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Post by dvoras on Feb 19, 2011 2:09:18 GMT -8
Hello, Started when I was 11 years of age, first collecting butterflies in a jar! Papilio rutulus was a real prize back then! Then my parents enrolled me into the Natural History Museum Entomology classes during the summer of 1957, and I was hooked. In 1959 I made my first contact with Jorge Kesselring in Brazil and bought my first Agrias in 1960. At that point I got hooked and have amassed a fairly large and decent Agrias- Prepona collection. Throught the years my interests have waxed and waned . During the years of waning I sold some material to get money for other interests( photography). I've been going strong now since 2004 and have a better collection now than I have ever had. I have all of the main forms of Agrias and the Prepona and now I am working on some of the Morphoes, Papilios, Nymphalids, Pierids and satyrids of the Neotropical regions. Oh yes, I have collected a good representative of the Onithoptera all with permits! I am in the process of making arrangements to donate my collection to the Smithonian when I pass on. I do not see that happening any time soon; I am very active at 66!
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Post by boghaunter1 on Feb 19, 2011 12:39:26 GMT -8
Hi Dvoras, Would love to see photos of your collection/individual "prize" specimens....one pic is worth a 1000 words! John K.
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Post by dertodesking on Feb 19, 2011 12:58:54 GMT -8
Hate to admit, rare coins are still #1) John Blimey I BET your coin collection is something to behold then judging by your butterflies if these are number 2 !!! Simon
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Post by panzerman on Feb 19, 2011 15:42:21 GMT -8
Simon...you bet! I started with coins, because my Dad started me on that when I was seven. Saint Nicholas dropped a Brilliant uncirculated Prussia 20 marks gold coin of Kaiser Wilhelm 1 1872-A on Christmas eve. That got the "fever" going, and have never looked back! My best prize...a 305 AD gold aureus of Emperor Constantius I, from London mint, in perfect FDC quality, 3 known! This one I had to pay for, well hard work pays off in the end! Only thing is this, with coins sadly we have to lock them away in bank safety deposit boxes, insects we can display in our homes too enjoy. John
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Post by crino on Feb 20, 2011 4:24:55 GMT -8
First of all, I must apologize for my bad English. I started collecting when I was 14. Our biology teacher required us to make a project about something related to biology during one school year. Some students prepared herbariums, other made literature searches, etc. and I decided to make an insect collection. I remember that my first butterfly was a Papilio machaon which hatched from a wild pupae found by a friend of mine. I must recognize that at the beginning I was scared having an insect of that size in my hands that even started to fly in my room. I also remember being scared catching my first Mantis religiosa. But that fear was caused by the lack of information I got about nature, flora and fauna. And by the common idea in countries like Spain (still nowadays!), that insects and many other animals, are disgusting, dangerous and harmful creatures. 99% of the times I take on my hands a caterpillar, mantis, spider, beetle, snake, lizard, frog, salamander, newt, toad or whatever I find, the question I get is: “Isn’t it poisonous?” and the comment: “How disgusting!” Of course, at school we learned the capitals of every country in the world, the rivers, the affluents, the affluents of the affluents and so on. That is really useful. Well, after getting a good mark for this work, I continued interested in insects, collecting but mainly breeding to avoid killing, but I also got a big interest in reptiles and amphibians. Unfortunately I left all this when I was about 17 years old because I started going to the university, but also because I felt alone with it . At that time and that age, it was difficult to find people that have the same interests as me. Ten years later at my 27th birthday, my partner (yes, she! ) surprised me with two nice gifts: a set of unmounted jewel beetles and another one of unmounted Asian butterflies including several gloss papilios. While mounting them I decided to start with all this again and I hope it will never stop. My favourites: [glow=green,1,400]The Achillides Group!!![/glow]
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Post by nusferatus369 on Feb 20, 2011 6:48:31 GMT -8
I start collecting at the age of 7 or 8 year. But i missing to much information for making collection a this time so i quit collecting at the age of 12. 5 year ago i start again collecting local specimen. Now whit internet i have more information how to make collection . 4 year ago one of my friend introduced me to the exotic specimen. I start to buy lot on ebay. Two year ago i make my mind to specialize in Danaidae, Parnassiinae, Achillides, ornithoptera,papilio nireus group, all Paleartic, all Neartic and horn beetles.
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Post by 58chevy on Feb 20, 2011 7:34:13 GMT -8
Regarding 4H, it is an agriculture-related organization in the USA for children and teenagers. One of their activities is collecting and identifying insects. Collections are displayed and judged at annual exhibitions. The four H's stand for head, heart, hands, and health.
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Post by Khalid Fadil on Feb 20, 2011 17:11:28 GMT -8
Well, my parents have always been the outdoor types. They took me along on my first trip to the jungle when I was 5. This was in 1988. I believe that's where my fascination towards insects really kicked in. Every time I went to the jungle, the only thing my eyes could focus on were insects especially Lepidoptera. We've got all kinds here in Brazil and the diversity just blows me away even till this day. I'd always explore trails and leave some kinda butterfly/moth attractant around and go observe and collect specimens by the riverside, and then head back to the trails to see what I've managed to attract. At night, we'd just hang this huge old white tarp up and stick a couple of blindingly bright mercury vapor bulbs to it and I'd be there all night long till the break of dawn. I've managed to create quite a collection over the past 22 years. Most of which are moths because they're way more abundant and diverse. I find something new almost every night. I believe that most of the moths I have I can't identify at all. They're not in books, they're not on the Internet. I even sent photos to entomologists and collectors alike and even they don't know. I've got drawers upon drawers of these 'Unidentified' specimens. Either way... There you have it, folks. Caleb Magness, The Moth Man.
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zakvanloocke
Full Member
Looking for some of the rarer USA Sphingidae
Posts: 123
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Post by zakvanloocke on Feb 22, 2011 13:27:07 GMT -8
I started when I was 9 years old after attending an insect camp at Michigan State University. I still have the very first specimen I ever caught, granted it's only been 10 years, but it's a really cool, and big, Staphylinidae. When I first captured it I thought it was a wasp : ) Moths have always been my specialty though, I've got about 2,000 different species of Heterocera in my collection. I too, submitted my collection into 4-H throughout High School, and I now work with twig-nesting ants from Chiapas, Mexico in a lab at the University of Toledo. homepages.utoledo.edu/sphilpo/Home.html I'm the one holding one of my Sphingidae drawers under the "People" heading at the top of the page. ~Zak
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Post by entoman on Feb 24, 2011 18:57:11 GMT -8
I've been fascinated with insects my entire life and have been catching them since I was two years old (so my parents tell me, I personally cannot remember that far back). However I've always had an aversion towards killing insects so I only actually began collecting about three or four years ago. Even now I will not kill an insect unless I intend to place it in my collection, otherwise it just seems to be a waste of an insect.
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Post by entoman on Feb 24, 2011 19:13:11 GMT -8
I remember that my first butterfly was a Papilio machaon which hatched from a wild pupae found by a friend of mine. I must recognize that at the beginning I was scared having an insect of that size in my hands that even started to fly in my room. I also remember being scared catching my first Mantis religiosa. But that fear was caused by the lack of information I got about nature, flora and fauna. And by the common idea in countries like Spain (still nowadays!), that insects and many other animals, are disgusting, dangerous and harmful creatures. 99% of the times I take on my hands a caterpillar, mantis, spider, beetle, snake, lizard, frog, salamander, newt, toad or whatever I find, the question I get is: “Isn’t it poisonous?” and the comment: “How disgusting!” Of course, at school we learned the capitals of every country in the world, the rivers, the affluents, the affluents of the affluents and so on. That is really useful. Well, after getting a good mark for this work, I continued interested in insects, collecting but mainly breeding to avoid killing, but I also got a big interest in reptiles and amphibians. Unfortunately I left all this when I was about 17 years old because I started going to the university, but also because I felt alone with it . At that time and that age, it was difficult to find people that have the same interests as me. My favourites: [glow=green,1,400]The Achillides Group!!![/glow] Yes, it does seem that most people fear insects out of ignorance. Thankfully I never had this problem though. Not the problem of ignorance, we all have that to some extent or another, but of fearing insects. When I was about five years old I remember catching wasps during recess. Without a net. Frankly, I'm not sure why I did this, I'm pretty sure that I knew they could sting me, but luckily they never did. People need to experience nature more often, otherwise the general populace will always live in fear of the daddy long-legs, house flies, and moths that occasionally venture into their homes. But I guess at the moment I'm just preaching to the choir, aren't I?
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Post by jamesd on Mar 2, 2011 3:06:01 GMT -8
I've been fascinated with insects my entire life and have been catching them since I was two years old (so my parents tell me, I personally cannot remember that far back). However I've always had an aversion towards killing insects so I only actually began collecting about three or four years ago. Even now I will not kill an insect unless I intend to place it in my collection, otherwise it just seems to be a waste of an insect. entoman, Yeah I really agree with that; I actually feel quite bad when I kill one and then stuff it up or I realise I already had one et cetera. When I need it for my collection ok, but an unnecessary death is an tragedy. I used to apologise to every butterfly I killed. Wow, this topic has gotten a lot of replies, when I started it I was expected maybe a few replies. I wonder why... I guess it was an interesting question. And I got some really interesting answers! Thanks guys.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2011 8:13:57 GMT -8
I made a point of it as a young man never to deprive an insect of life whether wild caught or bred unless I was really sure that I wanted to keep it, and that each insect would have proper collecting data accompanying it, I too dont really enjoy the killing bit but where necessary it should be done as quick as possible with no damage to the specimen, that way the ones I have killed have been for a purpose instead of wanton destruction and I can rest easy.
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Post by lordpandarus on Mar 3, 2011 21:20:14 GMT -8
I had 3 phases:
1)As a kid I'd hunt butterflies in my backyard,in the neighborhood,on vacation (I remember going to Mexico and going nuts)
2)In my late teens I found out about The Butterfly Company ,Ianni and a few other "list" dealers and bought from them for about 15 years (1980 to 1995)
Stopped for about 10 years
3) In 2006 I returned in buying specimens through the web (Ken Thorne,ebay...)
Right now I'm sort of inactive again as I haven't bought anything new since last October.
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Post by timoinsects on Mar 22, 2011 20:37:58 GMT -8
i began interested beetles when i was 5 or 6 the neighboured bigger boys caught big cerambycidae(Batocera sp.) and played for fun,i folllowed them and wondered where to catch! they told me from the tree trunk and i looked for a white nothing be found.
after entering primary school about age 11 or 12,a classmate brought a small Dorcus titanus in classroom i was then so attracted by it and paied about 0.2euro(2rmb) and bought it. then the real collecting started.
at middle school,i started collecting with the native dealers in my county up to high mountion peaks they caught Teinopalpus imperialis but i just into forests to find beetles,and some Lucanus were found when they were fighting.
up and down,i didn't collected anything during 3 years at high school but just on Computer to do other things.
after entering university,4.5 years ago collecting was started again and up to now. i've had quite some collection from all over the world.
i was influenced by 1,Charles Robert Darwin 's stories when around the begining time. 2,some TV programs that i saw some overseas collectors had amazing collection,the bugs are so variation on shape,size and colours. 3,here were some native dealers in villeges in my country. i went to their house and saw many butterflies and some beetle specimens when i was in middle school. 4,it just be my nature more or less. not only insects,but also interested by some other animal taxidery,flora etc.
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