2023 January 19

   Spot on time, an Egira hiemalis – the earliest of our woodling moths  (Egira) to appear early in the year –  appeared at the back door of Jeremy Tatum’s Saanich apartment this morning:

Egira hiemalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jeremy Tatum

2023 January 14 evening

   More creatures in the last few days and nights from Ian Cooper at *Colquitz Creek Park or the #Galloping Goose Trail, View Royal.

*Metellina sp. (Ara.: Tetragnathidae)  Ian Cooper

#Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae) Ian Cooper

#Unidentified Fly (Dip.: possibly Sciaridae)  Ian Cooper

Grey Field Slug, Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)

Ian Cooper

Flat-backed Millepede – Scytonotus sp.  (Polydesmidae)

Ian Cooper

*Globular springtail, Ptenothrix sp. (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae)

Ian Cooper

Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a Western Conifer Seed Bug from View Royal, January 13:

Western Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hem.:Coreidae)

Cheryl Hoyle

  Jochen Möhr sends photographs of a Winter Moth and two unidentified tortricid moths from Metchosin, which, in spite of their different appearances, may possibly be of one species within the genus Acleris.

Winter Moth Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Possibly Acleris sp. (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Jochen Möhr

Possibly Acleris sp. (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Jochen Möhr

2023  January 14 morning

 Lymantria dispar

   No recent observations or photographs to report.  However, writes Jeremy Tatum, I
heard the tail-end of a news item on the radio today.  I didn’t get all the details, but it was that the Government (fed.  or prov.?)  is going to engage this spring in a massive and widespread  insecticide (Btk?) spraying program this spring to kill this moth.

   In view of the disastrously low numbers of butterflies in the last few years, especially in
2022, which was almost a complete butterfly write-off in the spring, this is terrible news.  Look at the annual butterfly report posted on this site on January 1 , 2023.  See how many species of butterfly were totally missed.   This spraying program will kill off the last of several species. Think about the Two-banded Grizzled (“Checkered”) Skipper.

  Why is it that, although the Officials see huge outbreaks of L. dispar every year, no naturalists that I know of have ever seen this species, in any of its life stages (the ova and larvae are particularly conspicuous) in spite of deliberate targeted searches in locations where large outbreaks have been reported. Nor has the species ever been reported on Invert Alert in the 13 years in which it has been going.

   More…   Since writing the above, I have seen today’s (January 14) Times-Colonist.
There is an article on page A5. Spraying is to be in specific areas in Greater Victoria, Courtenay, Campbell River and Port Alberni between April 1 and June 30.  In Greater Victoria , “treatments” will be in View Royal, Esquimalt, Colwood.

   The Ministry of Forests says “It only affects spongy moth caterpillars, and is specific to their digestive systems.  Scientific studies have concluded that it does not harm mammals, birds, fish, plants, reptiles, amphibians, bees or other insects”.    I think that is a downright lie, and they  know full well that it isn’t true.  Btk is surely deadly to all caterpillars that feed on leaves.  That includes caterpillars that feed on broadleaved trees, such as Lorquin’s Admiral, Tiger Swallowtails, Propertius Duskywing, Polyphemus Moth, Ceanothus Silk Moth – but of course the spray is bound to land on herbaceous plants, too, where it will be ingested by Two-banded Skippers, and all the rest.

There is an interesting and well-informed article about Spraying Btk for Spongy Moths in the Toronto area, which I recommend reading, at

https://www.returnofthenative.ca/about/jaggyblog/btk-spraying-kills-native-butterflies-mothsandimperilsnestlings#:~:text=It%20kills%20the%20caterpillars%20of,that’s%20on%20its%20host%20foliage 

I believe  Lymantria dispar does occur in the Toronto area.  I have never heard of any being seen here other than by the Forestry Ministry.

2023 January 10

   More creatures in the last few days and nights from Ian Cooper at *Colquitz Creek Park or the #Galloping Goose Trail, View Royal.

It is still early days in 2023, but soon time  to keep a lookout for a few early moths.  Although they usually appear in February, it is worth looking out for Egira hiemalis (Noctuidae) and Phigalia plumogeraria (Geometridae).  The earliest Invert Alert record for the former is January 16, and for the latter January 19.

2023 January 8

Ian Cooper writes:  Here are five more photographs taken on January 8 at *Colquitz River Park in Saanich and the #Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.

*Running crab spider Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae)

 Ian Cooper

#Forest Spider Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

#Long-jawed Orb Weaver Tetragnatha versicolor

(Ara.: Tetragnathidae)                   Ian Cooper

#Globular springtail Ptenothrix sp. (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae)

Ian Cooper

*Grey Field Slug  Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)

 Ian Cooper