Eacles imperialis imperialis female, June 8, 2012,
courtesy of Nick Richter.
Hi All,
Happy Fathers Day in June to all Fathers.
I saw my first Cabbage White of season on May 11, so when I returned home from fishing (no luck), I took took two cecropia, two polyphemus and two luna cocoons out of cold storage. I will take two or three cocoons of each species out every two or three days so I have a longer window of opportunity for getting pairings. I also rear thousands of larvae some summers so it is nice to have them entering into final instar at various times to spread out the work load.
On May 14, I took out three cecropia, four columbia, two luna and two polyphemus;
On May 17, I took out three cecropia, two luna and a polyphemus;
On May 21, I took out remaining cecropia, luna, polyphemus and Sphingidae.
The first luna, a male, emerged on Tuesday, June 5. A second male luna emerged on Thursday, June 7, and a third male emerged June 10. The house is in a shaded location and temperatures indoors usually range from high 50's to low 60's. I turn on an infrared space heater to warm up the living room when my wife comes home from work.
My egg prices for 2012 and ordering information are posted via the following link: Saturniidae Eggs, 2012. Please note payment needs to be in advance, either by a series of Paypal payments or a series of personal checks. I prefer the personal checks and do not cash them until eggs have been shipped. I say a "series of" payments because I never know in advance whether or not all species will be available or whether or not their will be sufficient quantities to give everyone what they want. There should be plenty of luna, polyphemus, cecropia, promethea, but cynthia, euryalus, gloveri and some of the others may be in short supply or may not materialize. It is greatly preferred by me if you send separate personal checks for each species ordered. That way I do not have to send any refunds as I can simply void the checks for the species that were not shipped. Hope you can understand. It is also easy to send Paypal refunds for species that do not materialize.
If sending a payment from US, please use $0.85 postage on your envelope to me at
Bill Oehlke
Box 476
Montague, PEI, C0A1R0
Canada
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nick Richter writes, "Hi Bill,
"My first imperialis emerged on the 8th from the pupae you sent me. Boy is she a beauty but still waiting for a mate."
Eacles imperialis imperialis female, June 8, 2012,
courtesy of Nick Richter.
For the first time a female Dirphiella taylori is depicted on WLSS.
Dirphiella taylori female, Oaxaca, Mexico,
between the villages San Gabriel de Mixtepec and San Pedro Juchatengo,
cloud forest, 2300m, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Viktor Suter.
Polythysana cinerascens, female, Chile, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Viktor Suter.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For the first time a female Rothschildia erycina luciana is depicted on WLSS.
Rothschildia erycina luciana female, Morne Bellevue, Martinique,
courtesy of Robert Vuattoux.
Jim Vargo has sent some beautiful images of spread Saturniidae from Peru. Two specimens I have not been able to identify:
Dirphiopsis male, 58mm, San Pedro, Cusco, Peru,
May 22, 2012, 1370m, courtesy of Jim Vargo,
close to Dirphiopsis oridocea, but I (WO) think a different species.
Pseudodirphia species??, male, 65mm, Amazonia Lodge, Madre de Dios, Peru,
May 16, 2012, 485m, courtesy of Jim Vargo.
Here are images of two images of recently described species.
Catacantha juliae male, 45mm, San Pedro, Cuzco, Peru,
May 22, 2012, 1370m, courtesy of Jim Vargo,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.
Automeris grammocuscoensis male, 50mm, San Pedro, Cuzco, Peru,
May 22, 2012, 1370m, courtesy of Jim Vargo, id by Bill Oehlke.
Pseudodirphia species??, male, 65mm, Amazonia Lodge, Madre de Dios, Peru,
May 16, 2012, 485m, courtesy of Jim Vargo.
Pseudodirphia eumedidoides species, male, 82mm, Amazonia Lodge, Madre de Dios, Peru,
May 16, 2012, 485m, courtesy of Jim Vargo.
Gamelia abasiella female, 55mm, San Pedro, Cusco, Peru,
October 20, 2010, 1370m, courtesy of Jim Vargo,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.*
The following male is temporarily placed on the D. somniculosa confluens file, but I am pretty sure it is a species as yet undescribed or at least unknown to me. The forewing pm line is far more concave and distinct than in any other Dirphia species I have seen.
Dirphia somniculosa confluens?? male, 95mm, Amazonia Lodge, Madre de Dios, Peru,
May 16, 2012, 485m, courtesy of Jim Vargo, very tentative id by Bill Oehlke.
Fresh Callosamia angulifera cocoons available (June 7) from Alabama at $5.50 US/cocoon and one shipping and handling fee of $8.00 whether you order one cocoon or ten cocoons, etc.
I suspect most of these will emerge in three to four week, but some may diapause until next spring, at least that has been the pattern observed for C. securifera from the same area.
Fresh Callosamia promethea cocoons available (June 7) from Vifginia at $4.50 US/cocoon and one shipping and handling fee of $8.00 whether you order one cocoon or ten cocoons, etc.
I suspect most of these will emerge in two to four weeks, but some may diapause until next spring.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Steve Lemieux sends these beautiful images of a female luna and a male polyphemus from Kennebec County, Maine, May 25, 2012. It is refreshing to see species closer to home, and to know that the sames species will be flying here very soon.
Actias luna female, Sidney, Kennebec County, Maine,
May 25, 2012, courtesy of Steve Lemieux.
Antheraea polyphemus male, Sidney, Kennebec County, Maine,
May 25, 2012, courtesy of Steve Lemieux.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dirphia docquinae male, Brownsberg, Brokopondo, Suriname,
July 7, 2011, courtesy of Johan van't Bosch; id by Frederik Beneluz.
"The name "docquinae" is honorific for Annie DOCQUIN, the 2nd wife of Lionel SENECAUX, who was a great local entomologist and disinterested "récolteur". He had contributed to the description of many new species from FG, mostly "Arctiidae", Notodontidae and "Noctuidae" (Erebidae)."
I have now moved the above photo to the Dirphia docquinae page. This is first time this species appears on WLSS with proper identification.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Alex Baranowski sends this nice image of a male Actias luna from Connecticut from his reared stock. It is much appreciated if you send me sighting dates of wild Saturniidae from your area so I can document those dates. Such data provides useful information about flight seasons in your area and is helpful to others.
Actias luna overwintered male, Connecticut, courtesy of Alex Baranowsky.
Don Adams reports wild male luna (May 11) and wild male promethea (May 13) flying in to his caged females in southeastern Massachusetts.
Ian Miller reports wild male cecropia flying in to his caged females in western Wisconsin, May 11.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For the first time a larva of Hemileuca eglanterina shastaensis is depicted on WLSS courtesy of Richard Wasson.
Hemileuca eglanterina shastaensis fifth instar, Mt. Shasta, Siskiyou County, California,
August 17, 2008, 6500 feet, courtesy of Richard Wasson.
This species has a two year life cycle. Richard also sends an image of a spread melanic adult male. Images are posted to shastaensis file.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Stéphane Le Tirant has just published a new book, name: Papillons et chenilles du Québec et des Maritimes, 396 pages. All butterflies, larvae, host plant of the butterflies of Quebec and the Maritimes.
Availables everywhere in Quebec for 29,95
or from Stephane with a discount of 20% for your WLSS members + shipping, of course.
PAPILLONS ET CHENILLES DU QUéBEC ET DES MARITIMES - SOUPLE
Auteur(e)s : Michel Leboeuf, Stéphane Le Tirant
INFORMATIONS TECHNIQUES
• Parution : 02-04-2012
• Coll. Guides Nature Quintin
• pour tous, 392 pages
• Couverture souple, 13.5 X 20.5 cm
• ISBN 978-2-89435-579-4
• 29,95 $ CAD
RÉSUMÉ
Le premier guide complet et facile à consulter avec chenilles et cartes de répartition
Les papillons vous fascinent? Découvrez toutes les espèces diurnes de nos régions dans le premier ouvrage sur le marché à vous offrir non seulement des centaines de
photos de grande qualité de tous les papillons, mais aussi des illustrations saisissantes de nos chenilles. En plus de textes éclairants sur la biologie et
l'écologie de ces captivants insectes, le guide présente des fiches complètes d'identification par espèce (description, espèces semblables, périodes de vol,
habitat, plantes hôtes, abondance, etc.). Tout pour combler le débutant comme l'observateur chevronné.
Rédacteur en chef du magazine Nature sauvage, Michel Leboeuf est l'auteur de plusieurs ouvrages et articles de vulgarisation en sciences naturelles. Son travail journalistique a été primé par la Société d'entomologie du Québec et le Service canadien des forêts. Il est, en outre, lauréat du prix Hubert-Reeves pour le meilleur ouvrage de vulgarisation scientifique en français au Canada.
Conservateur et responsable des collections de l'insectarium de Montréal, Stéphane Le Tirant est aussi l'un des instigateurs de l'événement annuel Papillons en liberté au Jardin botanique de Montréal. Consultant pour la création de nombreuses volières un peu partout dans le monde ainsi que pour la série Insectia, il a entre autres à son actif plusieurs publications scientifiques et des expéditions entomologiques aux quatre coins de la planète.
Contact Stepane directly for additional details or to order:
Stephane Le Tirant for ordering information and to learn how to apply for the dicsount.
I am shortly going to post an article in the "Bill's Articles" section regarding problems with trying to overwinter non-diapausing stock. The article has now been posted and is entitled Problems with Prolonged Chilling of Non-diapausing Pupae, May 2012.
The links in this email will not be active, but you can access article by logging onto site.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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!.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sphingidae Express
Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos confirms Manduca lichenea in Misiones, Argentina.
Manduca lichenea, Campo Ramon, Misiones, Argentina,
September 26, 2010, courtesy of Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos
Jim Vargo sends images of Protaleuron rhodogaster which is quite rare in collections. There is a good chance that this moth calls and nectars just after dawn. It is first time verso image of this species is displayed on Sphingidae of the Americas website.
Protaleuron rhodogaster, Paradise Lodge, Cosnipata Valley, Cuzco Department, Peru,
63mm, nectaring at 5:45am, courtesy of Jim Vargo.
Protaleuron rhodogaster, Paradise Lodge, Cosnipata Valley, Cuzco Department, Peru,
63mm, nectaring at 5:45am, courtesy of Jim Vargo.
Catocala Capers
Renco Smeelen has sent me images of Catocala eggs from Europe:
I have begun to create files for the European Catocala and would greatly appreciate any images or data that members can provide. I hope to eventually also create files for the Asian Catocala. I belive this genus is limited to the Northern Hemisphere.
*******************************
|
 Support this website and visit other insect sites by clicking flashing butterfly links to left or right. |
|
Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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 $0.85 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.
National Moth Week
For additional information about National Moth Week and contact information, visit National Moth Week.