Tom, Could you send us a link towards his new ebay shop so that we all know his new name.
Thank you

kevinkk wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 11:55 pm Although I've "lost" a kayak and other equipment, it was sneak thieves that saw an opportunity.

Ah yes, the opportunistic petty thieves. Overall, I would say that petty theft (particularly from foreigners) has a level of cultural acceptance in many places. Certainly in parts of, or most of, Latin America.

Sometimes it's not viewed as theft, at least culturally. In Polynesia, there exists a cultural concept of communal property. It's a constant problem for some, as if your brother needs a chainsaw and you have one he'll just come and take it. There is no real "bring it back when you're done" you have to first figure out who has your chainsaw, and then go get it. Same goes for food- if your cousin is hungry and you're not home, he just helps himself. This is not theft.

It's worse in Melanesia because what we might call theft or even graft is culturally enforced. Typically, an extended family might have one working professional. If a brother or cousin asks for money, they have to give them money! If the money earner is sitting at the pub, a family member can "demand" that he buy him a few beers too. This is very strongly culturally enforced, despite being a huge divide between Melanesian and western culture. The "victims" shrug their shoulders and say there's nothing they can do but fork over the money or goods- the only way to avoid it is to physically avoid certain family members...they would NEVER EVER dare to refuse even the worst family members.

In Solomon Islands, a bunch of American Habitat for Humanity guys arrived to build houses. Free, of course. Like any good people who had been culturally briefed, they knew you NEVER wear shoes into a house. So after their first day at work building a house for the community, they returned to the guest house and removed their work boots, leaving them on the porch. The next morning all of their boots were gone. In a similar conundrum, you cannot wear shoes inside the Hagia Sofia mosque in Istanbul...but if you put them in the rack outside, they're likely to be stolen.

In a large part of the world, if an item is unattended it's fair game.

The next level up is threats and demands. For example, claiming to be the chief and demanding that the foreigner pay money for being on his land. This is so common it's laughable. The real problem is that the pansies pay up, creating a problem for everyone else.

One cannot avoid being a tourist, per se. It's not uncommon that I've been the only white guy for 200 miles- it's pretty hard to hide that I'm Palagi. I prefer foreigner over tourist, because that is what one is- foreign. As such, opportunists and criminals have a head start because they've readily identified someone who might be an easy target. But what they're really hoping for is a fool, a pushover. Being a foreigner doesn't mean one has to be a victim, but some are just inclined to be that way.

In most of the world, although petty crime is rampant, violent crime is not. This is particularly true for rural areas, just like USA. The people are friendly and kind. If the foreigner is also kind, and expresses interest in the locals and their culture, it opens a whole new world of opportunities. People will come out in droves to be your guide, to find things you need, to bring you food. And over time, once integrated into these societies you can leave your boots outside at night.

I've just come across this thread again, as I'm worried I've come across Javier (new seller in Spain, Lineares, Jaen) on ebay again selling butterflies under a different name.

The reason his ebay account is gone is in his last rounds of auctions (in my case, I bid in the december 2022 auctions) he took the money and ran. I lost only 60 euros in butterflies which were never sent, but there were more victims I've come across in FaceBook groups where entomology scammers and scams are discussed.

Very nicely put Billg.

Chuck was a long time friend of mine for 27 years.

I have much to admire, appreciate, and forever treasure (in my lifetime) through his efforts. He was a purveyor of Natural History artifacts for at least 43 years !

In my prepared eulogy at his funeral I remarked at its end that: "I will miss my friend but, his kindness, generosity, and genuine Goodwill towards others will always follow me ---- wherever I go".

Hello Tim,,

Well, now that you have heard from both "sides of the aisle" on this topic you will find your path somewhere in the middle ---- I hope.

There has been some good suggestions made here of how NOT TO LOOK LIKE A TOURIST and of how to stay "below the radar" of general attention. It has been said that it TAKES PATIENCE waiting likely (months) to get those approval permits. This is all common sense reasoning and yet it's still worth mentioning.

If you should someday find yourself ready for adventure I will always say make that first or second trip using a service/travel company OR seasoned collector/guide to see to all the arrangements of air flights, ground transportation, lodging, and period of stay. Maybe pricier this way but, YOU WILL GAIN experience yourself in the process and other trips can be finessed to your liking and at lesser expense.

I traveled in the early 1990s on two different group trips sponsored by the eminent lepidopterist Tom Emmel. Both of my trips (Ecuador, Bolivia) were absolutely wonderful in every respect; and totally carefree as Dr Emmel saw to it that everything ran smoothly. I took a third trip to the Dominican Republic with a seasoned collector and things also went smoothly and carefree. On all three trips I could focus my entire self just on being there and collecting.

A certain "devil may care" attitude seems to be easily embraced by experienced collectors OR those who are more the leader type than followers.... Many more of us are followers and we naturally want things easy and relatively trouble-free for the courtesy of us paying for the privilege !

Nothing wrong with that. We cannot all be leaders....

Should you decide on a place to go research the subject thoroughly. Weigh your options. I will still say that VERY LITTLE comes cheaply these days when traveling. If you are going to Central or South America it will likely require both a domestic flight and an international flight ($$).The rental of vehicles does not come cheaply anywhere ($) --- and the vehicle had better be a relatively new one or you may be driving a "lemon" which could break down on you.

You will want decent lodging so you are not sleeping with bed bugs or fleas (by going the frugal route). You don't want to wind up sleeping in your car or reading a road map to find your way anywhere because internet service is not very good in most places down there unless you are in the city.

Am I cautious/skeptical about international travel ?

You bet I am when going to places "UNUSUAL" for typical travel are what the intentions are.

Not everyone will necessarily agree (always) about topics brought up here. However, it does make for lively conversations and hopefully those most interested will learn something from ALL concerned.

✓ I just don't much appreciate individuals who summarily "brush off", scoff at, or belittle the wise thoughtful remarks put forth by some of us. An ALL KNOWING attitude is elitist, rude, and insulting !

You're also not "gaining any friends" when you place emojis like this alongside members posts as if laughing heartily at what they have to say....

Agree to disagree.... and move on WITHOUT YOUR attitude !

Very best Tim in whatever endeavors you choose to follow.

I'm not sure if you are making images of live insects or collection specimens but either way, I'm not a fan of ring lights. They are great for dental work.

Light illuminates, shadow defines. Because of this I like to get my light source completely off axis from my camera lens. This allows for shadow to better define your subject and make details pop. For moths and other cooperative subjects (very little movement), I use a table top studio or light cube. One side of the box is LED lit and the other sides are reflective to bounce back and wrap the light around the subject. I do not employ the box with the LED side on top, but on one side or the other to really bring out detail.

Depending on the size you select, many of these cubes go for under $100 - cheap as photography goes.

I, too, visited Chuck many times and he was always a gracious host, fun to be with, and generous with both specimens and the effort to acquire desired bugs wanted by me. Every time I walk by my 2’ tall amethyst crystal geode, fish fossil, or view my insects from him, I’ll remember the 30+ years he and I did bugs. I consider myself fortunate to have known him and as an insect friend who will be missed.

Only recently i had conversations with Chuch , a delightful man
RIP Sir.

Chuck wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 7:23 pm Kevin, how in god's name does someone get robbed while conducting field work? What did you do, stumble into a pot field

Chuck, to be fair, I wasn't robbed at gunpoint. Although I've "lost" a kayak and other equipment, it was sneak thieves that saw an opportunity.
This is an interesting thread, and I see that others have French Guiana as a likely destination, albeit the flight issue. Live and learn, in all
respects.
Our parks- yes they need to be protected from mass exodus of biology, I was asked to leave a state park in Calif. after setting up camp, I did notice
that just outside the park, there were no rules and the same bugs were about.

Hello. I might have a chance to collect some centipedes (mainly focusing on Geophilomorphs and Lithobiomorphs) in Pahang, Malaysia next year. I have read through the legislation covering collecting and exporting biological material and I plan to get in touch with the local branch of the Wildlife and Parks department to enquire about permits.
I will not be collecting in any National Parks or protected areas but I wanted to ask if anyone has had experience with collecting in peninsular Malaysia and safely and legally exporting material collected there. Is it possible to sort out permits and such paperwork without a local collaborator to help with the process? To my knowledge, legislation around collecting is much more lax than in Sarawak/Sabah and Indonesia but I couldn't find much. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello. I am an undergraduate student from Romania but have been collecting centipedes for around 6 years now and am currently active in centipede taxonomy and systematics.

livingplanet3 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 6:01 pm Very interesting to read about these various experiences, perspectives and comments - a lot of useful information in this thread, for anyone considering a collecting trip to the tropics.

Really, a lot is applicable to USA as well. Aside from the permit & import element involved with international, the same risks and challenges exist. Then again, the permit issue DOES raise its head in USA with MILLIONS of acres of National Parks, National Monuments, State Parks, wildlife refuges, and even Native American reservations.

Jason D., at Cornell stated "your collection is your legacy" I'm not sure what good a bought and paid legacy is. Having valued a couple collections for donation purposes, I grow intimate with the collector through their personally captured specimens- I know where they went on vacation in 1976, I know when they got serious about collecting, I know which years during which they were at their peak. Some people collect refrigerator magnets to mark their travels but those go in the trash; an insect collection lives on, keeping the memory of that researcher alive.

Kevin, how in god's name does someone get robbed while conducting field work? What did you do, stumble into a pot field?

Very interesting to read about these various experiences, perspectives and comments - a lot of useful information in this thread, for anyone considering a collecting trip to the tropics. I myself have only ever traveled outside the US twice; both trips were to Australia, lasted around 6 weeks each time, and included a lot of road travel, but didn't actually involve insect collecting. That was around 25 years ago, and with the life changes that have come since that time, it's a bit hard for me to imagine making such long and involved excursions again. But, time will tell. If I do eventually visit a place such as Peru or French Guiana, it will certainly be much more focused on the experience itself, than bringing back any specimens. I already have far more specimens than I had ever intended to acquire, and I'm sure there are others on this forum who can say the same.

Uncertain, but it may be a nymph of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) -

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1254066

Over the years, I've used bait stations (large roach) to control this species, with considerable success. In my case, they seem to be more of a seasonal, intermittent problem, than a continuous one.

Thanks Adam, you're the best!

Let me reflect on age. I know a lot of collectors who, like me, planned to go "there" sometime "later." And they never got there. The reason is because by the time the travel became convenient they'd lost the ability.

International travel is brutally expensive (comparatively) when one is young. One trip could be 10% of 20% of the annual salary. And, being young generally brings some level of naivety- however, the young often learn fast.

Then life gets in the way.

Once you have a significant other/ spouse the challenges start: "why do you want to leave me? We could use the money for a house."

Then children. You going to leave the kids for two or three weeks? Leave them for the wife to care for? As a single father, my last three trips to Solomon Islands involved ZERO field work- I went there, did work work, and rushed back. Talk about a shame. This period of your life lasts 20-25 years. When you're done you will not be the same person as before.

All along, costs increase. House. Two cars. Insurance. Family vacations.

Now, with some free time, and some money, I suppose I could go overseas again. But guess what, I don't have the stamina to pull off the extended lack of sleep and physical abuse of field work for sustained periods. My friends in the Pacific clamor for me to come back, free lodging! And I'm sure I'd enjoy the trip, but sure as heck I'd not be the explorer I once was.

Go when you're young.

As recommended by Chuck, I moved all the posts below this one to a new topic called Global travel collecting at:

viewtopic.php?t=1554

Please continue that thread there rather than here, so posts about Agrias can continue in this thread.

Adam.

Chuck wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 12:55 pm This discussion on Agrias has evolved into an important topic on global travel collecting, I hope it's split out on its own.

I eventually managed to do as requested!

Adam.

Chuck wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 12:55 pm es, there are places to avoid. In USA, the red/blue voting map is a good start- stay out of red areas. The good thing is that there aren't many insects of interest in the red areas. These areas are largely urban areas, and the same rule applies elsewhere- avoid. This is, of course, dependent on the area. And I think John already stated: stay out of bars, strip joints, social demonstrations; and nothing good ever happens after 10pm.

I've been robbed twice in Oregon. In the field. I wouldn't set foot any where near Portland, or any other population center.

That being said, I do have wonderful memories of my trip to the Dominican Republic back in the 80's, it was a group organized by a Florida travel agency, advertised in the Lepidopterist's Society.

eurytides wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 12:30 am Keep an eye out for pipevine and zebra swallowtails.

They've both been flying in the mountains of Eastern TN for several weeks now, on the odd sunny warm days. But there's been a lot of cool, rainy weather that has kept numbers down.

jh

eurytides wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 12:30 am Keep an eye out for pipevine and zebra swallowtails.

Zebras should be flying in KY as soon as this storm front passes.

Pipevines fly in FL pretty much year round; certainly they are out and abundant by now.

Near Lake Ontario, I did see a Pieris rapae the last few days of March. Since then, nothing. We are one month from the emergency of the Papilio glaucus "spring form" and that's when my work starts- somewhat ironically, I just dug the last thorn from 2023 out of my thigh.