Presidential Profile
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
No.1 Jan./Feb. 1986 the LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY or EDITOR June Preston 832 Sunset Dr. Lawrence. KS 66044 U.S.A. ASSOCIATE EDITORS Zone Coordinator. Art DIrector 1. Ken Philip 6. Ed Knudson 11. J.e.E. Riotte Les Sielski 2. Jon Shepard 12. Eduardo Welling M. Ripples 7. Ross Layberry Jo Brewer 3. Bob Langston 8. Mo Nielsen 13. Boyce Drummond 4. Ray Stanford 9. Andy Beck 5. Dick Rosche 10. Dave Winter _._ _ ., _ _.., _ ., _ .. Presidential Profile Clifford D. Ferris, of the University of Wyomi ng, is newly-emergi ng di scipline of Bioengineeri ng. After currently serving as President of the Lepidopterists' holding appointments at Drexel University and the Society. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where University of Maryland, he moved to the University of he began collecting insects at the age of nine. His Wyoming in 1968, where he is Director of the early interest in entomology was encouraged by various Bioengineering Program and Professor of Electrical staff members at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Engineering. During 1973-74 he served as Acting Dean of Philadelphia including E. T. Cresson and J. W. H. Rehn, the College of Engineering. In addition to teaching, his and while in high school through correspondence with university activities include design of specialized medical William Beebe at the American Museum of Natural electronic instrumentation for diagnostic and therapeutic History, and Harry Clench at Carnegie Museum who app lications. subsequently became a good friend. Cliff received the Summers and holidays are occupied with B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1957 lepidopterological pursuits. Although Cliff maintains a and 1958, respectively, from the University of general reference collection of North American Pennsylvania. He earned his D.Sc. in 1962 from the Lepidoptera and some exotic material, his major interests George Washi ngton Universi ty and entered an academic lie with the arctic and arctic-alpine fauna. He has career in the field of Electrical Engineering and the traveled over the arctic regions from northern Labrador to Alaska seeking elusive species. He has also hiked and backpacked into many remote areas of the Rocky Mountains looking for relict species. Dr. Ferris is author or co-author of more than 200 scientific papers and monographs, and five books, including Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States, co-edited with F. Martin Brown. His first entomological publication was in Entomological News in 1951 - on a dragonfly! Cliff's service to the Lepidopterists' Society includes: Member-at-Large of the Executive Council, 1978-81; Vice President, 1982; Common Names Committee, 1980 to present; Chairman, Committee on Nomenclature (including revision of Memoir #2), 1982 to present; host for 1982 Annual Meeting in Laramie. Dr. Ferris is a member of the Board of Directors of the Xerces Society and also serves as a Chief Counsellor of that organization. Cliff is a past president and a member of the Board of Directors of the Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium, Inc. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and holds memberships in the New York Academy of Sciences, the Maryland Entomological Society, the Pacific Coast Entomological Society, and various engineering societies. Cliff is also a Research Associate of the Allyn Museum of Entomology/Florida State Museum, of the Department of Entomology of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, and of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. - 7. GENDER BAIlQ.: I have appraised collections where the females are almost non-existent and this is a minus factor. The optimum ratio would be 1 male to 1 female but few collections approach th is level. An acceptable proportion would be 3 or 4 males to one female. 8. DIFFERENT SPECIES HJJM!1ER: A 5000 specimen collection of one half Cabbage butterflies and one half APPRA ISALS OF LEPIDOPTERA COLLECTlOR;, Part II Painted ladies in outstanding condition could be valuable under the first 7 factors but would stub its toe on this In the JUly/Aug 1985 (it4) issue of NEWS, requirement. What is a 5000 specimen, common 2 species mentioned that 18 factors of appraisal are involved in collection worth? Not too much! On the other hand if financially evaluating a collection. Let's examine each 2500 were QrnWBW-Ull fllexl!~ and the other half briefly - some of you may have overlooked factors that ~ homerus, break out the computer and don't tell you could upgrade. anyone where you keep them! If you have 1050 (plus MECHANICS 2f APPRAISAL: I place a base value on subspecies) of the 1100 species of North America a specimen depending on the first and second factors butterflies, your almos t comp lete collection wou Id be below and then add positive or subtract negative amounts highly prized, praised and appraised. as I proceed with the evaluation. 9. MUSEUM YAlJill.: A museum most covets the I. LOCATION: The ORIGIN of the species is species it doesn't have, so determine the needs of the fittingly the initial factor. The starting point is $1.50 museum you will be donati ng your collection to, and for a standard pinned, spread North American specimen catch those to increase the "museum" factor. But of and $1.85 for a foreign one. course we don't always know this ahead of time. The 2. flllN-llKi: A specimen is pinned, papered or museum factor is usually invoked when the collector has layered. Some small moths are pinned unspread when ample numbers of rare or extremely rare series of caught (trapp ed) to avoid rehandli ng. Riker mounti ng is individual species that provides the museum researcher spread, unpinned but the usual collection consists of with a sufficient sample spread for comparison. A one spread, pinned specimens and specimens individually specimen sample doesn't usually lead to valid papered or layered (as in sandwich boxes). An unpinned conclusions. The collector must constantly remember the unspread specimen receives a substantial markdown from butterfly (moth) is often var iable and that he shou ld the pinned one. Boxing occurs When extensive collecting provide the researcher - or (even more importantly) the is done and a single label is placed on the box with the describer, with a series of specimens of sufficient quality complete appropriate data. This technique is less so that he is not required to describe from a single valuable than individual papering. We always spread the specimen that may not be typical at all but possibly at best specimens! the extreme edge of that species' variability. The 3. QUALITY: I use 5 levels of quality - MIA, mint museum (or study) factor is not involked in a collection expupa; lA, top netted; lA-, standard netted; 2A, of single pairs of many different species, although the chipped, damaged, smudged; 3A, elderly, 50% off; a collection may be more valuable commercially or in its commercial MIA is usually not only a butterfly but also rarity. The comparison factor must be possible for the a work of art. Very valuable! added museum credit, unless the (small) museum doesn't 4. PREPARATION: Poor preparation can devalue an have any of the specimens at all! outstanding collection, needlessly! Proper preparation is 10. RARITY: Most of us know that if we are there your contribution to the value of your collection. The when the butterfly is there in large numbers, it is not dried butterfly is fragile and never forget it. rare. Two or three weeks later, however, they may Preparation starts from netti ng, through squeezi ng, appear to be extinct by their total absence. If the papering, killing, storing, relaxing, spreading, removing butterfly (moth) is confined to one small locality on the from boards, displaying and protecting from pests. If entire earth, single brooded, in small numbers - that's you make any mistakes - from the time you place the pin very rare and HIGH in value - f.lw.il.i.Q homerus in incorrectly to finally leaving the spread species in a Jamaica, Lycaena heteronea clara in West Los Angeles, "pesty" box in a damp place - you can only hurt (or etc. Rare and very rare represent the two degrees of destroy) your collection. Outstanding specimens rarity. See 11 next. outstandingly prepared multiply the value. 11. OCIENTlFIC: Types, topo, para, gynandromorphs, 5. DAIA: Specific (subspecies) naming and location. historical specimens, uniques, aberrants, extinct, Information (on the pin as opposed to a key it in a protected, intergenera matings, endangered (not too journal) should permanently accompany each specimen. I many!) species - represent valuable additions. realize most museums have specimens in named unit trays 12. QQMMERCIAL: Specimens are collected in four but it is fairly simple for the original collector to add ways - wrought, sought, caught or bought! I f you have an additional label on the pin when he (she) has the time and you can raise the specimen, What God hath determined the species and subspecies. I write the name "wrought" gives you the mint lA specimens; you can trade on the underside of the original label or a cue name if with other collectors for what you seek; you can catch the label is too small for the full nami ng. Anyway, a them yourself; or, if you can justify the cost to your specimen with no data is merely a beautiful example of wife, you can buy entire collections or at least your nature. A lack of data is a heavy NEGATIVE value. preferred family or genera! Commercial catalogues from Noting the continent is of some academic value but not lep dealers all over the world are available for the as valuable as "100 yds north of the bridge on Hwy 5 - 2 asking (or a small fee) and a valid value of a popular mi west of Bridgeport, Calif.