Graellsia isabelae (isabellae) bilateral gynandromorph,
courtesy of Alan Marson.
Hi All,
Happy Easter and Happy Mother's Day,
Spring is now upon us. Once again I will be offering eggs of many Saturniidae species, with eggs being supplied to US destinations via US breeders who ship for me under my shipping label. Either I or other Canadian breeders, who will also ship under my label, will be shipping eggs to Canadian destinations. Not all species will be available in Canada. Not all species will be available overseas.
Please visit 2011 Saturniidae eggs: species, prices, payment methods and policies before ordering any eggs.
For my own records: Alabama luna eggs (DB) became available March 24, 2011; polyphemus eggs (DB) became available March 25, Cecropia eggs (DB) became available March 28. Securifera became available last week, regalis from Alabama became available on April 18. All of these will produce multiple broods except for the cecropia.
These species and many more will be available on and off throughout the season. Be sure to include your shipping address in the text of the email when placing an order.
Wild luna laying in Alabama April 3-4; polyphemus mating 3-4; cecropia, securifera early to mid April; regalis April 18; wild female io April 20; wild female imperialis, April 22.
Luna laying in Maryland (BM) April 27.
Some Heraclides cresphontes (giant swallowtail) pupae have already been shipped from Alabama, and more will be available shortly after Easter, and probably off and on throughout season.
Luna and polyphemus cocoons should be available mid to late May from the first spring flights in Alabama.
Luna cocoons are ready for shipping May 12. There are also more cresphontes ready for shipping, May 12.
Polyphemus laying after pairing with wild male in Staten Island, New York, (TJ), May 9-10.
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We have been having relatively cool damp weather here on PEI and I have not seen any butterflies as yet, May 12, but I am going to take a single large polyphemus cocoon out of cold storage this evening (done May 13), hoping for an early June pairing with a wild male. I will start taking a few more cocoons out every three days so that I have eggs at various times and larvae reading for moving at various times throughout summer months.
I will attempt to keep track of what is happening here with regard to eclosions and pairings, but sometimes things get quite hectice here around the middle of June, and I am usually very busy with a number of things from then until mid September.
May 13: one female polyphemus, several males; one or two female lunas, several males; female columbia; one or two female cecropia; all io and promethea.
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Alan Marson sends this beautiful image of a Graellsia isabelae bilateral gynandromorph.
Graellsia isabelae (isabellae) bilateral gynandromorph,
courtesy of Alan Marson.
The specimen below was photographed in Minca, in the eastern cordillera of Colombia, but at much lower elevation than reported by Lemaire, 2002, for medifex. It is, however, a good match for his depiction and description of medifex.
The thorax is greyish-brown. The forewing is broad, brown, and not apically produced. There are weak greyish suffusions in the antemedian and submarginal areas. The discal spot is indistinct in the very narrow median area because of the am line far removed from the wing base.
I could not find anything else even close in Colombia, with perhaps metabus being closest in appearance, but not listed for Colombia. Other opinions would be appreciated.
Hylesia medifex male, Minca, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia,
March 12, 2011, 500m, courtesy of Joakim Johansson, id by Bill Oehlke.
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He has done a great job.
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For the first time on WLSS live specimens of Automeris watsoni are depicted, courtesy of Andres Urbas.
Automeris watsoni male, French Guiana,
March 31, 2011, courtesy of Andres Urbas.
The addition of an Automeris themis female is also a real treat.
Automeris themis female, Camp Caiman, near Kaw, french Guiana,
April 25, 2011, couortesy of Andres Urbas.
Carlos Mielke has recently sent me some beautiful images of spread specimens from Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Among them are some first timers for WLSS: Automeris ovalina, Prohylesia rosalinda (rare), Dirphia sombrero, Dirphia monticola female. He has also sent some additional images giving range extensions: Arsenura aspasia Minas Gerais.
I have also just processed Dirphiopsis ayuruoca males and a Cerodirphia mielkei female, additional firsts for WLSS.
Prohylesia rosalinda male, Itamonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
2000m, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.
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Frederic Beneluz has sent me the following corrections, and I concur on all of them, based on Lemaire's work. Those who provided images should not changes below.
Automeris a. amoena: I think that the male of Ulf Drechsel is certainly not A. amoena, but A. illustris.
Automeris arminia: I believe too that the top specimen is not A. arminia but A. pomifera.
Automeris boucardi: The pair of Viktor Suter via Bernhard Wenczel is not A. boucardi, but A. zugana.
Automeris egeus: You are right, the female of Leroy Simon is for me too a female of A. larra.
Automeris godartii: The female of Eric van Schayck is a female of A. midea.
Automeris jucundoides: The male from French Guiana is certainly not A. jucundoides, maybe A. cinctistriga (or A. godartii).
Automeris midea: The female from Peru (Viktor Suter) is not A. midea and looks a female of A. cinctistriga.
Automeris rostralis: This same female (figured too in the A. balachowskyi page) is a very representative A. balachowskyi.
Automeris pomifera: You’re right, the male of Fernando Penco seems to be A. innoxia, although the presence of A. pomifera is more logical there. I will ask
Fernando if it is possible to examine its genitalia.
Dirphia f. fraterna: Both females from Napo & Rondônia are D. f. fraterna, certainly not D. thliptophana.
The female from French Guiana (Didier Carlot) is a typical Dirphia fraterna seraphini.
Dirphia t. thliptophana: The 1st and 3rd males of Leroy Simon are certainly not D. thliptophana but D. f. fraterna (the 2nd is good).
Ancistrota plagia: The male of Eric van Schayck is certainly not A. plagia but Catacantha stramentalis.
Nota bene:
In the Periga list of species you list inexspectata for inexpectata.
Arias inbio: Arias, honorific for Oscar Arias Sánchez, Ex. president of Costa Rica, Nobel laureate for Peace, 1987
inbio, honorific for Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, (INBIO), Costa Rica (C. Lemaire, Pers. Com., 1995)
Pseudodirphia lacsa: lacsa, honorific for Lineas Aereas Costarricenses S.A. or LACSA. This company was the carrier of the insects collections of the INBIO sent to
USA for determination and then sent back (C. Lemaire, Pers. Com., 1995)
Hylesia frederici: honorific for Frédéric Bénéluz.
I note that I have to provide you soon photos of:
Automeris watsoni female
Automeris goodsoni male & female
Automeris jucundoides male & female
Automeris orestes female
Automeris themis female
Automeris arminia female
Automeris boucardi male & female
Automeris midea female
Dirphia thliptophana (+ femelle du MNHN ?)
Dirphia fraterna seraphini female
Dirphia acidalia male & female
Dirphia docquinae
Ancistrota plagia male & female
Arsenura beebei male & female
Paradaemonia andensis male & female
Paradaemonia gravis female
I am very happy to get these corrections, and I look forward to posting the new images when they arrive.
Frederic has also sent some new foodplants for Rothschildia hesperus hesperus and some interestnig notes about the red colour form.
Rothschildia hesperus hesperus fourth instar red form on Croton matourensis, French Guiana,
courtesy of Frederic Beneluz.
Rothschildia hesperus hesperus fifth instar red form on Croton matourensis, French Guiana,
courtesy of Frederic Beneluz.
Another first for WLSS is the female of Pseudodirphia lacsa.
Pseudodirphia lacsa, Tausito, Cartago, Costa Rica,
1200m, courtesy of Frederic Beneluz.
Check out what might be an undescribed Rothschildia lebeau ssp from Misiones, Argentina. Female was taken by Nigel South. Larvae were reared on privet and photographed by Colin Baker. Nigel Venters forwarded the images and data to me. Images and information via the link form the Rothschildia genus page.
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For the first time on WLSS images of live Meroleuca litura, courtesy of Joakim Johansson, are displayed. The location in Antioquia also represents a north western extension of Lemaire's data.
Meroleuca litura male, Colibri del Sol, Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia,
March 4, 2011, 2900m, courtesy of Joakim Johansson, id by Bill Oehlke.
Meroleuca litura male, Colibri del Sol, Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia,
March 4, 2011, 2900m, courtesy of Joakim Johansson, id by Bill Oehlke.
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I am making many updates to French Guiana species files based on images provided by Andres urbas.
My sister-in-law, Jackie Roop, is an experienced rug hooker of considerable repute in Atlantic Canada. She recently sent me this image of a partially finished "butterfly" rug she is currently hooking.
Hooked Rug: "Butterfly"
Jackie does her own designs and writes, "This is a wall hanging size, 16" x 20", hand hooked in 100% pure wool. Offers accepted, usual price is $250.00 US. This is a one of a kind art work. No two of the same pattern exist, as I designed and am hooking this by myself."
Jackie resides in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. You can contact her by email if interested: Jackie Roop.
Jackie also hooks much larger sizes. Most of her work is traditional (of her own design), but you might be able to convince/commission her to do something with one of your photos. She also does a great job with cats!
Some of her work is on display at
http://gohookit.blogspot.com/2010/07/shoe-rug-by-jackie-roop.html
http://flowersoup.com/blog/21323/paula-macleods-vertigo-hooks-fiber-artist-jackie-roop
http://totally-hooked.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html
as well as on my living room floor.
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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
155 Peardon Road
Montague, Prince Edward Island, C0A 1R0
Canada
Postage from USA to Canada is $0.75 so please use that amount on your envelope with your payment.
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Sphingidae Express
I will shortly be processing a number of live Sphingidae images from French Guiana. I have been pecking away at making thumbnail check lists for several South American countries.
US sightings are starting to arrive as well.
Larry Valentine sent me this beautiful image of a Sphingidae larvae he found on his homestead. Larry was able to rear it out, and the emergent moth was identified as Xylophanes ceratomioides. Rearing out is probably the best and sometimes the only way to identify unknown, found larvae.
Xylophanes ceratomioides fifth instar, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
courtesy of Larry Valentine.
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Catocala Capers
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