Hi All,
My prayers are with all those in the Gulf Coast states who have experienced the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. At least one half of all WLSS membership registration fees received in September-October-November 2005 will be donated as humanitarian aid for victims.
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Now is the time to reserve fall pupae, cocoons, chrysalids. The following list shows prices for what is expected this fall. Some species like Automeris pamina, Citheronia regalis, Eacles imperialis pini, Callosamia angulifera, Hyalophora columbia are already in short supply. If you wish to reserve, please indicate species and quantity and I will send you a quote for confirmation. I will advise you if any species become sold out. I will ship from New Jersey in late October.
Saturniidae:
Actias luna $3.60
Antheraea polyphemus $4.00
Automeris io $3.60
Automeris pamina $5.00
Callosamia angulifera $6.00
Callosamia promethea $3.60
Citheronia regalis $16.00/pair
Eacles imperialis pini $16.00/pair, extra males at $7.00
Hyalophora cecropia $5.40
Hyalophora columbia $5.40
Samia cynthia $4.00
Sphingidae:
Pachysphinx modesta $4.00
Smerinthus cerisyi $3.00
Butterflies:
Overwintering pupae of the following butterflies are expected, but I won't know til early October what has been successfuly harvested.
Black Swallowtails $4.00
Tiger Swallowtails $4.00
Spicebush Swallowtails $4.00
Zebra Swallowtails $4.40
There is one shipping and handling fee of $7.00 for U.S. destinations. Prices are same for overseas members, but postage will be slightly higher.
Thanks for your interest.
I am interested in buying large quantities (hundreds) of large healthy Hyalophora cecropia cocoons at wholesale prices. Almost every year the demand for cecropia exceeds what I rear.
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Kirby Wolfe recently sent me his first Saturniidae CD release, and it is spectacular. I copied the CD files to my hard drive and especially enjoy Kirby's amazing jpg images. The format is well thought out by Kirby (his own design) and the CD is easy to navigate via the bar menu at the top of each page, the underlined links and the back arrow. All images are thumbnailed for instant recognition and access.
Kirby has also included a section on parasitoids, a suggested reading section and a list of the more than 250 Saturniidae species depicted on the disk.
Larval images and life cycle images are also spectacular, and foodplants listings are most helpful. Several new species are depicted on the CD. Their formal/first descriptions are "in press".
Kirby is offering the CD at $25.00 U.S. with $2.00 shipping and handling fee for U.S. destinations and $5.00 shipping and handling for destinations outside the United States.
Personal check is preferred method of payment. Direct bank transfers or Western Union transfers are also acceptable. No Paypal or Credit Cards.
This is an outstanding work and a great personal reference. The CD would also be a great gift item for fellow Saturniidae enthusiasts. This CD version is "for Windows only", and purchasers are permitted to make one copy to their respective hard drives.
Contact Kirby directly via email to Kirby Wolfe at kirwolf@pacbell.net.
Kirby Wolfe
3090 Cordrey Drive
Escondido, California 92029
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Wow! I have just had a chance to work on the cd of larval hostplants and butterfly nectar sources sent to me by John Campbell of Georgia. I have begun to create and upload files to http://www.huffmantaxidermy.net/oehlke/johncampbellindex.htm
Only a few files have been uploaded so far, but I will peck away at them over the next couple of weeks now that most of the summer rearing tasks are over. You can see the index of what will be posted.
Eventually these files will be linked from the foodplants list for each individual species.
Similar coverage from Europe, Asia, Central America, South America, Africa, Australia, southwestern U.S, etc., etc., would be very much appreciated.
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Robert Thompson has sent me a beautiful image of Rothschildia amoena, an endemic from Peru. Image posted in photography section.
Check out the Robert Thompson Limited Edition Fine Art prints at http://www.insectcompany.com/silkmoth/rthome.html
Ordering info can be had by clicking on any of the prints on display. I have two of Robert's prints hanging on my living room walls and can't decide which I like better, the cecropia or the dubernardi.
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Yves-Pascal Dion writes,
"It's time once again to plan the next Montreal Insect Show.
"This year, the Show will be held on October 15th-16th. The location for the show is the Collège de Maisonneuve, 3800 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, two corners away from the Olympic Stadium and the Pie-IX subway exit." For additional details visit the Events section in the Specialty area on opening page of WLSS.
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I recently received an email from Fernando Penco of Argentina. He sent me an image of a Molippa eophila pair from the Aldo Fortino collection.
Image by Lucio Coronel and Fernando Penco.
Fernando has also just sent me another species not previously depicted, and not previously listed by Lemaire for Argentina, Molippa strigosa. Image posted.
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We had heavy rains with thunder and lightning last night (August 22). Fortunately I had checked almost all my sleeves over the past three days and had moved just about everything with light foliage remaining. I am starting to harvest luna, polyphemus, cecropia and columbia cocoons and have many Smerinthus cerisyi and Pachysphinx modesta already pupated.
Eacles imperialis pini are just starting to pupate.
Hope to be able to offer pupae of Eacles imperialis pini this fall at $16.00 U.S./pair, but if they are available, they will be in short supply as I wish to save some (larvae [kept separate] from eggs from two different females) for breeding stock.
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I have posted some observations for Summer 2005 in the Bill's Articles section.
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Robert Jindra of Germany sent me some nice images and notes on overwinterng cocoons and pupae. See Members' Articles section.
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Dr. Carlos Mielke of Carambei, Brazil, hopes to soon be able to help with images of spread specimens (males/females) not currently depicted on WLSS.
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Herb Jennings sent me a beautiful image of Hyalophora cecropia larva, posted to Photo section.
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Sphingidae Express
I have created some printable sighting sheets with columns already arranged for dates and species names. If you are interested in keeping and submitting some sighting data for me, please let me know. I can make up the sheets for Saturniidae, Catocala and Sphingidae for your county/state.
Many members and non-members have started sending me Sphingidae data and images, and that will greatly increase the accuracy of distributions. See the county by county pictoral checklists for states like Oregon, New Jersey, Massachusetts.
Wilson Werner Koller of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, sent me nice images of a Eumorpha labruscae, larvae, linked from that species file.
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At the request of some members I am posting a "BAD TRADERS" report. It can be accessed from the main page of the WLSS.
Be wary of Jean Mbarga. See report.
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Please check the Members' Wish list periodically and help when you can.
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Catocala Capers
A very nice image of Catocala meskei nectaring at Liatris spicata in Roseville, Minnesota, August 9, 2005, courtesy of Duane McDowell, has been posted to the Catocala site.
Id confirmed by Larry Gall, David Hawks and Gabriel Larrabee.
Steve Daniel has sent me some nice pictures and sightings from Monroe County in western New York. He also had an Agrius cingulata come in to lights in late August.
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Arctiidae Art
I continue to update file of a Platarctia parthenos (Arctiidae) that I took at lights in Montague. The moth is beautiful and yielded many eggs.
I will be trying to rear a batch and will document my efforts. Ron Gatrelle had asked that I document this rearing about three weeks before his passing. My condolences to all who knew and appreciated Ron. He has been a great help to me with the Butterfly Site.
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I'm making steady progress on Caterpillars Too!, a North American butterfly website featuring caterpillars as well as the adult butterflies. I will add as many hostplant images to this site as I can find. Pussytoes for Painted Ladies just uploaded.
This is also a private membership site. The one-time-life-time registration is $20.00 U.S. for the rest of 2005. January 2006 will see a registration fee increase.
Several WLSS/Caterpillars Too! members have purchased gift memberhips for others and that has practice has been well received.
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