2019 July 23 evening

   Thanks to Cheryl Hoyle who points out that one of Layle Munger’s pictures of a pentatomid bug nymph on this morning’s posting appears to be the same species as the bug nymph photographed and identified by Terry Thormin in the 2010 August 31 Invertebrate Alert, namely a green stink bug of the genus Chlorochroa.  We have now so labelled it.

  Layla Munger also sent a photograph of a bee, Oak Bay, July 22.  This has now been identified by Annie Pang and Lincoln Best as a male sweat bee Halictus rubicundus.

Halictus rubicundus  (Hym.: Halictidae) Layla Munger

   Bud Logan sends pictures of a horsefly probably of the genus Hybomitra.  As ever, we would be grateful if any viewer can identify it further.

Horse fly Hybomitra sp. (Dip.: Tabanidae)  Bud Logan

Horse fly Hybomitra sp. (Dip.: Tabanidae)  Bud Logan

Horse fly Hybomitra sp. (Dip.: Tabanidae)  Bud Logan

   Bud also sends a picture of an equally fierce-looking tachinid fly.  It seems to be either Hystricia abrupta  or the somewhat similar Paradejeania rutilioides.  If any viewer can shed some light on this, please let us know.

Parasitoidal fly (Dip.: Tachinidae)  Bud Logan

   Jeremy Tatum sends a picture of a caterpillar found on Gumweed at Island View Beach:

Cucullia montanae (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jeff Gaskin tells us that Kirsten Mills saw one or more Branded Skippers at Cordova (Saanichton) Spit today.

   Jeremy Tatum checked the Buddleia bush at Finnerty Gardens (UVic) today where he saw five species of butterfly together on July 21.  Today there was just one Cabbage White and one Woodland Skipper.  But, to more than make up for lack of butterflies on that Buddleia bush, there was a magnificent Bedstraw Hawk Moth Hyles gallii hovering in front of the flowers with rapidly beating wings.  Very exciting!  That is the third Bedstraw Hawk Moth reported to Invertebrate Alert this year.

   One more photograph before we close shop for the day.  A snail enjoying a Welsh Poppy at Finnerty Gardens:

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.:  Helicidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2019 July 23 morning

Jochen Möhr’s moths in Metchosin this morning:

1 Amorbia cuneanum

1 Biston betularia

1 Drepanulatrix secundaria

2 Eulithis xylina

2 Hesperumia latipennis

1 Hesperumia sulphuraria

1 Homorthodes hanhami

3 Lacinipolia strigicollis

1 Lophocampa argentata

1 Nadata gibbosa

2 Nemoria darwiniata

Drepanulatrix secundaria/monicaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Hesperumia latipennis (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The second of the two pupae found in Gordon Head Road and shown on July 5 ecloded this morning.  I released the moth on Mount Tolmie:

Catocala aholibah (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Kirsten Mills writes:  Ryan and I were at Mount Washington today, July 22, where we saw several butterflies. Here’s the list: Anise Swallowtail, Western Tiger Swallowtail, Mariposa Copper, Purplish Copper, Anna’s Blue, Boisduval’s Blue, Green Comma, California Tortoiseshell, Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady, Hydaspe Fritillary, Western Meadow Fritillary, and 2 Great Arctics. The California Tortoiseshell was landing on cars at the Paradise Meadows parking lot. The Arctics were near the summit chairlift. This was one of my best days butterfly watching ever.

Great Arctic Oeneis nevadensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae) Kirsten Mills

Hydaspe Fritillary Speyeria hydaspe (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Kirsten Mills

Hydaspe Fritillaries Speyeria hydaspe (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Kirsten Mills

   Layla Munger sends photographs of two bugs found in Oak Bay, July 22.  Both are immature, so identification may be difficult.  However, the first is a nymph of the pentatomid genus Chlorochroa. I’m not sure even of the Family of the second.  If anyone can help, please do let us know.

Green stink bug nymph Chlorochroa sp.   (Hem.: Pentatomidae)  Layla Munger

Unidentified immature bug  (Hemiptera)  Layla Munger

2019 July 22 evening

Erratum:  The “leafcutter bee Megachile” in this morning’s posting has now been corrected (thanks to Lincoln Best)  to “plasterer bee Colletes“.

   Bill Savale showed me the moth below in his Saanich apartment this morning:

Lacinipolia strigicollis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jeremy Tatum

And Jochen Möhr found an almost identical one in his haul in Metchosin this morning:

2 Amorbia cuneanum

2 Callizzia amorata

1 Campaea perlata

1 Clemensia umbrata

1 Eulithis xylina

1 Eupithecia annulata

1 Nadata gibbosa

1 Lacinipolia strigicollis

1 Perizoma curvilinea 

and many micros

Lacinipolia strigicollis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Campaea perlata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Clemensia umbrata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae – Lithoniini) Jochen Möhr

Eupithecia annulata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

2019 July 22 morning

  More moths, and a spider, from Jochen Möhr’s haul  yesterday in Metchosin:

Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Although it is is a rather worn specimen, it is a rare individual in which one can see clearly that it is indeed Coryphista meadii  and not Triphosa haesitata. The fourth tooth on the outer margin of the hindwing is clearly much smaller than the adjacent teeth, and there is clearly a dark elongated spot in the forewing disc, thus satisfying two of the most important of Jeremy Gatten’s criteria.

Dichagyris variabilis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Mythimna/Leucania,but most probably Leucania farcta (Lep.: Noctuidae)

Jochen Möhr

Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus (Ara.: Salticidae)

with micro moth (probably Tortricidae)

Jochen Möhr

Cheryl Hoyle sends two photographs taken in her View Royal yard, July 22.  Thanks to Lincoln Best for identifying the bee.

Crab spider Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Plasterer Bee Colletes sp. (Hym.: Colletidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Val George writes:  Yesterday, July 21, the Victoria Natural History Society had a botany trip to Mount Washington.  Though the main focus of the group was the sub-alpine flowers, a few of us took some time to look for butterflies.  We saw ten species:  Hydaspe and Western Meadow Fritillaries (photos attached), Boisduval’s and Anna’s Blues, Painted Lady, Satyr and Green Commas, Mariposa Copper, Clodius Parnassian, and Cabbage White.

Hydaspe Fritillary Speyeria hydaspe (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Val George

Western Meadow Fritillary Boloria epithore (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Val George

2019 July 21

   Ted Dobie sent me the photograph below of a caterpillar found on Gordon Head Road.  He kindly allowed me to collect it for rearing.

Orgyia pseudotsugata (Lep.: Erebidae – Lymantriinae)  Ted Dobie

   The caterpillar shown on July 8, and the chrysalis on July 11, this morning produced the Red Admiral butterfly shown below.  Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get a good shot of the upperside.  I released the butterlfy on a Buddleia in Finnerty Gardens, where it was joined on the same bush by one each of Lorquin’s Admiral, Painted Lady, Western Tiger Swallowtail, Cabbage White and Anna’s Hummingbird, all enjoying the copious nectar. I stood watching them for 45 minutes, wondering if I had woken up in Heaven.

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Jochen Möhr’s moths in Metchosin this morning:

1 Amorbia cuneanum

1 Callizzia amorata

I Drepanulatrix secundaria

1 Eupithecia sp.   

2 Homorthodes hanhami

2 Nadata gibbosa

2 Nemoria darwiniata

1 Pyrausta perrubralis

1 Schizura ipomoeae

1 probably Apamea sordens

1 Coryphista meadii

1 Dichagyris variabilis

1 Leucania or mythimna

and at least a dozen micros of different kinds.

Amorbia cuneanum (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Jochen Möhr

Pyrrausta perrubralis (Lep.: Crambidae) Jochen Möhr

Nemoria darwiniata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Ren Ferguson sends these pictures of a bee from Salt Spring Island.  Thanks to Annie Pang for confirming the identification.

Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Ren Ferguson

Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Ren Ferguson

Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Ren Ferguson

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw two Mylitta Crescents today (July 21) along a Hydro line across Millstream Road, as well as a very small (and as yet unidentified) sesiid moth.  Also, I saw a Pine White flying over the McKenzie Interchange.

   That’ll have to be all for today!  More tomorrow morning.