Hi All,
The rearing season is just about over here on Prince Edward Island (still have some cynthias and ios indoors, and a few very late columbia and polyphemus outdoors).
Although there were some minor disappointments, i.e. some isolated problems with birds and maybe raccoons and localized bouts with disease (after heavy rains), the season was quite good, and I harvested over a thousand luna and polyphemus and much smaller numbers of cecropia and columbia and rubicunda.
The only Sphingidae I reared this season is Smerinthus cerisyi.
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I will be making a trip to the U.S. in late October to visit my parents and sisters (New Jersey and Massachusetts) and some WLSS club members along the way (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, etc.) and to begin distribution of cocoons.
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Thanks goes to Alan Marson who sent me great images of live Antheraea paphia which I have added to the individual species file and will shortly upload to the photography section.
Dave Wikle sent me very nice images of spread specimens of Coloradia pandora lindseyi. I have uploaded one to the individual file.
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I have upgraded the clasification information for all U.S./Canada species (also corrected spelling of "DISTRIBUTION" on those files, and will soon be working on Central and South American species.
Most, but not all, of the African species have been done, but I am still waiting for Darge's Saturniidae II to arrive to do further upgrades.
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Half of all new membership registration fees, including gift memberships, received from August 16 - September 16 have been sent (will be done September 16) to the Red Cross to aid in relief of Florida Hurricane Charley/Frances victims.
Special thanks to new members who registerd during this period. There are ten of you! Hope no one has suffered great loss due to the storms.
Gift memberships are available for $25.00 U.S. Contact me if you would like to provide a gift membership.
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I boiled some larvae of the local Saturniidae and have them preserved in ethanol. Since this is my first time with this procedure, I hope everything will be okay. Preserved specimens are going to Rolf Oberprieler in Australia for his help with African species and to University of Prince Edward Island Biology Department which provided me with the ethanol.
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I continue to get many images sent to me for caterpillar identification. Several cecropia, a regalis, a couple of polyphemus and an Automeris cecrops pamina have arrived during the last week. Nothing spectacular in the images or new distribution data.
I did receive a nice image of an adult Manduca afflicta afflicta from Cuba (not previously posted on Sphingidae site), confirmed by Jean Haxaire who is going to assist me with a checklist of Cuban Sphingidae. The Manduca image will be posted shortly, as well as some spectacular shots of a Papilio troilus larva to the Caterpilars Too! site.
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The Montreal Insect Show is taking place October 16-17, 2004.
Contact Yves-Pascal Dion at
ypdion@ccapcable.com
I have created a special section for postings of shows/trips/etc.
The Cal Poly Pomona (Los Angeles area) Insect Fair is also on
October 16 and 17.
Contact Dr. Kaae at weevilways@earthlink.net
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Sphingidae Express
Beautiful images of Hemaris thysbe larva and Hyles euphorbiae larva added to Ontario and North Dakota opening pages on Sphingidae site. I also received and uploaded some nice images of Pachysphinx modesta from Missouri. The big surprise is these moths are still on the wing in late August.
Wayne Whaley sent me images of a mature Hyles gallii larva on Epilobium in Utah.
I have been receiving some nice images of larvae and adult moths, especially Hyles lineata and will soon start an upgrade on Sphingidae files.
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Catocala Capers
Tim Dyson of Ontario continues to send me outstanding images. Checkout briseis, meskei, unijuga, relicta, amatrix, semirelicta, parta, blandula, cara. I have also posted some of Tim's bait recipes and will shortly be creating a special website for him on webspace being provide me by Steve Huffman. Tim's images are outstanding, and he is also sending images of other Noctuidae and moths of other families photographed along his bait trail.
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I'm also making great progress with Caterpillars Too!, a North American Butterfly website with special emphasis on caterpillar identification.
Images from Andrew Spencer, Mike Reese, Mike Quinn, Dale Clark, Bill Bouton, Dave Powell, Steve Graser, etc., are being added the outstanding initial collection of over 300 slides from Leroy Simon.
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