2020 April 19 afternoon

   Here’s a Carpenter Ant photographed by Mr E at Coles Bay and identified by Sean McCann as Camponotus modoc.

Camponotus modoc (Hym.: Formicidae) Mr E

   The next insect, also photographed by Mr E at Coles Bay, is identified by Sean McCann as a nomad bee of the genus – what else? – Nomada.

Nomada sp.  (Hym.:  Apidae)  Mr E

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Cerastis enigmatica

3 Cladara  limitaria 

2 Egira crucialis 

1 Egira perlubens

1 Eupithecia annulata

1 Eupithecia graefii

1 Eupithecia sp.

1 Feralia deceptiva

3 Hydriomena manzanita 

5 Melanolophia imitata

1 Perizoma curvilinea 

5 Venusia obsoleta /pearsalli

2 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Jeremy Tatum writes: None of us is yet 100 percent certain of how to distinguish Egira simplex from Egira crucialis. I have labelled all three moths in the two photographs below as Egira crucialis, though I do so with some trepidation.

Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira rubrica (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 April 19  morning

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  We start this morning with two spiders.  Thanks to Dr Robb Bennett for the identifications.

  The first is from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin.  It has captured a geometrid moth, which I might be able to identify if I had the energy.  But I don’t have the energy!

Zebra spider Salticus scenicus (Ara.: Salticidae)  Jochen Möhr

   The second was photographed at Coles Bay, North Saanich, by Mr E:

Arctosa perita (Ara.: Lycosidae)   Mr E

   Dr Bennett writes:

Arctosa perita, a species of Mediterranean origin established here sometime in the last half of the 20^th century.  Here are the BC locality data we have for this species:

Savary Is, Nanaimo (Richard Lk), Kludahk Trail (~13km NW Jordan R), Victoria area (Island View Beach), Vancouver area (Burnaby, Coquitlam, Iona Beach, Deas Is, Boundary Bay)

Arctosa perita is a very pretty spider. Relatively abundant in the dune area and other sandy spots at Island View Beach. They can be hard to spot—their coloration and patterning make them blend in very well with the sand.

   Yesterday Ron Flower photographed a dragonfly at Gore Park, Central Saanich.  Thanks to Dr Rob Cannings for identifying it as a female California Darner.

Caifornia Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeschnidae)   Ron Flower

   Here’s a pug photographed in Metchosin yesterday by Jochen Möhr.   Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying it as Eupithecia rotundopuncta.

Eupithecia rotundopuncta (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

  Next is a mite, identified by Dr Heather Proctor as a predatory snout mite of the family Bdellidae, from Cole Bay, North Saanich:

Snout mite (Acari:  Bdellidae)  Mr E

2020 April 18

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I visited the pond near the Pike Lake Substation on Munn Road this afternoon.  I saw just two Western Spring Azures and one Sara Orangetip.  Also a few damselflies and mayflies. Perhaps the most interesting thing was that I watched two Wandering Shrews at length and at close quarters – but since they have backbones, they are not allowed on this site.

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Cerastis enigmatica

3 Cladara limitaria

1 Egira curialis

2 Egira crucialis

6 Epithecias 

1 Feralia comstocki

3 Melanolophia imitata

1 Orthosia hibisci

3 Perizoma curvilinea

6 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

2 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Cerastis enigmatica (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Cladara limitaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Egira curialis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

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

Probably Eupithecia nevadata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Feralia comstocki  (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Gordon Hart sends photographs of a male Sara Orangetip and a California Tortoiseshell  from Mount Tolmie today.

Male Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara (Lep.: Pieridae)  Gordon Hart

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

   Ron Flower writes:  Today April 18 we went to Gore Park where there were many Western Spring Azures and our first dragonfly of the year.  [Jeremy Tatum says:  I’ll try and post the dragonfly tomorrow!]

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ron Flower

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ron Flower

More tomorrow – I didn’t have time to post everything!   – J

2020 April 17 afternoon

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Cladara limitaria

1 Egira simplex

1 Feralia comstocki

3 Hydriomena manzanita 

1 Perizoma curvilinea

5 Melanolophia imitata

1 Orthosia hibisci

6 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

3 Xanthorhoe defensaria

2 different unidentified micros

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Feralia comstocki  (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Unidentified micro (Lep.: Pyralidae)

Jochen Möhr

Probably Diploschizia sp. (Lep.: Glyphipterigidae)

Jochen Möhr

Cladara limitaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Rosemary Jorna, writing from Kemp Lake, says she still hasn’t seen a butterfly this year, but she sends a photograph of Bombus vosnesenskii instead, nectaring on Manzanita at Peden Bluff.  Alas, no caterpillars of Hydriomena manzanita!

Bombus vosnesenskii (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Now, here’s an interesting message from Dr Rob Cannings, concerning a new syrphid fly for Canada.  Several constributors to this site have photographed syrphids over the years, so keep a look-out for this one!

Cheilosia grossa is a European syrphid whose larvae mine in thistle stems and it has been used as a biological control agent. It was introduced into Oregon, Montana and Nevada in 1990 to control thistles. There are several records on BugGuide from 2013-2018 from Oregon and Washington.
Recently, Jeremy Gatten photographed a specimen in his yard on the Saanich Peninsula (attached); he sent it to me for my opinion and I concurred, although through Jeff Skevington in Ottawa, we received definite confirmation from an expert on the genus in The Netherlands.  Subsequently, Jeremy Gatten collected a specimen. He also found another photo he took near the Victoria airport last March. All of these were on bull thistles (Cirsium vulgare). On iNaturalist there is a photo (unidentified) from the Highlands this spring. These are the only locations we know of the species in Canada. It’s obviously in several places in the Victoria area and probably farther afield.  We’d like to know more about its BC distribution. We’re preparing a short note on the discovery for the Journal of the ESBC.

Please keep a look out for this fly now (its early flight season may not last too much longer) and try to get photos or specimens. It is variable in size but evidently can reach 15 mm long (including folded wings). It’s blackish with rusty or tawny hairs and can be confused with the very common Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon equestris and other genera of bumble bee-mimicking syrphids (eg, Mallota, Volucella), which are also fuzzy and colourful, but C. grossa’s generally uniform rusty hairs normally distinguish it from the more variable yellow/black/orange coloration of these others.  It’s also usually somewhat smaller than Merodon, although there is some overlap. The fly visits all sorts of flowers in the early spring but If your search is confined to thistle plants, you might have a better chance of seeing it than if you look randomly.

Please pass this along to anyone you think might be interested. Thanks for any help you can give us!

Ron Cannings.

Cheilosia grossa (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Jeremy Gatten

2020 Aptil 17 morning

From Gordon Hart:

Hello Butterfly Enthusiasts,

While we have had to cancel our Butterfly Walk, I think we can still safely go ahead with an April Butterfly Count. Some areas will be closed or inaccessible and you should avoid areas where physical distancing would be difficult. If you want to count in your yard or neighbourhood, that would be fine.

It will take place from Saturday, April 18 to Sunday, April 26. You can submit a count anytime over the period and you can do more than one count, just use a separate form for each count. In the case of repeat counts, or people doing the same area, I will use the highest number.

To submit counts, please use the form at: https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33. If you have any difficulty with the form, just send me an email with the information. hartgordon19 at gmail dot com

The count area is the Victoria Christmas Bird Count Circle, so it does not go beyond Central Saanich at Island View Road, or west past Witty’s Lagoon in Metchosin.

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

-Gordon Hart

   Jeremy Tatum adds:  While doing your Butterfly Count, keep your eyes open for the new fly, especially around thistle plants.  See the April 17 afternoon Invert Alert for details.

   Peter Boon photographed an interesting bunch of moths in Nanaimo on April 14, some of which we have already posted.  Two of them, however, were a bit of a puzzle, and we post them now. The first one looks at first a bit like the familiar Orthosia hibisci, but Libby Avis and I (Jeremy Tatum) now feel that it is more likely the much less common Orthosia pacifica:

Orthosia pacifica (Lep.: Noctuidae) Peter Boon

   The next one seems to be a dark form of an otherwise familiar moth.  Because of its more-or-less uniform dark colour, it is hard to be sure of its identity, but Libby and I both think probably Orthosia praeses:

Orthosia praeses  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

   Wendy Ansell photographed a Propertius Duskywing on Mount Tolmie on April 16:

Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Wendy Ansell