The cutest cows I've seen here.

I will be travelling in mid June (peak season) to Alberta’s Rocky Mountains from Banff to Waterton Lakes NP.
Does anyone know reliable location for Anthocharis julia sulphuris ?

Superb!

I first submitted Catocala adults for use in the MONA Catocala Fascicle in the early 1970s, That is over a half century ago. Gall (the 3rd author for the Catocala fascicle) took over around 40 years ago. Over this half century, I have personally discovered about 12 species of Catocala new to science here in Louisiana. In fact more species of Catocala are documented by me than are known for any other location worldwide. Early on, I described three of these new underwing species, and stopped there. A real difficult thing to do, because apparently there are more self-proclaimed Catocala experts than there are ants on earth. I moved on to working on some of the other 400+ moths new to science I have discovered here in Louisiana. Several persons who viewed my collection to look at my new species of Catocala, and I allowed them to sleep in my home for days and fed them. Later these mf's stabbed me in the back by describing a few of my new species, never mentioning me or that I possessed the first known specimens, or even acknowledging my involvement, nor including my material as part of the original TYPE series. There are quite a few MONA authors who have done these types of dastardly deeds. There are MONA authors that have worked on Fascicles for 10-20 years that have given up, and quite a few have died before, during, and after working on MONA Fascicles. The very first advertisement about 55 years ago announcing the MONA project was accompanied by a single color plate of N.A. Arctiidae. Yet not a single Arctiidae MONA fascicle has made an appearance now over 55 years later, but it probably will be produced by someone considered one of the most dishonest and corrupt persons involved in entomology over the past century. A common theme with many of the past MONA volumes is ramped plagiarism, and I make note, the majority of them have one or more acronyms behind their name. Obviously having advanced degrees does not mean these individual are decent and honest peoples. And while I am on this distasteful subject, there are a few well known entomologist in N.A. that will pester others to obtain new undescribed species in order to send these new species to other persons that agree to name the new sp after them, not necessarily after the person who provided the material, or who may have first discovered it 40 years before. Others MONA authors I have sent new species of lepidoptera to for inclusion in MONA have gone on to claim that new species I first discovered 40-50 years ago, suddenly announce they were the first to discover these new species. When I was the person who first told these dishonest MONA authors, that they were undescribed species new to science. There are several MONA authors who have borrowed thousands of specimens for use in MONA, only to refuse to send them back to me and other collectors for a decades and longer. Other MONA authors have been responsible for the total destruction of thousands of borrowed specimens. Because of these bastards, I no longer offer my materials and knowledge to just anyone. They want something from me, they can read about it in one of my hundreds of entomological publications. The last dishonest person who refused to return my loaned lepidoptera materials was at the Canadian National Collection and refused to return my materials for nearly 11 years. This was only partly resolved after I filed a formal complaint with the Minister of Agriculture in the Canadian Government. I don't need this crap.

The general public is totally unaware that the first MONA fascicle (N.A. Sphingidae) left out 8 different species known at that time captured in the USA. And that didn't include the several handfuls of taxonomical errors and misidentifications that were also published. Also, there are hundreds if not thousands of errors in all of these half century of MONA fascicles, all of these kept a complete secret by the governing board of MONA (past and present). I have some of these secret lists of errors in MONA. All of the entomologists who were instrumental in starting MONA are no longer with the living.

Keep in mind, no one person can be an all-knowing expert for even a single state, much less for worldwide knowledge as there are hundreds to thousands of now documented new invasive species from throughout the world into N.A.. I know as I have published about dozens of these lepidoptera species. Every person makes mistakes, the only persons who do not make mistakes are those that do not do anything.

If one wants to discover new species, start collecting microlepidoptera. There are probably 500-1000 undescribed new species right outside your home at this moment.

Photo for attention: Petunia the bull, and Nancy the cow. My entire vast heard of cattle, numbering as many as (2).

As perfectly said by Manfred, females of ssp mauensis vary a lot, with some wonderful forms : see on the Agrias website : https://agrias-butterflies.com/agrias-p ... -mauensis/

There are less variations in female aurantiaca : https://agrias-butterflies.com/agrias-p ... urantiaca/

Chuck wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 12:15 pm Foreign languages may present a challenge, but for the open minded they are not insurmountable.
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Easy. After a week in Naples, I was told by my sister's husband I was speaking better than people who had been at the base for more than a year.
It's a sign of respect. Without a "smartphone".
Same with access, private property is that way for a reason.

Outstanding specimen !

Very nicely done on the spreading !

Found a huge greenish pupa on a willow branch back in January. The female eclosed in mid-April. This is a common butterfly in California, however, the size of that specimen is above my expectations: about 99-100 mm wingspan in the "standard" spread position.

Really gorgeous images! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you Bill for the comparison photograph.

I zoomed in on the lower specimens forewing "wing pattern" and I can see many points where certain markings, line squiggles, blank cells are all pretty much in the same place except that it is a VERY melanic appearing individual.

It could be that perhaps it's diet as a larvae was on something a bit different for the species or the nutrient contents were richer thus producing this dark one.

Marvelously different for the species.

I imagine that trying to put together a Mona fascicle on these moths (just for the eastern half of the US) could prove to be very daunting for anyone because of variations within species, notable forms, and even possible hybridization of some species.

A tough subject indeed....

Yes, as 58chevy said, it's related to rubicunda. More here too viewtopic.php?p=8763&hilit=rubicunda#p8763

Chien Lee is one of the best nature photographers on the planet. Many of his subjects are insects. He regularly leads expeditions to remote areas of the globe, especially southeast Asia. A friend of mine has traveled with him several times and highly recommends him as a travel guide. He takes care of all accommodations and is very knowledgeable about all the flora & fauna of the regions he frequents. According to my friend, he can spot an insect a mile away that nobody else would notice.

https://photos.chienclee.com/index/G0000DxTz75evl1M

It was Dryocampa kendalli. Looks a lot like D. rubicunda.

Dave Wagner and friends just described a new Anisota from the Texas Hill Country that looks a lot like virginiensis. Apparently it is quite rare, until it has huge outbreaks - then apparently quite abundant - especially the larvae. It was in the latest issue of the Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society.

..., or may it was Dryocampa rubicunda? Heck it's a moth - so I barely pay attention!

John

Here is a closer view/comparison. It was caught in north central Illinois.

wollastoni wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 6:24 am
The good practice is to have a guide who will ask before entering a "land" the cost and negotiate it. Usually a pack of cigarettes + few dollars will make the job. If you don't negotiate "before", then they will ask you to pay "to leave the land"... and here the cost can be huge as you are seen as a very rude man that should be punished for his rudeness.

This is virtually universal, including in USA.

Look at it from the landowner's perspective. They work the land, they work it hard. But things are rather consistent.

Then you show up with your butterfly net.

You are bringing nothing to their life, whether in Montana or Ecuador. Your presence can be of zero benefit. In fact, quite the opposite: your presence is likely to be a problem.

First, the common anecdote which I've advised many times: "never trust a white man." Locals think it's odd coming from me, but it's true. They well known that historically white men bring problems, they virtually never improve any situation. They're always up to something. This works in Montana too: what good have urban or suburban people ever brought? Answer is "nothing".

At one roadblock it was quickly explained "no white men allowed past, no exceptions" (I understand the local language.) Despite having a local guide, that was set in stone. The only way we got past after 30 minutes was because we'd brought a third person with a relative in the destination village. On Guadalcanal, several researcher friends who are white, born on Guadalcanal, are not allowed in some remote areas, so have to send Guadalcanal natives. These researchers KNOW they are not permitted there, and know better to push their luck because they are at serious risk of physical injury or death.

Second, your butterfly net. What are you doing here? The worst answer is "I'm looking for endangered butterflies." Oh, what bad could possibly come from your good intent? Well, if you find one and report it, their land could be inundated by (in USA) USFWS, BLM (Bureau of Land Management), etc. and the next thing they know they've lost the grazing rights on 1000 acres. God forbid you find an arrowhead too.

You bring nothing to the table, you're only a problem.

The same in rural/ remote foreign areas. You bring nothing but problems. They already know that butterfly lives on their land, they don't need you to tell them. And they don't need more of your type running around smashing gardens and making noise. Oh dear, you ran out of food, you got hurt. Well, then somebody has to care for you...more of a drain.

Those who precede you have already put a nail in your coffin. Many pretend to be hikers or ecologists or whatever, but actually represent the interests of mining, logging, or other unwanted concerns. Nothing good came of them- what good can come from you. Who are you really?

On that, even collectors cause problems. I arrived at the Solomon Islands Dept of Natural Resources office to get an export permit. Sitting down with the #2 guy, my friend, I said that and his eyes lit afire, and as dark as his skin was I could see the red flush of extreme anger. Two very well known lepidopterists had come into country unannounced, collected, and skipped the country. To say that the DNR staff was angry is an understatement. "NO PERMITS!" took a while to get past, even when I had established interpersonal and professional relationships.

How would you feel if you came home to find that your brother's family was playing volleyball in your back yard and drinking your sodas and beer? It's universal that property ownership, whether personal or communal, is to be respected. So by showing up in Arizona ranch land or the deepest of Amazon, you're breaking a globally universal social norm, if nothing else.

As wollastoni cited, acknowledging land rights is respectful. In many cultures, the simplest, cheapest gift is expected. In Fiji, one brings Kava as a gift for the chief- even though they have PLENTY of Kava. Then, you will sit and drink that Kava with them. In Idaho, you go from farmhouse to farmhouse to find out who owns the land you want to explore, provide a simple gift (perhaps cigarettes, perhaps some 30-30 ammo) and maybe load some cow manure. Whether Fiji or Idaho, AFTER they get some of your time to analyze you, you might be granted access. And if you are, you may get the huge benefit of a ride, a guide, and free dinner.

If you don't take the time to respect the landowners, or if you think it's stupid, you have nobody to blame for being kicked out. There rules may differ slightly between Omaha and the Nile Delta, but at the core they're the same. Respect or pay the price.

Some fearmongering has been presented concerning foreign languages, this warrants some clarification.

Humans are adept at learning foreign languages. It is not for the Mensa, or the linguistic experts. Even the most simple, uneducated, and slow person can learn multiple languages through exposure. Immersion in a language for 30 days is virtual assurance that one will learn to speak a foreign language.

Most remote villagers speak several languages, despite a lack of formal education. I know people who have no high school (ages ~15-18) education and speak five languages. So I have no doubt everyone here can, with exposure, pick up a language quickly.

There are more difficult languages such as Russian, Mandarin (tones), and Lokuru. But in general, there actually isn't that much to learn to express the vast majority of needs: toilet, doctor, police, pharmacy, "where is", "I need". You don't have to be fluent to be understood; the exception might be Mandarin in which you think you're ordering an orange juice yet the server clearly hears "chainsaw." In Mandarin, those fluent in the language use tones, so cannot discern or extrapolate your "chainsaw" into "orange juice", in contrast to, say, a German at a US pub ordering a "bear" or an Australian ordering in "Beeyah."

Yes, in very remote areas the local may not speak one of the common European languages, but this is increasingly rare. Anywhere close to urban centers most will speak English, Spanish, French, or Mandarin. For English speakers in Latin America, you most likely know "el banjo", "mariposa", and "cervesa"; locals understand things like "pharmacy" and "police" because it's readily translatable into Spanish.

Attempting to speak the local (foreign) language can be a door opener. It demonstrates respect and equality, and effort. Yes, 1% of the time you might offend someone, but 80% of the time it's accepted well, and 19% of the time your pathetic attempt will generate laughter, which is one of the greatest ways to start bonding.

Foreign languages may present a challenge, but for the open minded they are not insurmountable.

This comes up constantly.

What should be done by an interested party is to analyze the current import regulations for personal use. The easiest way is to line-out the sections, paragraphs, and sentences that don't apply to personal use (eg. anything to do with commercial, institution, etc.) which leaves less to examine. Then look for caveats that make sections inapplicable (often called "loopholes" by politicians, fear mongers, and their acolytes: loopholes are not real, they do not exists- there is compliance, and non-compliance.)

With that, one should be able to determine the requirements and publish a summary.

I did this 20 years ago with import regulations when I was importing. I carried a printed copy of the laws with me, because enforcement does not know all the laws, they are not trained on the specific parts of the laws (particularly the caveats). I have already done it here for CITES, and I did it just out of interest concerning the export of Chinese CITES II specimens.

Instead of going round and round, a party that is interested in importing should do a bit of homework.

When I typed 'Mortmanga, Madagascar' into the Google Maps search box and clicked search it sent me to Moramanga.

The area ~20km+ west of Moramanga town is actually a well known butterfly locality.

Adam.

The females of mauensis can be very different. The forewing colouring changes from yellow to red at will. There are also specimens with blue and green colouring. I have never observed such a variety of colouration in aurantiaca.