Memphis laura rosea

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daveuk
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Memphis laura rosea

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Pair shown recto & verso
Data with the verso pair is for the female.
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by livingplanet3 »

daveuk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 11, 2022 2:36 pm Pair shown recto & verso
Data with the verso pair is for the female...
Many thanks - another remarkable leaf mimic!
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by daveuk »

You're welcome. A large species this one. I remember being blown away by a drawer full of these I saw at BMNH in London when I went to view the collections there in the 1980's
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by Trehopr1 »

Indeed, another fine species I've never seen. β˜ΊοΈπŸŽ‰
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

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daveuk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 11, 2022 7:53 pm You're welcome. A large species this one. I remember being blown away by a drawer full of these I saw at BMNH in London when I went to view the collections there in the 1980's
True, I believe that M. laura is comparable in size to Coenophlebia archidona -

Image

And a bit larger than Hypna clytemnestra -

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Re: Memphis laura rosea

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livingplanet3 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2022 12:08 am
daveuk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 11, 2022 7:53 pm You're welcome. A large species this one. I remember being blown away by a drawer full of these I saw at BMNH in London when I went to view the collections there in the 1980's
True, I believe that M. laura is comparable in size to Coenophlebia archidona -

Image

And a bit larger than Hypna clytemnestra -

Image
Took a picture of three pairs together for you. Top row females. Bottom row males. All 30+ years old.
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by colon »

to daveuk: regarding your chimaera chimaera specimens:
the labels for the specimens that you posted appear to be from Michael Hudson at Wau. He often sourced pupa from Aseki and resold specimens when emerged. As you say you purchased these specimens from Ken Thorne in Ontario , you might check with him if you are interested in the original source.

to jhyatt: regarding your chimaera flavidor question:
I obtained two pairs of c.f. from Michael Hudson during a visit to Wau in 2007. I have not seen any specimens since then. His specimens were ex-pupa, the pupa being sourced from Mindik, Huon. Mindik is very difficult to access, only by small aircraft, which might explain why we have not seen any specimens recently.

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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by livingplanet3 »

daveuk wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2022 9:50 am Took a picture of three pairs together for you. Top row females. Bottom row males. All 30+ years old...
Thanks again. Do you happen to have a specimen of Polygrapha (formerly Anaea) suprema? It's endemic to the higher altitudes of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. I've only occasionally seen this species for sale, and when I have, the price is quite high. I assume that most such specimens have been sourced from old collections. Unless someone starts breeding it and the price comes down considerably, it's a species that will likely remain absent from my collection -

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https://www.biofaces.com/post/170957/borboleta/
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

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livingplanet3 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 13, 2022 9:37 pm
daveuk wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2022 9:50 am
Thanks again. Do you happen to have a specimen of Polygrapha (formerly Anaea) suprema? It's endemic to the higher altitudes of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. I've only occasionally seen this species for sale, and when I have, the price is quite high. I assume that most such specimens have been sourced from old collections. Unless someone starts breeding it and the price comes down considerably, it's a species that will likely remain absent from my collection -
Yes I have a male sold to.me as A1- by Chuck Ianni about four years ago. He even sent me a hindwing from another specimen to repair the chip. I prefer a "true" specimen so have not carried out a repair. From memory this A1- specimen was $200. Not cheap at all but this species is rare in collections. I hope it is being bred & will become more readily available & cheaper in the future. From illustrations & photos I have seen the female of this species looks magnificent. The data on my specimen is :Rivera, Uruguay 10th August 2016. I suspect this is erroneous or relates to the place this specimen was bred.
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

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daveuk wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 12:08 am Yes I have a male sold to.me as A1- by Chuck Ianni about four years ago. He even sent me a hindwing from another specimen to repair the chip. I prefer a "true" specimen so have not carried out a repair. From memory this A1- specimen was $200. Not cheap at all but this species is rare in collections. I hope it is being bred & will become more readily available & cheaper in the future. From illustrations & photos I have seen the female of this species looks magnificent. The data on my specimen is :Rivera, Uruguay 10th August 2016. I suspect this is erroneous or relates to the place this specimen was bred...
Wow - you actually have one (and a quite nice specimen, at that)! This species is indeed rare in collections, with females being extremely rare. I believe this is the only photo I've ever seen of a female -

Image
https://www.theinsectcollector.com/acat ... 33230.html

Another rarely available species of Anaeini is Siderone syntyche polymela (Costa Rica), of which, I have a male that I would grade as A-. Here's an example of this species, which I assume you probably have a specimen of, as well? -

Image
https://www.theinsectcollector.com/acat ... 11552.html
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

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livingplanet3 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:01 pm
daveuk wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 12:08 am
https://www.theinsectcollector.com/acat ... 33230.html

Another rarely available species of Anaeini is Siderone syntyche polymela (Costa Rica), of which, I have a male that I would grade as A-. Here's an example of this species, which I assume you probably have a specimen of,
No I don't have a specimen of that beautiful Siderone. Glad that you do. It's another one which is rarely offered & usually expensive when it is.
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

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daveuk wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:21 pm
livingplanet3 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:01 pm
daveuk wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 12:08 am
https://www.theinsectcollector.com/acat ... 33230.html

Another rarely available species of Anaeini is Siderone syntyche polymela (Costa Rica), of which, I have a male that I would grade as A-. Here's an example of this species, which I assume you probably have a specimen of,
No I don't have a specimen of that beautiful Siderone. Glad that you do. It's another one which is rarely offered & usually expensive when it is.

This bug flies at a spot with Prepona aedon rodriguezi in Belize - and the two are almost impossible to tell apart on the wing. All you see is flashing blue and red - until they land. Then of course, you can separate them pretty easily! P. aedon tends to look "larger" in flight because the blue extends to the HW. Of the two - Siderone syntyche is much rarer - and I only have a pair from this lone spot (taken a year apart!). In contrast, P aedon rodriguezi is pretty widespread in granite soil rainforest - and we've seen and taken it at around a half dozen sites.

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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by Trehopr1 »

How lucky you are Dave to have nabbed suprema !πŸŽ‰πŸ‘

What a superb and very seldom seen species. I have only seen one offered in the last year and it fetched far more than $200 for the specimen. I've never seen one in a private collection of any kind.

Thank you for sharing you're wonderful rarity and good fortune with us....☺️
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

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Trehopr1 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 9:37 pm How lucky you are Dave to have nabbed suprema !πŸŽ‰πŸ‘

What a superb and very seldom seen species. I have only seen one offered in the last year and it fetched far more than $200 for the specimen. I've never seen one in a private collection of any kind.

Thank you for sharing you're wonderful rarity and good fortune with us....☺️
You are welcome Trehopr. Feel lucky to have one. A photo of another female in D'Abrera
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by livingplanet3 »

daveuk wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 10:24 pm You are welcome Trehopr. Feel lucky to have one. A photo of another female in D'Abrera...
That's a really superb female suprema specimen.

Which of D'Abrera's books is this from? I've seen a few of his books, but don't own any of them.

Incidentally - lately, I've been trying to find out if a certain book that I saw decades ago in a library might have been one of his. All I can remember is that it was a rather small book (about field guide size), and the dust jacket had a series of Agrias specimens on it. I can't recall the title.
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by Trehopr1 »

I believe the book you are thinking of is titled "The World of Butterflies" by Michael Dickens & Eric Storey (1972).

I have three copies at home. I don't recall the species being in there but, you could be right and I will have to look when I am at home tonight.
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by livingplanet3 »

Trehopr1 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 12:03 am I believe the book you are thinking of is titled "The World of Butterflies" by Michael Dickens & Eric Storey (1972).

I have three copies at home. I don't recall the species being in there but, you could be right and I will have to look when I am at home tonight.
Thanks - yes, that's the book; I probably last saw it around 40 years ago, in a local library -

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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by wollastoni »

Jshuey wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 9:24 pm All you see is flashing blue and red - until they land
Yes, Siderone are very fast flyers ! I had the luck to net one in flight in French Guiana, I was very proud of myself !
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

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livingplanet3 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 10:52 pm That's a really superb female suprema specimen.

Which of D'Abrera's books is this from? I've seen a few of his books, but don't own any of them.

Incidentally - lately, I've been trying to find out if a certain book that I saw decades ago in a library might have been one of his. All I can remember is that it was a rather small book (about field guide size), and the dust jacket had a series of Agrias specimens on it. I can't recall the title.
It's this one. I have a few volumes. They are full of errors but I still find them quite useful for identification. Plus they have an aesthetic value too.
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Re: Memphis laura rosea

Post by livingplanet3 »

Consul excellens (http://insecta.pro/taxonomy/53940) is a species of Anaeini that was formerly quite scarce in collections, but has become much more available and affordable in recent years due to captive rearing -

Image

Live specimens have even been featured in some US butterfly exhibits -

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhib ... de/orange/

This only seems to be true of the nominate subspecies, however, as ssp. genini still commands high prices -

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