Precis orithya Butterfly

This is a specimen of Precis orithya from Indonesia, known in some localities as the Pansy Butterfly. The wingspan measures 1 3/8 inches (3.5 cm). It is a member of the Family Nymphalidae. As is the case with many of my specimens, it is imperfect but beautiful. I am fond of the butterflies in the Genus Precis. The wings are usually colorful and decorated with "eyespots" called ocelli (ocellus is singular). Relatives of this species that are found here in Utah like to rest in sunny places in the late afternoon in late summer, lighting on branches or on the ground with wings open. They are somewhat territorial, chasing away other butterflies that cross their path.

Dysphania Moth

This is a specimen of a Dysphania moth, which I beleive is Dysphania militaris. It is a member of the family Geometridae and is found in Indonesia. The wingspan measures 2 1/16 inches (5.2 cm). There are several species of moths in the genus Dysphania and they are somewhat variable, which is why I am not sure whether this specimen is "militaris". It is a specimen that I obtained from another collector who did not want to sell it in his catalog because it is imperfect, but I think it has value as a reference specimen and I think it is beautiful, so I am sharing it with you.

Phasma Gigas, Stick Insect

This is a specimen of the huge stick insect Phasma gigas, female. It is resting on a standard sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 inch copy paper. This specimen came from an insect farm in Papua New Guinea in 2004. The wingspan measures 8 inches (20.2 cm) and the length from tip of abdomen to tip of forelegs measures 10 inches (25.3 cm). This is a really big insect. When I first saw it my immediate reaction was "There are birds smaller than this!." It is a member of the Order Phasmatodea (also spelled Phasmatoidea) and is related to other Stick Insects, also known as Walking Sticks. This insect is reported to be very strong and does not like being handled, which is fine with me because as much as I love insects, this one is better seen than held.

Ithomiidae; Longwing Butterfly

This little butterfly from Peru is in the Family Ithomiidae, also known as the Longwing Butterflies, and I beleive it to be a member of the Genus Oleria. There are many members of the family Ithomiidae throughout Central and South America. These are a common and variable group, in which the same species from different locations can look like totally different species. It is a difficult group to identify, but they are quite pretty. This specimen measures 1 3/8 inches in wingspan (35mm), so it is a small butterfly. Most of the Ithomiids are small, but I like them very much because they are colorful, most of them having black, orange and yellow markings, as well as parts of the wings that are transparent. The white parts of the wings of this one are actually transparent, although you may not be able to tell from the photograph.

Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

This is a picture of a Giant Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes). The wing span measures 3 5/8 inches (9.2 cm). I caught it near Nauvoo, Illinois, by the shore of the Mississippi River, in July of 1970. I was 16 years old then. You will notice that this specimen is imperfect and you may wonder why I keep it in my collection when I could replace it with a more perfect one. I keep it because I caught it while I was on a vacation with my family. We were going to have a picnic and I saw this butterfly and ran after it with my butterfly net in hand. I was near a road and I was honked at by a driver who thought I would run out into the road to catch it. I was careful to stay out of the road and I safely caught it. This butterfly brings back good memories of a family trip. It was great. I will keep this butterfly in my collection even though it is imperfect, because it has sentimental value to me and my family.

First Post

Hello. My name is Mark Wilcox and I collect insects. I have specimens that I have caught myself, and specimens that I have traded for, and specimens that I have inherited, and specimens that I have bought. I think I have about three thousand specimens, mostly butterflies, but lots of other insects too. I am going to share my collection with you through my blog. There is information related to each specimen that may be of value to someone out there, and there are stories behind some of them as well. I hope you enjoy what I have to share.

Here is a picture of some insects that I have been working on lately. This picture shows a styrofoam board with mounted insects that I will be labeling. Each specimen needs to have a tiny tag of paper, or several tags that display the name of the insect, when and where it was caught and by whom. These tags, which will be mounted on the pin under the insect, may also contain information about what the insect was eating or any other important piece of information; like whether it was caught in the wild or reared on an insect farm. These pictured specimens came from Utah (where I live), Wyoming, Indonesia, Peru and Africa. I will be posting close up pictures of these specimens and others in days to come.