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Post by timmsyrj on Dec 17, 2015 12:17:20 GMT -8
My Ornithoptera croesus collection, with a few east solomons urvilleanus specimens..   Top drawer all lydius, bottom toeantei and nominate Rich |
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Post by tv on Dec 17, 2015 20:16:33 GMT -8
Hey Bill, just for a size reference, how big are your Macrodontia cervicornis male and Titanus giganteus? I'm trying to get a feel for how big some of the brightly colored longhorns are.
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Post by billgarthe on Dec 17, 2015 21:51:42 GMT -8
tv,
My M. Cervicornis male is 141mm. The T. giganteus male is 135mm. The A. Longimanus male is 74mm. Do realize that all these do get larger. They were big enough for me for what I was willing to pay. The longimanus is the pig of the group sizewise if memory serves me correct. The T. Giganteus does come in larger sizes with larger prices. Mine cost me enough and I was glad to get it. I'm not one of those guys who collect stuff just to be able to say mine is bigger than yours.
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Post by tv on Dec 18, 2015 5:23:41 GMT -8
I completely understand the size thing. I was just trying to get a size reference since those are the few specimens I have and can make a direct comparison to all the more exotic species I hadn't seen before. Your collection of beetles has really given me a good idea of what my collection could be one day, and what to strive toward. Thank you for posting them.
Also, that Longimanus male is phenomenal. Definitely one of my favorites.
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Post by exoticimports on Dec 18, 2015 5:30:30 GMT -8
Thanks Tom, those are incredible. Is there a cline, an interbreed region? Or is it localized?
Chuck
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Post by beetlehorn on Dec 18, 2015 5:43:52 GMT -8
Those are some of the finest O. croesus specimens I've ever seen. Very nice collections you have there Rich. In regards to Bill's comment on the size of beetles in our collections, I have to agree. Prices go up considerably with each additional mm. I am happy with nice representatives of the species, they don't have to be the most massive examples for me. In fact I sometimes value interesting elytral patterns over size as is the case with Dynastes. For example, a few years ago my wife and I were collecting Dynastes granti with Evan in Arizona. Of the dozens of specimens we encountered I focused more on distinct patterns than just trying to get the biggest ones, although we did collect some good sized examples. To myself at least, distinct patterns matter just as much as size. Tom  |
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Post by billgarthe on Dec 18, 2015 8:01:34 GMT -8
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Post by tv on Dec 18, 2015 11:31:57 GMT -8
Once again Bill, those beetle drawers are just amazing. I also like your strategy of collecting large and small specimens. While morphological variation is important it's also potentially an unending pursuit. On the other hand size is a concrete physiological limitation, so getting specimens that are toward the edges of the size distribution can help you demonstrate what the species is capable of.
Very cool
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Post by boghaunter1 on Dec 19, 2015 12:21:52 GMT -8
YES!... an amazing collection Bill... thanks for posting... only other collectors/insect enthusiasts can truly appreciate the time (1,000's of hrs. in a lifetime) taken to individually mount up each specimen... a true act of love & dedication... My back aches just thinking of it! Just curious on the mounted flying Goliath beetles? Are they mounted to show an accurate flying rendition of how they look in real life? I always thought, & mount my own, with the elytra closed & the wings spread out. I mount a few of my larger scarabs (Megasomas), Longhorn & Stag beetles with wings spread & front elytra out at a 45 degree angle... just curious..
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Post by billgarthe on Dec 19, 2015 12:51:31 GMT -8
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Post by billgarthe on Dec 20, 2015 14:47:49 GMT -8
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Post by mantisboy on Dec 20, 2015 19:17:04 GMT -8
Wow! I really like the last box! Those Manticora are great.
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Post by billgarthe on Dec 21, 2015 15:38:52 GMT -8
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Post by exoticimports on Dec 22, 2015 6:02:28 GMT -8
The drawer of A. luna is an excellent example of numerous specimens employed to demonstrate extreme variation in form related to location, and moreso, season.
Chuck
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Post by Boghaunter on Dec 22, 2015 7:20:04 GMT -8
Bill - really like the drawers from your collection showing the North American Sats Nice to see examples from other collectors personal collections which sometimes have material than their local museums do not have . I noticed in your Hemileuca drawer above I believe an example of Hemi. hera marcata which you don't see very often . Thanks ! Here is my contribution to the winter doldrums !      |
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Post by timmsyrj on Dec 22, 2015 11:00:25 GMT -8
My goliath's, rothschildi, tithonus and sole pair of paradisea..     Merry Christmas everyone.. Rich |
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Post by trehopr1 on Dec 22, 2015 11:55:58 GMT -8
Great stuff timmsyrj ! Do you have all 6 or so subspecies of Goliath ? Did you find it tougher to get descent specimens of paradisea (that you only have a pair) or did your interest change or the market ? Curious....
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Post by billgarthe on Dec 22, 2015 11:56:47 GMT -8
Quite the birdwings:)
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Post by boghaunter1 on Dec 22, 2015 12:08:03 GMT -8
Hey Boghaunter,
Is that you D.B.?...if it is... Long time no see in these forums!... Welcome back... Great to see some of your beautifully curated silk moth drawers. Merry X=mas! Apologies (Oops...Sorry!) if I have the wrong person... still great drawers though & a Merry X-mas to everyone then!
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Dec 22, 2015 12:14:31 GMT -8
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Post by boghaunter1 on Dec 22, 2015 12:18:31 GMT -8
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Post by trehopr1 on Dec 22, 2015 13:24:06 GMT -8
Wow, boghaunter1 some really impressive preparation work on those beetles ! ! My sincere compliments. VERY well done.... And, I might add some particularly impressive individual specimens. I also like the "spacing" that you have given your specimens. Each can be easily appreciated for itself and no chance of things getting broken should anything need to be removed for closer observation. Bravo.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Dec 22, 2015 17:38:59 GMT -8
Hi trehopr, Thank you very much for the generous comments; I am a bit of a perfectionist with my mounts of insects (especially huge, colourful tropical spp.) as I believe that if they were killed solely for the purpose of mere display... well... I just want to pay proper homage to them by making them look as good as possible, plus some can be very pricey & demand careful preparation... Following is a photo (taken with my phone... hope it comes out okay) of a Giant Water Bug from French Guiana Lethocerus maximus. It shows the extent to which I will go when I mount bugs... this bug, believe it or not, took me about 1.5 hrs. to do. A large Megasoma actaeon, for example, mounted in the flying position, may take me 2.5-3 hrs. to complete & may take 3-4X the number of pins shown below. This water bug is truly a giant being 105mm long in body length & 200mm (8") in wingspan. In George Beccaloni's book "Big Bugs Life Size" is pictured the supposedly world record size L. maximus with a body length of 103mm & a wingspan of 213mm (8.5"). Mine is a half inch less in wingspan, but has a slightly (+2mm) longer body. I'm pretty sure that there are specimens which will be collected (or already exist, but are hidden away, in obscure $$ private collections), that will have 120-125mm body lengths & 9-10" wingspans. I will post a photo of this bad boy (depinned) & a few other bigger spp. after X-mas/New Yrs.    |
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Post by trehopr1 on Dec 22, 2015 19:03:42 GMT -8
Boghaunter1, I absolutely share your sentiments when it comes to the "presentation" of my specimens. I too am VERY particular about "the look " of my specimens so I accord them proper homage also in my preparation. Cudos, on the preparation of that Belostomid. I've never tried one of those.
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Post by timmsyrj on Dec 23, 2015 1:29:19 GMT -8
Great stuff timmsyrj ! Do you have all 6 or so subspecies of Goliath ? Did you find it tougher to get descent specimens of paradisea (that you only have a pair) or did your interest change or the market ? Curious.... Most of my Ornithoptera came from I.F.T.A who closed down several years ago so I haven't bought any more for several years, I bought in bulk from them and sold some off at the U.K shows and exchanged some for other Ornithoptera, and I bought quite a few off eBay with the money I made from specimen sales at the shows etc. But , yes I have to say I lost interest also, mainly because I couldn't find a reliable exporter with the permits, getting them into the U.K can be a nightmare, even those I got from I.F.T.A who I'd dealt with several times still took a while to get the import permits and specimens cleared through customs, once they finished I found it difficult to get import permits. I bought some from within the E.U but moved my interest to Stichophthalma and other nymphalidae. I don't have all sub species of goliath no, but then I'm not sure anymore how many there is?, I have procus, supremus ( including f.titan), samson ( including f.joiceyi) and elizabeth-reginae, though they have probably all changed since I stopped collecting them, everything else seems to be getting split, raised or re named, all my labels stay as they where. I managed to get some of the last Ornithoptera chimaera chimaera they had before they closed down, I picked up 30 pairs, A- / A2 for I think $15 a pair, some quite damaged through insects, but still quite a good series..   Rich |
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