2020 August 28

Two dragonflies by Gordon Hart from the Pike Lake substation ponds, August 26:

Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Gordon Hart

Sympetrum pallipes (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

and another, near his Highlands house, the following day:

Sympetrum pallipes (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Emmelina monodactyla 

2 Eulithis xylina

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Nadata gibbosa

1 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Fishea illocata

1 Pyrausta perrubralis

1 Catocala aholibah

Fishea illocata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Catocala aholibah (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Jochen Möhr

   A miscellany from Ian Cooper from the Galloping Goose Trail near Tillicum Road, August 27:

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Ian Cooper

Vespula pensylvanica/germanica (Hym.: Vespidae)

with Zootermopsis angusticollis (Blatt.: Archotermopsidae) Ian Cooper

(Thanks to Claudia Copley for the identifications.)

Salticus scenicus (Ara.: Salticidae)  Ian Cooper

Syritta pipiens (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

Pennisetia marginata (Lep.: Sesiidae)   Ian Cooper

   …And, for those who are wondering if the “Lep.” in the legend is a misprint, and it should be “Hym.” – no, these are indeed clearwing moths.   Male below, female above.  Known in the fruit-growing industry as the Rasbperry Crown Borer Moth.

An exciting moth day, capped off by a nice pterophorid from Sharon Godkin.  Known as the Geranium Plume Moth, though the caterpillar feeds on a wide range of plants as well as geraniums.  Sometimes found in greenhouses.  Not sure if the “Geranium” if its names refers to plants genuinely in the genus Geranium or to the popularly mis-named “Geranium”  – actually Pelargonium.

Amblyptilia pica (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Sharon Godkin.

2020 August 27

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

4 Eulithis xylina

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Nadata gibbosa

1 Panthea virginarius

1 Xestia finatimis species complex

1 Ypsolopha canariella

Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Xestia finatimis species group (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

   A Honey Bee  from Ian Cooper:

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

   An exciting adventure from  Ian:

Vespula vulgaris (Hym.: Vespidae)   Ian Cooper

Be careful… watch out!    Ian Cooper

Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae)   Ian Cooper

You were warned!!   Ian Cooper

   The wasp was lucky – it got away.  In an encounter between a crab spider and a vespid wasp,  the wasp is in great danger.  On the other hand, had it been a pompilid wasp, it is the spider that would be in danger.

   Val George writes:  This Plume Moth Emmelina monodactyla was on the window near the door of the nature house at Swan Lake yesterday, August 26.  Also on the walls near the door were 2 Neoalcis californiaria and a Noctua pronuba.  Many dragonflies were flying around the edges of the lake:  many Blue Dashers, many Darners (Blue-eyed, Green and other Darner species my inexpert eyes can’t identify when they’re flying) and at least 7 or 8 Black Saddlebags.  This last red-listed species seems to be quite numerous this year because I saw 3 or 4 at McIntyre Reservoir on Martindale Flats a few days ago and I recall that there have been several photos shown on the Alert recently.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Yes, I, too, have seen several Black Saddlebags this year.  Agree they are unusually common this year.  Anyone else noticed this?

Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Val George

2020 August 26

   Rosemary Jorna sends a picture of a wasp (yellowjacket) feeding on a fallen apple in her Kemp Lake garden.  Thanks to Claudia Copley for the identification of the species.

Vespula vulgaris (Hym.: Vespidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   A miscellany from Ian Cooper:

Spittle bug Philaenus spumarius (Hem.: Cercopidae)  Ian Cooper

Ammophila sp. (Hym.: Sphecidae)  Ian Cooper

Leucospis affinis (Hym.: Leucospidae)  Ian Cooper

2020 August 26 morning

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

2 Eulithis xylina

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Nadata gibbosa

2 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Noctua pronuba 

2 Oligia divesta

1 Panthea virginarius

1 Perizoma curvilinea 

In addition, Jochen writes:  Also, every day, I see 2 to 4 Woodland Skippers and several Pine Whites, up to 5 simultaneously around the house.

Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jochen Möhr

And Jochen’s moths from Metchosin yesterday morning, August 26:

1 Emmelina dactylina

3 Eupithecia sp. 

4 Eulithis xylina

1 Evergestis funalis

1 Feltia jaculifera

1 Lacinipolia strigicollis

5 Neoalcis californiaria  

1 Nemoria darwiniata

3 Noctua pronuba

1 Oligia divesta

1 Panthea virginarius

1 Stenoporpia pulmonaria 

1 Xestia finatimis species group

1 Ypsolopha canariella

Evergestis funalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

Xestia finatimis species group (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Feltia jaculifera (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Jochen Möhr

More this afternoon…

2020 August 25

   A nice miscellany of insects from Ian Cooper.   Thanks to Claudia Copley and Annie Pang for help with some of the identifications.

Syritta pipiens (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Bark louse Graphopsocus cruciatus (Pso.: Stenopsocidae) Ian Cooper

Pacific Coast Dampwood Termite Zootermopsis angusticollis) (Blattoidea: Archotermopsidae)

Vespula (probably vulgaris) (Hym.: Vespidae)  Ian Cooper

Vespula vulgaris (Hym.: Vespidae)  Ian Cooper

Bombus sp. (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

   There are so few butterflies around that it is a pleasure to see a Grey Hairstreak (even if slightly worn) in the Royal Oak area, photographed today by Ron Flower:

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ron Flower

    Also a two-in-one photograph by Ron of a Woodland Skipper and a harvestman:

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)

Harvestman Phalangium opilio (Opi.: Phalangiidae)

Ron Flower