InsectNet forum

Once in a while, I purchase a few cocoons of very trivial overwintering N. American Saturniidae: H. cecropia. and A. polyphemus, just for fun. This year I can not find any. I really do not feel like importing them from UK or France. Did something happen to these species in the US, or this is just a "supply-demand" thing - a common explanation of all possible problems nowadays? Can anyone tell me the name of a reliable breeder in the US?

I don't think any problems exist, each year is different, people don't always advertise livestock. Some times you need to post a want
ad, and even then it's a crapshoot. I've found that over the last ten years or so, a large variety of natives have been offered, it's just that
life isn't a production line, and sometimes there's a period where you have to wait for ova, rather than being able to buy diapaused material.
I'll be out this season, and something will fly in, what, where and when -
I keep a notebook of traders and just recently bought material from someone I emailed and asked if they had anything, a successful endeavor,
despite my want ads. Shipping is work, I know I don't come out ahead when I sell livestock, I suppose that's my own fault, but it's just a hobby.
I sure wouldn't import US natives from the EU, if you're desperate- try Ebay.

Bill O in Canada is the clearing house, though he's older now and I've not seen anything from him in the past year. He doesn't do much raising on his own anymore but has pupae drop shipped. So he has a supplier network, they're out there. But I don't buy pupae, so don't know the players, sorry.

I was in contact will Bill last year. He seemed as active as ever. He has a supplier network in Canada and the USA but doesn’t ship across the border for obvious reasons. Give him a shout. I have a bunch of cecropia and promethea cocoons in the garage but I believe you are in the US?

Thank you all. 
Yes, I am in US. I'll try eBay. 
Bill O. has a limited stock this season. 

Well, when you see what livestock sells for on Ebay, you'll see why I used the word "desperate" . That is a bunch I'd call unethical. But that's just
my opinion.

kevinkk wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:40 am Well, when you see what livestock sells for on Ebay, you'll see why I used the word "desperate" . That is a bunch I'd call unethical. But that's just
my opinion.

Kevin,
I was unable to find anything except "empty cocoons, no live moth" on eBay.
Actually, I am not desperate: I acquired a few cocoons/chrysalids of rare and interesting
species through Insectenet "Classifieds" and reared a couple of common (still quite interesting) species by myself.
I just can not understand, why the cocoons of the most trivial species are not available this season.

Perhaps one reason is eBay's listing policy which only allows the following live insects to be listed:
Fertilized eggs and Non CITES bees, crickets, and ladybugs. This is per https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/proh ... cy?id=4327

Ebay policy also says that live insects can only be sold as feeders, I sell livestock there all the time and don't rip people off charging 40 bucks for 1
cecropia, sans shipping.
You might try Carolina biological, although they may limit species depending on where you live.
Yes, I looked at Ebay last nite, and it was just empty cocoons, but, often there is living material, and, at times, I've found things worth buying, not
often because it's too expensive, I do like looking though.
And that listing policy- Not even Ebay follows it, they wait for people to make complaints about items, the first time I bought Argema mitteri was on
Ebay from Italy, I've found Hyles lineata there. Making complaints isn't easy either, I've made complaints multiple times about a seller and their
racist items, it took 2 years to get rid of that seller.
I sold my livestock a bit early this year, we raised Hyalophora euryalus from a wild female, and I think that was it, every year is different though.
You need to be on top of things during the seasons- I look at the classifieds every morning drinking coffee, things can disappear in a matter of hours.
Sometimes it takes knowing the "right" people, I've been lucky enough with networking. While we're on the subject of selling, I have some comments-
I keep a notebook, if you're one of those persons with "issues", it gets written down, in case aliens suck out part of my brain and I forget it takes
you 2 weeks to return email, or you take off for the weekend and don't ship my Citheronia regalis ova until you come back on Monday and they've
all hatched in the mail- and you know who you are. It is just a hobby, until you take my money-

why don't you collect your own. Here is a jpg illustrating some of the good quality saturnids and sphingidae I captured on a single night with a single trap. I have been collecting this way for the past 54 years using 500+ automatic-capture insect traps 365-366 days every year since 1969. You will note the 6 rows of regal moths in the image.
----- Vernon Antoine Brou Jr.

vabrou wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 6:15 pm why don't you collect your own. Here is a jpg illustrating some of the good quality saturnids and sphingidae I captured on a single night with a single trap. I have been collecting this way for the past 54 years using 500+ automatic-capture insect traps 365-366 days every year since 1969. You will note the 6 rows of regal moths in the image.
----- Vernon Antoine Brou Jr.

Aug. 1980, Weyanoke, La.jpg

That looks great Vernon- problem is, that usually exceeds a full summer's catch up north. And, at least up here in the industrial/ agricultural region, Saturnid populations have crashed.

Chuck, the reason why insect populations have dwindled throughout the world are the hundreds of billions of high-wattage MV lights along highways and roads which began 200 years ago. Then the useless massive facade lighting on buildings everywhere, hundreds of millions of MV 175 watt yard lights just here in the US. Don't forget these are all 24 hours automatic feeding stations for billions of bats birds spiders crawfish lizards frogs toads snakes racoons opossums fish foxes bobcats dogs cats and a whole lot of larger animals, e.g. bears, on and on and on. I'm surprised that we still have any insects at all. Then we also have been aerial spraying poisons over forest and crops and our yards for a century. lets not forget massive habitat destruction throughout the world along with 8 billion too many people on this planet.

Here is a jpg illustrating a small portion of the sphingids, underwings etc taken on one night with one trap, only good quality specimens shown.

If one wants to collect, one needs to get away from existing light pollution and collect in forested areas. 54 years ago I took up residence in a rural location so I could more easily collect at my home locations.
It has been a remarkable journey of discovering more than 400 moth species new to science. Imagine I discovered two new hawkmoth species here in my yard, a new saturnid and 12 new underwing species to mention a few.