2019 December 22

   Jochen Möhr sends several more pictures of Operophtera from Metchosin.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I believe they are distributed about evenly between O. brumata and O. occidentalis.   Here is one that I’m fairly sure is O. occidentalis.

Operophtera occidentalis I(Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

2019 December 19

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   Jochen Möhr sends from Metchosin a photograph of a winter moth Operophtera sp., which closely resembles the one shown on December 18.  We repeat here the December 18 moth, and show, below it, today’s moth.  Although they look very similar, I believe the first of these is the native O. occidentalis, and the second is the European O. brumata. 

Operophtera occidentalis (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

   There is a broad dark streak going from about the centre of the forewing to the mid-point of the outer margin.  It is not very obvious in the above specimen, though it becomes clearer when viewed from a distance.  I could be wrong (it happens!), but I believe this indicates occidentalis.  Also, I think the little black dot within the pale medial band, near the costal margin, is also an indicator of occidentalis.

Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

The dark streak and the little dark dot are absent in the specimen.

   And now, just as I type this, another dozen have come in from Jochen.  I think there are some of each,  which I’ll label with my best opinion, and a few,  labelled “sp.” that I don’t think I’ll commit myself to!  I wonder if there is any hybridization.  Any comments from viewers are more than welcome.

Operophtera sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Operophtera sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Operophtera occidentalis (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Operophtera occidentalis (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum writes:  This one seems to be about as clear a case of occidentalis as it is possible to get!

Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae )  Jochen Möhr

Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae )  Jochen Möhr

Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae )  Jochen Möhr

Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae )  Jochen Möhr  

Operophtera occidentalis (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Operophtera sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

  Since we can’t be exactly sure of this moth, I thought I’d see if we could get an identification on the spider!  Well, of course, the spider cannot be identified with certainty from this photograph, but Dr Robb Bennett has given it his best go.  He suggests that it is an immature theridiid. Possibly, he suggests, the one formerly known as Parasteatoda tepidariorum. (It may have recently moved to a different genus.)

Operophtera occidentalis (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

2019 December 18

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  I continue to have some 6 +/- 3 Operophtera on my wall every morning.  Most are drab looking ones, probably O. brumata.   This morning there was a different one, perhaps an occidentalis?   Jeremy Tatum replies:  Yes, I believe this is indeed Operophtera occidentalis.

Operophtera occidentalis (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

  Since Operophtera occidentalis is more likely to be seen in rural rather than urban areas, Gordon Hart has been keeping his eye and camera lens open for the species in the Highlands, although so far they seem to be mostly O. brumata.

Operophtera brumata I(Lep.: Geometrdae)  Gordon Hart

2019 December  17

   Jeremy Tatum writes from his Saanich apartment:  There’s not much to photograph here in these dull days other than a few firebrats.  The first one below is the “usual” one, Thermobia domestica.  I think its epiproct (the middle of the three caudal appendages) must be damaged  – it is usally much longer than that. The second one is the less common Ctenolepisma longicaudata.  They are in the non-insect hexapod Order Thysanura, known as three-bronged bristletails.  This Order includes the Silverfish Lepisma saccharina, which I have never seen in Victoria.  Unlike the firebrats, which like warm areas, the genuine Silverfish prefers cool places.  Perhaps some viewer will be able to find and photograph one for us.

   Apart from the obvious differences in colour and pattern of the two species below, they are different shapes: T. domestica has quite a short abdomen compared with its thorax;  the abdomen of C. longicaudata (“long-tailed”) is indeed long.

Thermobia domestica (Thysanura: Lepismatidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Ctenolepisma longicaudata (Thysanura: Lepismatidae)  Jeremy Tatum