2020 June 13

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Callizzia amorata 

1 Drepana arcuata 

1 Enypia packardata

1 Eudonia commortalis

2 Iridopsis emasculatum 

1 Leucania dia

1 Lophocampa maculata

1 Nadata gibbosa (still the same, still alive!)

1 Perizoma curvilinea

10 Tyria jacobaeae

1 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli 

The first photo may be Eudonia commortalis, but others in the crambid subfamily Scopariinae look very similar, so it is hard to be certain.

Possibly Eudonia commortalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Enypia packardata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Leucania dia (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Drepana arcuata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Drepaninae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jenny Romeo photographed this Pacific Sideband Snail on Mount Douglas on June 11.  It was sitting on a bed of liverworts on a large standing tree.

Pacific Sideband  Monadenia fidelis (Lep.: Brachybaenidae)  Jenny Romero

Pacific Sideband  Monadenia fidelis (Lep.: Brachybaenidae)  Jenny Romero

   Gordon Hart, writing from Highlands, writes:  Today, Saturday June 14, I saw a Pale and a Western Tiger Swallowtail, one Western Spring Azure, and one Cedar Hairstreak.

Rosemary Jorna saw a Pale Tiger Swallowtail in her Kemp Lake area garden, and a Pale Tiger Swallowtail and a Western Spring Azure on Mount Quimper.   She also photographed this Zebra Jumping Spider:

Salticus scenicus (Ara.: Salticidae)  Rosemary Jorna

2020 June 12

   Val George and Jeff Gaskin each report their first Lorquin’s Admiral of the year, yesterday, June 11  –  Val’s on Mount Tolmie, and Jeff’s on Wascana Street.   (Rosemary Jorna saw one on Broom Hill, June 6).

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Glad someone is seeing some butterflies.  I haven’t seen a butterfly of any sort since June 1, and I haven’t yet seen a swallowtail this year!  I’m probably spending too much time writing up Invert Alert, and not enough outside!

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Agrotis obliqua / vancouverensis

1 Callizzia amorata 

1 Drepana arcuata 

1 Enypia packhardata

1 Homorthodes hanhami

1 Iridopsis emasculatum 

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Nadata gibbosa (still the same)

1 Plagodis phlogosaria

1 Stenoporpia excelsaria

2 Tyria jacobaeae

1 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli 

   Libby Avis writes:  The Agrotis is interesting. Could be obliqua or the dark form of vancouverensis. I’m inclined to think the latter, because it’s more colourful overall than obliqua and markings look closer, but they’re both variable – sigh! A.o. is supposed to be more of a higher elevation species, but there have been reports from the island.

Agrotis vancouverensis/obliqua (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Homorthodes hanhami (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Enypia packhardata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Iridopsis emasculatum  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Stenoporpia excelsaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Plagodis phlogosaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 June 11

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Apamea antennata

1 Callizzia amorata 

1 Clostera apicalis 

1 Drepana arcuata

1 Dysstroma citrata  

1 Iridopsis emasculatum  

1 Trichordestra liquida

1 Nadata gibbosa (still the same)

1 Pero morissonaria

4 Tyria jacobaeae

1 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli 

Pero morrisonaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Trichordestra liquida (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Drepana arcuata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Drepaninae)

Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum shows a moth reared from a caterpillar on Gumweed:

Heliothis phloxiphaga (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

  The pug below was reared from a caterpillar on Mahonia, but, although the moth is pristine fresh, we have not yet been able to identify it below Genus. 

Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Yesterday, Jochen Möhr sent a photograph of a crab spider with prey.  Thanks to Dr Robb Bennett for identifying the spider as “almost certainly” Coriarachne brunneipes.  As for the prey, it is difficult to be certain, but Dr Bennett, Libby Avis and Jeremy Tatum, all suggest the European Earwig, so that’s how it shall be labelled!

Crab Spider Coriarachne brunneipes (Ara.: Thomisidae)

with European Earwig Forficula auricularia (Derm.: Forficulidae)
Jochen Möhr

2020 June 10

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Stenoporpia excelsaria

1 Callizzia amorata 

1 Clostera apicalis

1 Dysstroma citrata 

1 Iridopsis emasculatum 

1 Nadata gibbosa (still the same)

1 Neoterpes trianguliferata   

1 Hydriomena sp

1 Apamea antennata

1 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

Clostera apicalis (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jochen Möhr

Dark Marbled Carpet Dysstroma citrata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Stenoporpia excelsaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Neoterpes trianguliferata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Iridopsis emasculatum (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Hydriomena sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Apamea antennata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I don’t usually post pictures of dead insects, but this dead crane fly in my Saanich apartment yesterday was so spectacular that I couldn’t let it pass without photographing and posting it.

Male Tipula pubera (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Male Tipula pubera (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2020 June 9

   Rosemary Jorna sends photographs of two bees from the Otter Point area, June 8.  Thanks to Annie Pang and Lincoln Best for the identifications.

Lasioglossum sp. (Hym.: Halictidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Bombus mixtus (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Agrotis vancouverensis

1 Callizzia amorata

1 Eupithecia sp.

1 Homorthodes hanhami

1 Hydriomena marinata or californiata

1 Anavitrinella pampinaria

2 Lacinipolia cuneata

1 Nadata gibbosa (still the same one)

1 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Pero morrisonaria

4 Tyria jacobaeae

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Jeremy Tatum writes – and I’m sure Jochen agrees –  What ever would we do without the daily help of Libby Avis with identification of these moths!

Anavitrinella pampinaria (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Homorthodes hanhami (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Hydriomena marinata/californiata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Callizzia amorata (Lep.: Uraniidae)  Jochen Möhr

Agrotis vancouverensis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Lacinipolia cuneata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Pero morrisonaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr