White Witch (Thysania agrippina)

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Unique Handmade Postcard

"Thysania agrippina, jungle moth from Amazon, Brazil"

Mailed (with a 5 cent stamp) on June 8, 1963
from Lowell, Indiana to Bethlehem, Connecticut

"The unique home-made postcard is from a collector who wanted to obtain specimens of all US town cancels on postcards. When he ran out of postcards (he required thousands), he made many and became quite good at it. He cut up travel magazines mostly--so the photography or art is of a high standard, but not always attributed. He copied the captions by hand. His cards are surprisingly well made. There are no bumps that you might expect from sloppy pasting, and the edges simply do not peel back."

"Postcard Bill" Judnick
www.judnick.com

The above postcard is made from the full-page photo on page 648 of the May 1959 National Geographic "Giant Insects of the Amazon" by Paul A. Zahl (with photographs by the author). Zahl is listed as National Geographic Senior Editorial Staff (Natural Sciences)

The caption reads:

Wings of a Jungle Moth Spread Nearly a Foot

Floodlights at an Amapa manganese mine brought Thysania agrippina within range of the author's net on one of his midnight prowls. Antonio, 10-year-old son of a mine employee, accompanied Dr. Zahl on many of his field sorties (page 663). Ripening papayas load the trees.

The reference to page 663 takes one to a another photo of Zahl and the boy photographing a large beetle.

Bob Patterson
Entomology Hobby Page