hindwings with
striking "blue eyes". Image posted to Photography Section.
*******************************
Bottom of Hybrid section, Steve Huffman sent me an image of an
unusual pairing:
Hyalophora columbia gloveri male with
Antheraea polyphemus.
*******************************
Bruce Passarelli has sent an image of a Callosamia promethea
female paired with a male multiple cross of
a male from [male from (male euryalus x female columbia) x
pure female columbia]
The eggs proved to be infertile. He also indicates he has hatchlings
from a Hyalophora columbia male x a Callosamia promethea
female. Hope he can get them through and send images.
The image of the firt instar larvae has been posted to the
hybrid section.
*******************************
Ray Gibbons made an interesting suggestion regarding prolonging
the life of emerged male Saturniidae. Rather than chilling them in
the refrigerator, he "stuns" them with continuous light exposure.
Ray says he puts a flouresent light on about 18 inches (45 cm) from
the males and they remain still, conserving energy, until females
emerge.
I do not know whether the same strategy would work for unmated
females as they might begin dumping infertile eggs after
coming away from light rather than trying to scent first.
Shutting a paired female down via the lights might be an
appropriate strategy for delaying ovipositing of fertilized eggs.
Might be appropriate for trying to ship eggs around a holiday or after
a weekend as opposed to before or when you have early indoor pairings
and leaf out is not quite where you would like it to be or if you want
to take some moths to a "future" presentation without them getting all broken
up in a cage.
Ray uses opposite technique for butterflies. He keeps them in
the dark.
Ray has also sent some interesting H. cecropia aberrations which I will
shortly post.
*******************************
Tim Sakhuja writes, "This is Tim Sakhuja from northern california. I
was wondering if you have any suppliers of polyphemus eggs in
northern california that I could get eggs from, because the
polyphemus population in the San Francisco bay area has dwindled to
almost nothing. I would like to try to help the population survive
by hopefully introducing some new stock from California, so the moths
would be most similar."
If you would like to help Tim with this project (only with stock from California),
please let me know, and I will put you in touch.
*******************************
New Sightings:
*******************************
Sphingidae Express
Eggs of the following species are expected this spring/summer.
Smerinthus cerisyi, Deidamia inscriptum, Pachysphinx modesta,
Paonias excaecata, Manduca quinquemaculata, Ceratomia amyntor,
Ceratomia undulosa, Sphinx kalmaie, Sphinx drupiferarum,
Sphinx chersis. All will be in range of $15.00-$16.00 U.S./dozen with addition
of $5.00-$6.00 for each additional dozen eggs. Price already includes
the shipping and handling. Get requests in early if you are intereted.
It is fun to watch the pupation process, and all will pupate without
soil.
Several people are using the recording sheets and I expect I will
receive many images and much sighting data this summer.
Bev Wigney sent me beautiful images of wild Smerinthus ceriysi
in copula, from Osgoode, Ontario (near Ottawa), May 19.
Check them out from the Ontario Sphingidae page.
Jonathon Tubbs reports Smerinthus cerisyi flying May 7, in
Vanderbilt, Michigan.
Tim Dyson has sent some great photos of Amorpha juglandis
from Ontario.
I have been creating county by county sighting recording sheets for Sphingidae.
If ones for your county have not been posted and you would like to use them, let me
know. I will create them and post them, and just ask that you send me
email summaries at the end of each month.
June 16-17, seeing Hemaris thysbe and
Amphion floridensis at French lilacs. Hope to catchand sleeve females
over Viburnum and Virginia Creeper.
Interesting to watch as they nectar.
*******************************
At the request of some members I am posting a "BAD TRADERS"
report. It can be accessed from the main page of the WLSS.
*******************************
Please check the Members' Wish list periodically
and help when you can.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Catocala Capers
Catocala are already flying in the southern
states and I have some id work to do.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Arctiidae Art
Unfortunately my Platarctia parthenos larvae
did not survive the winter. Hope to try them again if I
am lucky enough to capture another female.
Doug Haines writes, "Sorry to hear your Platarctia parthenos
larva did not survive the winter. I had a dozen larva of
Arctia caja and one Ecpantheria scribonia. I fed the
A. caja larva dandelion leaves into early December. They
continued to eat until the dandelion leaves were covered with snow.
One of the larger larva then pupated. I had considered freezing a
quantity of dandelion leaves and continue to feed the rest but I did
not and the snow killed any chance of changing my mind. I dug through
the half-foot of leaves the larva were spending the winter in and
found two more pupae. I stored the pupae with the rest of my cocoons
and left the larva in the leaves on top of a bed of mulch in a large
container in my unheated garage for the winter. It gets cold in the
garage but does not reach freezing. The three pupae eclosed into
very nice moths. Unfortunately, the larvae did not survive the
winter. I found them dead at the bottom of the leaves. Next time I
will feed them dandelion leaves indoors until they pupate. I hope you
have better luck next time with over-wintering larvae of Tiger moths."
Thanks, Doug. If I am lucky enough to get a P. parthenos female
again I will construct a cage over some host plant and let them overwinter
more naturally. The larvae were only about
3/4 inch long when I put them outside in a very large tub of dead
leaves in October.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Caterpillars Too!
I dug up some suckers off my large French lilac bush and transplanted
them to a clearing out back, and one to center of large flight cage.
The blooms attract Hemaris thysbe and Papilio canadensis,
both of which I want to rear in large numbers this year. We'll see
how it goes.
I posted an image of Erynnis lucilius from Taylor County,
Wisconsin, to the Taylor County page, courtesy of Joan F. Rickert.
Joan has lots of columbine in her garden and I am hoping she can
also get images of larvae.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Return to Main Menu
Return to "Mothly Newsletters"
Ulf Drechsel
Gral. Aquino 694
Asuncion, Paraguay
John Beck reports a sighting of Citheronia regalis
June 7, 2006, in Dubois County, Indiana. I have updated the map.