# Just caught a large Agrius Cingulata by vapor light..very nice!



## Ted (Oct 13, 2007)

I have caught a few of these the last few weeks at my vapor light i run nightly.
it was cool..there were midges swarming everywhere, and each time one landed on the moth, the moth would throw back it's wings, defensively as if annoyed.flashing the beautiful pink underside.
went immediately into the freezer, for a perfect specimen to mount later.


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## ahas (Oct 24, 2007)

That' s nice.  Love the pink colour.


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## Ted (Oct 24, 2007)

ahas said:


> That' s nice.  Love the pink colour.


thanks!
yes, they are a beautiful species..with other members having yellows, and other nice colors


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## Curry (Oct 24, 2007)

Those are beautiful moths!


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## Ted (Oct 24, 2007)

Curry said:


> Those are beautiful moths!


its really cool when they are on a wall or tree, and you go too close to them, they flap their wings up fast, exposing the pink..and its startling if you arent expecting it.


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## thedude (Oct 24, 2007)

pink spotted hawk moth FTW!! i only have one of those! where did you catch it?? this is the only sphinx i really love caus of the odd coloring lol

ted your the shiz LOL

and in the pick she looks pregnant... was she?


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## Ted (Oct 24, 2007)

thedude said:


> pink spotted hawk moth FTW!! i only have one of those! where did you catch it?? this is the only sphinx i really love caus of the odd coloring lol
> 
> ted your the shiz LOL
> 
> and in the pick she looks pregnant... was she?


thanks, dude-man!
i caugh several of them this year..i run a vapor light 7 days a week, and at certain times get various sphinx species.
not all were collected in Dallas..but all over Texas.
this year i collected multiple Xylophanes tersa,Hiles lineata,	
Ceratomia catalpae,and C. Undulosa, Manduca quinquemaculatus,Manduca rustica,M. sexta,and others.
Also caught this year are some from the Smerinthini group, such as 	
Amorpha juglandis,Pachysphinx modesta,Paonias excaecata,and even some 	
Smerinthus jamaicensis!
the list goes on and on!!
so many great Sphingids here!


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## ArachnoYak (Oct 24, 2007)

*Too Bad*

There are some of us that can enjoy the experience of witnessing a natural beauty like that without wondering how much better it would look with a pin through it.  I've always been fascinated with all kinds of lepidopterids and I think it's great that you enjoy collecting them, I just prefer to enjoy them without killing them.  Or at least if you want to collect them, learn enough about their life-cycle that you are able to obtain eggs from a female or even a brood of caterpillars that you can raise one summer and release.  That way you give back more than you take from nature.  Let's hear it for sustainable insect harvests!


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## Ted (Oct 24, 2007)

ArachnoYak said:


> There are some of us that can enjoy the experience of witnessing a natural beauty like that without wondering how much better it would look with a pin through it.  I've always been fascinated with all kinds of lepidopterids and I think it's great that you enjoy collecting them, I just prefer to enjoy them without killing them.  Or at least if you want to collect them, learn enough about their life-cycle that you are able to obtain eggs from a female or even a brood of caterpillars that you can raise one summer and release.  That way you give back more than you take from nature.  Let's hear it for sustainable insect harvests!


who said all i do is catch them and kill them?
i get the feeling you think i am some sort of backwoods insect pin wielding bug killer.
that's a left field assumption, and am sorry if i didnt make it clear before what i do.
you must have missed the pictures of my breeding these moths...i have even bred the largest and most difficult species of moths in the world as well.
i also sleeve and study clutches of caterpillars too.

i know plenty about their cycles,and do quite well at it. 
so i do appreciate your interest and concern for wild populations..but i do give back more than i take in the end..and share data about host plants, cycles,parsites, and egg counts.
in order to keep the gene pool fresh i trade with other breeders and collectors form all over texas and elsewhere they naturally occur and we each scatter cocoons around our woods and parks.


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## thedude (Oct 24, 2007)

dude your soo lucky... but when ever i say that i alwase think do you midwest/west coats people say the same thing about us east coasters


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## Ted (Oct 24, 2007)

thedude said:


> dude your soo lucky... but when ever i say that i alwase think do you midwest/west coats people say the same thing about us east coasters


true, true!! 
i haven't been to the east coast as of yet.
i am dying to get there one year.


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## ArachnoYak (Oct 24, 2007)

*I stand corrected*

Thanks for the clarity, I was completely unaware.  Very impressive. Keep up the good work.  Never have I been so glad to be wrong about somebody.


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## Ted (Oct 24, 2007)

ArachnoYak said:


> Thanks for the clarity, I was completely unaware.  Very impressive. Keep up the good work.  Never have I been so glad to be wrong about somebody.


no prob at all..it happens all the time.
i do also give presentations and help out at the zoos and museums helping educate other folks too..teaching stuff like preservation and control through relocation as opposed to pesticides, being that many sphinx are larval pests of gardens and tree nurseries.


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## Curry (Oct 24, 2007)

Im the pin weilding bug killer if anything. LOL.


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

Curry said:


> Im the pin weilding bug killer if anything. LOL.


do tell!
..........

eta..i just noticed your signature and link.
cool deal..I have over three thousand in my collection atm..and that doesnt cover the freezer stash.
eventually they die..i enjoy preserving them afterwards..its a nice tribute to their beauty and place in this big world.


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## thedude (Oct 25, 2007)

Ted said:


> who said all i do is catch them and kill them?
> that's a left field assumption, and am sorry if i didnt make it clear before what i do.
> you must have missed the pictures of my breeding these moths...i have even bred the largest and most difficult species of moths in the world as well.
> i also sleeve and study clutches of caterpillars as well.
> ...


i agree... i do the same thing w/ local moths of all sorts... infact ive got 9 promethea moth cacoons that are gonna hatch next summer and im gonna let some go and then also mate some to keep for another generation


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## thedude (Oct 25, 2007)

Ted said:


> do tell!
> ..........
> 
> eta..i just noticed your signature and link.
> ...


lol sounds like me but most of my stock is frozen atm... getting rid of dermestids. but i still have a nice ammount of pinned stuff prolly reaching 1000


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

thedude said:


> lol sounds like me but most of my stock is frozen atm... getting rid of dermestids. but i still have a nice ammount of pinned stuff prolly reaching 1000


thats incredible as well!
i too am having some serious issues with dermestids.
i need a huge deep freeze.
am afraid to use toxins to kill them, because of my live inverts.


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

thedude said:


> i agree... i do the same thing w/ local moths of all sorts... infact ive got 9 promethea moth cacoons that are gonna hatch next summer and im gonna let some go and then also mate some to keep for another generation


promethia are fabulous!
i collected a few in far east texas last year..very rare to find there!:clap:


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## Farom (Oct 25, 2007)

I've attempted multiple times to breed the moths(talking saturniids here, ive had success with monarchs and painted ladies), but the males and females never hatch in time.  I even raised some cecropias from egg, although I only ended up with three cocoons(no idea how that happened, lol, had 40 eggs to start with, guess it comes with being a noobie) they all hatched in spring.  I finally got a female around two days after the last male died. 
Ted, if you have any extra cocoons(any species) that you might be interested in trading for some exotic mantids, send me a PM.  I wouldn't mind raising another batch once spring rolls around again.


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## thedude (Oct 25, 2007)

Farom said:


> I've attempted multiple times to breed the moths(talking saturniids here, ive had success with monarchs and painted ladies), but the males and females never hatch in time.  I even raised some cecropias from egg, although I only ended up with three cocoons(no idea how that happened, lol, had 40 eggs to start with, guess it comes with being a noobie) they all hatched in spring.  I finally got a female around two days after the last male died.
> Ted, if you have any extra cocoons(any species) that you might be interested in trading for some exotic mantids, send me a PM.  I wouldn't mind raising another batch once spring rolls around again.


cercropia?? really lol those guys are difficult to keep going here in PA there really hard to find but every so often me and friends find a few cocoons


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## thedude (Oct 25, 2007)

Ted said:


> promethia are fabulous!
> i collected a few in far east texas last year..very rare to find there!:clap:


in texas?? what are they feeding on? wild cherry or spice bush?


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

Farom said:


> I've attempted multiple times to breed the moths(talking saturniids here, ive had success with monarchs and painted ladies), but the males and females never hatch in time.  I even raised some cecropias from egg, although I only ended up with three cocoons(no idea how that happened, lol, had 40 eggs to start with, guess it comes with being a noobie) they all hatched in spring.  I finally got a female around two days after the last male died.
> Ted, if you have any extra cocoons(any species) that you might be interested in trading for some exotic mantids, send me a PM.  I wouldn't mind raising another batch once spring rolls around again.


it takes time..it really does!
many will die off in various instars..cecropia are hard to breed because many get gypsy fungus disease and turn black and squishy, and can easily contaminate the others wither their droppings.
their favorite host plants are not common here, and food sources can be limited.
saturnidae are my favorite to breed!
i plan to try breeding some texas desert mountain Antherea Oculea next year!
i caught two this year in a remote area, but both were males..next year i'm going to look harder and longer.

as far as extras of any species..i will keep you in mind for that, i do love mantids, and that seems like a great trade!


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

thedude said:


> in texas?? what are they feeding on? wild cherry or spice bush?


mainly spicebush [also get some nice spicebush swallowtails there too] but i know of some established tulip trees and am figuring they are feeding on those as well.
not sure about the cherry..but its not far fetched to assume they are.


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## thedude (Oct 25, 2007)

i love the regal moths but ive never bin able to keep them alive.. im hoping to get some imperials and royal walnuts this next year since i would love to have a few vialed hickory horned devils


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

thedude said:


> i love the regal moths but ive never bin able to keep them alive.. im hoping to get some imperials and royal walnuts this next year since i would love to have a few vialed hickory horned devils


the regals are tough..not many are found here except in undisturbed locations in south east texas..mainly the houston area is where i've seen them.
the caterpillars[horned devils] are incredible arent they?!
and huuuge!
the walnut moths are fairly common in places..also a nice addition.:}


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## Curry (Oct 25, 2007)

Ted said:


> do tell!
> ..........
> 
> eta..i just noticed your signature and link.
> ...


DAMN over 3,000 lol. amazing i have to see some pictures of your collection if you have any... 

I actually don't kill them. i get them from a dealer who gets them from butterfly farms. all imported legally with proper paperwork. I usually donate portions of my sales on my mounts rain forest foundations, local zoo's and I give a lot to the museum of natural history here in the city.

I did have my moments when I was younger... running around with a jar of alcohol and nets. haha.

I only tried to collect insects locally a few times. Not much success. Not much diversity either... I was dissapointed.


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

Curry said:


> DAMN over 3,000 lol. amazing i have to see some pictures of your collection if you have any...
> 
> I actually don't kill them. i get them from a dealer who gets them from butterfly farms. all imported legally with proper paperwork. I usually donate portions of my sales on my mounts rain forest foundations, local zoo's and I give a lot to the museum of natural history here in the city.
> 
> ...


very cool to hear that you are doing something positive for the world, with your helping the rainforests, etc!:clap: 
i have posted quite a few of my bugs, here, so just poke around in my threads and you'll see many..but i need to post more.


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## thedude (Oct 25, 2007)

most of my bugs are local lol ive got atleast 300 dif SPP from PA to VA


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## Farom (Oct 25, 2007)

Ted said:


> it takes time..it really does!
> many will die off in various instars..cecropia are hard to breed because many get gypsy fungus disease and turn black and squishy, and can easily contaminate the others wither their droppings.
> their favorite host plants are not common here, and food sources can be limited.
> saturnidae are my favorite to breed!
> ...


Thanks, glad to hear it.:}


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## Curry (Oct 25, 2007)

Just saw a couple of them ted, they look great! I'm gonna post a few pics of mine but ill start a new thread so I don't hi jack yours!


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

Curry said:


> Just saw a couple of them ted, they look great! I'm gonna post a few pics of mine but ill start a new thread so I don't hi jack yours!


hey man..go ahead and post em here if you want.
i dont mind at all.!


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## thedude (Oct 25, 2007)

hey ted do you have ne male velvet ants?


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

thedude said:


> hey ted do you have ne male velvet ants?


i think i have a few of them..i will have to pour over my cases to see where i have them!
there arent easy to find in nature..for some reason.


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## Curry (Oct 25, 2007)

Ted said:


> hey man..go ahead and post em here if you want.
> i dont mind at all.!


No worries I made one.


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## thedude (Oct 25, 2007)

dude when you find those males send me a pic.. and i will send you a pick of the one i have


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

Curry said:


> No worries I made one.


indeed!
i was so busy enjoying the pics i forgot to comment!
super nice, Curry!
i enjoy pinning them out.
i cant count the hours i have spent positioning each foot,leg,etc in nice positions.
:clap:


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## Ted (Oct 25, 2007)

thedude said:


> dude when you find those males send me a pic.. and i will send you a pick of the one i have


i sure will!
it make take me a day or so to go through all of my species.
i get overwhelmed when trying to look at thousands of specimens.


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## thedude (Oct 26, 2007)

i love looking through them.. but it will be all day before i find mine also...male velvet ant 3rd row 6th bug in... i think lol


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## Ted (Oct 26, 2007)

thedude said:


> i love looking through them.. but it will be all day before i find mine also...male velvet ant 3rd row 6th bug in... i think lol


it will also be a matter of what havent the dermestids eaten.


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## thedude (Oct 26, 2007)

Ted said:


> it will also be a matter of what havent the dermestids eaten.


i hate them.. i just got over a papperd inestation stock.. didnt have freezer room so i stored em in ammo cases and kept them in there for a year now there in the freezer for a month then ima fumagate them with moth balls and crystals


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## Ted (Oct 26, 2007)

thedude said:


> i hate them.. i just got over a papperd inestation stock.. didnt have freezer room so i stored em in ammo cases and kept them in there for a year now there in the freezer for a month then ima fumagate them with moth balls and crystals


i wanted to use crystals in my cases, but was warned that if i keep live inverts its a bad idea.
i need a mass fumigation room.


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## thedude (Oct 26, 2007)

ive got airtight stuff... 1600$$ cabinets, plus a hole bunch of old empty cigar style boxes that are airtight (semi).

check bioquip.com for some cases if you just have homemade ones


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## Ted (Oct 26, 2007)

thedude said:


> ive got airtight stuff... 1600$$ cabinets, plus a hole bunch of old empty cigar style boxes that are airtight (semi).
> 
> check bioquip.com for some cases if you just have homemade ones


holy crap..thats cool!
wished i had some!

i checked them out, and just cant afford their cases[ not for as many bugs as i have[..would cost me a years income..lol...and unfortunately they dont make cases for large coleoptera..i need at least 4'' depth to house my goliath and megasoma..as well as the other huge specimens.
but i do need to make mine more airtight..its not easy, because dermestids are crafty..but it can be done.


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## thedude (Oct 26, 2007)

Ted said:


> holy crap..thats cool!
> wished i had some!
> 
> i checked them out, and just cant afford their cases[ not for as many bugs as i have[..would cost me a years income..lol...and unfortunately they dont make cases for large coleoptera..i need at least 4'' depth to house my goliath and megasoma..as well as the other huge specimens.
> but i do need to make mine more airtight..its not easy, because dermestids are crafty..but it can be done.


yes it can. but still ya never know how dermestids find there way in but they do.

id love to black light for the big beetles.. or catch one with a net lol


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## Ted (Oct 26, 2007)

thedude said:


> yes it can. but still ya never know how dermestids find there way in but they do.
> 
> id love to black light for the big beetles.. or catch one with a net lol


no doubt!!!
my plans are to get to collect in Columbia with my buddy this year.
some really nice specimens there!


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## beetleman (Oct 26, 2007)

Ted said:


> no doubt!!!
> my plans are to get to collect in Columbia with my buddy this year.
> some really nice specimens there!


when you  do go there, take a bigger container with ya....i want 1 of those BEAUTIFUL columbian women:drool: i heard they do very well here in the states


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## Ted (Oct 26, 2007)

beetleman said:


> when you  do go there, take a bigger container with ya....i want 1 of those BEAUTIFUL columbian women:drool: i heard they do very well here in the states


  :clap: 
good one.


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 2, 2007)

ahas said:


> That' s nice.  Love the pink colour.


I agree very nice Sphinx moth. I wish they have them outside my light but you'd have to go upstate to find them. But we still get some really cool insects.

Black Widow88


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## Ted (Nov 2, 2007)

Black Widow88 said:


> I agree very nice Sphinx moth. I wish they have them outside my light but you'd have to go upstate to find them. But we still get some really cool insects.
> 
> Black Widow88


use a mercury vapor light, you might be surprised what you get


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 2, 2007)

I shall do that!

Black Widow88


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## Ted (Nov 3, 2007)

Black Widow88 said:


> I shall do that!
> 
> Black Widow88


heres a taste of the sheer amount of insects itll bring in.

[YOUTUBE]s3a-AMBlepo[/YOUTUBE]


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 3, 2007)

Holy shit!

I know what I want for x-mas...... 

Black Widow88


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## thedude (Nov 3, 2007)

Ted said:


> heres a taste of the sheer amount of insects itll bring in.
> 
> [YOUTUBE]s3a-AMBlepo[/YOUTUBE]


nice!... reminds me of when i black lighted in lak moomaw ,VA this year
there were thousands apon thousands of copper underwings.... i had to like shovle them away from the light w/ my hands and thats how i found 3-4 fiery searchers(catapiller hunters), a few carion beetles and got stung by a pretty large  inchneumon


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## Curry (Nov 4, 2007)

WOW! I gotta change to one of those lights!


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## Ted (Nov 4, 2007)

Curry said:


> WOW! I gotta change to one of those lights!


you wont regret it.
even better when you hang a large white sheet behind it.


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## Drachenjager (Nov 4, 2007)

thedude said:


> dude your soo lucky... but when ever i say that i alwase think do you midwest/west coats people say the same thing about us east coasters


WHY would we say that?


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## thedude (Nov 4, 2007)

idk different looking bugs lol  like big saturnid moths


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 4, 2007)

thedude said:


> idk different looking bugs lol  like big saturnid moths


Mind you I saw a Cecropia Moth this year upstate. It was awesome! I'm hoping that I'll get to see a live Luna moth someday. And I don't care where it is because I wanna see one that badly.

I love them and I think that they're so pretty.

Black Widow88


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## Ted (Nov 4, 2007)

heres a few pics of my moths breeding and such.
these pics were taken six years ago.

you can see the size comparison between the cecropia and the atlas moths.


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 4, 2007)

WOW! Those are gorgeous! I love Saturniids!

Black Widow88


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## Ted (Nov 4, 2007)

Black Widow88 said:


> WOW! Those are gorgeous! I love Saturniids!
> 
> Black Widow88


in a short bit i will post a vid of one of the  atlas moths in flight in my old house.


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 4, 2007)

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

See I _told_ you I love Saturniids! 

Black Widow88


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## Ted (Nov 4, 2007)

..............................


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## Farom (Nov 4, 2007)

One of my cecropia caterpillars.


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 4, 2007)

It's gorgeous!

Black Widow88


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## Ted (Nov 4, 2007)

yep..they are nice.
not the easiest to keep, here in the far south, but superior individuals, indeed.


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 4, 2007)

Some day I hope to raise some of these beauties.

Black Widow88


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## Curry (Nov 4, 2007)

Love the atlas!


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## Ted (Nov 4, 2007)

Curry said:


> Love the atlas!


heres a film i took in my old house.
at the end it flies.lol


[YOUTUBE]V9rUg9j1huE[/YOUTUBE]


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## Curry (Nov 4, 2007)

Wowwww. Simply amazing. Must be a sight to see in person.


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## Ted (Nov 4, 2007)

Curry said:


> Wowwww. Simply amazing. Must be a sight to see in person.


yeah..those were the days!
it was very incredible.
i had lunas breeding in my daughters room, flying all around,cecropias in the living room, it was saturnid heaven!


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 5, 2007)

Ted said:


> yeah..those were the days!
> it was very incredible.
> i had lunas breeding in my daughters room, flying all around,cecropias in the living room, it was saturnid heaven!


I command you to do this again and tell me when they're all adults and give me your address and I'll be over there in 1 second. LOL! 

Black Widow88


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## Ted (Nov 5, 2007)

Black Widow88 said:


> I command you to do this again and tell me when they're all adults and give me your address and I'll be over there in 1 second. LOL!
> 
> Black Widow88


lol..sounds like a plan!


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## Black Widow88 (Nov 5, 2007)

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!  

Black Widow88


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## Curry (Nov 5, 2007)

Yea do it again and send me a few when your done ; )


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