2020 July 12

Jochen Möhr’s moths in Metchosin this morning:

2 Callizzia amorata 

1 Clemensia umbrata

2 Drepanulatrix secundaria

1 Gabriola dyari

1 Hesperumia latipennis

3 Lacinipolia strigicollis

1 Lophocampa maculata 

1 Panthea virginarius

Drepanulatrix secundaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Panthea virginarius (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Clemensia umbrata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae – Lithosiini)

Jochen Möhr

   As mentioned on July 8, Tracy Hueppelsheuser of the BC Ministry of Agriculture in Abbotsford is interested in records of crane flies of all species.  Here are two photographed by Jochen in Metchosin.  We may not immediately be able to supply identifications, but, if we ever do so, the images on this site will be accordingly labelled.

Crane fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Jochen Möhr

Crane fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Rosemary Jorna photographed the moth below on Babbington Hilll, July 11.  Some of these crambid moths are very similar and difficult to identify.

Probably Eudonia sp. (Lep.: Crambidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Unidentified moth (Lep.: Crambidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Earlier this year Jochen Möhr found a caterpillar on the wall of his house – photograph below:

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Jochen gave the caterpillar to me, and it pupated almost immediately.  The adult moth emerged today and it proved to be a colour variety of Neoalcis californiaria quite unlike any I had seen before:

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy Tatum shows two photographs of a Sheep Moth that emerged from its pupa today.  It was released in Uplands Park, where the species is common.  The caterpillar feeds on Ocean Spray, Snowberry or Nootka Rose.

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

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

More tomorrow…

2020 July 11 afternoon

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Cabera erythemaria

3 Callizzia amorata

2 Hesperumia latipennis

1 Lophocampa argentata 

1 Nemora darwiniata

1 Perizoma costiguttata

1 Pyrausta perrubralis

Pyrausta perrubralis (Lep.: Crambidae) Jochen Möhr

2020 July 11 morning

   Jeremy Tatum reports one Painted Lady on the road underneath the Mount Tolmie Jeffery Pine at 6:00 pm, July  10.   It was very fresh – I’d like to think it was the one that I released near there recently, reared from caterpillar.  Also, on the railing at the entrance to the Mount Tolmie reservoir, a Red Admiral.

On July 10, Jochen Möhr saw several Essex Skippers on his Metchosin property.  Here are pictures of four of them.   But Jochen also remarks that on a 1.5 km walk along the Galloping Goose Trail he saw no butterflies at all, mirroring the experience that many of us are having this year when all butterflies are scarce.

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)   Jochen Möhr

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)   Jochen Möhr

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)   Jochen Möhr

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)   Jochen Möhr

2020 July 10 morning

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Callizzia amorata

1 Drepana arcuata

1 Hesperumia latipennis

1 Tyria jacobaeae

1  Cabera erythemaria

Hesperumia latipennis (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Cabera erythemaria (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

   Also, a Pale Tiger Swallowtail:

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 July 9

   Jody Wells sends a photograph of a tick from near the airport.  The Order Ixodida (ticks) has three Families, and Dr Heather Proctor tells us that this one is in the Family Ixodidae – which is where, I think, we’ll have to leave it.  The other organism, which you might spot in the photograph, is a vertebrate, an Eastern Cottontail.

Tick (Ixodida:  Ixodidae)  and

Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus (Lagomorpha: Leporidae)

 Jody Wells

Don Nathan writes:  I saw this in my garden (Agnes Street Community Gardens) three days ago.  We are grateful to Norman Gems (via Annie Pang) for identifying this as an immature form of the Carolina Grasshopper, whose rather different-looking adult form is more familiar in late summer.

Carolina Grasshopper Dissosteira carolina (Orth.: Acrididae)  Don Nathan

Here’s a female Western Pondhawk photographed by Barbara Dashwood in her garden in the Gorge area.

Female Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Barbara Dashwood

   Rosemary Jorna photographed a Bumble Bee in the Kemp Lake area yesterday, dutifully photographing it from several angles.  Annie Pang writes:  I have ruled out B. fervidus because they have black heads and so I do think it is a male B. flavifrons, Yellow Head Bumble Bee, and I will tell you why I think so.  There is no orange band on the abdomen which would indicate a female, and it has a rounded bottom (females have pointy ones with stingers) and no pollen sacs (females pollinate) on hind legs.  But that is the best I can do, and I still could be wrong.  I just posted the pictures Rosemary took, on Bumble Bees of North America Facebook page.  We have some good bee people running it so I am hoping to get a confirm or correct on my ID.  I’d forgotten I was a member!   My compliments to the photographer though.  She did well.

So, we’ll see if Annie gets a response, and thank her for her efforts.

ADDED LATER:   Confirmed!   It’s a male Bombus flavifrons.  Well done, Rosemary!  Well done, Annie!

Bumble Bee,  Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Bumble Bee,  Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Bumble Bee,  Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Bumble Bee,  Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of Cinnabar Moth caterpillars on Ragwort on Matheson Lake Road.

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jochen’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

2 Callizzia amorata

1 Drepana arcuata

1 Lacinipolia strigicollis

Drepana arcuata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Drepaninae)  Jochen Möhr

Lacinipolia strigicollis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr