2020 August 16

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Campaea perlata 

1 Caripeta divisata

1 Eulithis xylina 

1 Lacinipolia cuneata 

2 Lacinipolia pensilis 

3 Neoalcis californiaria 

4 Nemoria darwiniata 

1 Nycteola frigidana

1 Panthea virginarius 

1 Pero (morissonaria?)

1 Sabulodes aegrotata

1 Phlogophora periculosa

1 Ypsolopha canariella

And around the house up to 3 Pine Whites simultaneously, and 1 Woodland Skipper.

Pero sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Nycteola (probably frigidana) (Lep.: Nolidae)  Jochen Möhr

Phlogophora periculosa (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Caripeta divisata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Ypsolopha canariella (Lep.: Plutellidae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 August 15 morning

From Gordon Hart:

Hello Butterfly Watchers,

The July count period starts Saturday August 15 until Sunday August 23. This is an informal census of butterfly numbers and species in Greater Victoria. The area is defined by the Christmas Bird Count circle, extending from Victoria to Brentwood Bay and Island View Road in Central Saanich, and west to Happy Valley and Triangle Mountain, and Langford Lake and Goldstream areas.

You can submit a count any time over the count period, just use a separate form for each count and location. In the case of repeat or duplicate counts, I will use the higher numbers. To submit counts, please use the form from the VNHS website at: https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33

If you have difficulty with the form, just send me an email with the information.

Thank-you for submitting your sightings and good luck with your count.

-Gordon

Gordon Hart,

Butterfly Count Coordinator,

Victoria Natural History Society

   Rosemary Jorna sends a selection of insect photographs from the Kemp Lake area.  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying the moth, and to Claudia Copley for the grasshopper.

Choreutis diana (Lep.: Choreutidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Melanoplus sp. (Orth.: Acrididae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Scott Gilmore sends photographs of a robber fly from Lantzville, identified for us by Dr Rob Cannings as  a male Neomochtherus willistoni,

Neomochtherus willistoni (Dip.: Asilidae)  Scott Gilmore

Neomochtherus willistoni (Dip.: Asilidae)  Scott Gilmore

   Aziza Cooper sends a photograph of what we presume is a nymph of a bug, from Pedder Bay.  We don’t think we can identify it, but if any viewer has suggestions, please let us know.  Perhaps Nabidae or Miridae, but we really don’t know.

Unidentified bug nymph (Hemiptera)   Aziza Cooper

   A moth and a bug from Gordon Hart in the Highlands.

Evergestis pallidata (Lep.: Crambidae)  Gordon Hart

Eurygaster sp. (Hem.: Scuterellidae)  Gordon Hart

   Jochen Möhr’s moths, and a butterfly, from Metchosin this morning:

2 Campaea perlata

1 Eupithecia sp.

1 Lacinipolia strigicollis

1 Nemoria darwiniata 

1 Ochlodes sylvanoides 

3 Perizoma curvilinea 

1 Pero mizon

1 Plemyria georgii

1 Sabulodes aegrotata

Pero (maybe mizon) (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 August 14

   Jochen Möhr’s moths, and a butterfly,  from Metchosin this morning:

1 Biston betularia

1 Habrosyne scripta

2 Lacinipolia pensilis 

1 Lacinipolia strigicollis

1 Ochlodes sylvanoides

Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Habrosyne scripta (Lep.: Thyatiridae – Thyatirinae)  Jochen Möhr

Plemyria georgii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)   Jochen Möhr

   Rosemary Jorna sends a picture of a bumble bee from Kemp Lake, kindly identified by Annie Pang as a male Bombus flavifrons…

Bombus flavifrons  ( Hym.:  Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

…and a dragonfly, kindly identified by Dr Rob Cannings as a male Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata…

Aeshna palmata (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Rosemary Jorna

…and a beetle, kindly identified by Scott Gilmore as a male Megapenthes sp.

Megapenthes sp. (Col.: Elateridae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Here’s a beetle found by Gordon Hart in the Highlands, identified by Scott Gilmore as possibly Megasemum asperum.

Possibly Megasemum asperum (Col.:  Cerambycidae)  Gordon Hart

   Ian Cooper photographed this large fly, Eristalis flavipes, on August 10 by the E&N Trail near the Fort Victoria RV Park.

Eristalis flavipes (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Eristalis flavipes (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

   More tomorrow…   That’s all I can manage today.  Jeremy

2020 August 13

   Gordon Hart sends photographs of two moths from Highlands.   They look as though they should be easy to identify, but both belong to genera that include some very similar species, and we can’t be sure.  The first one is probably Xanthorhoe defensaria – but it might be X. ferrugata!   And the second is probably Drepanulatrix monicaria  – but it might be one of the others!

Xanthorhoe sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

Drepanulatrix sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

   Rosemary Jorna sends pictures of some insects from the Kemp Lake area.  She says there are twenty or so of these little moths on her Tansy:

Diploschizia impigritella (Lep.:  Glyphipterigidae) Rosemary Jorna

   Your knowledge of Latin will tell you how many spots this ladybird beetle is supposed to have.  But since the spots are joined together, it’s a bit difficult to count them.

Psyllobora vigintimaculata (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Next is a nymph of some bug – but I wouldn’t like even to guess at the Family.  Suggestions would be welcome.

Unidentified bug nymph (Hemiptera)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Apantesis nevadensis

1 Cosmia praeacuta 

1 Eulithis xylina 

1 Hesperumia sulphuraria 

2 Lacinipolia cuneata

1 perhaps Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Oligia divesta

1 Panthea virginarius

2 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Pyrausta perrubralis

Venusia cambrica (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 Apantesis nevadensis  (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jody Wells sends a picture of a Black Saddlebags, spotted by Carl Hughes at Outerbridge Park:

Tramea lacerata (Odo.:  Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

   Jody also sends pictures of some snails from the Martindale Valley:

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Jody Wells

Lymnaea (perhaps stagnalis?) (Pul.: Lymnaeidae)  Jody Wells

2020 August 12

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   The unkempt caterpillar shown yesterday has now had time to tidy itself up a bit:

Acronicta impleta (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy writes:  I found this weevil at Blinkhorn Lake yesterday, kindly identified by Charlene Wood as an Obscure Root Weevil Sciopithes obscurus .

Obscure Root Weevil Sciopithes obscurus (Col.: Curculionidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of a butterfly and a moth from Metchosin today:

Male Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jochen Möhr

Hesperumia sulphuraria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jochen writes:  It is still a striking contrast to years ago, when I could count up to 28 Pine Whites just driving by the Royal Roads forest from the Colwood Fire Hall to the Royal Bay Bakery, a stretch of merely 0.6 km.  I have not seen a single one there this season yet .   Libby Avis writes from Port Alberni:  Not many butterflies here either this year.

But Jeff Gaskin writes:  Kirsten Mills is still seeing a number of Lorquin’s Admirals around these parts.  Today, August 12 she saw five on Wordsworth Street – and one was still quite fresh.  She also saw another one plus a Pine White in Browning Gyro Park.  Wordsworth Street and Browning Gyro Park are both places near Hillside Centre.  My mother still has a Lorquin’s Admiral  in her backyard and she lives on the Gorge near Harriet Road.  I last saw it today, Aug. 12.

Gordon Hart sends some pictures from Highlands:

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Gordon Hart

Green Darner Anax junius (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Gordon Hart

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

(plus one we shan’t try to identify!)

Phlogophora periculosa (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Gordon Hart

(plus a sciarid dark-winged fungus gnat)