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Post by jackblack on Jan 1, 2013 3:53:14 GMT -8
Yes Adam there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. We will never know them all.Nature is so unpredictable.
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Post by jackblack on Jan 1, 2013 3:45:57 GMT -8
Are you sure they are the same species ? A bit of serious DNA work going on with Aust Hepialids these days . Do you know the people working on them ? Although I`m not a moth collector after raring specimens from billets last few months some interesting species appearing in our patch of forest.
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Post by jackblack on Jan 1, 2013 3:35:13 GMT -8
I quite often get Prosopocoilus torresensis and Cacostomus squamosus here in Australia at the light with broken- totally snapped off one mandible. You can clearly see the broken sharp edge under a micro scope or hand lens. Also there is a lot of mandible variation within species and it is easy to see that. look carefully and it will be obvious.
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Post by jackblack on Dec 31, 2012 15:29:57 GMT -8
a number of people have them. I have 3 males and two females . They have been around some time. People classify them as rare but they are much more common than other species of Phasmids , just rarely collected.
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Post by jackblack on Dec 12, 2012 1:08:37 GMT -8
Adam , I meant to say , my Hepialids have been emerging between 5pm and 8.30pm , so not all fly before dark , although I imagine some do as one pupa I found last week merged from the log had flown off just before dark.
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Post by jackblack on Dec 12, 2012 1:05:55 GMT -8
Hi Adam, Each place is different , depends on where you are talking about. Iv`e heard numerous reports from people , oh only on dusk , or only in the early hours of the evening. Its not the case here in the rainforest where I live in Nth Qld. I run the light almost every night of the year , I turn it on just before dark and run it all night till daylight .Still encounter few of these moths and when I do they are battered to pieces .I live here 30 years now,because I run the light every night nearly I have uncovered many new species on my farm , many collectors in the past follow the beaten path and only come collecting in the insect season , its different for me , I live on site. I check the light many times during the night . Many species of insects are poorly or rarely attracted to light , hence why the rainbow stag beetle Phallacrognathus muelleri was considered extremely rare and in the early years commanded extremely high prices for a specimen. we wrote a paper about this species some years ago and after going into the forest and chopping logs found this species actually to be quite common , soon people started breeding them and now people breed them all around the world.Which is great for conservation of a species. So in which area`s are you referring to about the Hepilaids . Like I say everywhere is different each species is different.
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Post by jackblack on Dec 12, 2012 0:52:29 GMT -8
Its shaping up to be a great insect season here this year, this Python slithered under the roller door of my work shop the other night and we got a surprise when we started work the next morning , it has now been relocated into the forest. Attachments:
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Post by jackblack on Dec 12, 2012 0:43:08 GMT -8
Another freshly emerged Ghost moth , brown form of Aenetus tegulatus .As these species rarely if ever appear at light I`m amazed at how many species and forms are appearing in the forest on our farm. Takes more than one life time to see everything . Attachments:
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Post by jackblack on Dec 12, 2012 0:37:42 GMT -8
Another freshly emerged Ghost moth Aenetus tegulatus , thanks to my friend who has been teaching me about these unusual species, its great to share information and learn on this forum. Attachments:
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Post by jackblack on Dec 12, 2012 0:24:38 GMT -8
Nosorog, thats in a good season . Last season were few about and strangely all species of insects were in low numbers last year. Maybe your spm was collected by me if its from Polly Creek. Cheers
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Post by jackblack on Dec 12, 2012 0:20:44 GMT -8
The female of the Ghost moth Aenetus mirabilis freshly emerged from the tree trunk , you can see the pupal shell hanging from the wood the moth just came out of to the left . Attachments:
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Post by jackblack on Dec 12, 2012 0:16:33 GMT -8
A strange aberrant came to my light a few nights back this is Anoplognathus punctulatus its very unusual to see any variations in this species which are normally plain green. Attachments:
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Post by jackblack on Dec 12, 2012 0:13:07 GMT -8
Nosorog , depends on what you call common , in a good season I might get about 15 to my light.
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Post by jackblack on Dec 11, 2012 2:43:02 GMT -8
The Ghost moth , occasionally encountered at the light , when it does appear specimens are usually battered and in very poor condition. After numerous requests from collectors I went into the forest and cut billets sections of tree trunks and after a wait of up to two months I have now been rewarded with the emergence of some beautiful specimens. This is a male of Aenetus mirabilis. Attachments:
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Post by jackblack on Dec 11, 2012 2:30:02 GMT -8
When beetles are encountered in large numbers one can find the odd variant , here is a rare blue form of Anoplognathus smaragdinus , have encountered very few of these in many years collecting. Attachments:
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