Many people have assisted me and continue to assist me with the development of this website. Special thanks goes to Vernon Antoine Brou Jr. for the many images and valuable information he has sent me.
Winner of the 2000 John Abbott Award, Vernon specializes in moths, from the state of Louisiana and has designed and operated a series of light traps every night since 1969. He currently has a scientific collection of about 350,000 Louisiana insect specimens in approximately 600 cornel-size drawers. In addition, Vernon has officially donated over 169,000 insects to numerous institutions.
Vernon has been collecting insects for 50 years and studying Sphingidae for 35 years ultimately recording about 84,000 Louisiana sphingidae in a study over 30 consecutive years published in two parts in the Journal of the Lepidopterists Society.
He is credited with the discovery and species description of a new Saturniidae, two new Sphingidae and several new Noctuidae including three new Catocala species, and Vernon has published over one-hundred and twenty articles in various scientific journals and newsletters.
Five species of moths have been named in honor of Vernon Antoine Brou Jr. (patrynyms): Eupithecia broui Rindge “Geometridae”, Dichrorampha broui E.C. Knudson “Tortricidae”, Bagisara brouana Ferguson “Noctuidae”, Isoparce broui Eitschberger, - “Sphingidae”, and Dichagyris broui Lafontaine “Noctuidae”.
Many of Vernon's more recent publications are available in pdf format at http://www.southernlepsoc.org/newsletter.html
My inspiration for this project comes from the work of Dan Janzen in Costa Rica. With Dan's permission, I have resized the many adult and larval images of Sphingidae posted on his website. Foodplant lists, parasites, flight times and other information has been gleaned from Dan's copious notes. He has posted over 290 images of Sphingidae adults from Costa Rica. Photos of larvae are spectacular and a great aid in identifying found specimens.
Chris Conlan, Paolo Mazzei, Bruce Walsh, John Campbell, James Adams, John Vriesi, Bob Canning, Tim Dyson and many other enthusiasts/photographers have graciously allowed me use of their images.
I have already acknowledged the contribution of Paul Opler, co-ordinator of Moths of the United States through use of his images and information files.Taxonomies have been cross checked from the Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera edited by J. B. Hepner.
I continue to actively solicit information and images from a variety of sources in various countries. Here on Prince Edward Island, Canada, I continue to rear indigenous Saturniidae and Sphingidae species.
I would greatly appreciate any additional information regarding distributions, flight times, food plants, etc., and especially welcome electronic images of any and all stages in the life cycle of Sphingidae.
Ken Philip sent me "a list (all 4 species) of the Sphingidae from Alaska in
the Alaska Lepidoptera Survey collection:"
Smerinthus cerisyi, (SE Alaska: Haines vic., Skagway)
Hemaris thysbe, (Interior Alaska: Fairbanks vic.; Southcentral Alaska: Index Lake)
Proserpinus flavofasciata, (Interior Alaska: Murphy Dome nr. Fairbanks)
Hyles gallii, (SE Alaska: Petersburg; SC Alaska: Palmer, Gakona; Interior
Alaska: Fairbanks vic., 15 mi. east of Delta Junction; North Slope:
Ivotuk Hills)
Mike Soukup sent me upgrades for Maryland
Jeff Crolla sent me upgrades for Wisconsin
Upgrades for Georgia from James Adams' website
Vernon A. Brou sent me upgrades for Louisiana
Gary Anweiler sent me lists for Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Yukon.
Gerald Fauskes has been very helpful with corrections from North Dakota.
Tim Dyson of Peterborough, Ontario, has sent me outstanding images of many live Sphingidae from his area. Please send sightings and images via email to Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com.
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