February 15 to March 15, 2012
Hi All,
I am taking orders for cocoons and pupae, and I still have a nice inventory of the species listed at bottom of this page.
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Congratulations to Gary Saunders. I have selectd his image of the very dark Actias isis as the 2011 Photo of the Year, and it will grace the WLSS homepage and ad page for 2012.
Many thanks to all who have submitted images.
I will still be selecting a 2011 Larval Photo of the Year and a 2011 Contributor of the Year. I hope to announce those before the end of February.
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For the first time on WLSS a live female Copaxa canella is now depicted.

Copaxa canella female, Ype Hotel, Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
November 1, 2004, 1250m, courtesy of Pia Oberg,
id and slight digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

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I have received my copies of the Entomo Satsphingia journals from Frank Meister and have been quite busy creating new files and moving some images around. I have now created new files, based on 2008-2011 DNA barcoding results, for most of the Arsenurinae, Saturniinae, Hemileucinae, and will soon do same for the Ceratocampinae (most file created now, working on image relocation).
I am making slow but steady progress, but was held up a bit by computer problems with my ftp software. Fortunately my son helped with upgrades to my computer February 11-12. It works much faster now, and ftp is fixed. Somethings have been relocated, and I still have to find them, and there were quite a few incoming emails with images that I still have to locate. It would be much appreciated if you would resend me any images that you sent in the last two months that did not get processed.
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Carlos Marzano has sent nice images of a live Leucanella aspera male. He also notes some new fodplants.

Leucanella aspera male, Amancay, Cardoba, Argentina,
January 2012, courtesy of Carlos Marzano.
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Sphingidae Express

Hyles lineata, nectaring at bouncing bet,
Hitaga Sand Ridge Prairie Preserve, Linn County, Iowa,
October 8, 2011, Tom Jantscher.
Hyles lineata is a very common Sphingid, but I especially like the action shot (above) with weeds and flowers, courtesy of Thomas Jantscher. Tom has sent me quite a few Saturniidae and Sphingidae images from Linn County and surrounding counties in northeastern Iowa.
The photo reminds me of some of the treks I took with my father at night along the railroad tracks, I think in Rahway or Cranford, New Jersey. The almost straight-lined tracks were bordered with ubiquitous night blooming phlox. When we would pull off the road and shine the car lights down the clearing, we could see dozens of Sphingidae nectaring at the blossoms. Some moths would be distracted and fly in to the car lights. We would walk down the service road with flashlights and nets and sample what we could. I remember the adult moths being quite wary and hard to catch, even with our wide-mouthed nets. The calling owls, darting bats, occasional foxes or racoons made the walks all quite magical for a youngster. I don't remember any skunks, but I often see them at night lights here on PEI, scrambling to gnaw at any insects that hit the ground.
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Ben Trott has just sent me many beautiful images of larvae from Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico: Aellopos clavipes, Adhemarius gannascus, Amphonyx lucifer lucifer, Eumorpha triangulum, Eumorpha anchemolus, Enyo gorgon, Manduca sexta, Pachylia ficus, Perigonia lusca, Protambulyx strigilis and Xylophanes tersa.

Eumorpha triangulums fifth instar, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.
Ben Trott sends me the following report and images from Quintana Roo, Mexico: "Eumorpha anchemolus (x1). This larva was huge. It was 15cm long and just over 3cm thick. I found it on a thick stemmed vine, I cannot find the name of this plant anywhere, the leaves are the same shape as those of Vitis, but much thicker & shiny, just like ivy. It must be the primary foodplant here as I have found more evidence of larvae under this same vine. This species annoints itself and does not weave a cocoon prior to pupation. It chews leaf matter into a paste in order to create an above-ground chamber. The pupa is 7cm long. A spectacular species."

Eumorpha anchemolus fifth instar, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.

Catocala Capers
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Please be sure to includes species, quantities, your shipping address and method of payment in any enquiries/requests that you send to me at Bill Oehlke.
January 2012 specials
I have extra overwintering promethea and cecropia cocoons available at $4.00 US and $6.00 US, respectively. Also available are overwintering Antheraea polyphemus at $5.00.
One shipping and handling fee of $8.00 for shipments to US destinations. More for S & H to overseas countries. Cocoons to be shipped from New Hampshire after receipt of payment by personal check or Paypal. Always get confirmation of availability before sending payment.

All parcels to US destinations will be $8.00 for S & H whether you order a single item or fifty items, etc. S & H for overseas orders will depend upon size of order and location. Do not send payment until your request has been confirmed. When making a request, please be sure to include all of the following:
1) your complete name and shipping address
2) list of species and quantities desired
3) email address in text of message to me
4) specify your planned method of payment:
a) personal check, preferred for all US orders
b) International bank or postal money order in US funds
c) Paypal in US dollars which will include approximate increase in costs by 7% to cover 4% Paypal transaction fee and 3% currency conversion fee.
All orders to US destinations will be shipped either from New Hampshire from November until very early spring while supplies last.
If you have a surplus of overwintering livestock of North American Saturniidae species that you would be willing to sell to me in bulk at wholesale prices, please let me know, Bill Oehlke. I am very interested in obtaining lunas.
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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 $0.79 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.
I am now completely sold out in Canada.