2020 June 12

   Val George and Jeff Gaskin each report their first Lorquin’s Admiral of the year, yesterday, June 11  –  Val’s on Mount Tolmie, and Jeff’s on Wascana Street.   (Rosemary Jorna saw one on Broom Hill, June 6).

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Glad someone is seeing some butterflies.  I haven’t seen a butterfly of any sort since June 1, and I haven’t yet seen a swallowtail this year!  I’m probably spending too much time writing up Invert Alert, and not enough outside!

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Agrotis obliqua / vancouverensis

1 Callizzia amorata 

1 Drepana arcuata 

1 Enypia packhardata

1 Homorthodes hanhami

1 Iridopsis emasculatum 

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Nadata gibbosa (still the same)

1 Plagodis phlogosaria

1 Stenoporpia excelsaria

2 Tyria jacobaeae

1 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli 

   Libby Avis writes:  The Agrotis is interesting. Could be obliqua or the dark form of vancouverensis. I’m inclined to think the latter, because it’s more colourful overall than obliqua and markings look closer, but they’re both variable – sigh! A.o. is supposed to be more of a higher elevation species, but there have been reports from the island.

Agrotis vancouverensis/obliqua (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Homorthodes hanhami (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Enypia packhardata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Iridopsis emasculatum  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Stenoporpia excelsaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Plagodis phlogosaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 June 11

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Apamea antennata

1 Callizzia amorata 

1 Clostera apicalis 

1 Drepana arcuata

1 Dysstroma citrata  

1 Iridopsis emasculatum  

1 Trichordestra liquida

1 Nadata gibbosa (still the same)

1 Pero morissonaria

4 Tyria jacobaeae

1 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli 

Pero morrisonaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Trichordestra liquida (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Drepana arcuata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Drepaninae)

Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum shows a moth reared from a caterpillar on Gumweed:

Heliothis phloxiphaga (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

  The pug below was reared from a caterpillar on Mahonia, but, although the moth is pristine fresh, we have not yet been able to identify it below Genus. 

Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Yesterday, Jochen Möhr sent a photograph of a crab spider with prey.  Thanks to Dr Robb Bennett for identifying the spider as “almost certainly” Coriarachne brunneipes.  As for the prey, it is difficult to be certain, but Dr Bennett, Libby Avis and Jeremy Tatum, all suggest the European Earwig, so that’s how it shall be labelled!

Crab Spider Coriarachne brunneipes (Ara.: Thomisidae)

with European Earwig Forficula auricularia (Derm.: Forficulidae)
Jochen Möhr

2020 June 10

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Stenoporpia excelsaria

1 Callizzia amorata 

1 Clostera apicalis

1 Dysstroma citrata 

1 Iridopsis emasculatum 

1 Nadata gibbosa (still the same)

1 Neoterpes trianguliferata   

1 Hydriomena sp

1 Apamea antennata

1 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

Clostera apicalis (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jochen Möhr

Dark Marbled Carpet Dysstroma citrata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Stenoporpia excelsaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Neoterpes trianguliferata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Iridopsis emasculatum (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Hydriomena sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Apamea antennata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I don’t usually post pictures of dead insects, but this dead crane fly in my Saanich apartment yesterday was so spectacular that I couldn’t let it pass without photographing and posting it.

Male Tipula pubera (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Male Tipula pubera (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2020 June 9

   Rosemary Jorna sends photographs of two bees from the Otter Point area, June 8.  Thanks to Annie Pang and Lincoln Best for the identifications.

Lasioglossum sp. (Hym.: Halictidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Bombus mixtus (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Agrotis vancouverensis

1 Callizzia amorata

1 Eupithecia sp.

1 Homorthodes hanhami

1 Hydriomena marinata or californiata

1 Anavitrinella pampinaria

2 Lacinipolia cuneata

1 Nadata gibbosa (still the same one)

1 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Pero morrisonaria

4 Tyria jacobaeae

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Jeremy Tatum writes – and I’m sure Jochen agrees –  What ever would we do without the daily help of Libby Avis with identification of these moths!

Anavitrinella pampinaria (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Homorthodes hanhami (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Hydriomena marinata/californiata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Callizzia amorata (Lep.: Uraniidae)  Jochen Möhr

Agrotis vancouverensis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Lacinipolia cuneata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Pero morrisonaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

2020 June 8

Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:   In the corner of the room behind my computer resides a spider.  I presume it is Pholcus phalangioides.  I have watched it for days.  At one time it caught a Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli.  It took it some 30 minutes to subdue it.  Then it consumed it and since the next morning, the moth’s remains are in the corner of my desk.

Then yesterday, I saw another slightly larger but similar spider with a less rounded abdomen approach across the wall.  I presume the newcomer was a male and the well fed resident a female. [But see Dr Bennett’s comments below.] The newcomer went directly towards the resident and they started to touch each other with their long front legs.  I assumed it was beginning courtship and I was reminded of Mozart’s “Reich mir die Hand, mein Leben!”   [Là ci darem la mano!]

But then the resident one turned around and rather speedily went off.  It is now under the ceiling some 1 1/2 meters above the newcomer, who has taken up residence where the other used to be.

Libby Avis asks: On a less romantic note, is this one of the species where the male has to be careful not to be eaten by the female?  Jeremy Tatum replies:  Not sure, but recall that on May 11 Jochen had a photograph of one eating the formidable spider Eratigena.

   Dr Robb Bennett writes:  The one on the right is definitely a mature female. Not so sure about the beast on the left – could be a male but I can’t tell for sure and I think it may “just” be an immature specimen. Males usually look much more spindly.  Perhaps Jochen can obtain a close-up of that spider’s head region that would enable us to tell if it’s a mature male.

Pholcus phalangioides (Ara.: Pholcidae)  Jochen Möhr

   But after looking at Jochen’s great movie (link below,  set to Mozart’s Là ci darem la mano, very rough free translation:  “Let us hold hands”,  Zerlina on the right, the Don on  the left) Robb writes:  Well, it certainly looks like courtship behaviour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r4F7CFijxs&t=15s

Mr E sends a picture of a Maritime Earwig having rather a lot of trouble with spider webbing on driftwood at Devonian Park, June 7.

Maritime Earwig Anisolabis maritima (Derm.: Anisolabididae)  Mr E

  This young grasshopper was photographed by Mr E at Portage Inlet Park.   Since it’s a youngster, we have to be content with identification at genus level – thanks to Claudia Copley.

Young grasshopper Melanoplus sp. (Orth.: Acrididae) Mr E

   This beetle, too, was at Portage Inlet.  Scott Gilmore writes:  This is a tough angle but I’m pretty sure this is from the genus Agrilus.

Agrilus sp. (Col.: Buprestidae)  Mr E

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Chris Jochen sent me the following link to a short spectacular movie showing hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, bats sucking nectar and pollinating plants.  Not strictly within the purview of Invert Alert, but I dare say viewers will enjoy it anyway.

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xHkq1edcbk4?rel=0