Hi All,
This newsletter covers updates from February 14, 2009 to March 16, 2009.
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Visit Egg availability and prices 2009: Non diapausing livestock
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Ken Strothkamp writes, "I wanted to contact you well in advance of the summer season to ask your help once again in my research project on Lophocampa maculata. Your efforts last summer provided me with the opportunity to conduct a number of experiments on the PEI variey of this species.
"This winter, I made some progress in developing the RAPD PCR method for population studies of this moth. I have a method to archive DNA from caterpillars or moths and have some very preliminary data on three populations: Oregon, Prince Edward Island (which you provided) and New York (which David Wagner provided). None of my data are yet ready for publication but I believe they demonstrate that the method will provide useful information on the species.
"This summer, I am hoping to obtain material from as many geographic areas across North America as possible. I am trying to find individuals who would be willing to send me either eggs, caterpillars or adults of the species. I would of course pay for mailing. If you are able to get eggs again (or caterpillars later in the summer) I would very much appreciate it.
"I am also interested in any photos, particularly of late instar larvae or adults, from documented locations. There appear to be a number of phenotypic differences among individuals from different regions of the continent and I am trying to document them and hopefully correlate them with the molecular studies. Any information on natural history (larval host plants, etc.) would also be useful.
"My understanding of the range of this species is across the continent on both sides of the US/Canada border and south in the mountains of the US almost to the Mexican border. The populations in the southern mountains, I assume, are remnants isolated there as the climate warmed at the end of the last ice age. There is some geographic information on this species in the BAMONA database but it is limited to the US. I am currently attempting to obtain a paper by McGugan, BM in the Forest Lepidoptera of Canada series (1958). Do you know of any more recent data on the geographic range of moth species? I have Handfield's Papillons du Quebec, which is good but only covers the one province.
"If you know of individuals, particularly across Canada, I might contact I would be very grateful. Or, if you have any ideas on how to find people (email lists, etc) I would be happy to do the "legwork."
"The eggs you sent last summer were invaluable for the work I have been doing and if there is any possiblity of you providing more this summer I would be greatly in your debt."
Ken Strothkamp
Lophocampa maculata is a relativley small Arctiidae moth. The females respond to lights here on PEI in June-July. Females will oviposit readily in an inflated brown paper bag as saturnids do. Eggs are laid in large groups and incubation time is shorter than for Saturniidae. If you think you can help Ken, email him at Ken Strothkamp.
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A new member in US is looking for livestock of the mourning cloak butterfly. If you think you can help with eggs, larvaes pupae, please send me an email.
Steve Ife has just sent many images of live saturniidae and Sphingidae from Tena, Napo, Ecuador. Quite a few had not been previously depicted in live state on WLSS: Dirphia fraterna, Pseudodirphia obliqua, Hylesia melanostigma, Hylesia annulata, Paradaemonia platydesmia, Periphoba hircia. More to follow.
Females of Automeris curvilinea and Automeris larra are also included.
In addition there are images of males of Automeris schwartzi, Eacles penelope, Molippa simillima, Syssphinx molina, Citheronia aroa and Dirphia fraterna fraterna. Most of the images have been posted to photography section and/or on individual species pages.
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Alan Marson is winner of the 2008 Life History award for his images of Caligula thibeta. Over the years Alan has sent images of eggs, all instars, pupae or cocoons, and adults of many species, especially of species from China. His efforts are much appreciated. I have just posted his Caligula thibeta male from late November of 2008.
I am also just getting around to posting Alan's Brahmaea wallichii wallichii images from Yunnan, China. Also now posted is a male Lemaireia luteopeplus aureopeplus.
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Carlos Lopez Vaamonde has recently sent me a pdf file of a report on Non-lethal DNA sampling from leg and wing parts of Graellsia isabelae males and females. The file is for your personal reading use and should not be copied or redistributed.
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Chris Grinter has just given me permission to post some very nice images of a male and female Hemileuca peninsularis from Baja, Mexico.
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"Life Within Awareness", new moth prints by photographer Joseph Scheer will be showing at Bergdorff Goodman, 5th Avenue and 58th Street, New York City, New York as per details (dates, times, contact: phone and email for cocktail RSVP) via the link. Joseph writes, "Some of the new prints are huge... with pairs being 8 x 5 feet.. One single Copaxa is 5x 7'."
Twenty-four very large prints will adorn five very large 5th Avenue windows.
See some samples via the link.
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Philippe Brems of Belgium has sent me an image of a gynandromorph Actias selene, India, from his rearings, and Philippe has also sent an image of one of the Brahmaeidae not previously depicted on WLSS: Dactyloceras ducarmei from the Republic of Central Africa.
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I have begun to place more and more links to Osipov's Top 100 Websites on WLSS pages and on pages of other websites. If you click on the flashing butterfly icon, you will be taken to a page with links to many insect sites. Clicking on one of the flashing butterfly icons, also casts a vote for my site and helps to place it in the top ten for display/advertising purposes.
Please click on the flashing butterflies. You can simply close the Osipov page (if you don't wish to visit the other insect pages) that will appear by clicking on the X in the upper right hand corner. I have begun with the Leroy Simon pages and will shortly proceed with Catocala and Sphingidae pages and some of the WLSS Saturniidae genus files. Thanks for your consideration and time.
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I have uploaded Syssphinx montana male, Arizona; Syssphinx hubbardi male Arizona; Syssphinx bidens male, Ecuador, (not confident on this id); Archaeoattacus edwardsii third and fourth instars, China; Antheraea polyphemus female, Florida; Actias rhodopneuma male, China; Actias luna male with dark pm line, Florida; Titaea lemoulti female, Ecuador (WOW!); Attacus lorquini all instars and cocoon, Philippines; Attacus lorquini all instars and cocoon, Philippines (first time all instars and cocoon are depicted on WLSS); Brahmaea hearseyi molt into fifth instar, China; Automeris denticulata male and female, Ecuador; Samia ricini x Samia kohlli hybrid, male and female, Asia; from the latest Leroy Simon DVD.
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Please visit the Voluntary Dues entry on the main page.
Many thanks to those who sent dues for 2007 and beyond and to those who have sent dues for 2008 and beyond. I will be creating and sending out complimentary access to caterpillars Too! to those paying the volumtary dues, and will also advise/provide them with access to some advanced pages on WLSS as well as direct links to thumbnail sphingidae checklists (larvae and adult) for their respective counties.
I have been in contact with Erich Bauer and will be purchasing some additional references to support the site.
I have also invested in a battery backup surge protector, and I had to replace the internal power supply in my computer. I have had to rely on friends and neighbours and a finicky old computer system to try to keep up with correspondence, and have about five days worth of sales to update and many images to post.
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The following livestock is still available:
Actias luna at $4.00 US/cocoon;
Callosamia promethea at $4.00 US/cocoon;
Automeris cecrops pamina at $5.50/cocoon (seven left);
Hyalophora cecropia at $6.00 US/cocoon.
I anticipate having some Eacles oslari pupae (sold out), available in pairs at $16.00/pair and single males at $7.00/pupa (sold out). These are expected in late January and will be assessed at that time.
Bonnie has advised me that some nice Antheraea polyphemus have arrived. They are available at $4.25/cocoon (sold out) plus shipping and handling.
Some nice Eacles imperialis imperialis are have arrived from Georgia. They are available at $14.00/pair. There are some extra male pupae at $6.00 each.
Butterflies:
Papilio (Pterourus) troilus at $3.50;
If there is interest, I may be able to obtain some additional Papilio (Pterourus) glaucus at $4.25. Let me know if you are interested.
One shipping and handling fee of $8.00 to US destinations; more if overseas. Sorry, I am completely sold out in Canada except for some small Hyalophora euryalus/kasloensis cocoons from British Columbia. Cocoons are $5.50 US or $6.00 Canadian. They are with me here in Canada so are only available in Canada or overseas. If there is any demand, I can probably bring in some additional black swallowtails from Quebec. They would be available in Canada at $6.00 Canadian plus shipping
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Dave Mohn has sent info on egg incubation times for Saturnia pyretorum (Taiwan), and Mark Lasko has sent image of a female which eclosed Fbruary 28, and he also sends an image of a cocoo0n cluster.
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Serge Yevdoshenko has sent me images of Actias chapae larvae: third, fourth, fifth instars and spinning on Pinus sylvestris.
Bob Vuattouox also reports larvae turning toward brown as they get ready to spin.
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Hideshi Naka of Japan has a new mailing address, and he is looking for people who are interested in Japanese Lycaenidae or Saturniidae as per his message below his new address.
Hideshi Naka
Lab. of Applied Entomology
Fac. Agriculture, Tottori University
Koyama-minami 4-101, Tottori, Tottori 680-8553 Japan
Email: Hideshi Naka
the whole Saturniidae moth
"I have (February 27, 2009) some overwintering eggs of 3 Lycaenidae species below;
Artopoetes pryeri feed on Ligustrum about 15 eggs
Ussuriana stygiana feed on Fraxinus 5 eggs
Neozephylus japonicus feed on Alnus about 20 eggs
So I want to exchange them to livestocks of Lycaenidae or Saturniidae.
Please introduce the person who seems to have an interest in these eggs."
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Mike Jordan has just begun sending me outstanding images of his Saturniidae rearings. I have just posted an image of an Antheraea yamamai superba female from Taiwan. I will shortly post Bunaea aslauga male and female from Madagascar; Gonimbrasia zambesina male from Kenya; Actias sinensis male and female from Guangxi, China; Antheraea mylitta male and female, India: Orissa, Balangir, Belpora; Attacus lorquinii female, Philippines; and Attacus atlas male, China: Yunnan.
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Martin Jagelka has just sent me a file listing dried stock specimens, including many butterflies, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Catocala, and lepidoptera from other families.
Check it out via Martin Jagelka's stock; February 2009.
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Alexander von Buldring has sent images of Leucanella memusae larvae from Araruna, Paraiba, Brazil. I have posted them to the L. memusae file.
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A WLSS member is looking for cocoons of Agapema homogena or Eupackardia Calleta. He writes, "Regarding Agapema homogena it should be in our area, but we have never found them. If you have any specific information about this species in Colorado it would be helpful. We are willing to buy the cocoons or trade for Hyalophora Columbia gloveri cocoons."
Please send me an email if you can help with this request (information or desired species).
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Larry Valentine has sent an image of an emerged female Eacles imperialis probably subspecies magnifica from Itanhandu, southern Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Larry has also sent additional larval images, and he has sent an image of a cocoon of Pseudautomeris luteata as well as images of the emergent male from the same area. Most recent image of male Eacles imperialis seems to confirm maginfica as subspecies.
Larry has also sent images of Adelowalkeria flavosignata larvae, pupae, male and female from Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This species was not previously reported from Minas Gerais although it is widely known in southeastern Brazil.
Larvae sent images of a Rothschildia larva in November 2008. I tentatively identified them as R. aurota speculifer. The larva cocooned and recently (February 24, 2009) eclosed. The beautiful recto and verso images of the live moth confirm Rothschildia aurota speculifera.
Larry has also sent images of what I am pretty sure is Dirphia moderata: female and larva. This would represent a southeastward range extension in Brazil. Images will be linked from the Dirphia moderata file. Dirphia dolosa is another geographic possibility. The specimen is from Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, near the border with Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Please have a look if you have experience with either of those two species. Carlos Mielke has confirmed moderata in Parana, Brazil, so I am pretty confident that is what Larry has encountered, with a slightly darker larva than previously described/depicted.
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Dave Rolfe has sent very nice images spread specimens of Antheraea diehli male and female from Brunei and Kalimantan, Attacus suparmani male and female from Alor Islands, Attacus dohertyi male and female from Timor, Attacus caesar males from Leyte, Philippines, Attacus lemairei male, Palawan, Philippines, Loepa septentrionalis male, China (not previously depicted on WLSS, not sure of official status, might be a synonym for more northerly L. kuangdongensis, Antheraea harti reared male and female, Coscinocera hercules butleri male and female (may be same as nominate subspecies), and Coscinocera antaeus male from Papua New Guinea.
Dave provides great data (wingspan, date, location) with the images.
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Vernon Brou of Louisiana writes:
"Hope you are doing well. You are welcome to link this page http://entomology.lsu.edu/lsam/Brou.htm. I don't have a site, but the crew at Louisiana State University Baton Rouge (Louisiana State Arthropod Museum) have gotten around to making this page for me. I have been a donor of specimens to the collection there since 1971. I have 7-8 light traps going here on my 10 acres. Took an Amphion floridensis in January and the first Actias luna appeared in my traps 2 nights ago (February 10). Actually, the spring moths, beetles, and other insects are filling the traps on warmer nights between cold fronts. Usually, March 1st here marks the big spring onslought of moths. Hope 2009 is a good one for you."
There are many excellent articles in pdf format regarding Lousiana Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Catocala, other moths and butterflies and other insects available on the link posted above.
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Vladimir Izersky has sent some nice images of Saturniidae from Rio Venado, Junin, Peru: Arsenura rebeli female, Automerina caudatula male (slight range extension and elevation increase), Automeris denticulata female, ;
He also sends this unidentified flying object. I do not think it is a saturnid. Help with identification would be apreciated.
Family? Genus? species?, Coviriali, Junin, Peru, 1050 m, January 3, 2009
Stefan Naumann writes: "It is a member of the family Mimallonidae, probably Alheita subrubiginosa (I am not sure with actual generic combination, this was found in Seitz)."
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Alexander von Büldring has sent very nice images of Leucanella memusae larvae from Araruna, Paraiba, Brazil. Images have been posted to the species file.
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Jean Michel Maes from Nicaragua is a WLSS member who has shared many images and much data to enhance the WLSS. He is also a stamp collector. Jean-Michel writes:
Dear Friends,
You may remember that I am an entomologist. My hobbies include also Philately, entomo-philately to be more specific, I collect stamps and covers with insect topic. Classically the collection includes stamps and letters with stamps on insects, but lately I am trying to collect letters where the insect is in the illustration of the cover, not only on the stamps. In this way I am looking for your help.
If your company, organization or institution has an insect in the logo, I would be glad to have you send me a letter. In that way I will have a cover, a letter, with an insect logo, to put in my collection. So far, I have a couple of bees from banks, a longhorn from a library, a goliath beetle from an insect dealer, a couple of butterflies from museums, but my guess is that there are many more institutions with insects logo.
Sincerely,
Jean-Michel.
My postal adress is:
Dr. Jean-Michel Maes
Museo Entomológico de León
A.P. 527
León
NICARAGUA
tel 505-3116586
cel 505-48-11-351
jmmaes@ibw.com.ni
jmmaes@bio-nica.info
jmmaes@yahoo.com
jmmaes@walla.com
www.bio-nica.info (main page in spanish)
http://360.yahoo.com/jmmaes
http://www.ibw.com.ni/u/jmmaes (pequeña pagina de contacto)
http://espanol.groups.yahoo.com/group/MEL-Info/ (lista de anuncios - puede inscribirse si le parece)
www.avesnicaragua.org (aves)
http://www.coleoptera.org/p1760.htm (Lucanidae genera)
Kevin Phipps sends this image of Saturnia pavonia on a 1997 postage stamp from Guernsey, off the coast of Normandy, in the English Channel. I have also posted it to the S. pavonia species page.
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Nigel Venters is now living in Argentina. he has just sent very nice images of spread Copaxa flavina miranda and Rothschildia condor, with data.
Nigel also sends Sphingidae images, and among the recent ones is an image of the rare Manduca bergamatipes, not previously depicted on Sphingidae of the Americas. Nigel has also sent images of Sphinx maura, Manduca bergi and Xylophanes schreiteri.
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Stefan Naumann has helped with identifications of a series of Janiodes images sent to me by Horst Kach of Ecuador. Janiodes virgata will now be depicted, and there will be some corrections to the Janiodes pages.
Stefan writes, "Last week I sent you a letter with enclosed reprints of Antheraea descriptions, plus CD with another reprint on Loepa
and Antheraea and several Saturniid images,
including some types which you can use for the homepage. All specimens from my collection. Those were:
Antheraea jakli n.sp. holotype and allotype,
Antheraea hagedorni n.sp. holotype,
Antheraea brunei male & female from Borneo with May and July flight dates;
Antheraea halconensis reared male,
Antheraea gulata male (not previously depicted on WLSS),
Antheraea insularis female (not previously depicted on WLSS),
Saturnia heinrichi female in its habitat in Myanmar (not previously depicted on WLSS),
Loepa diffundata n.sp. holotype and allotype (please change your diversiocellata images to this taxon; compare pdf file with Loepa article),
Loepa diffundata aberrant male,
Neorcarnegia bispinosa holotype,
Lobobunaea kuehnei holotype,
Bunaeopsis saffronica male,
Meroleuca thibaudi holotype,
Automeris labriquei holotype & allotype (female not previously depicted on WLSS),
Automeris claryi holotype & allotype (female not previously depicted on WLSS),
Molippa pilarae holotype male, allotype female (not previously depicted on WLSS),
Gamelioides denisae holotype male.
I am also working on updates to the Antheraeopsis files where Stefan has provided me with many corrections. The changes have been posted.
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I have finally got around to posting beautiful image of Branmaea certhis aberrant female sent to me by Anatolij Kulak.
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Sighting Reports
I am very interested in receiving sighting reports (date and specific location, including county/parish and state and/or province) for Saturniidae and Sphingidae throughout the year. The reports will be posted in newsletters and will also be used to update the state files and flight times.
Shelby Heeter reports Cautethia grotei flying in Islamorada, Florida, February 15, 2009. The moth landed on a sheet below a blacklight that Shelby assembled to sample the night life in her area.
John Buchanon comfirms an Actias luna flight in mid February in the Houston, Texas area, with an image of a large spring male.
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Sphingidae Express
Jean Wyenberg from Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada, has just sent a very nice image of Hemaris diffinis taken June 28, 2008.
Alexander von Büldring has sent a very nice image of Eumorpha fasciatus AND Manduca rustica from Cabedelo, Paraiba, Brazil. Images have been posted from links on respective files. He also sent images of a pupa which I believe is Cocytius antaeus. On February 26 I received a nice image of Pachylia ficus from Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil.
Shelby Heeter reports Cautethia grotei flying in Islamorada, Florida, February 15, 2009. The moth landed on a sheet below a blacklight that Shelby assembled to sample the night life in her area.
She also sends images of Enyo lugubirs and Eupyrrhoglossum sagra taken in late December 2008. I look forward to seeing what else she encounters now that she has a sheet erected.
Carlos Marzano has sent nice images of a Callionima grisescens taken in February in Papagayos, San Luis, Argentina.
Steve Ife has sent images of live Xylophanes cosmius, Nyceryx coffeae and Xylophanes chiron nechus from Misahualli, Napo, Ecuador, March 3-4, 2009.
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Arctiidae Art
Kirby Wolfe indicates he will be sending me many electronic images of Arctiidae from Costa Rica. I will shortly begin construction of a worldwide Arctiidae site. Those who wish to contribute images of adults and/or larvae or any other stages are welcome to do so. All images that I use remain the property of respective photographers.
I do not have very much knowledge about this family. Anyone with an abiding interest and some expertise with classification, who would be willing to help with identifications is asked to please contact me by email.
This is a very large family. I probably will not have time to actively persue images and information, but I will make a concerted effort to organize and post what is sent to me.
There are some interesting/beautiful Arctiids here on Prince Edward Island, and I did rear some Lophocampa maculata here this summer.
If you begin to send images, please always indicate as much data as possible with the images: precise location, date, flight season, wingspan, foodplant, extended range, if you know it, etc.
Idalus critheus San Jose, Costa Rica, December 3, 2008, Kirby Wolfe.
Catocala Capers
Many states now have checklists and there is state by state links table on new http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/catocala.html.
Corrections, additions of data and or images would be appreciated.
I am going to expand the Catocala website to include worldwide species. I am very interested in receiving data and electronic images of European and Asian Catocala. I think there are also a couple of species in Central America.
I have posted images (recto and verso) of a beautiful Catocala cara specimen to the Harry King, Michigan Catocala Collection. The images arer also linked from the Catocala cara page. Date, wingspan, location are all posted with the images.
Harry has also just sent me a nice image of a spread catocala frederici from El Paso County, Texas.
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Caterpillars Too!, a North American butterfly website:
Leroy Simon recent submissions have been posted to this site. Personal access pages for US members will include direct links to county Sphingidae adult and larvae pictoral checklists as well as to an active state Catocala list.
Harry D. King has indicated he will be sending images of some of species from bog areas in northern Michigan.
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A new Coleoptera (Beetles) page is being created.
This page will be resricted to those members of WLSS who have an interest in Coleoptera (Beetles) and who are willing to have their email addresses posted there for correspondence, limited to the Coleoptera family.
This list will not be available through any search engines and will not be linked by me from any of my websites. Instead, those members who register (no charge) will be directed to an unlisted URL.
Members whose names appear on this list have agreed to use the contact information solely for the purpose of furthering their interests in Coleoptera.
Members have also agreed that they will neither post this list/page nor divulge its contents nor share its contents with others.
To have your name and email contact information posted on the Coleoptera page, send email to Bill Oehlke, indicating you agree to terms above.
N.B. This is note a Coleoptera site, just a listing of contact info for WLSS members with an interest in Coleoptera.
Two new names have been added to the Coleoptera page as of January 16, 2009.
There are also quite a few members interested in Sphingidae, so I will post special Sphingidae page under same conditions. I am also considering an African Sphingidae section if there is sufficient interest and those who can supply high quality images.
A Catocala page will also be posted.
If you wish to have your name, location, interests and email posted on the Coleoptera, Sphingidae or Catocala contacts page, please let me know.
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