Invertebrate Alert – Page 170 – Victoria Natural History Society

2022 May 10

2022 May 10

Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of Xanthorhoe defensaria from Metchosin:

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Gordon Hart sends a photograph of a mining bee from the Highlands:

Mining bee Andrena sp. (Hym.: Andrenidae) Gordon Hart

And, to complete this miscellany, Jeremy Tatum sends a picture of a snail from Carey Road,Victoria:

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae) Jeremy Tatum

Jeff Gaskin writes: Just a couple of butterflies of note seen in the last two days. First of all a Western Spring Azure seen on the Royal Roads University grounds. It was seen while on the VNHS birding trip there. Today, May 9, a Mourning Cloak was in the south east corner of Panama Flats which was also where it was, the same spot, a few days ago when Geoffrey Newell saw it

Val George writes: On May 8, I saw my first Red Admiral of the season. It was on the reservoir at Mount Tolmie. And for viewers of this site who may not have seen the short write-up I did for the most recent issue of the VNHS Newsletter, this past winter I put together a website called Vancouver Island Butterflies – a Photographic Guide. It can be found most easily by going to vancouverislandbutterflies.com. [See also the April 30 entry on this site – Jeremy Tatum.]

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Val George

Rosemary Jorna writes: A micro moth and a small fly from the Galloping Goose yesterday between Charters and Tod Creek trestles. Jeremy Tatum writes: The moth is Adela trigrapha, but I’m afraid I don’t even know the Family of the fly! If any viewer can help, please do so!

Adela trigrapha (Lep.: Adelidae) Rosemary Jorna

Unknown dipteran Rosemary Jorna

2022 May 8

2022 May 8

Here is an upperside shot of Rosemary Jorna’s huge Ceanothus Silk Moth (see the May 6 posting), vibrating its forewings just prior to taking off after laying seven eggs.

Female Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Rosemary Jorna

Jochen Möhr writes: Coming home from an errand yesterday, I was greeted by this crane fly. Never saw one like this before. Claudia Copley writes: It is so cool! Darren found one ages ago at Goldstream – most likely Ctenophora vittata, also known as Phoroctenia vittata.

Male Ctenophora vittata (Dip.: Tipulidae – Ctenophorinae) Jochen Möhr

2022 May 6 morning

2022 May 06 morning

Jochen Möhr set us a puzzle yesterday with photographs from Metchosin of the undersides of several moths – the geometry of the situation prevented him from getting his camera to the other side of the window to photograph the uppersides. Libby Avis and Jeremy Tatum had a go at identifying them, and, considering how difficult it is to identify moths from their undersides alone, we came to remarkably good agreement – although our proposed identifications remain tentative.