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

2020 April 16 evening

   Val George writes:  This afternoon, April 16, I saw my first swallowtail of the year, an Anise  Swallowtail, near the summit of Mount Tolmie;  also, my first Propertius Duskywing at the same location.  Three Sara Orangetips were flying in the general area.

To which Jeremy Tatum adds:  And I saw a California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 6:00 pm.

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Val George

Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Val George

  Jochen Möhr had a big moth haul in Metchosin this morning.  Thanks to Libby Avis, as ever, for help with the identificatios.

4 Behrensia conchiformis

2 Cissusa indiscreta

2 Cladara limitaria (one very questionable)

1 Egira curialis

1 Egira rubrica 

1 Eupithecia sp. 

2 Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata

1 Feralia comstocki (?)

11 Hydriomena manzanita

1 Lithophane innominata

3 Melanolophia imitata

1 Nola minna

1 Orthosia hibisci

1 Orthosia transparens

1 Tyria jacobaeae

3 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Unidentified micro (Lep.: Pyralidae) Jochen Möhr

Lobophora (nivigerata?   simsata?) (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Egira perlubens (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Egira curialis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Cladara limitaria (Lep.:  Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Feralia (probably comstocki) (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Feralia (probably comstocki) (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Eupithecia gilvipennata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Orthosia transparens (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Lithophane innominata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

2020 April 16 morning

   Egira crucialis/simplex is a pair of spring “woodling” moths that are awfully difficult to distinguish.  Below are some recent photographs from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin and Peter Boon in Nanaimo which have had myself (Jeremy Tatum) and Libby Avis as well as Jochen and Peter working hard at it.  The labels I have attached to the photographs below are the “most probable” identifications, and perhaps not 100 percent certain.  Moth-ers are encouraged to continue to send photographs of these species.  Maybe eventually we’ll  learn to distinguish them with more confidence.

Egira simplex (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira simplex (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

Left  Egira crucialis (we think!)

Right Egira simplex (we think!)

(Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

    Jochen also reports a comma from Metchosin yesterday.  Alas, the commas are no easier to identify than crucialis/simplex!

2020 April 15 evening

   Here’s another of Peter Boon’s moths from Nanaimo this morning.  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying it as Egira rubrica.  Libby says that she had her first one of the season in Port Alberni this morning, too.

Egira rubrica (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

2020 April 15 morning

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin, yesterday morning, April 14:

2 Behrensia conchiformis

2 Egira crucialis

3 Egira curialis

1 Egira simplex

2 Eupithecia annulata

1 Eupithecia graefii

2 Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata 

11 Hydriomena manzanita 

3 Melanolophia imitata

2 Nola minna

3 Venusia obsoleta pearsalli

Eupithecia annulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

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

Melanolophia imitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Cissusa indiscreta (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae) Jochen Möhr

   Jochen’s moths this morning, April 15, no pictures taken:

1 Cissusa indiscreta

2 Egira curialis

2 Egira crucialis/simplex

7 Hydriomena manzanita

4 Melanolophia imitata

1 Nola minna

4 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

 Peter  Boon’s moths from Nanaimo this morning, April 15:

Egira crucialis  9

Orthosia hibisci  16

Egira perlubens  6

Orthosia transparens  5

Behrensia conchiformis  1

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

Orthosia transparens (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

Egira perlubens (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon