INVERTEBRATE ALERT
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

September 18 morning

2019 September 18 morning

 

   Kirsten Mills writes: On September 16, I was a caterpillar that looked like the hawk moth caterpillar last month. It was seen at the south end of Island View Beach.

 

Well, replies Jeremy Tatum, I hope Kirsten means that she “saw” a caterpillar rather than that she “was” one.  In any case, what a spectacular caterpillar it is!  It is indeed the same species as the one she showed on August 26, from nearby McIntyre Reservoir – a Bedstraw Hawk Moth.  I am beginning to lose count, but I think this is the sixth report of this species to Invert Alert this year – four adults, and two caterpillars, the latter both found by Kirsten.  Today’s caterpillar is a very different colour variety from the one Kirsten photographed on August 26 , so she did well to recognize that today’s is the same species.  Here they are both, first, the one Kirsten found in August:

 

Bedstraw Hawk Moth Hyles gallii (Lep.: Sphingidae) Kirsten Mills

 

and now the one she found on September 16:

 

Bedstraw Hawk Moth Hyles gallii (Lep.: Sphingidae) Kirsten Mills

   Although these individuals look very different, both have a red “horn” – I believe this is constant in all colour varieties of the caterpillar.  So far this year, we have received one photograph of an adult Hyles lineata, but we haven’t yet had one of a caterpillar. Its caterpillar always has a yellow horn.

 

Kirsten also sends a photograph of a Neoalcis californiaria from near Hillside Mall:

 


Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Kirsten Mills

 

Franci Holtsander. from Nanaimo, sends a photograph of a caterpillar of the Spotted Tiger Moth, and also the snail Cepaea nemoralis.  The shell looks just right for this species, although the animal itself is usually rather paler than this specimen.

 

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae- Arctiinae)

Franci Holtsander

 


Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Franci Holtsander

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of Cucullia montanae.  You can see the “hood” over its head, from which it gets its name Cucullia, from “cucullus”, a hood.  I don’t know where it gets its name “montanae” from, since I usually find this species on Gumweed on the beach down at sea level.

 


Cucullia montanae (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jeremy Tatum

More this afternoon or evening…