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Post by exoticimports on Oct 21, 2020 12:44:56 GMT -8
It was long ago, but I stayed at Lamanai Outpost Lodge on the New River Lagoon. Very cool place; caiman all over, fresh water tarpon, tarantulas. I can't say I got any insects that were extremely rare, but did catch some great material in the area. lamanai.com/ Yeah, bring your own MV and a spare. My trips to Ecuador and Solomon Islands I also took a generator- in my luggage! If you can find a helpful local whom you're staying with see if they can arrange a generator rental ahead of time. This may be important, because 80% of the material you bring back will probably come from MV. If you're in the tropics in the right place and right time, it isn't like sitting drinking beer waiting for Catocala to show up. Chuck |
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Post by jshuey on Oct 21, 2020 14:01:08 GMT -8
Quick answers
1. Bringing a light from the USA seems delicate. Are there places there who sell or rent them?
Bring your "proven" light with you... You will want to make sure that you have one that is really attractive to insects. Hickatee runs a light until they turn the generator off, and it is pretty pathetic what it draws in. You want something that you know will attract insects. And a light extension chord and everything else you need. When I used to do this, I usually had 50' to get me from the outlet to somewhere the bugs would not cause problems for other guests. Most places will have power for you to plug into. A few are off the grid. Make sure you understand this if it is important before you book places to stay.
2. If I wanted top use GoogleMaps to get around, how is cell phone reception in the cities?
Ha - you make me laugh a little!! Here is what works - usually. Almost everywhere you stay will have wifi. Download the maps at your hotel, plot your destination and then leave the app on. Then with your GPS on, you should be able to plot your course on the map. But don't even think you are going to download any data while you are in the car. The reality of driving around in Belize, is that there are really just 4 main High ways, and everything is fairly well marked off of those. Towns are so small, you really can't get that lost.
And don't drive in Belize City unless you have really figured out the Google Maps thing. It's really a smallish town, but crazy streets that seem to go nowhere, cut by canals and rivers. It can indeed be confusing. So, if you are in the city for some crazy reason - take a cab.
3. My biggest nets have 8' handles. I know there are longer ones for higher 'canopy' reach (20'). What nets do you use?
I use BioQuips tropics nets which I think gives me about 20' of reach (with me being about 6' of that). They extend quickly and lock fairly well into place. I use the big collapsible net ring that BioQuip sells, with their really light delicate net on it. (take a couple extra bags if you go this route - they work well on the extended net, but they tear pretty easily. The real problem with these handles is that they do not last very long - 2-3 hard trips. For the price - you would hope for better.
ok 4...or 5
4. I've used this bait - Molasses, brown sugar, rum, and rotting bananas. What do you think?
Simple bait in the tropics works best. I take a pack of baker's yeast with me, and of course a container to make the bait in. From the airport, I drive south into the edges of Belize City and hit Brodies store. I buy a pound or two of lightly refined sugar (Cane sugar), some normal ripe bananas and over ripe platanos (black skins). Slice the bananas and platanos in the parking lot (leave the skin on), cover with water, add a cup of sugar and the yeast, shake it and seal it up. You will have attractive bait the next day. Even better the second day. Buy enough extra fruit and sugar to allow you to keep adding to your mixture as you place it in the traps. And don't be afraid to keep it really wet in the traps - you need fermentation and the heat of the day will dry it out. Or a storm overflows everything and flushes it out, Either way, add more sugar water and fruit to the traps daily as needed. You want it to be actively fermenting in the field.
Brodies is like the walmart of Belize, only with high prices and only 2 locations. What they do have is selection, and just about anything you need can be found there.
5. Pitfall traps for beetles.....Ever used them?
Yes-ish. A guy I travel with regularly does, and I help him set them up now and then. He sets them up in threes and lets them run for as long as possible. Uses your dung+maltose and water, rotting mushrooms in water and carrion in water as bait (he is after hister beetles, but most of the catch is other things). You will not find malt sugar in Belize - you will have to bring it with you. And he often carried pre-dried button mushrooms with him, to re-hydrate in the field. We would by fish or cow organs at Brodies for the carrion. He used traps everywhere, but we always tried to set at least two sets on the first day or so, that we picked back up as we were leaving the country. Typically, dung and carrion produced several hundred dead bugs after a week or so in each trap (the rotting mushrooms was more selective and not as generally attractive). He always used propylene glycol as the preservative for those longer runs - so that if jaguars drank it, we would not kill them. You can probably get by with brine for shorter time periods - and buy salt at Brodies. But your traps are going to need rain-roofs that are secured with wire mesh to keep animals out of your bait. We stored the captured material in WhirlPacs with rubbing alcohol for the trip home, and then he sorts through it later. Somewhere in the forum, are photos of his system that I posted a few years back - search for pit fall traps..
God luck,
john
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Post by jshuey on Oct 21, 2020 16:01:05 GMT -8
One thing I did not mention on the itinerary, is you can go up to the Maya Mountains - but places are very expensive up there. Francis Ford Copula has a place up there if you are willing to shell out the $$. All the places are in the oak pine habitats, but as you drive north to Caracol Ruins, you will cross the river and immediately you are in rainforest (limestone versus granite). Right at the bridge can be wonderful, as the Belize Defense Force trains there and have a system of trails that are great collecting. And the road to the ruins run through miles and miles of forest. This is the Vaca Plateau, and the altitude is just high enough that you get bugs that don't show up elsewhere in Belize (~700m). Anyplace along he road, where you see trails cut into the forest, those are great. And the ruins are worth seeing - the largest in Belize. But it's at least an hour and a half to get there from accommodations.
There is a nice place at Rio Fio Cave, not far from the resorts, that is on limestone as well. Again, the change from pine to rainforest happens as just a crease - one minute it's hot and dry, the next you are in rain forest. Just 30 minutes or so from most of the accommodations.
The oak pine is ok collecting, especially along the riparian areas next to rivers. Lots of rainforest species follow these paths into the mountains, but you see the bugs at much lower densities And if you can find nectar - usually isolated trees - you find really interesting hairstreaks and skippers. But if you are after quantity - probably not what you are looking for. The flip side, is that a MV light would do great up here - especially for sphingids and beetles - if you had a place that was a great set-up.
Can you tell COVID is killing me? We had a trip to either Guatemala or the DR planned for June. That didn't happen. Maybe, we'll go someplace in early summer if things cool down or there is a real vaccine. I need the tropics!
John
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Post by wollastoni on Oct 22, 2020 0:35:11 GMT -8
French Guyana is a must because you are in the Amazon forest without the issues of some very poor countries (bribery, violence...). Visit the website of InsectNet sponsor : Amazone Nature Lodge for more details : www.amazonenature.com/And if you like Morpho and Saturniids, it is a must ! |
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Post by wingedwishes on Oct 26, 2020 18:13:21 GMT -8
French Guyana and amazone were a probable but for the limits of 1000 specimens. Pooks Hill emailed me and told me there might be difficulty with a commercial permit. They are looking into it.
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Post by exoticimports on Oct 27, 2020 4:05:10 GMT -8
French Guyana and amazone were a probable but for the limits of 1000 specimens. Pooks Hill emailed me and told me there might be difficulty with a commercial permit. They are looking into it. Start asking for a museum or institution affiliation? I don't believe any such thing is available from LepSoc. Noting the contribution of advanced students of entomology who are not career entomologists, I've wondered if we should not start an organization for the advancement of entomology that does offer affiliations, letters of reference, templates for research requests, etc. Beyond that, there are a number of online entities that publish scientific papers, often to the chagrin of established hardcopy publishers; last I knew the latter did not want to recognize research (e.g., newly described species) that were published online (e.g., Zootaxa). I wonder if this has changed. Chuck |
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Post by Paul K on Oct 27, 2020 4:22:21 GMT -8
Why commercial permit? As we are not professional entomologist can’t we apply for scientific permit?
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Post by nomihoudai on Oct 27, 2020 5:52:02 GMT -8
You are always free to apply for a scientific permit when you
a) Leave the specimen in an institution and don't keep them at home.
b) Write and publish a paper to report your findings.
I guess commercial permit it is then.
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Post by exoticimports on Oct 27, 2020 8:13:21 GMT -8
Why commercial permit? As we are not professional entomologist can’t we apply for scientific permit? There are a variety of reasons why one would get a commercial permit, and I suppose anyone can apply for anything. I don't recall who in Belize Govt issued my research permit, but anyway it was a long time ago and has probably changed. Depending on your country of residence, you may or may not be able to sell the specimens imported with a research permit. This is important from a socio-economic perspective when poor villagers approach you wanting to sell specimens- that money can mean a lot to them. In one country I conducted research the commercial permit was issued by Dept. of Natural Resources (with which I worked) and the research permit was issued by Dept. of Education (and everyone in the chain of command didn't give a damn about research, they only wanted bribe money.) In some cases, the issuing government is more fond of "commercial" permitees, since the research world has a documented habit of recording far more than [butterflies, etc.] and creating havoc. One researcher I know exposed a big scandal, and (surprise, dumbass) spent 30 days in self-confinement while the wholesale ripoff was completed; when it was done a judge fined him under US$100 and told him to get out of the country. Of course, in India, Brazil, Turkey and other countries they prefer NOBODY go snooping around; applicants are well researched and if there is anything found that they've made noise in the past, no permit. Bureaucracy is about control, and few bureaucrats simply issue permits for the good of ecology. "I'm with [Nature Conservancy/ Shell Oil/ BMNH]" screams money; "I'm Paul and I like butterflies" does not. That said, it is presumed that professionals have the experience to keep themselves alive and out of trouble, whereas "Joe Average" (I can tell you) is VERY likely to do something stupid and get damaged, make a horrifying cultural error, or run out of money. In any event, first-time research in a developing country will bring unexpected surprises. It is not for those who need comfort, can't think fast, can't talk their way out of trouble, are not well versed in critical first aid, are out of shape, etc. Chuck |
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Post by Adam Cotton on Oct 27, 2020 8:16:59 GMT -8
Beyond that, there are a number of online entities that publish scientific papers, often to the chagrin of established hardcopy publishers; last I knew the latter did not want to recognize research (e.g., newly described species) that were published online (e.g., Zootaxa). I wonder if this has changed. Chuck Zootaxa papers are available online, but they also provide printed copies to a specified number of libraries to comply with the ICZN Code requirements for publications. Many online only journals also completely comply with the 2012 amendment to the ICZN Code, so that even though they only publish electronically without any paper copies they are also Code compliant and all nomentlatural acts in their papers are validly published. No-one can unilaterally refuse to accept publications which comply with the ICZN Code, whether in paper or electronic form. Adam. |
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Post by exoticimports on Oct 27, 2020 8:42:58 GMT -8
Beyond that, there are a number of online entities that publish scientific papers, often to the chagrin of established hardcopy publishers; last I knew the latter did not want to recognize research (e.g., newly described species) that were published online (e.g., Zootaxa). I wonder if this has changed. Chuck Zootaxa papers are available online, but they also provide printed copies to a specified number of libraries to comply with the ICZN Code requirements for publications. Many online only journals also completely comply with the 2012 amendment to the ICZN Code, so that even though they only publish electronically without any paper copies they are also Code compliant and all nomentlatural acts in their papers are validly published. No-one can unilaterally refuse to accept publications which comply with the ICZN Code, whether in paper or electronic form. Adam. Good to know. My most recent experience is a decade ago when a colleague got tired of waiting for a "name brand" publication to publish a new description, and when he went with ZooTaxa there was "criticism" that ZooTaxa wasn't valid. I'm presuming that most or all of the scientific community has come on board. I need to find a list of publications that comply with ICZN code; I was reading a paper (by an acknowledged expert) last week in an online publication and was surprised that the publication/paper subject matters struck me as out of alignment. But perhaps it's another case of tiring of the wait, or making a statement about the "name brand" publications, I don't know and didn't ask. Chuck |
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Post by bobw on Oct 27, 2020 15:35:52 GMT -8
I've published my last couple of papers in Zootaxa and reviewed a few by other authors for them. It's considered a reputable online journal and everything published in it is valid, I certainly wouldn't use them if it wasn't.
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Post by wingedwishes on Oct 27, 2020 19:30:48 GMT -8
With my collecting I was planning on recording a very large amount of data. I would have data for specimens not usually recorded but I believe very valuable for research although not under an institutional permit. For example - Each would have GPS, time of day, temp, humidity.... May have more like elevation, wind, condition of location (disturbed forest, rocky, river etc).
Though I sell, I teach groups for about 5 hours a week on conservation and restoration. My own time. This is one thing I love to do now that I am retired.
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Post by exoticimports on Nov 3, 2020 5:42:43 GMT -8
With complete coincidence, I stumbled across an ATL NOTES issue dated March/ June 2005. A lengthy discourse by J. B. Heppner is titled "Internet Publications?"
Two quotes from the article:
"One new site, the 'so-called' 'journal' titled Zootaxa..."
"All internet postings of new names should be invalid even if within the current Code."
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Post by Adam Cotton on Nov 3, 2020 7:06:14 GMT -8
With complete coincidence, I stumbled across an ATL NOTES issue dated March/ June 2005. A lengthy discourse by J. B. Heppner is titled "Internet Publications?" Two quotes from the article: "One new site, the 'so-called' 'journal' titled Zootaxa..." "All internet postings of new names should be invalid even if within the current Code." Until 2012 all e-only journals were not ICZN Code compliant and any new names or other nomenclatural acts in them (lectotype designations etc etc) were not validly pubblished under the Code and thus not recognised. Strict requirements for e-only publication were implemented in the Code amendment I mentioned above, and names and other nomenclatural acts that do not comply with the amendment are unavailable under the Code. See www.iczn.org/the-code/electronic-publication-made-available-with-amendment-to-the-code/ for details of the amendment. Obviously John Heppner was not aware in 2005 that Zootaxa has always published paper copies of each work to ensure that the works are Code compliant. Certainly names 'published' on webpages are unavailable under the Code, and similarly if someone proposed a new name on Insectnet it would have no validity whatsoever. I should add that there is an important distinction between nomenclature and taxonomy. There is no Code governing taxonomic publication, and if someone posted on Insectnet that "a is a synonym of b" that would be regarded as a taxonomic opinion, although it would be normal for such information to be published in a publication, even if completely electronic and not compliant with the ICZN Code. Adam. |
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