InsectNet forum

Two female forms of this large & common species.
Top specimen from Cameroun
Bottom specimen from Central African Republic

You have the nominate ssp at the top, and ssp. theodosia on the bottom.

Thanks for that information. Appreciated .

Here's a pair from my neck of the woods:





The females are surprisingly large.

Beautiful specimens. I think this is a lovely species & , as you say, surprisingly large. Cymothoe in general are beautiful & a much underrated genus in my opinion.
Interesting. Your flag shows Canada but you are in The Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Tom, can you describe the method you use for (what looks like) suspending the visible label? It looks like piano wire extensions off the primary label? Or is it a very long label?

@adam cotton, I wanted to ask you similar. You have separate visible labels; I assume you have fixed permanent labels on the pins. Do you do that with all of your specimens? Do you prepare a second label only when sharing a photo?

When I photo a specimen and want the data shown, I have to pull the label and then replace it. It's a pain. I don't have the space for a second visible data label in the Cornell Drawers. In some cases (very, very few) I may put some ID in the pinning tray, half the time it's just a hand-written note so I can quickly find a particularly interesting specimen. I'm trying to think of a practical (space wise) means to do what you guys do to display the data.

Chuck wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 3:15 pm @adam cotton, I wanted to ask you similar. You have separate visible labels; I assume you have fixed permanent labels on the pins. Do you do that with all of your specimens? Do you prepare a second label only when sharing a photo?

I remove the label from under the specimen when I photograph it and put it back on the pin afterwards. There is no second label.

Adam.

And occasionally you might also come across a female like this

A similar species Cymothoe rheinholdi is equally nice and it would be nice to see one if any of you fellas have one.

Another collector saw mine and (had to have it) so I don't have it to show you.

One of our French members (Mygos) once had a tremendous collection of Cymothoe which he specialized in. In time, he donated (or sold ?) his collection to ABRI; where it now resides for study.

Perhaps if he reads this he could elaborate further or perhaps show us some photographs of what he had once acquired.

Chuck wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 3:15 pm Tom, can you describe the method you use for (what looks like) suspending the visible label? It looks like piano wire extensions off the primary label? Or is it a very long label?

Like Adam, this is my photography set-up. Specimens come off the setting board & are photographed next to their label before it is affixed to the pin. The label and butterfly are resting on taught fishing line so that they are at the same level. The label border is 1cm X 2cm and so provides a consistent scale.
I can make a thread about my current photography set-up, if folks are interested. It's pretty "homebrewed" and I'm still tweaking it, but shouldn't be difficult to replicate if others are interested in this sort of thing.

daveuk wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 2:21 pm Beautiful specimens. I think this is a lovely species & , as you say, surprisingly large. Cymothoe in general are beautiful & a much underrated genus in my opinion.
Interesting. Your flag shows Canada but you are in The Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Yes, I'm Canadian but living in Ituri province for the past 9 years. I'm not quite sure where I'm "from" anymore, so it's a tough decision choosing between the Congolese flag or the Canadian one.

MAC wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 10:37 pm And occasionally you might also come across a female like this

That's a great specimen! Is the ventral surface any different than the usual scheme? It be great to know what to look for in the field.

Cabintom wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 5:24 am

Chuck wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 3:15 pm Tom, can you describe the method you use for (what looks like) suspending the visible label? It looks like piano wire extensions off the primary label? Or is it a very long label?

Like Adam, this is my photography set-up. Specimens come off the setting board & are photographed next to their label before it is affixed to the pin. The label and butterfly are resting on taught fishing line so that they are at the same level. The label border is 1cm X 2cm and so provides a consistent scale.
I can make a thread about my current photography set-up, if folks are interested. It's pretty "homebrewed" and I'm still tweaking it, but shouldn't be difficult to replicate if others are interested in this sort of thing.

Yes, I would like to see more sharing of photographic techniques. I like the idea of a new thread in the proper area, I dislike thread drift.

A few more interesting ones

Trehopr1 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 1:21 am A similar species Cymothoe rheinholdi is equally nice and it would be nice to see one if any of you fellas have one.

Another collector saw mine and (had to have it) so I don't have it to show you.

One of our French members (Mygos) once had a tremendous collection of Cymothoe which he specialized in. In time, he donated (or sold ?) his collection to ABRI; where it now resides for study.

Perhaps if he reads this he could elaborate further or perhaps show us some photographs of what he had once acquired.

Just read your post, and it is now 20 years my collection resides at ABRI !
Digital camera were not the same as now and unfortunately I have only small resolution photographs of the boxes I had, but I don't have anymore the datas that goes with them and sadly, my memory does not improve with age ...
System to upload photos is different from one forum to another, and it gives me headaches each time I try !
When I was studying them, I made recto/verso photographs of most of the types specimens, but all the documents, correspondance and photographs went together with the specimens at ABRI ...

Nice reading and admiring specimens you show here !
Best, Michel