Cuban Swallowtails

[leptraps]

Way back in the early 1980's, I traded Lepidopteta with a collector in Toronto, Canada. He was somehow related to someone in the Canadian Government in foreign affairs and as a result spent sometime in Cuba. He was able collect and return to Canada with specimens.

He and his family visited Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Ms Betty and I were living in Coral Springs, Florida at the time (1983) and we met them for dinner one evening near Sarasota. He gave me a box with about 50 specimens from Cuba.

When I returned home they went into my freezer, and there they remaind until last week when the freezer finally died. I then found the box of Cuban Lepidoptera.

There were four (4) specimens of Heraclides oxynius. I placed them along with several specimens of Heraclides aristodemus temenes in my relaxer. I have Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus from Florida that I collected in the late 1960's.

I also placed several specimens of Phoebis philea and Urbanus dorantes(?). It has been many years since I have mounted old papered specimens.

[Adam Cotton]

I was a bit confused by "Heraclides oyxalus", and realised you must mean oxynius.

Adam.

[livingplanet3]

Impressive that you have a box of 50 Lepidoptera specimens from Cuba. Perhaps equally impressive, is that you had a freezer that lasted for nearly 40 years!

[leptraps]

I have corrected the spelling. I finished spreading them today and placed 15 more in my relaxer. There were several leaf wings??

At the age of 76, I would like to make another collecting trip to Jamaica. Maybe in mid-October 2022??

[exoticimports]

Jamaica has gone downhill. I’d advise against except for those who can handle precarious situations

[leptraps]

After reading the the Species list from a current Alaskan journey, I just might make another journey North. I could probably take several weeks. Collect all the way to Alaska, a couple of weeks in Alaska, and a couple of weeks getting back home.

How does that sound.

I have said this several times before. At the age of 76, with good health and still rather agile. I think I could do this.

[luehdorf]

Heraclides oxynius is nice, I saw them being sold here in Germany for 300-500 USD per male, 300 for A- and 500 usd for A1. But it seems there aren't any currently sold in the market. Would be awesome to see some photos once you they are off the spreading board!