2017 September 3 evening

   Some remarkable caterpillars have been turning up recently.  Here’s an exciting one discovered by Moralea Milne on Camas Hill on September 1, feeding on Ocean Spray Holodiscus discolor.  It is an American Lappet Moth.

American Lappet Phyllodesma americana (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)  Moralea Milne

   And a full-grown caterpillar of a White-lined Hawk Moth found at McIntyre Reservoir during a VNHS Butterfly Walk on September 3.  This is another colour variety of the caterpillar – compare it with the one on June 22.

White-lined Hawk Moth Hyles lineata (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   From the large to the small, here is a small moth photographed by Jody Wells on Cordova Spit, August 27.  There are lots of these small “grass moths” belonging to the Family Crambidae and (writes Jeremy Tatum) I haven’t yet learned how to identify them to species.

Grass moth (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jody Wells

…and I’m afraid that I still haven’t caught up.  More pictures tomorrow.  Jeremy

2017 September 3

   Dar Churcher sends some recent photographs from Colwood. The first two are colour varieties of Emmelina monodactyla. The first one is unusually reddish;  the second one is more typical.  The caterpillars feed on the flowers of Calystegia.

Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Dar Churcher

Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Dar Churcher

   Next, an ichneumonid wasp of the genus Pimpla – presumably P. rufipes.  Dar writes:

This ‘Blue deadly-looking’ winged insect moved around so quickly it was very difficult to photograph – I think I took at least 15 shots in my attempt. I’ve never seen this species before. Depending on the angle its refracted brilliant blue colouring was absolutely incredible, especially contrasted with its red legs!  [“rufipes” – Jeremy] 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  This is a parasitoid of lepidopterous larvae.

Pimpla rufipes (Hym.: Ichneumonidae)  Dar Churcher

Pimpla rufipes (Hym.: Ichneumonidae)  Dar Churcher

   Next, a tortricid.  Jeremy Tatum writes, I can’t be 100 percent sure, but I think this is very likely to be one of the many colour forms of Acleris gloverana, whose caterpillars feed on conifers.  It is known in the forestry industry as the Western Black-headed Budworm.

Acleris gloverana (Lep.: Tortrcidae)  Dar Churcher

    Jody Wells got some photographs of Orange Sulphurs at the west side of McIntyre reservoir, September 1.  Uppersides of these butterflies are notoriously difficult to photograph.  One of Jody’s upperside photographs shows very little orange – though there is a little, and other features are typical of the Orange Sulphur.  The other is a bit blurred because of motion, but shows a great deal of orange and is well worth showing to confirm the identity.  See August 18 for another successful upperside shot, by Ron Flower.

Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jody Wells

Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jody Wells

Orange Sulphurs Colias eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jody Wells

(Note the s at the end of the second word!)

Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jody Wells

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   What an exciting season!  There’s still a backlog of contributions that I haven’t caught up with.  I’ll try and do a second posting later in the day.

2017 September 2 evening

   Scott Gilmore sends a picture of a soldier fly that he found in Upper Lantzville yesterday.  He writes:  It was identified as Exaireta spinigera by Katja Schulz on iNaturalist. It is an Australia native that has been in North American since 1985 and was first collected on this island in 2006. Some interesting reading on the species can be found here (Swann J.E., R.D. Kenner, R.A. Cannings, C.R. Copley (2006) Exaireta spinigera (Diptera: Stratiomyidae): the first published North American records of an Australian soldier fly. J. Entomol. Soc. Brit. Columbia 103: 71-72)

  This soldier fly was also featured on this site on 2016 November 10 – one was photographed on November 8 by Annie Pang in Gorge Park.

Exaireta spinigera (Dip.: Stratiomyidae)  Scott Gilmore

   Annie Pang sends photograph of two bees.  One was identified by Lincoln Best as Lasioglossum sp.   The other by Cory Sheffield as probably a male Bombus fervidus.

Lasioglossum sp. (Hym.:  Halictidae)  Annie Pang

Bombus fervidus (Hym.: Apidae)   Annie Pang 

   Lots more in the queue – to appear tomorrow.  Jeremy

2017 September 2

Reminder:  Butterfly Walk tomorrow, Mount Tolmie, 1:00 pm.  For details scroll down to September 1 morning.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Libby Avis commented yesterday that she is being swamped in Port Alberni – as we are here in the Victoria area – by Neoalcis californiaria.  I opened my rear door this morning, and the one below was sitting there right at eye level:

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Several nice caterpillars reached the Invert Alert mailbox yesterday.   First a dagger photographed by Scott Gilmore on a alder trunk at Upper Lantzville.  Daggers comprise a large genus Acronicta of rather similar grey moths carrying a dagger mark on their forewings.  Although the moths are quite similar and difficult to distinguish, they have a remarkable array of very different and quite beautiful and spectacular caterpillars.

Acronicta impleta (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Scott Gilmore

   Libby Avis has a couple of nice ones from Port Alberni.  She found the first one, Euplexis similis on Maidenhead Fern.  The two white dots at the rear of the caterpillar are distinctive of the species. 

Euplexis benesimilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Libby Avis

   The next are two instars of  Schizura ipomoeae found on a plum tree.  The first is probably a penultimate instar.  The second is probably a final instar, and unfortunately it has a tachinid egg on the side of its second abdominal segment.

Schizura ipomoeae (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Libby Avis 

Schizura ipomoeae (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Libby Avis 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Well having received such an interesting set of caterpillar photographs, I thought I’d photograph my Zale caterpillar again, now that it is a little larger:

Zale sp. (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Invert Alert still has several photographs waiting in the queue – so, apologies to contributors for making you wait!  I’ll try and do a second posting later in the day.

2017 September 1 evening

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  August is gone, and every butterfly from now on counts!   I visited Martindale today, and there are still large numbers of Cabbage Whites there, but I also saw, in the Forbidden Field to the south of Martindale, two Orange Sulphurs.  [I watched them from the side of the road!]  There is a huge patch of Alfalfa in the Forbidden Field, especially near the L-reservoir, and I bet there are Orange Sulphurs there, perhaps even breeding.  But the Forbidden Field is the Forbidden Field.

  There was a worn but still strongly-flying Red Admiral just outside the entrance to the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 6:15 pm this evening.

  Here’s a photograph of a Lophocampa maculata caterpillar, from Goldstream Park.  We’ll be seeing lots of these in the next few weeks.

Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Lots more interesting stuff in the pipeline, but it is going to have to wait until tomorrow.  I may be able to do a morning posting.