Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2011 22:54:38 GMT -8
As you know, I love to sugar tree trunks for Catocalas. Trying to net them is only a last resort if one takes off. Netting them on trees at night is next-to-impossible....and.....many times wings or thoraxic hairs are rubbed off.
So, I've decide to show the larger of two catchers I use to just walk up to a tree quietly and place the device over the moth. No hairs are lost, wings damaged, and I can determine whether I want to keep the moth or not without killing it first.
1. Remove trapdoor at right (nearest the tree)
2. with trapdoor on left inserted, trap the moth from the mouth end (at right) to the tree trunk. Keep there on the trunk....
3. insert the trapdoor at right so now the moth is in the chamber
4. examine the moth to see if it is worthy of killing
-- no, pull out trapdoor at right, -- yes, go to 5.
5. screw on the killing jar to the plastic lid at left and pull out the trapdoor at left and tip vertically. Once the moth is in the killing jar, replace the trapdoor at left and when moth is expiring put the regular metal jar lid on the killing jar.
Some collectors are inclined to simply put the killing jar over the moth. I have found that any hesitation while doing this allows the moth to smell the ethyl-acetate fumes and take off. Using this plastic thing has no smell at all.
Note also, that thorax hairs can be glued on to bald spots with hairs from Catocala spare parts(lesser quality ones from the past).
Hope my pics properly tell you what you need to know. If not, please let me know. This method really does work----I have caught lots of them this way
So, I've decide to show the larger of two catchers I use to just walk up to a tree quietly and place the device over the moth. No hairs are lost, wings damaged, and I can determine whether I want to keep the moth or not without killing it first.
1. Remove trapdoor at right (nearest the tree)
2. with trapdoor on left inserted, trap the moth from the mouth end (at right) to the tree trunk. Keep there on the trunk....
3. insert the trapdoor at right so now the moth is in the chamber
4. examine the moth to see if it is worthy of killing
-- no, pull out trapdoor at right, -- yes, go to 5.
5. screw on the killing jar to the plastic lid at left and pull out the trapdoor at left and tip vertically. Once the moth is in the killing jar, replace the trapdoor at left and when moth is expiring put the regular metal jar lid on the killing jar.
Some collectors are inclined to simply put the killing jar over the moth. I have found that any hesitation while doing this allows the moth to smell the ethyl-acetate fumes and take off. Using this plastic thing has no smell at all.
Note also, that thorax hairs can be glued on to bald spots with hairs from Catocala spare parts(lesser quality ones from the past).
Hope my pics properly tell you what you need to know. If not, please let me know. This method really does work----I have caught lots of them this way
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