Vibrant blues!

...So they must be somewhere; maybe they're all coleopterists right now and hang out on those forums. You can't tell me there aren't at least fifty kids in North America alone who don't raise larvae, catch butterflies, or collect them retail...so how do they make connections? How to they share info...

Chuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 13, 2023 2:36 pm ...So where do they "hang out"? They don't seem to join LepSoc. Are they on FB? Why aren't they here?

YouTube and Instagram.

Very nice! I'd not heard of this species.

So, as not to forget the beetle enthusiasts which we do have here I post this picture of a marvelous Prionid that I personally found and captured in Ecuador 1988. Actually found this large fellow walking about the grounds of Tinalandia lodge one evening after 10pm. He is a little over 3 in. long an...

Beautiful specimens!

Excellent post, Trehopr1 - your comments on this species certainly reflect my own thoughts. I've looked forward to seeing Luna Moths every spring, ever since encountering this species in my youth; was totally amazed by the first one I ever saw, and still am. It seems that I'm right at the westernmos...

Do you see yourself in this picture ?... Many thanks for these posts, Trehopr1. Indeed, these images make me nostalgic for a time that was at least 20 years before my time! :) A simpler era, definitely. Better than the present? Well, perhaps in certain ways, but I'd certainly not want to give up al...

Trehopr1 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 8:09 pm That's an amazing piece !!

Sea Scorpion live capture -

This well written book by a man who has spent his life "testing" the effects of insect venom and its subsequent "level of pain" (on himself); is a wonderful read and very eye opening as to how even the littlest of creatures has the capabilities to ward off larger imposing predat...

That would be very strange, as no species of Papilio that I can think of is known to feed on Apocynaceae, and antimachus definitely belongs in that genus. Of course it is always possible that this species has somehow switched from Rutaceae or Magnoliaceae and Lauraceae to Apocynaceae. That conclusi...

While we're on the topic of large, non-insect arthropods: hanging on my wall, I have this cast resin replica of Mixopterus kiaeri, a large Sea Scorpion (Eurypterid) from the Silurian Period (400 million years ago). It was cast from a specimen found in Norway by Professor Johan Kiaer in 1909. The ori...

Chuck wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 11:42 pm ...nor documentaries- nobody watches documentaries.

Well, I guess my name is nobody, since documentaries are practically the only thing I watch!

I assume that at some point, someone has extracted the toxin from a specimen Yes, Miriam Rothschild. Adam. Many thanks. From what I've read, it seems likely that the host plant of antimachus is some species in the family Apocynaceae, possibly Climbing Oleander (Strophanthus gratus) - https://live.s...

Yes, that is correct to my knowledge. Not only are the larvae of both species unknown but also the food plants. These two species are not actually closely related to each other. Adults of Papilio antimachus are known to store poisonous carotinoids, presumably derived from whatever plant the larvae ...

This very beautiful species is reputedly common over most of it's range. Despite this it seems to be rarely offered for sale. A male from Mexico & a pair from El Salvador. I have females which are much paler. Almost white... Anteos maerula is one of the very few species of Pieridae that I have ...

Thru the years of my inordinate fondness for all things multi-legged I have occasionally gone off "on a tangent" or diverted from primary focus to dabble a bit in things that MOST would find un-nerving or frightful. So, my next photograph is an example of one of my "momentary lapses ...

It's amazing that such a huge species, known for a long time, and rather common, has a larval host that is unknown... To my knowledge, the larval host of another very large lepidopteran, Papilio antimachus, and even the larvae themselves, are still unknown to science. I believe the same may be true...

Very nice drawers indeed, Trehopr1! On the subject of drawers: When I do finally get around to pinning / organizing my collection, I'd originally planned to use 16 X 20" shadow boxes to display my specimens on the wall. However, it now appears likely that in the not too distant future, I will b...

P. indra kaibabensis is protected within the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park, along with all of the other species of Lepidoptera within the park. I believe that outside of the park it is not protected. That's my understanding of the situation as well. I seem to recall reading a news story ...