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Post by Khalid Fadil on Feb 25, 2011 21:08:16 GMT -8
Here's another potentially fun topic. I would like to know what stories and experiences that any of you have to share. Surely being an insect collector/enthusiast has put you through some interesting moments, yes? It certainly has for me. Just feel free to tell about anything that would be worth sharing. Anything at all. Whether it was a hunt for a certain species, collecting trips, or just something that you enjoyed very much. Just share it! Here's my story. It had to be more than a decade ago. It was one of my first trips to Malaysia. A friend told me of a place called Ulu Piah that had an astounding array of lepidoptera species. We drove by four wheel through at least a hundred kilometers of rain forest before reaching the camp site, nestled below a bridge crossing a nearby river surrounded by tall trees and thick brush. On the first day, our luck seemed to have run out. It rained and rained all day long, but when night came upon us, everything turned for the better. The rain had stirred up one of the largest array of moths I had ever seen. There were simply hundreds upon hundreds of Saturniidae species alongside many others flying into our light traps. Actias, Attacus, Antheraea, Cricula, Caligula, etc. There were also lots of Sphingidae and Laciocampidae. Moths came and went all through the night and our collections were growing fast which was highly unprecedented because we only collected a few of every species. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, it did. The next morning, something truly beautiful was awaiting me on the moth-enveloped sheet. The photo of the moth is shown below. I am sure its an Actias, but exactly what species I don't know. It looked very much like A. Maenas, but there were features which denied that. The moth's wingspan was only 10 centimeters across and the tails were at least three times the body length. They look short in the photo because the tails were angled upward towards the camera. It also had less purplish-brown coloration than A. Maenas. An aberration perhaps? For the nights to come, more of these moths showed up, but in very small numbers. Only one or two a night. Could even have been the same individuals as we did not collect them. Other interesting subjects included extremely well camouflaged Underwing Moths and Guitar Beetles alongside countless others. That was truly one trip I would never forget and indeed this has proven to be true. Its been eleven years, I believe. Sadly, I returned a few years later only to find the very same place to have been completely torn apart by logging quarries. I've never seen any of the local species since including the beautiful Actias moths. It was a truly devastating sight. Malaysia's governments are one of the most corrupted I know of. They have no concern whatsoever of their rain forests' importance. All they have on their mind is money and the illegal loggers pay them for permission. Truly very sad. Well, there's my story. Attachments:
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Post by Khalid Fadil on Feb 25, 2011 21:26:24 GMT -8
Here's another moth from the Ulu Piah trip. This one was on the tarmac of the bridge above our camp site. I believe its Antheraea Helferii. This one flew off shortly after the photo was taken. I think the snap of the camera spooked it. We managed to collect a few already, anyway. I just gave my best wishes to this one. Attachments:
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Post by Khalid Fadil on Feb 25, 2011 21:41:05 GMT -8
Here's another moth from the Ulu Piah trip. I found this one in the car crawling against the windshield. Very handsome male Caligula Thibeta. We also managed to catch a female specimen. The females are so fluffy and plump. They were just so adorable. Attachments:
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Post by Khalid Fadil on Feb 25, 2011 21:46:50 GMT -8
There were lots of these beetles at Ulu Piah. Their reckless flying made us ''run for cover'' at times. This one literally crashed into my face, so I shoved it into a killing jar. A beautiful specimen nonetheless. This was one of the smaller ones, though. Attachments:
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Post by oehlkew on Feb 25, 2011 23:09:13 GMT -8
Very nice pictures of Actias maenas diana, Antheraea helferi borneensis and Caligula thibeta.
Bill Oehlke
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Post by Khalid Fadil on Feb 26, 2011 3:53:59 GMT -8
Very nice pictures of Actias maenas diana, Antheraea helferi borneensis and Caligula thibeta. Bill Oehlke Thanks, Bill! Do you have any stories that you'd like to share? |
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Post by oehlkew on Feb 26, 2011 4:47:34 GMT -8
Stories to share: No, not at the moment, but I would love to see and display Saturniidae images, credited to you, on my website if you are still collecting in Rondonia, Brazil. I am very interested in
Sphingidae as well, and can help with ids if you need assistance.
I offer free membership in WLSS to individuals who can offer high quality images of species not already depicted on WLSS or who can supply nice imagess with lots of data to increase the scope and accuracy of the website. Currently over 1450 worldwide Saturniidae are depicted and I have put together checklists for each Brazillian state.
I am always updating websites and am currently creating some thumbnail checklists for Argentina. Periodically I share stories/experiences on insectnet, but usualy in response to questions.
Bill Oehlke
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Post by lucanidae25 on Feb 27, 2011 14:05:58 GMT -8
One of my many many stories but here it is: me and friend want to collect this rarest form (one of the 3 locations) of Lissapterus tetrops in NSW. We dove nearly 5 hours and highed more than 3 hours to the pit of this Mt. I twisted my foot on the way up but just have to keep on going and we got there. We can see where we want to go but the spot was 500 metres west and 10 metres straight down a cliff face. It took us 3 attempts through tall thick bushes with no bush track and 2 hours later, we finnially got there. We only have 2 hours to collect and only found a few specimens for each (both of us) before we need to go back. We just got back to the car before it was totally dark and reached my very end of the physical limits. Now that I'm looking back, is it really worth to risk my life to climb down a cliff face inorder to find what I want??? Maybe be the answer is NO.  Would I do it again?  NO  But there it is in the pic both the same size specimens, is the one on the left and clearly the mandibles are different to the normal form on the right. Raymond Attachments:
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Post by Khalid Fadil on Feb 27, 2011 15:15:14 GMT -8
One of my many many stories but here it is: me and friend want to collect this rarest form (one of the 3 locations) of Lissapterus tetrops in NSW. We dove nearly 5 hours and highed more than 3 hours to the pit of this Mt. I twisted my foot on the way up but just have to keep on going and we got there. We can see where we want to go but the spot was 500 metres west and 10 metres straight down a cliff face. It took us 3 attempts through tall thick bushes with no bush track and 2 hours later, we finnially got there. We only have 2 hours to collect and only found a few specimens for each (both of us) before we need to go back. We just got back to the car before it was totally dark and reached my very end of the physical limits. Now that I'm looking back, is it really worth to risk my life to climb down a cliff face order to find what I want??? Maybe be the answer is NO. Would I do it again? NO But there it is in the pic both the same size specimens, is the one on the lift and clearly the mandibles is different to the normal form on the right. Raymond Very interesting story! I think that your trip was well worth it seeing that you managed to find what you wee looking for. Imagine if you went through all that and didn't find what you were looking for. Am I right? Sometimes you just gotta push yourself to get what you wish for. Thanks for sharing! |
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Post by lucanidae25 on Feb 27, 2011 16:18:31 GMT -8
Trust me there were many trips I came home with no Lucanidae in Australia, except for my overseas trips. That's why I have to collect not only Lucanidae but all Coleoptera, other wise I would've came home many time enpty handed.
I think sometime it's easy to just look at specimens but with out knowing behind every specimen, there's a story. I think it's really funny that the specimen won't come and find you but you have to go and find it. Wouldn't that be nice if they come and knock on your door. ;D ;D ;D
Raymond
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Post by Khalid Fadil on Feb 27, 2011 16:37:28 GMT -8
Trust me there were many trips I came home with no Lucanidae in Australia, except for my overseas trips. That's why I have to collect not only Lucanidae but all Coleoptera, other wise I would've came home many time enpty handed. I think sometime it's easy to just look at specimens but with out knowing behind every specimen, there's a story. I think it's really funny that the specimen won't come and find you but you have to go and find it. Wouldn't that be nice if they come and knock on your door. ;D ;D ;D Raymond Yes, Raymond. I know how you feel. Don't we all wish it was that way. |
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Post by makira on Mar 3, 2011 1:52:35 GMT -8
Hi, at the first I'm sorry for my bad English but I'm italian....  In the 1999 I've been for the second time in the Solomon Islands; the first time (1998) I visited many island like Guadalcanal, Belona, Vanguno, New Georgia, Ghizo and Malaita. For the new trip my idea was to make a treking through Makira, from the south cost to the town of Kirakira in the north so we ( I was with a friend) took a flight to Santa ana ( Owa Ra'wa)and, after a week, a motor boat to reach the village of Maraoni. The day after our arrive in the village we started our treking with a local man that was so kind to take us to the next village but after few hours of very hard climb up to the hill in the deep forest I was so tired that I can't move my legs  Our guide, that was much more intelligent than us, decided to went back to Maraoni but I told him that I need only to rest for the night ( we had a tent) and that the day after we like to continue the treking. The guide thought that we was crazy but the dark was coming and at the end ( after more of one hour of discussions) he went back to his village. The day after we got lost At the first we thought that we had only to go to north to arrive to Kirakira but was impossible; to many hills to climb up and down, to many river to across and we may walk only for few miles in a day. After five days we followed a river but Makira is one of the most rainy place on the Earth ( around 7 meters for years) and the river could be very dangeoruse; many falls and the water could rise very quickly. But we was very Lucky  After three days we found a village on the east cost. ;D The people was very surpising to see two "white" coming out from the bush but they was very kind with us and took us to a mission. The day after our arrive at the mission there was a meeting of all the chiefs of the villages of the island so our story runs fast through Makira, much more fast than us, and now we are a leggend in Makira  At last I lost 10 Kg.  I think abut this experince every day and I miss the Solomon Island, the local people and the bush every days  Carlo A. |
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Post by wollastoni on Mar 3, 2011 2:24:05 GMT -8
Nice story Carlo !
It remembers me some nice treks in Papua.
I am also missing Papuan primeforests everyday here in Paris.
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Post by Khalid Fadil on Mar 3, 2011 16:57:12 GMT -8
Hi, at the first I'm sorry for my bad English but I'm italian.... In the 1999 I've been for the second time in the Solomon Islands; the first time (1998) I visited many island like Guadalcanal, Belona, Vanguno, New Georgia, Ghizo and Malaita. For the new trip my idea was to make a treking through Makira, from the south cost to the town of Kirakira in the north so we ( I was with a friend) took a flight to Santa ana ( Owa Ra'wa)and, after a week, a motor boat to reach the village of Maraoni. The day after our arrive in the village we started our treking with a local man that was so kind to take us to the next village but after few hours of very hard climb up to the hill in the deep forest I was so tired that I can't move my legs Our guide, that was much more intelligent than us, decided to went back to Maraoni but I told him that I need only to rest for the night ( we had a tent) and that the day after we like to continue the treking. The guide thought that we was crazy but the dark was coming and at the end ( after more of one hour of discussions) he went back to his village. The day after we got lost At the first we thought that we had only to go to north to arrive to Kirakira but was impossible; to many hills to climb up and down, to many river to across and we may walk only for few miles in a day. After five days we followed a river but Makira is one of the most rainy place on the Earth ( around 7 meters for years) and the river could be very dangeoruse; many falls and the water could rise very quickly. But we was very Lucky After three days we found a village on the east cost. ;D The people was very surpising to see two "white" coming out from the bush but they was very kind with us and took us to a mission. The day after our arrive at the mission there was a meeting of all the chiefs of the villages of the island so our story runs fast through Makira, much more fast than us, and now we are a leggend in Makira At last I lost 10 Kg. I think abut this experince every day and I miss the Solomon Island, the local people and the bush every days Carlo A. Very nice story, Carlo! Was it a collecting trip? |
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Post by bichos on Mar 16, 2011 23:31:57 GMT -8
Hi Ray
yes I remmember that trip, I didn't realise you suffered so much lol.
you forgot to mention the larger than life tiger snake I nearly stepped on (in the top ten most venemous snakes in the world a good bite would mean certain death) and how I lost my favourite knife the then new skeletool leatherman dohhh! and the drive in how we got bogged and dragged half the forest under your car to get traction.
I don't remmember you wanting to turn back though so I don't beleive it when you say you would not do it again I thinks when we get excited about getting that elusive specimen we loose some rationality and just ignore the risks and go for it.
I'm sure I could convince you to do a similar trip with me in the future...
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Would I do it again?
NO 
