Search found 944 matches

by Chuck
Mon May 20, 2024 2:55 pm
Forum: Lepidoptera
Topic: Vanessa atalanta migration 2024
Replies: 17
Views: 531

Re: Vanessa atalanta migration 2024

Now that I think of it, I've not seen any in a while. Watch, I'll spot one later today. But, clearly they are not blasting around by the hundreds anymore.
by Chuck
Mon May 20, 2024 12:05 pm
Forum: Announcements & News
Topic: Bug Fair May 18 and 19 Los Angeles Natural History Museum
Replies: 4
Views: 188

Re: Bug Fair May 18 and 19 Los Angeles Natural History Museum

We've discussed this here in the past, same story. LA is a great show, specimens you won't find commercially (some people don't feel like shipping), plus you get to meet some great collectors. I tried on the east coast, there's little interest and costs are high (particularly insurance). The only wa...
by Chuck
Sat May 18, 2024 1:57 pm
Forum: The Porch Light
Topic: Californica darlingtonia
Replies: 5
Views: 147

Re: Californica darlingtonia

I love bogs, they are so unique. To have a home garden like that is amazing.
by Chuck
Sat May 18, 2024 1:55 pm
Forum: Show Your Favorite Specimen
Topic: Papilio rutulus
Replies: 13
Views: 712

Re: Papilio rutulus

That is a spectacular specimen, well demonstrating the potential size and morphology of the female. A tiny blemish does nothing to diminish it in any way.
by Chuck
Fri May 10, 2024 6:53 pm
Forum: Field Reports
Topic: Tiger Swallowtails of NY: Finger Lakes, Part II
Replies: 102
Views: 567462

Re: Tiger Swallowtails of NY: Finger Lakes, Part II

07 May 2024: back at it, albeit in KY. More than a dozen Tigers spotted, couldn't net a single one- all flying somewhere fast and erratic. I couldn't get to a couple of my favored sites because of flooding.
by Chuck
Fri May 10, 2024 6:50 pm
Forum: Lepidoptera
Topic: Eurytides marcellus
Replies: 8
Views: 958

Re: Eurytides marcellus

I saw Papilio troilus, and undetermined thing like P tharos, and blues puddling, but in KY last week no marcellus puddling. In fact, I've never seen marcellus puddle. Interesting. I only brought two specimens back, I believe a pair, and the difference is interesting, one that is definitely female is...
by Chuck
Fri May 10, 2024 1:27 pm
Forum: Coleoptera
Topic: Strategus mormon
Replies: 4
Views: 159

Re: Strategus mormon

Always cool to see a low-catch specimen. And yes, Coleoptera as well.
by Chuck
Fri May 10, 2024 1:26 pm
Forum: Lepidoptera
Topic: Vanessa atalanta migration 2024
Replies: 17
Views: 531

Re: Vanessa atalanta migration 2024

I just returned from northern KY. There are many beat V atlanta there, but perhaps 20% of what I'm seeing in Upstate NY.
by Chuck
Fri May 10, 2024 11:55 am
Forum: Lepidoptera
Topic: Buying specimens in bulk for an entomology workshop
Replies: 1
Views: 144

Re: Buying specimens in bulk for an entomology workshop

I have a bin of various dried US leps you can have. They are of course papered and dried, so would require softening in order to be spread. I'm amazed I even have any. I always kept many extras around for projects such as this, but it's been a long time since anyone had asked me so I unloaded thousa...
by Chuck
Fri May 10, 2024 11:49 am
Forum: Lepidoptera
Topic: Eurytides marcellus
Replies: 8
Views: 958

Re: Eurytides marcellus

I just returned from northern KY (Bullitt County) and E. marcellus is everywhere. They were common along an overgrown dirt road under power lines, some resting in the grass. Most though were nectaring (exclusively) on white blackberry flowers. Some were quite fresh, indicating recent eclosion. In th...
by Chuck
Mon May 06, 2024 12:21 pm
Forum: Insect identification
Topic: Blood Sucking Mites living on our skin
Replies: 10
Views: 510

Re: Blood Sucking Mites living on our skin

You guys are just brutal. The pictures were taking when they were biting us as you can see they are sitting on our skin and you can actually see their legs are going inside our skin. Take a close look before you judge people. If you don't know that's ok we haven't had anyone able to identify them b...
by Chuck
Thu May 02, 2024 6:38 pm
Forum: Lepidoptera
Topic: Vanessa atalanta migration 2024
Replies: 17
Views: 531

Re: Questionable Question Marks

Paul K wrote: Thu May 02, 2024 3:02 pm
We have here on the north side of the Lake Ontario also unusual numbers of V.atalanta.
I am not surprised. Clearly they are coming from "south." The question is: why in such numbers?
by Chuck
Wed May 01, 2024 6:02 pm
Forum: Lepidoptera
Topic: Vanessa atalanta migration 2024
Replies: 17
Views: 531

Re: Questionable Question Marks

Here in North TX, for weeks now, I've been seeing more V. atalanta than ever before - absolute swarms of them. Of course, TX has always been a great place to see swarms of things, but the butterfly numbers here this spring are really outstanding. Not just atalanta, but also cardui and virginiensis ...
by Chuck
Wed May 01, 2024 5:16 pm
Forum: Lepidoptera
Topic: Vanessa atalanta migration 2024
Replies: 17
Views: 531

Vanessa atalanta migration 2024

Last week, before it snowed, there was an unusual number of V. atlanta around. It warmed up a bit three days ago, albeit with rain. Today it's 64F and sunny. There are hundreds of atlanta, everywhere. Most are flying fast, I've only observed one alight. They are absolutely beat. So either there was ...
by Chuck
Tue Apr 30, 2024 8:49 pm
Forum: Open Topics
Topic: IN Marketplace, Classifieds difference?
Replies: 0
Views: 121

IN Marketplace, Classifieds difference?

I'm unclear why IN has both Classifieds and Marketplace. What's the difference?

Which would be the best to sell some antique and classic entomology books?
by Chuck
Tue Apr 30, 2024 5:34 pm
Forum: Technical Questions or Issues
Topic: resource limit reached
Replies: 14
Views: 702

Re: resource limit reached

Just for reference, it did it again at 1:30pm Eastern.
by Chuck
Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:44 am
Forum: Open Topics
Topic: Exactly what is Hyphantria cunea?
Replies: 3
Views: 197

Re: Exactly what is Hyphantria cunea?

That luna is spectacular. I have a specimen from KY that has purple edging, but no vertical stripes. AFAIK nobody has done genetic analysis to see what the relationship tree is for luna. Who knows what is variation, and what is something taxonomically significant. Vernon's series of Hyphantria is im...
by Chuck
Mon Apr 29, 2024 7:50 pm
Forum: Open Topics
Topic: Thoughts on NABA?
Replies: 10
Views: 818

Re: Thoughts on NABA?

If they just used common sense, There's your problem. Look, it is universal country-wide that one cannot catch and kill song birds, despite many having very healthy populations. Meanwhile, house cats are allowed to roam freely and have been documented to have a significant negative impact on song b...
by Chuck
Mon Apr 29, 2024 3:03 pm
Forum: Open Topics
Topic: Exactly what is Hyphantria cunea?
Replies: 3
Views: 197

Re: Exactly what is Hyphantria cunea?

Excellent. Of course, field guides have limited space. Species descriptions though often show only one/ one pair, and I have this feeling that the type specimens depicted are sometimes cherry-picked to match the morphological description/ differentiators.
by Chuck
Mon Apr 29, 2024 12:03 pm
Forum: Open Topics
Topic: Questionable Question Marks
Replies: 4
Views: 496

Re: Questionable Question Marks

Wisconsin is more like Canada than Upstate NY, so it's quite likely that many or most species can't overwinter. In Upstate NY we have several Nymphalid species that overwinter. The appearance of various Nymphalid species may be migration (e.g., Vanessa) or it may be just massive population explosion...