2020 May 1 afternoon

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Tetracis cervinaria

1 Egira simplex

1 Eupithecia – probably graefii

1 Hyalophora euryalus (different, fresher individual than two days ago)

1 Melanolophia imitata

1 Nola minna

5 Tyria jacobaeae

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Jochen Möhr

Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Tetracis cervinaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira simplex  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Here’s a syrphid fly from Mr E.  Thanks to Dr Jeff Skevington for confirming its identification as a dark morph Toxomerus sp.

Toxomerus sp.  (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Mr E

   Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying this click beetle, photographed by Mr E, as Selatosomus suckleyi:

 Selatosomus suckleyi (Col.: Elateridae)  Mr E

Selatosomus suckleyi (Col.: Elateridae)  Mr E

Selatosomus suckleyi (Col.: Elateridae)  Mr E

   Here are some Hymenoptera, photographed by Mr E.  Hymenoptera species are so numerous, and not all well studied, that it is not always possible to be certain from a photograph of an identification at species level.  Thanks to Matthias Buck for a good go!

Ichneumonid  (Hym.: Ichneumonidae)   Mr E

Nomad bee Nomada sp.(Hym.: Apidae)  Mr E

Giant sawfly Abia sp (Hym.: Cimbicidae)  Mr E

Sawfly (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Mr E

2020 May 1 morning

   Today we have one of our largest moths, Hyalophora euryalus and (the caterpillar of) one of our smallest moths, Eriocrania semipurpurella.  I think they are maybe not the largest and the smallest.  I think maybe Antheraea polyphemus is slightly larger.  Other tiny moths that we get here include Stigmella sp., Leucoptera laburnella, Phyllocnistis populiella, Cameraria gaultheriella.   All are from different Families, and all are leaf-miners.  They could all compete for the title of our smallest moth, though I suspect that Stigmella would probably win.

   You will notice that many leaves of Ocean Spray have brown blotches at this time of year.  Many of these are the blotch mines of Eriocrania semipurpurella.  The blotch shown below was from an Ocean Spray leaf in Mount Douglas Park.  The adult moths are to be found in March.

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Jochen Möhr

Eriocrania semipurpurella (Lep.: Eriocraniidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2020 April 30 afternoon

  Jeff Gaskin reports a Mourning Cloak from Panama Flats, April 29.

 Gordon Hart writes from the Highlands:  Yesterday, April 29, I saw five Western Spring Azures near the Pike Lake Substation ponds, and about four at home. I still have not seen any dragonflies. Today, April 30, is cool and windy, but I have seen two Western Spring Azures at home.

   Now for two bees:

Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Gordon Hart

Thanks to Annie Pang for identifying the next one:

Male Osmia lignaria (Hym.: Megachilidae)  Mr E

2020 April 30 morning

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  Yesterday, I waited with turning on the light until all moths had left.  I turned it on around 11 pm.  

This morning, there are only

2 Melanolophia imitata

1 Nola minna

No pictures taken.

   Mr E sends a selection of photographs from Saanich yesterday:

Adela trigrapha (Lep.: Adelidae)  Mr E

Western Blood-red Lady Beetle Cyclonida polita (Col.: Coccinellidae)   Mr E

   We don’t know the exact species of the fly below (can anyone help?) but at least we know (from its large eyes) that it is a male:

St Mark’s fly Bibio sp. (Dip.: Bibionidae)  Mr E

Stilt bug (Hem.: Berytidae)  Mr E

Stilt bug (Hem.: Berytidae)  Mr E

2020 April 29

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Today I saw three Western Spring Azures at Tod Creek Flats, and one Cabbage White along Hunt Road, Central Saanich.  These are the first butterflies to be reported to Invert Alert since April 20.

   Mr E sends pictures of a sawfly of the genus Rhogogaster.

Sawfly Rhogogaster sp. (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Mr E

Sawfly Rhogogaster sp. (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Mr E

   Jochen Möhr’s  moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Acleris

6 Eupithecias

1 Feralia comstocki

1 Hyalophora euryalus

5 Melanolophia imitata

1 Nola minna

2 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Orthosia hibisci

1 Orthosia transparens

1 Phyllodesma americana (still same, still alive)

3 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Feralia comstocki (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Nola minna (Lep.: Nolidae) Jochen Möhr

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr

 Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr