This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

2023 October 16

2023 October 16

   Jochen Möhr sends the following photographs from Metchosin this morning:

Epirrita autumnata (Lep.:Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Tetracis (probably pallulata) (Lep.: Geometridae  Johen Möhr

Thera juniperata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr


Udea profundalis
(Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

2023 October 15

2023 October 15

   Although this has been a good year for West Coast Lady, we haven’t yet received any reports this year for American Lady.  I say “yet” because there is still time.  However, one turned up yesterday in the Scilly Islands, off the SW coast of England.

 

Jochen Möhr found six different moth species at his Metchosin home this morning.  We thank Libby Avis for her great help with the identifications.   The first one is a Tetracis pallulata or T. jubararia.  Libby cautions us to be wary against too confident identification of these two species.  For what it’s worth, Jeremy Tatum thinks that, for the heavily speckled and fairly dark specimen below, pallulata may be more likely than jubararia – but this is by no means certain.

Tetracis pallulata /jubararia   (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Autumnal Moth  Epirrita autumnata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Acleris rhombana (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Udea profundalis  (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Juniper Carpet Thera juniperata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Xanthorhoe defensaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Jochen also sends an earlier and hitherto unlabelled photograph from his files – now identified as Brown House  Moth.

Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Lep.: Oecophoridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

 

 

2023 October 13 morning

2023 October 13 morning

   Two more moths from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin this morning.  The Tetracis looks to Jeremy Tatum like T. jubararia – though it could possibly be T. pallulata.

 

Tetracis (probably jubararia) (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

 Thera juniperata  (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

 

 

2023 October 12

2023 October 12

   Val George photographed this Drepanulatrix in Oak Bay this morning.  Most probably D. secundaria or D. monicaria.

Drepanulatrix sp.  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

 

Valerie Howe saw this Tetracis jubararia   at Capital Yacht Club grounds on Blue Heron Road, North Saanich, today, October 12.

Tetracis jubararia  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Valerie Howe

2023 October 11

2023 October 11

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of two moths from his Metchosin property this morning.  The first is a species of TetracisThis genus includes several similar-looking species.  This one is probably either T. jubararia or T. pallulata.  Although it has many “speckles”, writes Jeremy Tatum, I believe that pallulata is typically much more heavily speckled and darker, so that this one is more likely T. jubararia, though this is by no means certain.

Tetracis (probably jubararia) (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Juniper Carpet Thera juniperata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr