December 2007 - November 2008

14 August 2008

I have received 3 advance copies of my book, Mothology : Discover the Magic and am very happy with the result. Home page now carries an updated link to ‘Publishing’ which gives information on the book, launch, stockists or how to purchase over the net by contacting me if you don’t have access to a stockist. I have been busily out marketing the book before the launch and arrival of the bulk and have been greatly encouraged by the reception I have received. It’s proving much easier to sell a book about moths and moth art than that the one about that dingo.

Not a great deal of moth activity to report but it is that time of year. Nevertheless there are 14 new identified species (

‘d ) since the last update, including two new families, Choreutiidae and Yponomeutidae. C. emplecta and Atteva sp. both vied for moth of the month but I ended up preferring the silky lines of O. lissoscia.

I was lucky enough to win first prize for an adaptation of my moth globe which became a Crystal Moth Ball entitled appropriately enough, Mothology : Discover the Magic, in the digital art section of the Cairns Show visual art awards.

Cheers Buck

1 December 2007

A quieter month - due in part to the continual malfunction of about half of the magic light posts in Kuranda. Nevertheless the new additions to my pages are

‘d.

My moth of the month is not a new species. When I saw it live, I thought it was. Indeed there were two of them only inches apart. I always get excited with a spectacular ‘catch’. I knew it was a Saturniidae but must admit I was a little disappointed to discover it was most likely a variation of Syntherata janetta. A couple of days later I ‘caught’ yet another variation.

My one day exhibition at Kuranda Veranda was good local PR. You know you’re doing something different when a seasoned artist - a timber whittler in this case - says: ‘Man, this just blows my mind!’

I’ve adapted the quick image that I made for the promotional flyer into a full blown poster showing in excess of 220 different moths.

My other thrill this month was ‘catching’ an echidna late one afternoon with its nose buried in the lawn. I got fairly close before it moved off. I’m sure it will eat its way into my 2009 calendar.

So, till next year, have a great Xmas and . . .

Cheers Buck

1 January 2008

First, Happy New Year to all and sundry.

The problem with the magic light posts, referred to last month, was caused by power surges after November blackouts. Apparently the glitch has been there since the installation three years ago. And there’s no cure?? Hellooo! However the lights have been working for most of December so quite a productive month. 18 new identified species - some transferred from last month’s unidentifieds thanks to my fellow mothers - and 9 new unidentifieds. All new additions to my pages are

‘d.

Moth of the month? More variations on the Syntherata janetta theme, but no I did that last month, though the new additions are included on Moth Identification 4. A couple of old friends - Donucas in December. Rubropicta and a better new photo of castalia which I have now used. Fabulous moths but not really new. So, it came down to either the beautiful little pink framed Adisura dulcis, new unidentified Code # 063, which I thought was either a Dysgonia or an Avatha but couldn’t find a match anywhere - anyone?? - or Grammodes oculata. And the winner is . . . Grammodes.

A little story here. About six weeks ago I first saw this moth on the post office magic post. It’s the first post I encounter on my rounds. In my excitement I only took one shot. It looked OK on playback. When I downloaded later I found the shot was blurry. (My eyes, my bloody eyes!) I must admit to a rather loud profanity. However, patience must be a major part of the mother’s armory. I reassured myself I’d see it again and of course I did. There was one on a post which required some delicate gymnastics nestling into the surrounding foliage to get multiple shots. But later in the round on the same morning I found this little beauty just sitting on the footpath waiting for me.

I saw quite a few male Coscinocera hercules on my rounds. I now have three hercules cocoons hanging from my window sill (gifts from my friend and neighbour, Leigh) but no movement therein or therefrom.

December also sees a new family, Europteridae, in my collection.

And I must show my egg-laying Oxycophina.

I completed six new moth stars just in time for Xmas. I’ll get individual shots up next month but here’s a set of five in the breezeway where the verandahs join - note the lush greens in the backyard. Ah, tis the season . . .

Cheers Buck

1 February 2008

As promised my new moth stars have been uploaded towards the bottom of Moth Art.

However to whet your appetite here’s two of my favourites - though I’m very happy with all of them.

I’ve named the stars after the key moth on each of them. Grammodes Star features Eudocima salaminia, Dura niveus and Trigonodes hyppasia besides Grammodes oculata which you will remember was moth of the month for January. And very apt that was too! On one morning I would have seen at least 50 of them up town around the magic light posts. But as you will see on the Moth Identification pages it has been a bumper month. (Oh dear, every time I try to type month I keep leaving the ‘n’ out. I wonder why???) There are 60 new

s for the identified pages and 13

s for the unidentified pages. Plenty to choose from for moth of the month (damn, I did it again - but you’ll have to take my word for that). Scorpiopsis pyrobola has been lurking on the unidentified page for ages. Maybe because I’ve been so busy scrolling through page after page with so many new catches to try to identify that I opened Depressariidae on Australian Moths Online, perhaps for the first time, and bingo! I always get a thrill out of it, the new identification. Scorpiopsis is a very small moth. If I go for the ‘biggest and the best in Africa’ - well Australia) there is no contest. The accurately named Meganoton rubescens would win hands down. There I was searching around one of my most productive posts looking for the proverbial little gem of a moth hidden on the wall of foliage. I was just about to leave and go home when bam! I noticed the wall was a moth. Meganoton is the biggest moth by far - about 120mm across and plenty of depth too - I have seen apart from the Hercules of course. Hmmm, the exquisite pinks and orange of Agathodes? The pink version of Eublemma anachoresis? The new, another, version of Donuca castalia? But no, I’m going for the moth that jumped out of the green and hit me in the face. Talk about mimicry in reverse, it was a bit like the poor old zebra; all that lion-coloured savannah and the animal is barcoded as fast food. Yes, the winner is Xenogenes miranda and it wasn’t only its appearance; I love the name too.

Cheers Buck

1 March 2008

Another big month although there was a lull around the full moon. There are 30 new

s for the identified pages and 3

s for the unidentifieds - though there were more here but I’ve been short of time to get them up

Next month will see a revamp of some of my identifications following input for my book from Ted Edwards at CSIRO.

I had no hesitation in choosing Daphnis protrudens as the moth of the month. What a beauty! A wag suggested: “God was on acid when She designed that one!”

Cheers Buck

1 April 2008

I had a Herculean high as a moth-er this month. After 7 months pupation a beautiful female Cosinocera hercules emerged from the cocoon hanging on my window sill. But even better was to come. I put her outside where she hung peacefully with regal aplomb (I know anthropomorphism!) all day. Would she attract a male during the night? At 5.30am I found them together. They remained joined throughout the day. Still there before dinner but gone at 7.30pm. Wow! What a 36 hours!

Another breakthrough. When I photographed this strange curiosity I had no idea it was a Psychidae (Case Moth) caterpillar. Fact is stranger than fiction. I’ve found several other varieties since.

Moth of the month? I’ve gone for Glyphodes caesalis. It’s not on the Australian Checklist but I identified it from Australian Moths Online, so, I presume it’s a new addition.

Also I’ve revamped my identifications this month following the invaluable input from Ted Edwards for my upcoming book: Mothology - Discover the Magic. If there are significant changes I’ve given them a

so not all the

s are new additions so-to-speak this month. Though many are!

I’ve also uploaded my cache of potential images for my 2009 Desk Calendar. Have a sneak preview.

Cheers Buck

1 May 2008

Only 11 new

s this month in the identified species. I haven’t been seeing as many moths - colder weather? - and I guess the expansion of my collection must slow down now that I’ve been at it for over three years. So, unless anything extraordinary happens I’m going to cut my Latest News Updates back to quarterly from now on.

The main activity this month was in the Noctuids and there were several candidates for moth of the month but I’ve chosen Bastilla arctotaenia Noctuidae Catocalinae.

At least I think it is B. arctotaenia. According to Ted Edwards at CSIRO, the monolithic Dysgonia (apart from D. senex) has been broken up into (in Australia) Bastilla, Buzara and Pindara. I wasn’t able to positively ID this moth but it’s such a beautiful specimen I’ve had a punt by some process of elimination, which I can’t remember the details of anymore (oops!).

The final images for my 2009 calendar can now be viewed at preview.

Cheers Buck

1 July 2008

Well, I’ve done an update a month earlier than expected because I have 54 new species

to post. Why so many when I thought the well was starting to run dry? Partly because Ted Edwards (CSIRO) was kind enough to ID some of my unidentified cache and I’m still ‘catching’ the odd new moth (to me) either at home or up the street. My last moth of the month was not Bastilla arctotaenia. I did mention that Ted had informed me of the break up of Dysgonia in Australia. Well my moth was indeed arctotaenia, but it seems this particular moth has been left without a designated genus. Ted advised to call it ‘Dysgonia’ arctotaenia.

As this update covers two months, I have two winners for moth of the month.

Agrioglypta excellsalis Pyralidae Pyraustinae and Krananda extranotata Geometridae Ennominae. How could I not pick my first sighting of Krananda in Kuranda!?

My book, Mothology : Discover the Magic, is now being printed and I’m expecting a few advance copies next month. At this stage I’m planning a Cairns and a Kuranda launch sometime early October.

Last news is that I’ve worked out a couple of new ways, other than hanging them from the ceiling or window lintel, for displaying my Moth Stars.

Cheers Buck

1 November 2008

Well, my book is officially launched and is selling satisfactorily. A couple of reviews are in and are positive. All is well with the world except . . . Of course that’s life. Something is amiss with my knee and has restricted my morning rounds of the magic moth posts in Coondoo Street. Who knows what beauties I’m missing! Nevertheless, I have caught 7 new identified species (

‘d ) at home. My favourite is Barantola pulcherrima.

I sold a giclee print on canvas of Crystal Moth Ball at the opening of the Artist’s of the North exhibition which is still running at the Tanks Art Centre in Cairns.

Another female Hercules emerged after being cocooned for over twelve months. She lost a bit of wing in the process but still managed to attract a male on her first night out.

I’ll try to get one more Update in this year. Until then . . .

Cheers Buck