|
Post by rayrard on Jun 6, 2012 16:51:34 GMT -8
I can't wait either Bill, it looks like it's going to be a great Catocala year! Just before I wrote the last few responses, I put out my blacklight because it was rather overcast with a strong chance of storms tonight. I went out after the last post and saw several Catocalas on my sheet, one of which was the first Catocala flebilis of the year, and Catocala innubens, the rare for"scintillans"!! I also got two more forms of C. micronympha, and the first Catocala amica. When I took down my sheet due to high winds, there resting on the edge was another C. coccinata, which makes 15 so far, and tells me they are still flying. It is my opinion that Catocalas are probably the most interesting Noctuid moths, and on the top shelf for many moth collectors due to their variability, and handsome patterns. Tom still flying? Don't they fly continuously until July? I've gotten 5 species on a single trip so far in late May (ultronia, ilia, amica, alabamae, and similis)
|
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on May 6, 2012 18:13:39 GMT -8
in coastal SC, the Palamedes flight is declining. The Florida broods tend to be a bit earlier so you may catch the second brood coming out down there
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Apr 22, 2012 21:34:17 GMT -8
I can feel your excitement... I got my first Callosamia angulifera the other night. I was so eager to grab it that I put a big finger rub mark on the forewing It was also raining Lunas with 7 showing up and one nice female Polyphemus
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Apr 6, 2012 21:59:27 GMT -8
I've been striking out on Sphingidae this year with only Darapsa pholus and a single beat up Isoparce cupressi.
I've reeled in at least 6 Lunas and 7 Polyphemus to my lights, but the Sphinxes are missing. I guess they are more of a open area species as opposed to swamp/pine forest.
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Mar 25, 2012 17:51:57 GMT -8
The Polyphemus I got so far came in immediately after it got dark, and then another couple came in around 10-11pm. I've seen 4 females and 2 males but they flew at the same times. I've seen three lunas and they've come in between 8-11. No other Sats are out yet, even Dryocampa and Anisota.
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Mar 25, 2012 17:46:30 GMT -8
As of March 15th I had 85 species of moths collected. Since then, I've had 2 light sheet trips and have added 2 Saturniids, 1 Sphingidae, and lots of other species that normally fly in April. I must have a good 20-30 new species since the 15th.
Jan-Feb had lots of a few species (Psaphida, Phyllodesma, Phigalia, Orthosia, Egira, Feltia, Leucania), but now diversity is increasing but lots of singletons of lots more species.
|
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Mar 23, 2012 22:35:11 GMT -8
Night collecting is good year round in the south... I don't know what part of GA you live in but I've collected 85 species of moth since Nov of last year. I live in coastal SC.
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Mar 22, 2012 19:25:45 GMT -8
my first sheet on the 15th attracted 1 Luna and 4 Polyphemus... and don't worry, Polyphemus are the most common saturniid in most places in the eastern US. Imperial and Regals are also fairly common. I'm looking forward to getting Callosamia.
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Mar 21, 2012 14:13:26 GMT -8
looks fake... and I'd think that someone else in the park would have been there watching and taking pictures/videos. A dude with giant wings is not something that goes unnoticed on a nice day like that seemed to be at the park.
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Mar 3, 2012 15:03:55 GMT -8
I came across my first Hayhurst's Scallopwing upstate and made a swing, only for the dumb net to hang up on thorns AND a projecting little bush stump I didn't even see. I have not come across that species since.
I also had the puny 12'' "student net" which I use in certain situations, and the stupid collar came off the net when I was trying to approach a skipper. The wire ring fell off the stupid thing and I had to reassemble the thing as I tried to keep an eye on the lep at the same time. I missed that one too.
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Feb 22, 2012 13:35:41 GMT -8
i know exactly why, because insect collecting is rare in this country, i only know a handful of people that do. most people dont even think to breed or collect what nz has. im just one person that loves our nz species. i also breed other nz species, like the worlds most beautiful red admiral - Vanessa Gonerilla and yellow admiral - vanessa itea those are another 2 i breed, but i have none in stock as i sold out, more should be on the way soon zac I've read about some pretty unique "megaherb" vegetation on some of the temperate islands south of NZ. Are there any endemic butterflies/moths associated with these unique ecosystems? I don't hear much about the temperate S. Hemisphere fauna, just the boreal N. Hem. stuff like Colias, Erebia, and Oeneis
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Feb 17, 2012 16:09:07 GMT -8
I agree with bluemoth - this wasn't as bad of an article as I was expecting. Thankfully it was mentioned as a passing comment by someone being interviewed and the article does a good job of telling the real story of what's actually happening to the Blue. It seems like whenever anyone is asked why a species is going extinct they have to list every possibility they can think of - and collecting is always on that list. That is thanks to the halfwits at NABA who proudly parade around the example of over-collecting in the Mitchel's Satyr case (which has ZERO evidence to support that claim). And the listing of cassius and ceraunus blues is totally unnecessary (FWS say themselves they have listed them because of collecting pressure... then on to say there is actually no evidence for doing this). I blogged about this topic and Jeff Glassberg chimed in with a comment: skepticalmoth.southernfriedscience.com/2011/08/miami-blue/Essentially every school child in Florida and near-environs will now be a butterfly poacher for collecting the single most abundant butterfly in their back yards. I enjoyed the blog post... next thing they'll make it illegal to collect an Eastern Tailed Blue in NY because the Miami Blue is going extinct in S. Fla.
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Feb 16, 2012 19:29:35 GMT -8
The iguanu seems to be the main culpret in the artical. It eats leaves that the butterflies lay their eggs on. Habbitat los and collectors were listed as an after thought. I do hate the bad PR. Every one here on this sight would never collect an endangered species. It is no dowt our wish that endangered species recover to a point ware they can legally be collected again. one problem with the legislation to protect the Miami Blue is that they put the Ceraunus and Cassius Blues in the "threatened" category. Now clearly this is due to the fact that the Miami Blue is extremely similar to those species, and they can't count on DNR officials to be able to tell the difference, so they just protect them all to be safe. BUT, this would make it illegal to collect a Ceraunus or Cassius Blue ANYWHERE in Florida, even in areas hundreds of miles from Miami Blue habitat. Ceraunus and Cassius are ridiculously common in Fla. Case in point, finding these species in S. Carolina is a good record and I have taken them in the past. Now I wouldn't be able to voucher those specimens despite there being ZERO chance of taking the endangered ones (and the Ceraunus/Cassius just die off in the winter anyway up here). I wish they would limit the legislation to Southern Florida only (like from Tampa and Orlando south)
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Feb 16, 2012 12:21:58 GMT -8
Yes, stainless steel is the only solution. What you're seeing with the enamel in your relaxing box is what happens to the pin in slow motion over years in an insect - collections that are 100+ years old are riddled with rotting pins. Enamel is the enemy! haha I use the black pins more because the specimens tend to spin on the stainless steel ones much easier. I just takes a gentle nudge on them to get them spinning on their pins. The black ones seem to "stick" better.
|
|
|
Post by rayrard on Feb 8, 2012 12:42:42 GMT -8
I have been pretty safe with few incidents. I can remember being shot at by a rancher in Texas while changing a flat tire. He told me to leave his property and when I told him it was a county road he pulled a gun and said "I own this county - git!" I had been having a pretty good day until then. sometimes the humans are scarier than the animals! I've only come across a few "ornery" rednecks, but none of them had guns on them. They definately wanted me off the land though. In my defense I didn't see any "Private Property" signs around but I'm not going to argue with an unhappy landowner, especially since I am a "Yankee" in southern territory. I definately try and avoid any situations where I might run into backwoods folk.
|
|