Hello Everyone... Happy early Summer!

This year, the lilacs really put on an impressive show in late May - early June. I spent a week (4-6 hrs. each afternoon) sitting in a lawn chair with my newly acquired close focus binoculars & naturally, of course, haha, my net. As an aside, I would highly ...

These lopsided wings occur in different butterfly families as well; the following specimen was a very poor/awkward flier which first drew my attention to it...

Common Wood Nymph - Cercyonis pegala ino
John K.

Thoughts?, Opinions?



John K.

Hello all,

Just stumbled across this interesting B. & W. photo (on Ebay, photo #8 in listing) of a female Cecropia moth (dates from 1904) with 5 wings included in an old 1913 entomology text. Anyone know of or have any experience with this type of an obviously very rare aberration?... just curious ...

Hello daveuk,

Truly exquisite species! :o Nice job mounting & repair. ;) Whenever I mount up moths with delicate, thin antennae I always have a small glass of water nearby with a very small, soft bristled brush awaiting. By the time you have spread out the wings, often the antennae dry out ...

Hello Kan,

Spectacular discoveries & beautiful photographs as we have, by now, come to expect! Always love to see new spp. of unfamiliar, colorful beetles. Keep up the great work!

John K.

Hello all,

I have arrived late to this thread as I left the following specimens on the boards for 2 months+ to ensure no wing drooping. On 29 Aug. 2024 I had the good fortune to find a perfect Hyles euphorbiae in my 250W M.V. trap. I was very surprised, as I peered through the screen door, by the ...

Hi kevinkk,

Just collected, in one of my M.V. traps, a nice fresh specimen of the same Herald moth (Scoliopteryx libatrix); the night was cool (low of +3.5 C = +38.0 F), calm & clear. This moth is common up here in Sask. & overwinters & will be seen again next spring/early summer. Also found in my ...

Hi Panacanthus,

Absolutely beautiful... :shock: 8-)... a very artful AND, a scientific display as well... as we have all, by now, come to expect :D I especially like the display of this magnificent moth's ventral surface, which is uncommonly observed, & is, indeed, very striking. Well done!

John ...

Whoa.... forgot these....

Small P. canadensis & large Mourning Cloak

Dwarf C. T. S-tail & Big M.C. reduced 1.jpg

Normal P. canadensis & another large Mourning Cloak

Normal C. T. S.-tail & Big M.C. 1.jpg

Just plain weird - a female, lopsided Common Wood Nymph, Cercyonis pegala ino ...

Additional Specimens,

3 small & 1 normal P. canadensis
Interesting wild caught Aberrants of the Mourning Cloak

A selection of small, "normal" & outsized Sask., Canada Butterflies,

Small C. philodice

Small Common Sulfurs reduced 1.jpg

Small & Large female Orange Sulphurs (C. eurytheme)

Small & Large Female Orange Sulfurs reduced 1.jpg

Size Variation in C. eurytheme

Orange Sulphur drawer ...

I really like this Topic... hope more participate! Below are 2 common N. Am. butterfly species. One is of the beautiful ventral surface of the Am. Painted Lady, Vanessa virginiensis . From 2001-2016 I was very fortunate to collect 39 specimens (25 males/14 females) as it is quite a rare migrant sp ...

As I clearly stated before... "yes I cringe!... again, my opinion only... everyone can do as they like..."

Chuck,
For years I have used what was once called "sticky tac"... this is a commonly available (stationary/office supply stores) type of soft "putty" for mounting posters & papers to walls. It is now often blue (was orange yrs ago) & is easily removed from the substrate with no mess & remains ...

Yes Adam,
We had a discussion of this not long ago, but... certain butterflies do look better with a larger lower wing gap... like some of the swallowtails - Birdwings, Bhutanitis, Parnassians (where drawing up the hindwings will hide some of the nice red spots) & some others. I just leafed through ...

Hello 58chevy,
Very nicely mounted specimens ... almost all have little/no... cringy... (my opinion ONLY)... huge, unexplained V's left between the outer edges of the wings... & very neatly arranged as well. You can show all the repeat pics you want! Thanks!
John K.

Hello lamprina2,

I find that even the heads of good quality? (most made in China...) glass headed pins will often detach leaving sharp spikes to remove with needle nose pliers! I have a couple of boxes of 1" & 1.5" T-shaped pins (available online). These pins are easy to push into hard wood & to ...

Hi neominois,
Recently I came across this book online... seems a very through book on the Helicons: "The Ecology & Evolution of the Heliconius Butterflies" by Chris D. Jiggins, large PB, 2018, 288 pgs., 32 color plates. I am planning to purchase this book in the future & would like to hear any ...

Hello all,

Yesterday, 16 May 2024, I saw a small, solitary, flight worn, Red Admiral flying about in my farm yard, This was the 1st time, in many years, that I've seen a spring migrant Red Admiral up here in NE Sask., Canada.

John K.