Hi All,
The winner of the Best Individual image in the 2003 Photography Contest is Kirby Wolfe for his image of Rothschildia erycina nigrescens.
Voter "turn out" was good, much higher than last year, and the competition results were very close. Many thanks to those who have submitted images and to those who took time to vote. The winner of the draw for five free sleeves is Ritch Peery.
Steve Ife's Hemileuca hera finished in second place, and Kathleen Hawkins' Antheraea polyphemus was a very close third.
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Special Notice
Regalis ova will be $12.00 first dozen $8.00 each additional dozen.
Confirm orders for these before sending payment, My father
prefers to send these only to U.S. destinations, but has
indicated he will ship overseas in exchange for eggs of non-U.S.
species.
Available probably June
Imperialis will be $12.00 first dozen $7.00 each additional
dozen
probably June
Angulifera will be $12.00 first dozen $6.00 each additional
dozen
probably June
The usual egg offerings are posted on site at
http://www.s89032563.onlinehome.us/livestock.htm
These species can be shipped anywhere in the world. I do accept payment with Euro banknotes and then use same to purchase reference materials from Eric Bauer. Otherwise personal checks are preferred method of payment in U.S. dollars or equivalent in Canadian dollars.
Get egg orders in soon as I already have many prepaid orders on hand.
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I have started taking Antheraea polyphemus cocoons out of cold storage in hopes of late May - early June eclosions:
two May 9; two May 11; two May 15.
I will start taking luna out (two May 15) and cecropia out around May 18. It's still cool here at night, usually into high 30's low 40's F, 3-7 C.
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Visit Prince Edward Island (Atlantic Coast) this summer! My daughter has recently purchased an older home in Mount Stewart, P.E.I., and she will be in British Columbia (Pacific Coast) from near end of June til around Agust 23.
Her house is for rent on a weekly basis, Sunday to Sunday for $850.00/week U.S.
Four bedrooms, close to beautiful beaches, world class golf courses and close to Charlottetown (Cradle of Confederation-20 minutes) and Montague (Saturniidae "farm"- 20 minutes).
Email me for details if you are interested. Enjoy the peace and beauty of Prince Edward Island.
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WOW! Eric van Schayck has recently (April 23) sent me beautiful images of his worldwide Saturniidae collection. I will be posting many new images over the next couple of weeks (possibly months as there are over 1500 images) and will list those not previously depicted below. Images are being credited to Eric and linked to his email address should you wish to contact him. He offers an extensive selection of dried material.
I have updated Actias angulocaudata, Actias artemis, Actias heterogyna subaurea, Actias luna azteca, Actias neidhoefer, Almeidella almeidai male, Ancistrota plagia male, Attacus crameri male, Aurivillius fuscus male and female, Automerina beneluzi male, Automeris banus proxima male, Automeris jucundoides male, Automeris moresca female, Automeris metzli female, Automeris meridionalis female, Automeris rubrescens male, Automeris randa male, Automeris suteri male, Automeris zephyria female, Automeropsis umbrata, just to mention a few.
I'm working on some of the African species now and have uploaded many Orthogonioptilum and Usta species as well.
Others include:
Goodia kuntzei female,
Goodia obscuripennis male,
Gonimbrasia (Nudaurelia) alopia,
Gonimbrasia eblis,
Gonimbrasia hecate male and female from Chad,
Heniocha dyops female,
Heniocha marnois female,
Holocerina angulata female,
Holocerina rhodesiensis male,
Imbrasia epimethea female,
Imbrasia longicaudata male,
Imbrasia truncata male,
Lemaireia chrysopeplus female, Lemaireia luteopeplus aureopeplus male and female,
Gamelia catharina, Gamelia lichyi, Gamelia rindgei
Leucanella aspera male from Chile (not previously recorded from Chile), Leucanella aspera female, Leucanella boettgeri male (new species???) from Peru, Leucanella janeira male and female, Leucanella lama male,
Loepa cynopsis male, Loepa diversiocellata male, Loepa katinka female, Loepa miranda male, Loepa obscuromarginata male,
Lonomia achelous diabolus, Lonomia beneluzi,
Ludia dentata, Ludia hansali eximia, Ludia orinoptena,
Micragone cana, Micragone colettae,
Eric's data also helps greatly with African checklists.
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Kari Korhonen has also sent me some updates on Saturniidae from Tanzania, giving specific ranges and flight times. The data/info has been added to the Tanzania file.
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Rolf Oberprieler has indicated he will be helping with corrections and additions to the African checklists so I am very pleased that these listings will soon be very useful.
I have already delisted two species from Kenya based on his email back to me: Gonimbrasia tyrrhea and Usta wallengrenii.
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Thibaud Decaens has sent me some beautiful images. I especially like the ricini image. Check them out in his special collection section.
Samia cynthia ricini male and larva; Saturnia pavonia, France, Bretagne region, males and larvae; Actias sinensis, China, female; Antherina suraka Madagascar, male and larva.
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On April 16, while in the process of and just after sending out the Mothly Newsletter, I received some outstanding images from Jean Haxaire. The Graellsia isabellae is one of the nicest I have ever seen. Jean indicates a great deal of personal satisfaction from his image of Syssphinx albolineata. Images posted to Photography Section. I especially enjoy the ventral view of pavonia. Saturnia pyri male and female are also up.
Jean is also a great help to me with occasional Sphingidae identifications.
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Alan Marson also sent me some beauties, including some not previously depicted. I'm especially fond of the Loepa miranda larvae, which I had never seen before. Images posted.
He writes of the images, "These include some of larvae and cocoons of Anthereaea mylitta. In the UK the recommended foodplants for mylitta are Oak and Beech. However, most larvae die, and, consequently, it is generally regarded as a difficult species to rear. I have found that if they are offered Eucalyptus gunnii (Cider Gum) they are very easy to rear with extremely low levels of mortality.
"I am currently rearing Antheraea paphia - also on E gunnii - and they are thriving. They are similar to mylitta in many respects but quite distinct. For example, they are much smaller. Now that they are spinning another difference is apparent. A. mylitta have a very thick peduncle which attaches to a twig with a thick band of silk (like a ring). A. paphia cocoons are attached to the twig with a much more subtle thin 'sleeve' of silk which stretches for several centimetres.
"I've also included a photo of a male hybrid Actias - male A. sinensis x female A. luna - which might be of interest."
All are very nice and have been posted, including Nudaurelia cytherea.
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Mario Ioppolo has sent me images of a male and a fifth instar Antheraea roylei larva, not previously depicted. Very nice. Images have been added to the individual file as well as to the photography section. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Andrew Spicer added these notes (my comments inserted) which I will add to the newspaper article on site:
"To add to the Texas data, I called in nine big beautiful cecropia males in Bexar County, Texas, about twenty minutes south of San Antonio between 5:30-6:30 am on March 25.
"What was most interesting was that a second female placed about 1/4 mile away failed to call in any males! (possible light interference??) Also picked up a huge gravid female at a nearby bar (of all places!) just off the highway.
"Lunas are still out in abundance, as are polyphemus. I picked up fourteen lunas (seven male and seven female) at gas stations in Liberty and Polk County. All (both sexes) were out before 11 pm, suggesting that male lunas fly relatively early.(possibly earlier in spring and later in mid summer, may be influenced by time of sunset???)
" Also have had polyphemus males coming into my yard in Southeastern Harris County since the first week of March. Polyphemus males fly anytime between 10:30 pm and 7 am in this area. In and around downtown Houston they tend to fly between 3 and 6 am. possible light interference, probably two distinct calling periods rather than a continuous one ????)I have observed variable calling behavior of females at the two locations; we are more rural now. Have had as many as fifty plus males come in to a single caged female in a morning! Quite a site.
Just for fun, there is a picture of a green anole (Anolis carolinensis) who bit off way too much more than he could chew. Copyright, Andrew Spicer, 2004.
"Right after taking this picture, the polyphemus moth was ceremoniously ejected and flew away apparently unharmed! skunks never let go!
FYI: Cecropias (1st and 2nd instars) are doing very well on Indian Hawthorne.
Have not seen any ios as of yet this year, but I expect them to start flying around about now. Will be heading out in early May to attempt to pick up one or two gravid females."
I wrote to Andrew, "1) no males coming in to second
female cecropia 1/4 mile away: I wonder if
there was any light interference in the pheromone path?
On nights when I
have calling females out on my balcony, I have to shut off the mv light on
my roof top or the males will go there to the sheet instead of to the
females. They are obviously lured in by her scent as they come in
abundance, but the light always gets them.
2)Calling times.I think this is somewhat seasonal and geographic and is
probably influenced somewhat by light and absence thereof. When it gets
darker earlier, as in very early spring, moths probablly call earlier. When
days are much longer, females probably call much later.
3)Also I think rather than continuous scenting, females probably call for
an hour or so in one release and then resume several hours later, rather than
in a continuous fashion, but certainly could be wrong. Very nice to have
your data and observations.
Robert Nuelle reported an io on the wing earlier this year. My observation
with that species is that eclosions are quite sporadic. Might be very
useful with the highly gregarious species."
I was confused by the second cecropia female too. There were NO lights around and she was obviously calling.
FYI: Last year we had an obvious burst of ios in early May then another in late August."
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Pam Sharp has sent a nice kaleidoscope art picture of Antheraea godmani. Check it out in Members' Sidelines section.
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Anthony Darby has just sent me a beautiful image of a freshly emerged Graellsia isabellae.
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Wild lunas are flying in eastern and western Tennessee. Keep your calling cages away from lights for best results.
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Luna, polyphemus and cecropia are flying in New Jersey.
Wild Hyalophora euryalus are flying (May 8-11) in Naramata, British Columbia, Canada, as is the Sphinx vashti. Nice pictures were sent to me by Ulrich Zacharias.
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I suggest new members read previous Mothly Newsletters as many individuals have emails posted as potential sources of eggs.
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Orders for rearing sleeves have been coming in steadily form members and non-members. Don't wait too much longer if you will be needing sleeves this summer.
I just received a big order from a tree nursery in Florida. Owner intends to offer sleeves in his store and sell sleeves and trees at same time.
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Sphingidae Express
Very nice picture of Eumorpha labruscae posted on Sphingidae site courtesy of Werner Bollman.
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Caterpillars Too!, A North American Butterfly website is progressing nicely.
Darrell Gulin has just offered to help with some images. Darrell's Nature Photographs have been published in Outdoor Photographer, Outdoor & Nature, Newsweek, National Geographic, Audubon, Wilderness, National Wildlife, Birder's World, Sunset, Nature Conservancy, Popular Photography, Natures Best and many more.
His work has been showcased in almost every major nature calendar including: Audubon, Sierra Club, Kodak, Browntrout, Cedco, Nature Conservancy, Greenpeace, Day Dream, Inner Reflections.
I have already seen some of his butterfly images, and they are spectacular.
One-time-life-time registration fee will remain at $10.00 for members of WLSS until end of June.
The site also features spectacular images by Leroy Simon, Bill Bouton, Roger Rittmaster, Jim Snyder, Steve Graser, Dave Powell, Dan Janzen, Mike Quinn, Randy Emmett, Dale Clark, etc., etc.
County by County distribution maps are also being created for each state.
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I continue to update Saturniidae County Distribution Maps as info arrives. It will be hard to keep up with them all in the mothly newsletter, so best to just check your own state maps periodically. New members are asked to have a look at the maps and send in respective sightings from their own counties.
**********COLLECTOR'S CORNER:*********
Many thanks to Clive Pratt of the Insect Company which hosts our site. The Insect Company is a supplier of fine quality specimens to collectors, etc.
Clive is currently based in England and will probably begin offering livestock in the near future. Yeah!
Visit Clive's Site, The Insect Company, at
for an extensive selection of dried specimens.
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Please have a look at Members' Wish List every so often as you might be able to make someone's day!
*********SPECIAL REQUESTS*********
Save your empty cocoons for Carol Neeves. She works with the silk and would like all the empties you can send her. Carol has just set me a write up with pictures to show what she does with the silk (now posted in Members' Articles section).
Neeves, Carol, 1609 Ponderosa Drive, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57103
Janet Hightower is also looking for empty cocoons. She is doing a project on making rattles out of cocoons, and promises us some images and an article after she makes some noisemakers.
Janet Hightower, 1319 Ahlrich Avenue, Encinitas, California 92024 janet@scripps.edu
North American Saturniidae cd available to members only at $15.00 U.S. which includes postage. State by state listings, pooled images for each species. Saves you airtime if that is an issue. Please note, this IS NOT the cd of the World's Largest Saturniidae Site which I expect to have ready at $15.00 in August 2004.
Contract agreement is that copies of North American Saturniidae cd will not be distributed or copied for sale or redistribution by recipients.
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