|
|
Post by mothman27 on Feb 28, 2017 18:21:58 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post by tv on Feb 28, 2017 18:39:13 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Mar 1, 2017 0:36:29 GMT -8
$1,800 for an unidentified brown moth - will anyone actually want to buy it?
Adam.
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Mar 1, 2017 5:33:38 GMT -8
$1,800 for an unidentified brown moth - will anyone actually want to buy it? Adam. I would, but I'd have to buy Amazon first to accumulate my fortune. Chuck |
|
leptraps
Banned
Enter your message here...
Posts: 2,397
|
Post by leptraps on Mar 1, 2017 11:41:20 GMT -8
I know a weasel or two that would try and pass this off. And, a sucker is born everyday to purchase such an item. And I can think of a sucker or two who would purchase such a specimen.
It is almost Waffle House time......
|
|
|
|
Post by foxxdoc on Mar 2, 2017 7:44:04 GMT -8
but !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what's the moth ?
tom |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Apr 9, 2017 17:25:05 GMT -8
Well, I guess it's something pretty rare if no one on the forum can even give a family!
|
|
|
|
Post by trehopr1 on Apr 9, 2017 19:44:50 GMT -8
Never presume that an insect is "something pretty rare" just because your inquiry does not elicit an answer! Moths after all are the majority of what makes up the insect order we know as Lepidoptera. At last count I believe moths outnumbered butterflies 10 to 1. So, if you go with the last figure I heard of 165,000 species of Lepidoptera (identified) and counting; and 20,000 or so are butterflies than you have at least 145,000 species of moths to think about.
Now, this little brown unidentified "dink" moth comes out of Mexico. How well does anyone really know the moth fauna of Mexico? For that matter is there even a book of any sort on the subject? Quite honestly, throughout the whole community of all those who find this order the most fascinating; their are only a relative handful with the knowledge and expertise to put forth a credible answer.
So, maybe they just have not read this thread or perhaps do not care to answer. This forum has over 2000 members but, the reality is that less than 5% (more like < 3%) ever actually take part in saying anything at all.... Most apparently are perfectly content reading the comments and looking at the posted photo's.
There are many members with specific knowledge on groups they have long favored and come to know pretty well. So, when opportunity presents itself they avail their knowledge and expertise to us and we in turn are the better for it as we learn something new and it broadens our mind on this vast subject.
If someone feels competent enough to give you an answer to the identity of this little brown moth than most likely you will get an answer --- eventually. Otherwise, the rest of us just don't care to offer up an unfounded and unqualified guess.
I quote Oliver Wendell Holmes: 'I suppose you are an entomologist?'
'Not quite so ambitious as that, sir.
I should like to put my eyes on the
individual entitled to that name. No
man can be truely called an entomologist,
sir ; the subject is too vast for any single
human intelligence to grasp.'
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Apr 10, 2017 0:23:10 GMT -8
I doubt there is an entomologist alive who could put every moth into a genus or a family for that matter. Could you!!
|
|
mrjvi
New Member
Posts: 2
|
Post by mrjvi on Jun 11, 2017 8:04:09 GMT -8
Looks like Eacles Imperialis or a sub species of that. Not rare.
|
|
|
|
Post by bandrow on Jun 11, 2017 9:37:35 GMT -8
Greetings, Not a saturniid at all. I will try to tease the answer out of my boss - a noted lepidopterist. He looked at this some time ago, and knew what it was, but I've forgotten the family. He's out on medical leave for the next week or so, but as soon as he's back, I'll pin him down on it. In the meantime - look into the families Lymantriidae, Lasiocampidae, Notodontidae - it was one of the "brown" families  . Sorry - my brain is trained to remember beetle names... Cheers! Bandrow |
|
|
|
Post by mothman27 on Jun 11, 2017 16:43:52 GMT -8
I doubt there is an entomologist alive who could put every moth into a genus or a family for that matter. Could you!! I too doubt this but I certainly did not say I could! Wasn't I the one who asked for the ID! I just mentioned that it was a surprise that no one on this forum of many entomologists could give a tentative ID since this rarely seems to happen on insectnet. Usually someone has some sort of idea! Bandrow: Thanks for the info, I am guessing you are right that it is some sort of Bombycoidea or Lasiocampoidea, just the antennae seem unusual. You don't need to go out of your way to find out, I was just curious. trehopr1: It makes sense to me as a general rule: Generally, if something is common, people will be able to recognize it and if something is rare, not as often. Also, common things sell for less than rare things. Do you disagree? Sorry if I was unreasonable, Tim |
|
|
|
Post by bandrow on Jun 12, 2017 5:50:46 GMT -8
Hi Tim, I see nothing unreasonable in any of your posts! I fully agree with you - even the best of the specialists are stymied more often than they'd likely admit. When I saw this specimen and those weird truncated antennae, I assumed it was some kind of fake. When I showed it to my boss, he had an idea of what it was, but had to dig in a little to verify it. I thought he was going to post an answer here, but must have never gotten around to it. It's no problem to poke him again - I think everyone here has been kept in mystery long enough  I think sometimes that "obscurity" is mistaken for "rarity" - quite often species thought to be rare turn out to be the oppposite, once their habits, distribution, phenology, etc., become understood. In this case, how many collectors - especially those collecting for commercial interests - would pay attention to such a drab species in the midst of the biodiversity at a tropical light sheet? Hopefully, I can help bring some closure to this mystery very soon!  Cheers! Bandrow |
|
|
|
Post by bandrow on Jun 12, 2017 7:30:25 GMT -8
Greetings,
Just talked to the boss - you want to be investigating the Lymantriidae...
Cheers!
Bandrow
|
|
|
|
Post by jonathan on Jun 16, 2017 12:46:06 GMT -8
From my ignorance on the subject, since as most of you know I specialize on Western Palearctic Satyrinae, a close guess would be Staetherinia corydona (Druce, 1898) See this copy from Seitz MLOW 6 plate 74  Anyway, just took the opportunity to remind you about my site :-) www.satyrinae.yolasite.com/ |
|
. Sorry - my brain is trained to remember beetle names...
