2021 April 19 evening

   Three Moss’s Elfins were reported today.  Rosemary Jorna saw two at Sooke Potholes, and she photographed one of them.  Jeremy Tatum saw one along the Panhandle Trail off Munn Road.

Moss’s Elfin Incisalia mossii (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Rosemary Jorna

2021 April 19 morning

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a striking moth from his Saanich apartment building this morning.  He writes:  I didn’t recognize it as being a colour variety of the same species  – Sabulodes aegrotata – as Jochen’s moth shown on April 16.  Thanks to Libby Avis for setting me straight!

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   This morning Jochen Möhr in Metchosin noted several moths, including

2 Eupithecia nevadata/ravocostaliata

1 Melanolophia imitata

2 Nola minna

1 Orthosia hibisci

1 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

Orthosia hibisci  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Melanolophia imitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2021 April 18

    Here’s Jochen Möhr’s haul from Metchosin last night.  We’ve only once had Litholomia napaea before on this site – ten years ago,  2011 May 3, by Jeremy Gatten.

Litholomia napaea (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep,: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Triphosa haesitata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Eupithecia nevadata/ravocostaliata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

2021 April 18 morning

   Jeremy Tatum writes that the two California Tortoiseshells that have been on the Mount Tolmie reservoir for several days were still there at 5:30 pm on April 17.  They are best seen in the late afternoon or early evenung.

   Jeremy Tatum continues:  On April 4 we showed a photograph of some newly-hatched caterpillars of the Sheep Moth.  Here are these same caterpillars today:

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniiidae) Jeremy Tatum

   I don’t know how the moth acquired its name “Sheep Moth” .  (Ideas, anyone?)  I have occasionally seen it called the “Elegant” Sheep Moth, although the recent addition of this adjective is quite inappropriate.  The “eglanterina”  in its scientific name does not mean “elegant” or anything like it.  It refers to one of the frequent foodplants of the caterpillar, namely the Sweet Brier Rose Rosa eglanteria, the word “eglanteria” meaning “spiny”, referring to the prickles on the plant.  The Sweet Brier Rose is also known as the Eglantine Rose, so those who would like an adjective before “Sheep” should perhaps call the moth the Eglantine Sheep Moth, rather than the Elegant Sheep moth.

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  I saw this beauty on Mount Douglas on the 16th April around 2- 3pm. All rather hot up there at that time. Seen near the top parking lot.

Male Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2021 April 17 morning

   Jeremy Tatum writes that, at 5:30 pm on April 16, there were a California Tortoiseshell and a Mourning Cloak on the Mount Tolmie Reservoir.

Thomas Barbin sends a photograph of a cocoon of the Ceanothus Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus attached to an Ocean Spray twig.  He spotted a second one on Manzanita.

Ceanothus Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Thomas Barbin

Jeremy Tatum  writes:   We have had recent photographs of three species of comma, so here’s an exercise – photographed by Ron Flower at the Goldstream River yesterday.  Which one is it?  Well, I think there’s really no doubt that this is a male Satyr Comma.

Male Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower

Male Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower

   Ron and Nora also saw this bee, kindly identified for us by Annie Pang as a queen Bombus melanopygus.

Bombus melanopygus (Hym.: Apidae)  Ron Flower

   Jochen Möhr photographed this moth in Metchosin last night.

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr