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Post by livingplanet3 on Apr 8, 2021 13:08:34 GMT -8
I've had my trap set up all day, but thus far, the only thing that's ended up in it is a single wasp. The bait was prepared on Sun morning, but doesn't seem to have that characteristic fermentation odor, as of yet. I'm surprised that there aren't even any flies on it. The temperature exceeded 85 F here today. But, I haven't actually seen very many butterflies around at all; maybe it's still just a bit too early in the season? Might need to wait until closer to May? -
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Post by Adam Cotton on Apr 8, 2021 14:16:31 GMT -8
I remember reading a paper about surveying butterflies in a S Thailand locality using fruit bait traps many years ago. One of their conclusions was that Papilionidae are very rare! Of course the reason they didn't catch Papiliionidae was because they aren't attracted to fruit. Oh, well... Paul K said that males of all Papilionidae can be collected on urine bait in SE Asia. That is almost correct, except that some species, particularly Meandrusa do not come to urine. I have never seen Meandrusa at urine, but they do mud-puddle. I noticed that they seem to like rotting leaves along stream edges or in puddles in the forest. I remember one time in Thabok, Laos, I had several urine baited areas around a rocky surface along a stream. A male of Meandrusa payeni flew down and totally ignored all the urine laced mud and went straight to sit in a hole in the flat rock surface which had many wet rotting leaves inside. Similarly I have seen payeni attracted to places where there are many rotting leaves along the edge of a stream. When they sit with wings closed they look like one of the leaves and are completely invisible unless you either see them fly down or almost tread on them, when they will fly up in front of your face. Adam.
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Post by Paul K on Apr 8, 2021 15:14:38 GMT -8
Indeed I also have never seen Meandrusa at urine in fact I never find one nor see one at all. I must to be always in wrong season or locality. Because of that I mentioned all Papilionidae simply forgetting about this genus. Another genus which I have never seen is Teinopalpus so I can’t confirm if it’s true in regarding mud puddling at urine.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Apr 8, 2021 18:33:07 GMT -8
Did you add any sugar to your fruit Bait??
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Post by livingplanet3 on Apr 8, 2021 18:40:55 GMT -8
Did you add any sugar to tour fruit Base?? Yes - 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Would it have helped to add a pinch of active dry yeast?
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Post by mothman55 on Apr 9, 2021 5:17:28 GMT -8
The photo above, that looks like a lot of bait for one trap? I generally put a few teaspoons of bait onto a sponge. And not a lot of resting spots for the leps, would expect to see a lot of bugs caught in the mixture. Can you advise us Leptraps, how do you do it?
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Apr 9, 2021 8:27:53 GMT -8
Yeast accelerates fermentation and shortens the useful life of the Bait.
I have an article that I wrote many moons ago. Should any of you want or would like a copy, e-mail me at: Leptraps@aol.com.
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Post by livingplanet3 on Apr 10, 2021 12:37:58 GMT -8
Yeast accelerates fermentation and shortens the useful life of the Bait. I have an article that I wrote many moons ago. Should any of you want or would like a copy, e-mail me at: Leptraps@aol.com. Noted - won't add any yeast, then.
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Post by livingplanet3 on Jun 22, 2021 8:39:06 GMT -8
I set up my trap again several days ago, after having let some fruit bait sit out in the heat and sun for a few days prior to ferment. For the most part, what ended up in the trap were hundreds of flies. A few Asterocampa celtis and Polygonia interrogationis came, but only the Asterocampa actually managed to get trapped - the Polygonia kept to the outside of the screen, and might not have ever even reached the bait. Maybe I need to adjust some aspect of the bait pan's placement? Probably the most interesting thing that showed up on the bait, was this Harlequin Flower Scarab ( Gymnetis thula) -
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Post by exoticimports on Jun 22, 2021 9:14:30 GMT -8
That’s a gorgeous beetle. It only takes one to make the effort worth while.
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Post by livingplanet3 on Jun 22, 2021 10:06:11 GMT -8
That’s a gorgeous beetle. It only takes one to make the effort worth while. I agree - among the Flower Scarabs found in the US, Gymnetis thula is certainly one of the most strikingly colored. I currently have nearly 100 adults that have just emerged over the past few weeks, and many larvae. I've been rearing this species continuously for more than 15 years, started from a group of around 8 adults that I collected in my backyard, on a fermenting sap flow on a mimosa tree. The larvae feed on the compost that forms inside tree holes. It's one of the easiest of all flower beetles to breed, is incredibly prolific, and is always one of the first species that I recommend to beginning hobbyists. The adults are surprisingly long lived, too - up to a year in some cases -
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Post by trehopr1 on Jun 22, 2021 13:58:40 GMT -8
Just wondering how variable the patterns are on this species ?
Seems like you could have quite a collection of these fellows if they're reasonably variable... Maybe a whole drawer's worth or two (at least).
Idle curiosity.
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Post by livingplanet3 on Jun 22, 2021 14:11:28 GMT -8
Just wondering how variable the patterns are on this species ? Seems like you could have quite a collection of these fellows if they're reasonably variable... Maybe a whole drawer's worth or two (at least). Idle curiosity. The pattern on the elytra is quite consistent, with very little variation. The markings on the pronotum vary somewhat, however.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Jun 23, 2021 12:25:58 GMT -8
I tried fish as bait and the only thing I collected were filth flies/house flies (Musca domestica). And lots of them.......!
No matter what type of Bait you use, Musca domestica will be part of the catch. And rotting fish will really bring in the filth flies/house flies (Musca domestica). I tried numerous things to prevent filth flies/house flies (Musca domestica) from entering the trap or to make it easy for them to escape while retaining everything but the filth flies/house flies (Musca domestica). Nothing seemed to work. I even cut a hole in the top center of the trap and sewed in a two (2) inch Square of 1/4 inch screen to let out the entraped flies. I learned that the filth flies could get into the trap a whole lot faster than they could escape.
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