Search found 151 matches
- Thu Jan 25, 2024 7:35 am
- Forum: Open Topics
- Topic: Where to buy: Bioquip folding net "National Park Special"
- Replies: 14
- Views: 9984
Re: Where to buy: Bioquip folding net "National Park Special"
Over the past couple of decades, I've become concerned that the hobby will largely die out and just fade away, as we get further into the 21st century. It seems as though there is more of a push to criticize and discourage collecting, than to promote it (at least, in the US). Even more so here in E...
- Tue Jan 23, 2024 3:27 pm
- Forum: Insect identification
- Topic: Castnius asteropoides
- Replies: 5
- Views: 949
Re: Castnius asteropoides
They're not open access Chuck, but I'll email you one.
- Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:09 am
- Forum: Insect identification
- Topic: Castnius asteropoides
- Replies: 5
- Views: 949
Re: Castnius asteropoides
Indeed, I have a large collection of Castniidae, including C. asteropoides , in fact, I have most of the type series of it. I don't have time to take new photos right now, but I'm including a couple of photos of part of my series taken a few years ago. This species is interesting as it's one of the ...
- Fri Jan 19, 2024 8:16 am
- Forum: Open Topics
- Topic: Net bag color?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 13060
Re: Net bag color?
I've always used black nets. They're not too visible, but most importantly, they're easy to see through. I have tried a white bag, but it was impossible to clearly see what was inside. I've never seen a green bag. There are arguments that it's worth using a bag colour that attracts the intended prey...
- Fri Jan 12, 2024 7:54 am
- Forum: Insect Photography & Video
- Topic: tiny caterpillars
- Replies: 12
- Views: 8845
Re: tiny caterpillars
Don't worry, they'll lose them in the final instar.
- Fri Jan 05, 2024 1:25 pm
- Forum: Other Insect Orders & Other Invertebrates
- Topic: Treehoppers: strange creatures of forest and field
- Replies: 14
- Views: 9175
Re: Treehoppers: strange creatures of forest and field
I always use Excel for my labels too. I use Times New Roman 4pt bold, which I find is quite readable and the label's still small enough to fit under the specimen. I need a magnifying glass to read it, but younger eyes shouldn't have such a problem.
- Fri Jan 05, 2024 1:20 pm
- Forum: Insect Photography & Video
- Topic: tiny caterpillars
- Replies: 12
- Views: 8845
Re: tiny caterpillars
I've reared many species of Brahmaea and fortunately, they're pretty easy, but they do eat huge quantities when they get big! One thing that helps is that they're not very good at climbing, so when large, I just keep them in an uncoverered plastic dustbin, I collect armfuls of privet twice a day and...
- Mon Dec 25, 2023 8:40 am
- Forum: The Porch Light
- Topic: Merry Xmas everyone
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1297
Re: Merry Xmas everyone
Merry Christmas to everyone here.
- Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:00 pm
- Forum: Lepidoptera
- Topic: Trogonoptera brookiana
- Replies: 16
- Views: 6416
Re: Trogonoptera brookiana
I've only found time to watch the second, shorter video so far. Love the blue streaks on the underside! They do seem to keep themselves in remarkably good condition. In the second video, I only noticed one that had any damage at all. Shame there weren't any females.
- Wed Nov 29, 2023 8:35 am
- Forum: Announcements & News
- Topic: RIP Colin Smith (Nepal)
- Replies: 8
- Views: 4258
Re: RIP Colin Smith (Nepal)
The obituary is here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/ ... -obituary/. Although you'll need to sugn up to a free trial to read the whole thing.
- Tue Nov 28, 2023 9:37 pm
- Forum: Announcements & News
- Topic: RIP Colin Smith (Nepal)
- Replies: 8
- Views: 4258
Re: RIP Colin Smith (Nepal)
I read his obituary in the Daily Telegraph when I was in my way to the Natural Histiory Museum in London about 3 weeks ago. I told the staff there but didn't think to report it here. I met him a couple of times in the 70s when he came back to London, and he was a very personable and knowledgeable gu...
- Mon Oct 16, 2023 5:15 pm
- Forum: Legal issues
- Topic: The future of the hobby
- Replies: 21
- Views: 6373
Re: The future of the hobby
Admittedly, they do have a big impact on the songbird population, but I love cats and am horrified that anyone would want to shoot one.
- Fri Oct 13, 2023 12:57 pm
- Forum: Open Topics
- Topic: ICZN rules for nom. nov.
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2368
Re: ICZN rules for nom. nov.
Yes, because it's a species-group name, which doesn't differentiate between species and subspecies. Whether canadensis is regarded as a species of subspecies, the taxon is still canadensis.
- Thu Oct 12, 2023 6:50 pm
- Forum: Open Topics
- Topic: ICZN rules for nom. nov.
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2368
Re: ICZN rules for nom. nov.
You can't give anything a new name unless the original name is invalid, even if it's to avoid confusion. The only way that maria would be invalid is if it's a homonym, and the single letter difference is enough for it not to be, there are plenty of such instances. So cyclops has no standing and beco...
- Tue Sep 19, 2023 1:55 pm
- Forum: Field Reports
- Topic: Catocala 2022
- Replies: 25
- Views: 8008
Re: Catocala 2022
For me, if I have one specimen that looks a bit different, I'd just write it off as a variant/ form. If I have twenty of something that looks consistently different, it makes me ask why. I think everyone can agree with that. I've found a few taxa described a long time ago from a single specimen. Wh...
- Mon Sep 18, 2023 10:17 pm
- Forum: Lepidoptera
- Topic: Rearing Catocala
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2317
Re: Rearing Catocala
Yes, it is quite a lot of hard work. It basically means I can't leave home for more than a day between mid-April and mid-August, as I have to collect foodplants and clean out boxes every day. I keep all the ova in the fridge over winter and take them out when I think the buds are going to burst. The...
- Mon Sep 18, 2023 11:29 am
- Forum: Lepidoptera
- Topic: Rearing Catocala
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2317
Rearing Catocala
I've been trying to rear as many species of Catocala as I can each year for the last few years. Now this years crop is off the boards I thought people might be interested to see the results. It's not an easy genus to rear, especially as I don't have access to any trees where I can sleeve them, so ev...
- Tue Aug 15, 2023 1:57 pm
- Forum: Show Your Favorite Specimen
- Topic: White form Colias hecla sulitelma
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1732
Re: White form Colias hecla sulitelma
As far as I know, they're extremely rare. I've only ever seen a couple.
- Fri Jul 28, 2023 4:53 pm
- Forum: Lepidoptera
- Topic: Any Thysania agrippina experts out there?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 4731
Re: Any Thysania agrippina experts out there?
The retinaculum should be used in conjunction with the frenulum to check the sex. It's the small patch of hairs on the forewing that holds the frenulum in place. In males, the frenulum is a single long spike which is held in place by the retinaculum on the costal vein. In females, the frenulum is a ...
- Tue Jul 25, 2023 1:56 pm
- Forum: Lepidoptera
- Topic: Observation -> proposal -> sanity check: Papilio puddling/ ground feeding
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2302
Re: Observation -> proposal -> sanity check: Papilio puddling/ ground feeding
I think in some species, the males need certain essential minerals before they become fully fertile. That's why some are difficult to pair up in captivity unless this can be replicated. In the wild, I guess they get this in the first day or two, so don't need to come to the ground again after that.