Underated Species

[Deleted]

In terms of their beauty and colour, what would you say was the most underated beetle or butterfly simply because of their "common status"?

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[prillbug2]

Anything that isn't being sold on the insect market. That you have to go out in the field and collect yourself.
Jeff Prill

[Deleted]

Don't you buy anything from the internet Jeff? Yes they are all beautiful but i think you know what i meant. Didn't mean to upset again!!!!
cheers
pete

[dertodesking]

Feb 7, 2012 13:23:48 GMT -8 @stringer1 said:

In terms of their beauty and colour, what would you say was the most underated beetle or butterfly simply because of their "common status"?

Hi Pete,

I'd say some of the common Achillides swallowtails...P. blumei, P. peranthus, P. ulysses, P. maackii etc etc. Although there are some very rare ssp. of these some of the more common ones are just as stunning.

Also...Papilio memnon has some STUNNING forms for such a cheap and common bug.

You also can't beat some real common UK bugs - something like the Orange Tip (A. cardamines) is really beautiful if you really look at it.

Simon

[Deleted]

you just brought to mind the Elephant hawk moth. I saw many last year. Beauty

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[dertodesking]

Many UK/European hawkmoths are stunners - what about the Oleander hawkmoth (D. nerii)?

Simon

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[Deleted]

WOW!!!

[nomihoudai]

While the question certainly heads in another direction I still must agree to Jeff on this topic. Insect business always revolves around the same few hundred species. 99,98% of Lepidoptera are hardly ever for sale (guessing the species for sale at ~ 3000 species ). For example the two Hawkmoths shown here indeed are beautifull but I only need to get out in my garden at home and check for the "silly" crambidae flying around in the gras in their hundreds which show the same beauty when inspected under a magnifying lens.

Bringing in beetles into the topic, I liked Leptinotarsa decemlineata a lot as a kid with it's yellow and black stripes.

[Deleted]

I think the question could be interpreted in many ways. I just thought that i would ask, of the more common species to be "found for sale" because of their beauty, which would you as an indervidual state was the most underated butterfly or beetle. I mean, a rare butterfly wouldn't be classed as underated. Take the morphos for example, stunning but for sale for very little. Also if you collected butterflys but never had the chance to visit an area that they came from, if you saw one up for sale on the net, surely you would buy it if you had the funds wouldn't you? I hope this makes it easier..
pete
by the way: Leptinotarsa decemlineata: nice!

[Deleted]

the most underated butterfly in the world for me is the peacock inachis io, if it were rare I dread to think what sort of prices it would fetch, luckily here in the UK it is a common species, it was the beauty of this butterfly which got me into this hobby, I was stunned by my first sighting of it as a child.

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[wingedwishes]

Under rated to ME:
Actias Luna
Danaus plexippus
Phoebis philea
They are highly visable but are so easily reared that they are common. The variables behind Danaus migration makes them an incredible group.
One more would be the "Gulf Fritilary" - Agraulis vanillae(sp). Such an interesting heliconian although really easy to catch....

[joee30]

A lot of the lycaenids are nice and underrated by sellers. the same with some of the pierids. I personally like the Anthocharis and euchloe group along with Erebia and Cercyonis.

[Deleted]

First, wow...those two sphingids are gorgeous

Second, I have to kind of agree with dunc01226, for that butterfly (which I wish flew here) has to be one of the most underated and gorgeous species.

There are so many of these types of leps and coleops that I'd have to think quite a while to come up with a single one. Being rather partial to Catocalas, I have to say that when I shine a light on a Catocala on a side of tree with its wings casually spread, it is quite a sight. Just this last summer, I had the great pleasure of seeing many C. relictas---such a rich white on the tree. I also enjoyed watching them fly through a moonlit night as they sort of resembled huge snow flakes as they flew among the trees. That super bright pink of a C. cara with all the darkness around is pretty cool. My slop will be very fermented this summer, so I hope to do more photography of what I'm talking about.

Jeff kind of touched on a point in that a large part of the joy of collecting is seeing those beautiful moths/butterflies/beetles come in to your own sheets, slop on a tree, or flower in the garden. Beauty does not have to cost $, be from PNG, or the rarest to be appreciated. Many of my least pricey beetles are the prettiest. Catocalas command little $ and are most enjoyed by finding them in the field, a light, slop.

Interesting post idea It makes me think.......

[lordpandarus]

Feb 8, 2012 13:07:47 GMT -8 joee30 said:

A lot of the lycaenids are nice and underrated by sellers.

they're nice. I find them too hard to spread so I don't buy them except the largest species

[saturniidave]

Bill, I get the first Sphingid (D. elpenor) commonly in my garden here, would you like me to send you a couple? I think I may have a spare papered D. nerii too.