cyane
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Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Jun 30, 2016 4:19:30 GMT -8
Hello Alan, I'm not far away, near Penrith. My main interest is Australian butterflies, but I've also collected in the Solomons. I also collect other genera (Papilionidae, Delias etc) through trade, from around the world. You may be interested to hear that back around 1990 I discovered a small colony of Hypochrysops cyane in our local park. I was unable to find it's larval food plant, Angophora costata anywhere in the area. After many days of lying on my back searching the trees with a pair of binoculars I eventually spotted a female laying eggs. This proved to be a new food plant, Eucalyptus moluccana, which I duly published. I reared quite a few specimens from eggs and found that they were quite happy with several other food plants I gave them (unpublished). The colony survived in a series of boom or bust years (mostly bust with only a very few individuals seen) for many years. I haven't searched for it for at least 3 years now, so I can't be sure the colony is still there. Other interesting Lycaenids I have found locally include 3 species of Acrodipsas on the same hill top in the Blue Mountains. A aurata, A brisbanensis and A myrmecophila. I also have bands on Casuarinas along the Nepean River which sometimes produce Ogyris amaryllis. On one occasion only I found 2 larvae of Ogyris ianthis under bands on mistletoe trees in Galston. From these I reared 2 females. I have also reared O genoveva, O abrota and O olane in the Sydney area. Hypochrysops including several rows of cyane Ogyris including amaryllis and 2 female ianthis Ogyris genoveva gela David Hall.
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Dec 3, 2015 15:42:10 GMT -8
Just google his email - jermainanold4@gmail.com - you'll get some interesting results.
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Oct 8, 2015 4:29:45 GMT -8
This is an Acherontia atropos (Deaths Head Hawk Moth) caught at Looe, Cornwall, UK in 1908. It's abdomen has been dissected and the contents removed and replaced with cotton wool, presumably when it was first set. It's been in my collection for over 40 years. I have also seen an older specimen of a male Ornithoptera paradisea that had also had the contents of its abdomen removed, replaced with cotton wool and then stitched back up with silk. David Hall.
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Jun 10, 2015 16:20:27 GMT -8
OK I meant to ask that for a while. Who's on that Pic? Google 99dmitriy99 . He has this pic as an avatar on several public websites.
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Jun 9, 2015 15:28:57 GMT -8
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Jan 24, 2015 23:49:06 GMT -8
This does not answer the original question, but I had a similar interest in the number of eggs laid by Ornithoptera victoriae. I dissected the abdomens of a female O v victoriae from Guadalcanal, a female O priamus urvillianus from Santa Isabel and a female O richmondia from Australia (all caught by myself and all somewhat worn). The victoriae had only 8 very large eggs, the urvillianus 30+ eggs and the richmondia 70+. I also had a captive bred richmondia lay 120+ eggs over several days. I once had a Papilio aegeus lay 365 eggs in a 3 week period whilst confined to a 2 litre container and fed sugar water twice a day. David Hall
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Oct 28, 2014 14:12:00 GMT -8
An image of Jesus ? That's crazy. It's obviously an image of Darwin !
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Sept 15, 2014 15:52:06 GMT -8
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Jul 12, 2014 5:09:19 GMT -8
Greg, interesting info about Gilles collector on Cristobal. I wonder if this is the same person I mentioned as having released urvillianus there ? (RT). I agree about the Polyura - I've never seen one in the Solomons, but I've seen plenty of urvillianus. But as I've said before, the question of urvillianus on Cristobal is a moot point. Even if we do find them established there we will never know if they found their own way there or were introduced. The Batocera on Malaita are lamondi. I've noticed no one has discussed urvillianus vs urvilleana. David Hall.
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on Jun 4, 2014 15:28:25 GMT -8
The stock of albertisi that was (still is?) available came from a ranched population found in a somewhat populated area. It did ??
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on May 29, 2014 17:10:01 GMT -8
I did a quick google for Mrs R H Morgan and found that she advertised Solomon Island butterflies for sale in the "News of the Lepidopterists Society" in October 1964, June 1967, June 1965 and Oct. 1970. Her address is given as Marine Dept;, Honiara, a postal box in Honiara and in 1970 as 130 Hutchinson Ave., New Lynn, Auckland 7, New Zealand. On the Swallowtails of the World website there is a pic of a Graphium codrus tenebrionis from Rannonga wirh the data "Oct 7 1970, leg.: R.H.Morgan" The holotype specimen of Papilio bridgei ssp. michae (Racheli 1984) has the data "11.V.1973, R. H. Morgan leg". The type of Graphium mendana malaitae (Miller and Miller 1981, actually a synonym of aureofasciatum)has the data "SOLOMON ISLANDS: MALAITA I.: no further locality, 22.iv.1968 (Mrs. R.H. Morgan)" She seems to have been quite a busy lady. She must have been very interesting to talk to Terry. I'm interested in the altitude that D alberti flies at on Choiseul, it doesnt seem to be recorded. Tennent in his book "Butterflies of the Solomon Islands" states that D alberti alberti is "Known only from a series of specimens taken on Choiseul in the first decade of the 20th century", and that there is no information about its flight/habitat and that its host plant is not known.
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on May 28, 2014 16:44:04 GMT -8
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on May 27, 2014 1:08:35 GMT -8
Can anyone ID this please ? It's from Malaita in the Solomon Islands. Many thanks, David Hall.
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on May 14, 2014 17:49:18 GMT -8
All of the literature points to the fact that urvillianus has never been taken on San Cristobal (aka Makira) However exoticimports makes a good point that it has been little explored, entomologically speaking (and in most other ways). I believe all of the victoriae epiphanes that have been obtained in recent years (since 2000 at least) have come from the dealer I mentioned and his "helper" in the region of Kira Kira. I dont know why urvillianus isnt present there. Maybe a geologist could help us (Chris Muller are you reading this ?). The real problem is that even if urvillianus is confirmed to be on San Cristobal now, we will never know if these are naturally occuring or are there because of the introduction by the local dealer.
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cyane
Junior Member
Posts: 47
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Post by cyane on May 13, 2014 17:37:02 GMT -8
Hi Rich and exoticimports. Yes you're right. I should have said Kira Kira of course. Like exoticimports, I too wondered why urvillianus was never found on San Cristobal. But Straatman was there and discovered and bred victoriae epiphanes. One would have thought that if urvillianus was there he would have found it. Also the local dealer from Kira Kira is quite knowledgeable and breeds victoriae, erskinei etc, yet he was adamant that there were no urvillianus, hence his introduction. He's still around and sometimes advertises here on insectnet, so I'll email him and see if urvillianus is still present on San Cristobal. David Hall
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