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Post by cabintom on May 3, 2016 1:10:07 GMT -8
Gynanisa is with a ? (they need to be verified. All the Gynanisa sp are extremely variable. I believe they are the same sp, but who knows ? Can you photograph the underside and the discal part of all wings ? Here are the photos of the undersides (sorry, had to throw it together quickly). I also included an extra specimen that just came of the board.
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Post by cabintom on Apr 30, 2016 1:36:42 GMT -8
In the other post it was stated that they're all from Peru... not that that is very specific.
And those "antennae" look like "hats" of some sort.
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Post by cabintom on Apr 17, 2016 10:43:05 GMT -8
I worked my way through africanmoths.com to guess at these IDs and I didn't find any Pachypasa listed there. The closest I found was Gonometa (also Lasciompidae). How did you manage to take the photos without the shadows? Do you use a flash with the camera? Well done for the beautiful plate. Thanks. The truth is I cheat a little. This is my humble set-up: The fluorescent tubes are 4100K, which is probably a bit low and effects the specimens' colours a bit (but it's not like I have much choice here in Congo), so I compensate by having the white balance adjusted on my camera and then doing further white balancing in photoshop afterwards. The specimens are suspended on those 2 white threads, which keeps all specimens at an equal distance from the light source. With the threads being spaced 2cm apart it also provides me with a convenient scale. Because I'm holding the camera in my hands, the distance from the lens to the specimen, and the angle, aren't always perfect or constant, so I take multiple photos and then select the best afterwards. Here's a typical result after white balancing in photoshop: The last step, also involving photoshop, is cutting out the background. This step is probably not necessary, but it does allow me to nicely present specimens. Let me know if there are any questions. It's really not complicated. Tom
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Post by cabintom on Apr 17, 2016 10:09:19 GMT -8
Gynanisa is with a ? (they need to be verified. All the Gynanisa sp are extremely variable. I believe they are the same sp, but who knows ? Can you photograph the underside and the discal part of all wings ? I'll post undersides once I can (might be a few days from now). As for the discal part of the wings is the full resolution link I provided in the initial post not detailed enough? (Here's the link again: i.imgur.com/yTWoBGz.jpg )
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Post by cabintom on Apr 17, 2016 5:20:27 GMT -8
1 Lobobunaea angasana femelle (a surprise for the locality) 2 Gonimbrasia anthinoides 3-4 Gonimbrasia dione 5-7 Gynanisa sp, probably hecqui 8 is no Gonometa, something like Pachypasa subfascia female 5 is the same as 6 and 7? Interesting. I have 2 other specimens, that I have yet to set, that are of the same relative size and appearance as 6 & 7, so with 5 being noticeably smaller and the clear FW spot being on the outside of that thin dark band (unlike the other specimens) I figured it was something different.
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Post by cabintom on Apr 16, 2016 20:51:21 GMT -8
I think it goes in the direction of Pachypasa. I worked my way through africanmoths.com to guess at these IDs and I didn't find any Pachypasa listed there. The closest I found was Gonometa (also Lasciompidae).
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Post by cabintom on Apr 16, 2016 8:20:09 GMT -8
FOR FULL RESOLUTION CLICK HEREThe grid is 1cm X 1cm and all specimens are to scale. Thanks for any help you might be able to provide. Tom *Also please ignore the typo.
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Post by cabintom on Apr 9, 2016 10:37:44 GMT -8
I assume he meant 2 in 10 children never reached adulthood. Which seems about right for ~80+ years ago, in very very very rural northern Ontario... my great-grandparents each had 10+ children reach adulthood, and they each lost a few before then. Now if he actually did mean only 2 in 10 reached adulthood, then I guess my ancestors were astoundingly fertile people! Dont confuse fertiliry with death rates. I think it's fairly obvious (or it should be) that I'm not in any way confusing the two. My great grandparents and their families were very typical for their time... so for the stat to hold true (and using them simply as an example), if my grandfather and his 9 siblings reached adulthood (which, to be clear, they did), and that was only the case for on average 2 in 10 children, then that would mean that my great grandmother would have given birth to 50 children. As for my grandmother's mother, she had 12 kids reach adulthood... so I guess she gave birth to 60 children? This is why assume he meant 2 in 10 children never reached adulthood.
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Post by cabintom on Apr 9, 2016 5:11:19 GMT -8
I assume he meant 2 in 10 children never reached adulthood. Which seems about right for ~80+ years ago, in very very very rural northern Ontario... my great-grandparents each had 10+ children reach adulthood, and they each lost a few before then.
Now if he actually did mean only 2 in 10 reached adulthood, then I guess my ancestors were astoundingly fertile people!
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Post by cabintom on Apr 8, 2016 22:00:56 GMT -8
To comment on the virtual reality idea. I would love to have amazing hi-resolution 3D scans of my specimens, and then be able to manipulate and study them in VR. That would really enhance the hobby for me.
Collecting in virtual reality, on the other hand, I don't get. It would be a programmed environment, which means there would be no true discoveries to be made. There would be no tantalizing hope that around the next bend in the path might be a species that no-one's ever netted before. We also don't know enough about all the various species habits and habitats, (not to forget larval food plants) so how could those be accurately programmed? Any current VR based on hunting butterflies from this part of the world would be based on conjecture and the result would be nothing like reality. So, before VR would be a fulfilling/convincing experience for me, we'd have to conduct a lot more field research first.
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Post by cabintom on Mar 24, 2016 9:15:35 GMT -8
I use flat, styrofoam (insulation type) homemade spreading boards. Light weight and easy to make.
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Post by cabintom on Mar 22, 2016 22:06:32 GMT -8
Mounting specimens ventral side up isn't difficult. Once the specimen is properly positioned on the pin, I push the pin into the setting board groove until the tips of the specimen's wings are about level with the surface of the board. Next I take my setting pin to hold open the wings, before pushing it all the way down into position. If both sets of wings aren't cooperating, I'll hold open one side and push the pin into the groove ever so slightly so that the board is now holding the wings slightly open. Next I do the same for the other side. I keep working at both sides until the wings are spread flat. Pins bend a bit, so I use this to my advantage, as I basically wiggle the specimen into position. After this, it's basically spreading as normal.
The one thing I don't really have a good trick for is keeping legs in a nice position. Sometimes I try to almost lay a pin along the sides of the specimen's body, but this doesn't really hold stubborn legs in place.
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Post by cabintom on Mar 8, 2016 22:24:21 GMT -8
If I traveled all the way to Cameroon, I'd much prefer to spend my time out collecting rather than at a fair... honest question: do these collectors have the means/resources to properly display their specimens for such an event? (local collectors here in eastern DRC definitely do not)
Rather, what I could be interested in is having the local insect collector act as a guide for a number of days, at the end of which maybe he could also sell specimens from his stock?
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Post by cabintom on Mar 7, 2016 19:54:00 GMT -8
Probably best to let the lure go on your parents encounter anyways! Have you had a chance to fish while you've been in Africa? Living true to its reputation, there are some fearsome species in your area! Catching a Goliath Tigerfish has been a dream of mine for quite some time. Have you seen them in the local markets? No, I haven't had the chance yet, though it's something I would absolutely love to do. All of our fish here comes from Lake Albert and is almost exclusively Nile Perch (which can be huge) or Tilapia. I think the Tigerfish are found in the larger rivers to the west of here.
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Post by cabintom on Mar 7, 2016 0:23:21 GMT -8
I grew up in northern Northern Ontario. Me and my dad used to go compete with the bald eagles and osprey at our favourite fishing spot. That place was golden!... I sure do miss pickerel...
EDIT: This one time, mom got snagged on a deadhead log, so dad basically just had to drag the whole thing in towards the boat to recover the lure, he struggled for a long while before he got it up next to the boat... it turned out to be a monster of a Northern Pike. It took off with the lure.
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