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Post by alandmor on Dec 21, 2021 12:28:35 GMT -8
FYI....an intriguing story on Facebook by Jonathan Lai, a Goliath beetle breeder, who is the first to successfully breed Goliathus atlas Nickerl, 1887. Goliathus atlas was considered to be either a distinct species, a rare aberration of G. regius, or most likely, a hybrid of G. cacicus x G. regius. The recent availability of live G. cacicus has now confirmed the latter. See the Facebook group Goliathus sp. for more of this intriguing story. The group is public so anyone can see what is posted. www.facebook.com/groups/423923228145107
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Ento360
Dec 15, 2021 14:24:49 GMT -8
Post by alandmor on Dec 15, 2021 14:24:49 GMT -8
Just thought this NSF-funded project, Ento360, is pretty cool. It allows you to view and manipulate, high-resolution images of pinned specimens in 3D space. From the Ento360 web site: specimens.mantodearesearch.com/360/"This web site presents 360° views of insect specimens from collections. The photogrammetry used to create these views is often input into 3D modelling software to create virtual models that can be manipulated on screen or even 3D-printed as physical objects. The 3D software may produce a more accurate 3D model, but suffers from the loss of photographic details and color. The 360° views here are simply compilations of high resolution 2D images which can be manipulated to provide a sense of the real 3D specimen, while preserving minute morphological details for scientific examination. The 360° views were created using WebRotate 360 SpotEditor." See link below for a 360° image of Magicicada cassinnii that can be manipulated in 3D. specimens.mantodearesearch.com/360/view360/31
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Post by alandmor on Nov 5, 2021 11:23:42 GMT -8
And some more beetles. Hardbacked yes, but not necessarily brown (Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Fruit and Flower Chafers):
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Post by alandmor on Oct 20, 2021 7:40:10 GMT -8
Yes, they are nice photos with even lighting. Just curious with overhead kitchen lighting as you describe, how do you avoid shadows of yourself, the camera or shadows beneath the specimens, which are minimal, for example in your Megasoma photos? I've tried similar set ups for photographing whole drawers without much success.
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Post by alandmor on Oct 1, 2021 7:58:09 GMT -8
A nice pair of Manticora, probably from South Africa, second drawer, top row, as well. Cool beetles.
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Post by alandmor on Sept 20, 2021 11:07:45 GMT -8
Some nice species you have there, not easy to come by.
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Post by alandmor on Jul 27, 2021 7:46:22 GMT -8
Not sure why it couldn't be just dust or other suspended particulates. I've seen the same in dusty conditions at night with a flashlight. Odd that the motion seems random at fist and then directional from lower right to upper left in the video. Perhaps due to the disturbance of air by the original poster as suggested.
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Post by alandmor on Jul 6, 2021 7:42:18 GMT -8
Perhaps to lessen the drawing out of time, maybe a deadline? He already did, the end of July.
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Post by alandmor on Jun 24, 2021 6:43:31 GMT -8
Thank you so much for your reply! I’ll be looking out for people who may be selling some beetles in this forum as well, do you know the best threads to look under? This site has Dynastes granti and D. tityus listed but availability may be limited bugsincyberspace.com/product-category/live-pet-bugs/beetles/
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Post by alandmor on Jun 1, 2021 7:43:38 GMT -8
So - now I need to go to my collection and ID more of the hundreds of species of Cerambycidae I have from Asia - I wonder if I have an "Asian Long-horned Beetle' in the mix? Cheers! Bandrow I'm sure you do, hundreds in fact!
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Post by alandmor on May 14, 2021 10:32:18 GMT -8
In my experience a few days well below freezing kills all dermestids. I’m sure more scientific tests have been conducted Seems like the jury is still out on the best way to control dermestids by extreme heat or cold. From a 2016 review article titled: A review of diapause and tolerance to extreme temperatures in dermestids (Coleoptera). D.M. Wilches et al. 2016. Journal of Stored Products Research 68:50-62 Abstract: Numerous species in Family Dermestidae (Coleoptera) are important economic pests of stored goods of animal and vegetal origin, and museum specimens. Reliance on chemical methods for of control has led to the development of pesticide resistance and contamination of treated products with insecticide res- idues. To assess its practicality as an alternate method of control, we review the literature on the tolerance of dermestids to extreme hot and cold temperatures. The information for dermestid beetles on temperature tolerance is fragmentary, experimental methods are not standardized across studies, and most studies do not consider the role of acclimation and diapause. Difficulties in determining the diapause status of dermestid larvae may explain the lack of studies. The few studies that do examine these factors show that they can greatly increase tolerance to cold temperatures. The use of extreme temperatures will need to target the most tolerant life stage, which for dermestids at cold temperatures will potentially be the cold-acclimated individuals in diapause. The development of effective protocols will be facilitated by studies that clearly and completely describe experimental and statistical methods, consider factors (life-stage, acclimation, diapause) that increase tolerance to extreme temperatures, and assess the mortality at various temperatures to develop mathematical models. The complete paper should be available at the link below: drive.google.com/file/d/1Nfz7m7oR6qoczT-uHnE8C7JCK7MiB8cY/view?usp=sharing
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Post by alandmor on Apr 28, 2021 7:49:48 GMT -8
Hi all! I was driving in the middle of Tucson AZ and this crazy looking insect flew in my window. I think it's a beetle because of the fan shaped antenna and it had chewing mouthparts and what looks like severely reduced elytra. Whenever I try to look anything like this up all I get is info about a scarab beetle that is definitely not the correct species. Any help? imgur.com/gallery/ExfYV92It looks like a species of Rhipiphorus, commonly called wedge-shaped beetles: bugguide.net/node/view/413853Some have quite interesting biology as parasites of other insects and some larvae are what's known as "hypermetamorhpic": bee/wasp parasites lay eggs on/near flowers, sometimes inside flower buds. Larvae attach to visiting bees and are taken back to nest, where they are internal parasites of larval hymenoptera, in some cases only in early stages. Some are reported to feed on leaves in later stages. Adults are short-lived." bugguide.net/node/view/4620Cool beetles!
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Post by alandmor on Mar 6, 2021 10:00:02 GMT -8
Nice map and picture but the situation changed very much. This map is old, not updated. Zaire is no more this name from 1997, no indication about the Tanzanian endemic G. orientalis (confused with meleagris in the past), goliatus is known from Benin, cacicus and regius are not known eastern Dahomey gap, etc. An update has been welcome.
Thanks for the clarification.
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Post by alandmor on Mar 5, 2021 12:24:02 GMT -8
A nice graphic showing Goliathus species and their distribution:
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Post by alandmor on Mar 5, 2021 9:30:45 GMT -8
The photos are amazing and the specimens are beautifully prepared. However, I find the composition of several specimens at different angles, often overlapping each other in one image to be a bit cluttered. Just me I guess.
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