2019 October 13

      Jochen Möhr has photographed another harvestman in Metchosin – kindly identified by Dr Philip Bragg as Leptobrunus parvulus.

Leptobrunus parvulus (Opi.: Phalangiidae)  Jochen Möhr

Leptobrunus parvulus (Opi.: Phalangiidae)  Jochen Möhr

2019 October 12

   Jochen Möhr writes:  This morning one lonely Xanthorhoe defensaria:

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2019 October 11

   Mr E sends photographs of a larva of the Asian Many-named Ladybird Harmonia axyridis from Butchart Gardens, September 22.

Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Mr E

Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Mr E

   Rosemary Jorna writes from Kemp Lake: Yesterday afternoon, October 10, I got to photograph what turned out to be a small brown moth. It came flying toward the trunk of the ornamental  cherry in our yard, then its wings started beating at an incredible speed, occasionally pausing briefly.  It was not driven away by the very close proximity of my camera – it just kept working its way from spot to spot in the bottom 60 cm of the trunk and the litter around it.  I did spook it, but it circled back to the cherry and continued flitting up and down with the very rapid wing beats  Then it disappeared under a flap of lichen where I could not see it, but I pointed the camera up under the flap.  Is that a flightless female that I have photographed with a male? [Yes – Jeremy.] The moth flew out and I was able to get a better shot before it started the search behaviour again.

Male Vapourer or Rusty Tussock Orgyia antiqua (Lep.: Erebidae – Lymantriinae)

Rosemary Jorna

Male (left) and Female (right)

Vapourer or Rusty Tussock Orgyia antiqua (Lep.: Erebidae – Lymantriinae)

Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin: 

October 9

1 Drepanulatrix sp. and 

1 Ceranemota fasciata

both left over from the day before.

October 10, after a frosty night, NOTHING at all, not even a micro, a wasp or anything.

   Libby Avis concurs, from Port Alberni:  Nothing showing here either. We’ve had three or four nights of quite heavy frost. Three Ceranemotas stayed around for a few days and I got one Epirrita autumnata two nights ago, but that was it for the week.

2019 October 10

   Apparently there are still a few butterflies to be found.   Look on ivy blossom – good place to find nymphalids at this time of year.  Kirsten Mills saw a Red Admiral on Mount Tolmie on October 1, and on October 9 she saw a Painted Lady in Brentwood Bay.  Jeff Gaskin saw four Cabbage Whites on October 9 in the Martindale Valley.  Wendy Ansell saw one in Layritz Pask on October 6 and one along Island View Road today, October 10.

  Rick and Libby Avis found this caterpillar on alder along a logging road in the Alberni Valley on October 1.

Drepana bilineata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Drepaninae)  Rick Avis

2019 October 9

   Mr E sends some recent (and maybe not quite so recent!) pictures of a variety of invertebrates.  First, a buprestid beetle on August 8:

Buprestis aurulenta (Col.: Buprestidae)   Mr E

   Next a spider, August 31:

Eratigena sp. (Ara.: Agelenidae)  Mr E

Eratigena sp. (Ara.: Agelenidae)  Mr E

   Another spider, October 8, identified by Dr Robb Bennett as an immature (hence exact identification uncertain) male crab spider (Thomisidae):

Immature male crab spider (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Mr E

  Lastly, a spittle bug, September 27:

Spittle bug Philaenus spumarius (Hem.: Cercopidae)  Mr E