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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 16, 2011 23:43:15 GMT -8
I am no expert, but as far as I know they are completely benign creatures. The only issue I have had when they get into the house is the noise they make when I am trying to sleep. I love listening to crickets chirp when I am outdoors, but indoors is another matter entirely! lol
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 16, 2011 23:37:41 GMT -8
I just did the follow up research on the given id and was wondering if anyone can tell me how to tell the difference between the two Artace species. They look exactly the same to me, but the range data tells me that this could be the other Artace, the cribraria. The colaria is supposed to be out west so if that is what it is, it is a long way from home. I cannot discount the possibility though. I did find a hopper that shouldn't be east of Texas earlier in the season and we did just have a storm blow through with some very high winds that came from that general direction.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 16, 2011 23:13:48 GMT -8
I actually spent a couple of hours on the moth photographers group site and still missed it. I definitely still have a lot to learn. lol Moths seem to be the most prominent thing around here and the hardest to id for me. Thank you very much for the id! ;D
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 16, 2011 20:02:13 GMT -8
I found this white moth in the grass near my light sheet tonight and was wondering if anyone here could help me pin an id on this thing. I seem to struggle when it comes to identifying moths. It is on the pin here prior to spreading. I discovered that its wings are very hard to move, almost as though it is nearly dry even though it was collected only a couple of hours before spreading.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 15, 2011 18:29:27 GMT -8
Wow! And here I thought that this was a friendly, fun forum. This is not what I expected when I started this thread. (remember me? I am the one who had one of his favorite moths eaten by his cat.) Having my thread derailed by a debate on the subject would not have bothered me a bit, but this is no debate. I do not know which side has the correct information and don't really care. Name calling and personal attacks have no place in a debate or in my thread. If you want to continue the argument I would like to request that you do so by starting another thread. I came here to learn and to share my new found hobby with like minded people, not to read through a heated argument to see if anyone actually responded to my original post.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 14, 2011 23:49:21 GMT -8
...and I had to leave the house to keep my cat from paying the ultimate price for the crime. I had finally gotten around to printing out some proper data labels to replace a few of the temporary ones so my Hyles lineata was on my holding board with a new label while I stepped away to grab another display that I had also printed out labels for and when I returned my cat was eating my H. lineata. This was my second favorite moth and third favorite insect in my whole collection. I haven't been this angry in years. I had to go out and sit by mv light set up for a while to cool down so that I wouldn't overreact. I realize that it isn't a high end specimen, but I have little to no interest in exotic insects. I collect local insects and this was one of the best in my eyes. This was the only one I have ever seen and I don't have high hopes to see another anytime soon. ..................... .....................
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 5, 2011 23:26:28 GMT -8
Oh, and this is the tiny butterfly that I was placing in there in case anyone can help me id it I only have the underside displayed since the top is quite plain. Since it was already placed when I photoed it, I didn't want to risk damage by flipping it over again to photo the top. This little guy only has a 20mm wingspan
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 5, 2011 23:21:56 GMT -8
I had the mount open tonight to replace a damaged specimen and place another tiny butterfly that I caught into it and I decided to take a proper photo of the Urbanus proteus while I had it out from under the glass. I was quite pleased with the resulting image. Photographing it behind the glass really subdued the iridescence. Attachments:
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 4, 2011 16:24:29 GMT -8
Normally, I wouldn't chime in on a debate like this, especially being as new to the field as I am. Seeing the arguments for both sides here, I would like to point out that both are correct, but neither are absolute.
Different people collect for different reasons. I started collecting beetles long before I actually got into the hobby. In my case of beetles there isn't one with collection data. My favorite specimen cannot even be narrowed down to a year of capture. Still, you could not convince me to part with it. For me, it has more value than all my specimens with data combined. It was the very first of my collection, the one that sparked my interest in the field. I say that to point out that value is relative. Yes, to a museum it would be nearly worthless, but I never anticipate it going to a museum. To me, it is priceless. I have no problem with anyone who refuses to own a specimen without data. I also have no problem with someone who doesn't bother with data and only collects because they think the bugs are interesting. From what I have seen, most of the people here fall somewhere between the two. I started out without data, but now I am striving to attach proper data to each new specimen I collect though I am still quite disorganized with it and many still go without data. If I forget the data, I only throw it out if it is an uninteresting specimen. If it has aesthetic appeal to me, I still keep it.
From what I have seen here, most here prefer to have the data and some just want a beautiful specimen in their collection. I do not believe either side should see the other as wrong since we do this for our own personal reasons.
I started collecting for the aesthetics of the displays. After I completed a couple of beetle displays and started on a moth display, the scientific side sparked my interest. Having been on both sides, I can say that if you are collecting for the scientific value, data is an absolute must. For those who collect for the aesthetics, data is a pleasant bonus. Since it is our personal hobby, the way we approach it is our choice.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 1, 2011 13:34:43 GMT -8
Thanks for the id! When I was attempting to research it, I found the pandorus but moved past it due to the green that every photo showed. I then found the intermedia, but wanted an expert opinion before I mentioned the name openly. The scales on the wings and body don't appear to be worn at all so I think that the colors are true. It appears to have really gone through a rough time though. Along with the wing damage, it is missing a leg and a half. It didn't resist at all when I scooped it into the kill jar and hardly moved while it was in there.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 1, 2011 12:33:05 GMT -8
Thanks for the quick id on that Copper underwing moth. That is a very interesting website as well. It looks like it could be quite helpful to me in the future.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 1, 2011 12:01:17 GMT -8
The other moth that caught my attention is also quite tattered. It will be kept in my records, but the specimen is in such bad shape that once it is identified I will probably toss it. Both were captured in this condition.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 1, 2011 11:55:17 GMT -8
I found this sphinx moth on my light sheet yesterday afternoon. I always leave the blacklights on at the sheet after I quit collecting for the night and go to bed. I go back the next day and see if anything has stuck around from the night before. So far this week that strategy has yielded a couple of sphinx moths. The first one was an easy id, but this one I cannot seem to identify.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Oct 1, 2011 10:39:26 GMT -8
Thank you for your kind words. After I had been collecting for a couple of weeks, I decided on the goal of getting records started for my county that seems to have no records as of yet. It has paid off with one interesting discovery so far. I found a hopper called Poblicia texana that belongs in Arizona and Texas. It had never been documented this far east before. Almost made me feel special. As for documentation, I am still a bit disorganized with it, though I am getting better. At present, too many of my specimens are dated 09/??/2011. A few of my beetles cannot even be narrowed down that much. But, as I said, I am now buckling down and getting most of my new specimens properly documented though full id's are few and far between as of yet. I only have five of the specimens above identified with any confidence, the buckeyes, gulf fritillaries, and the long-tailed skipper. I am still a beginner at this so it is expected that I still need a lot of improvement and I seem to be making progress. (if only I could get the hang of spreading without damaging the specimen)
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 30, 2011 19:01:43 GMT -8
That is the underside of the Agraulis vanillae - Gulf Fritillary. The orange one to the left is the top view of the same thing.
I don't know much about butterflies myself. From what I can tell most if not all of these are rather common. I am just starting out and have more interest in beetles than butterflies. I am also more interested in local specimens rather than exotic ones so I highly doubt that I will find anything that is highly valuable.
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