Thanks Adam for the clarification on the Latin name.
The wild specimens do tend to fly somewhat more erratically and with seemingly less control.

I reared this adult male P. bairdii (or is it P. machaon bairdii ?) that has noticeably larger wings on its right side. The difference isn't huge but clearly evident. Occasionally I'll net wild local Papilio 's ( P. rutulus , and P. eurymedon in particular) that show the same imbalance although ...

I think that your air compressor is responsible for the smoke alarm going off. The electric motor and/or pump can often get quite hot and produce small amounts of smoke. If the compressor is in close proximity then the smoke alarm might be activated.

Thanks everyone for the great information! I didn't realize the potential difficulties of importing pupae (CITES paperwork, possible competition with overseas breeders, etc.). I'm planning to go to Arizona later this year and will probably check out Butterfly Wonderland - thanks again.

I enjoy visiting zoos and natural history gardens that have large greenhouse environments that feature free flying exotic butterflies. Most of the flight houses that I have visited to date showcase species primarily from central and south America (Morphos, Owls, etc.). While those species are ...

This video has some good information and covers several topics in which I learned quite a bit. I was particularly interested in how specimens were obtained and ultimately marketed both locally and internationally. I'm surprised that the cost of rearing permits for local people is so prohibitive that ...

I don't think that it is a tick, possibly a very small weevil. It looks like it has antennae, which ticks don't have.

Chuck wrote: Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:10 pm So the only question then is if all the early individuals are small and/or may have other morphological differences.

No and/or no.

Here is a random sampling of P. rutulus from northern Utah, most of which were collected in the Salt Lake valley and surrounding areas in the 1940's through 1960's. The specimen in the upper right corner of the last photo could be P. eurymedon or a hybrid between the two. There are some examples ...

Thank you for the links Livingplanet3. There is a photo of a similar larva of M. cypris (identified as such but not confirmed) on iNaturalist.

It's looking like this species is not reared commercially.

Thanks Trehopr1 for your insights. We saw what happened to the price of many Ornithoptera species when reared specimens became available in huge numbers. About 40 years ago I purchased a pair of O. p. poseidon for $25, which would be about $75 today adjusted for inflation.

I would think that ...

A friend of mine who is not a part of this forum asked if I would inquire about this species. He is trying to obtain papered ex pupae specimens (just males) of this species but has only been able to purchase A1 - A- specimens that typically show a few minor scratches on the forewings and were likely ...

This is an excellent treatment of Anthocharis by Todd Stout: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/view ... sectamundi

Here's an update - and thanks to everyone for their helpful suggestions! Using magnification I did in fact find that the smaller specimens (coppers, hairstreaks, some Pierieds, and most Satyrids) were pinned at one time. All of the others had not been pinned. I decided to experiment with an 82 year ...

Thanks Panacanthus for that suggestion, although I did look initially for holes in the thorax I will check more closely this afternoon to see if they were in fact pinned at one time. These specimens were prepared by a teenager during WW2 who probably didn't have access to, or couldn't afford, insect ...

Thanks Trehopr1 for the excellent suggestion. I'll get some "0" and smaller size pins and give it a try. The initial piercing with a fine pin might create a "pilot hole" for a larger sized pin that is more suitable for use on bigger specimens (Nymphalids, swallowtails, etc.). Thanks again!

I'm in the process of cataloging a western U.S. butterfly and skipper collection that was made from 1937 to 1945. All of the specimens were spread and layered between layers of cotton in boxes in order to conserve space. I would like to pin many of the specimens and transfer them to Cornell style ...

This small selection is part of a group of butterflies that I mail ordered from the Queensland Butterfly Company back in the late 1970's. They've been displayed in a Riker mount for the last 45 years. I visited the company in 1980 and had a pleasant discussion with the owner, Garry Sankowski, after ...

Thank you for those links to USFWS. My friend will be flying non-stop from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam and unfortunately, SLC is not a designated port for wildlife inspections. I'll let him know his options and go from there. Again I appreciate the help.

Thank you Chuck, I appreciate the info. I was hoping that there would be a quick and easy option for the occasional overseas collector who visits the U.S. and wants to take some specimens back home with them. If the specimens need to be inspected at a certain airport before departure then this ...