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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 26, 2011 15:23:16 GMT -8
Since I got my mv bulb set up I have had quite a few interesting moths show up at my light sheet. I realize that most are quite common, but I am interested in collecting and recording local insect species so I collect the beautiful as well as the mundane. First up is Hyles lineata Uploaded with ImageShack.usI had a bit of a struggle during the capture so it has a bald spot now, but it is still a beautiful moth.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 26, 2011 11:19:10 GMT -8
You were right, but I still couldn't narrow it down. Apparently that is because this bug isn't supposed to be here. I posted an id request on Bugguide and this is the response I got: "First record of this species this far east" I feel special now!
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 25, 2011 10:25:54 GMT -8
This little guy came to my blacklight setup. It has a 41mm wingspan and 14mm body length. I usually try to do my research first before asking for help, but I have never seen one of these before so I don't know where to begin my research for an id.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 24, 2011 21:38:02 GMT -8
I got my self ballasted mv bulb through the mail the day before yesterday. I have it and a couple of cheap blacklights rigged up in my back field. This is my second night using it and I have to say that I am quite pleased with the results so far. I got a couple of types of small beetles that I have not seen around here before as well as some nice sphinx and tiger moths. I was hoping for more beetles, but it is a bit too late in the season for the ones I really want. So far, I only have about $40 into the setup. It is only that much because I have broken 2 cfl blacklight bulbs. I may add a second mv bulb when my finances improve, but at the moment property taxes take priority.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 22, 2011 19:55:02 GMT -8
I figured I should post a photo of the finished box just for the sake of completion. The only thing that I plan to do now is replace some of the damaged specimens. Since these are all local beetles, it shouldn't be difficult at all to replace them. (save for the Alaus oculatus. That is the only specimen I have ever seen of it even though they are supposed to be common around here)
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 20, 2011 15:21:08 GMT -8
I don't mind at all. I find this fascinating.
To answer Starlight's question, no I am in Georgia. I have scouted out a few interesting places to search next season though. One in particular seems interesting. It is a gas station about three miles from my house. There are no other bright lights near it. It has the typical bright canopy lights over the pumps as well as three old street lamps that appear to still use mv bulbs. Best thing is that it is right up against the woods with a creek right behind it. Even if I don't find Dynastes, I am bound to find something interesting there.
When I finally do catch some living specimines, I plan on keeping them alive to see if I can get some grubs out of them. Currently, the only experience I have in raising beetles, is with dermestids. I have had them about a month and they are thriving quite well. I also bought some mealworms about a week ago to raise. They are still alive, but it is too early to know how that is going to turn out.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 18, 2011 19:38:29 GMT -8
I tried to get a good photo of the face and antenna, but this is the best I could do before my batteries died. The antenna are definitely not ciliate. Somehow, when I was trying to i.d. this guy, I missed the speckling on the wings that seems indicate that it is a stigma and not virginiensis.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 17, 2011 19:07:00 GMT -8
My trip to HD was a bust. They no longer carry any form of mv fixture and no self ballasted bulbs. All I got was a cfl blacklight bulb for just under $5. I also picked up a florescent blacklight at Walmart for $10. It is the one in the link above. It is nice that it was half the price at the local store. The only cheap option I see is for me to order a self ballasted bulb that I found on Amazon.com (160 watt) that is $17.49 after shipping. It has a medium base, so I can just rig up one of the regular ceramic light sockets that I have laying around to get it burning.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 17, 2011 15:21:52 GMT -8
You have my permission. I am honored that these would be useful to anyone.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 17, 2011 11:51:21 GMT -8
Thank you for the links. They are quite interesting and helpful. I should be able to i.d. a couple of my other moths using those sites. According to my records it was 08/24/2011 at around 2a.m. It was collected in Upson County. I caught a couple of other interesting specimens that same month at my porch and carport lights. I haven't researched them yet for i.d. though. The first one was collected on 08/15 at 10:20p.m. The other was collected on 08/19 at 7:30a.m. I had actually caught another one like this one a couple of weeks prior to catching this one, but it was before I researched spreading them. I still have the first one, but it has pin holes in the forewings where I jammed pins through them to hold them in place.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 17, 2011 8:00:09 GMT -8
Thank you very much for the information! I am trying to learn so detailed responses like this are precisely why I signed up to this forum.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 16, 2011 23:09:13 GMT -8
A couple of weeks ago I stepped out my front door to see if my porch light had attracted anything interesting and found this guy clinging to my front door I believe it to be a female Anisota virginiensis pellucida Being quite new at this, I was quite delighted to find a lady like this waiting at my front door. ;D
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 16, 2011 22:06:21 GMT -8
I just realized that I forgot the cicada... This is a little guy, maybe half the size of my others.
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 16, 2011 21:58:34 GMT -8
When I swung my net at this little guy, I thought he was a dragonfly. It wasn't until I got it into my kill jar that I saw that it was some sort of wasp. I didn't even have my "poor man's light box" put together to take these images. I realize that the quality of these images is not something that many of you would consider that great, but these are the the highest quality I have ever achieved. That and the fact that it is with a camera that cost less than $80 has me ecstatic. Oh, I just did a full size crop of some of the detail of the spread katydid...
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Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 16, 2011 21:56:10 GMT -8
Next up is the spider. I am an arachnophobe so pinning this guy was a very difficult process for me.
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