2020 June 25

Val George writes:  Here’s my two cents’ worth on Ron’s Parnassian photos posted May 27.  The major distinguishing feature between clodius and smintheus is I think the banded antennae on smintheus;  clodius has plain black antennae.  Ron’s photos clearly show this feature, suggesting smintheus.  However, another difference between the two species is supposed to be the second black bar from the thorax on the forewing in the cell closest to the front edge of wing.  For smintheus it shouldn’t reach completely across the cell;  for clodius it does reach fully across.  All the photos I’ve seen of the two species show this difference, e.g., all 27 photos for smintheus on e-Fauna showing the forewing do not have the bar reaching across whereas all 23 similar photos for clodius do have the bar reaching across.  Ron’s photos show this bar reaching fully across the cell suggesting clodius.  It was previously noted that Ron’s butterfly doesn’t have any red spots on its forewing, again suggesting clodius, but this isn’t a definitive identification feature.  My conclusion:  a very definite maybe for smintheus.

 

Thank you, Val, for this quite considerable bit of research.

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of two moths – identified by Libby Avis – from Metchosin this morning:

 

Apamea antennata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Metanema inatomaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

 

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I found a young Red Admiral caterpillar today along Lochside Trail near Lohbrunner’s.

 

And along the same trail today, Jeff Gaskin reports a Satyr Comma, 10 Lorquin’s Admirals,  a few Cabbage Whites and 3 Western Tiger Swallowtails.

 

Kirsten Mills sends a photograph of another caterpillar found near the same place some time in May.  I am supposed to be calling it Erannis vancouverensis, but I have yet to be convinced that it isn’t the European Erannis defoliaria.

Erannis vancouverensis/defoliaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Kirsten Mills

   Also in May, Richard Rycraft sends a picture from Oak Bay of a pair of Narcissus Bulb Flies in copula.

Narcissus Bulb Flies Merodon equestris (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Richard Rycraft.

   Rosemary Jorna sends a photograph of a Pale Tiger Swallowtail from Muir Creek:

 

Pale Tiger Swallowtail (Lep.: Papilionidae)   Rosemary Jorna

She also saw three Western Tiger Swallowtails, though she comments on the scarcity of these butterflies.