Post by trehopr1 on May 28, 2021 23:28:21 GMT -8
Back in May 1988 I took my 1st Exotic trip abroad to fulfill
my life's dream of collecting insects in a rainforest. This
first of three excursions landed me in western Ecuador.
This was a group trip of like minded enthusiast collectors who
would spend a week sampling whatever six-legged creatures you
fancied. Most were lepidopterist enthusiasts but, a couple
coleopterist fella's were there and another three who seemed
to like everything !
Our group leader was the late Dr. Thomas Emmel who was a simply
wonderful, soft spoken, helpful, and informative guide of eminent
status.
The main lodge where we all had dinner every evening was open/airy
without screening and always attracted some small moths inadvertently
to our overhead table light.
One evening in the middle of dinner a loud buzzing sound alerted us
all to something heading right to our table. Plop, this beastie
landed right in front of me on the dinner table and I quickly reached
for a "catch" jar I had brought (we ALL learned by day two to bring an
empty jar to dinner).
This fellow would come to be the largest beetle which I
would personally encounter there on my trip.
Looking upon him and many other self caught treasures
brings wonderful, warm memories of tireless adventure.
my life's dream of collecting insects in a rainforest. This
first of three excursions landed me in western Ecuador.
This was a group trip of like minded enthusiast collectors who
would spend a week sampling whatever six-legged creatures you
fancied. Most were lepidopterist enthusiasts but, a couple
coleopterist fella's were there and another three who seemed
to like everything !
Our group leader was the late Dr. Thomas Emmel who was a simply
wonderful, soft spoken, helpful, and informative guide of eminent
status.
The main lodge where we all had dinner every evening was open/airy
without screening and always attracted some small moths inadvertently
to our overhead table light.
One evening in the middle of dinner a loud buzzing sound alerted us
all to something heading right to our table. Plop, this beastie
landed right in front of me on the dinner table and I quickly reached
for a "catch" jar I had brought (we ALL learned by day two to bring an
empty jar to dinner).
This fellow would come to be the largest beetle which I
would personally encounter there on my trip.
Looking upon him and many other self caught treasures
brings wonderful, warm memories of tireless adventure.
