2020 April 16 evening

   Val George writes:  This afternoon, April 16, I saw my first swallowtail of the year, an Anise  Swallowtail, near the summit of Mount Tolmie;  also, my first Propertius Duskywing at the same location.  Three Sara Orangetips were flying in the general area.

To which Jeremy Tatum adds:  And I saw a California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 6:00 pm.

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Val George

Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Val George

  Jochen Möhr had a big moth haul in Metchosin this morning.  Thanks to Libby Avis, as ever, for help with the identificatios.

4 Behrensia conchiformis

2 Cissusa indiscreta

2 Cladara limitaria (one very questionable)

1 Egira curialis

1 Egira rubrica 

1 Eupithecia sp. 

2 Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata

1 Feralia comstocki (?)

11 Hydriomena manzanita

1 Lithophane innominata

3 Melanolophia imitata

1 Nola minna

1 Orthosia hibisci

1 Orthosia transparens

1 Tyria jacobaeae

3 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Unidentified micro (Lep.: Pyralidae) Jochen Möhr

Lobophora (nivigerata?   simsata?) (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Egira perlubens (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Egira curialis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Cladara limitaria (Lep.:  Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Feralia (probably comstocki) (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Feralia (probably comstocki) (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Eupithecia gilvipennata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Orthosia transparens (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Lithophane innominata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

2020 April 16 morning

   Egira crucialis/simplex is a pair of spring “woodling” moths that are awfully difficult to distinguish.  Below are some recent photographs from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin and Peter Boon in Nanaimo which have had myself (Jeremy Tatum) and Libby Avis as well as Jochen and Peter working hard at it.  The labels I have attached to the photographs below are the “most probable” identifications, and perhaps not 100 percent certain.  Moth-ers are encouraged to continue to send photographs of these species.  Maybe eventually we’ll  learn to distinguish them with more confidence.

Egira simplex (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira simplex (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

Left  Egira crucialis (we think!)

Right Egira simplex (we think!)

(Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

    Jochen also reports a comma from Metchosin yesterday.  Alas, the commas are no easier to identify than crucialis/simplex!

2020 April 15 evening

   Here’s another of Peter Boon’s moths from Nanaimo this morning.  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying it as Egira rubrica.  Libby says that she had her first one of the season in Port Alberni this morning, too.

Egira rubrica (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

2020 April 15 morning

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin, yesterday morning, April 14:

2 Behrensia conchiformis

2 Egira crucialis

3 Egira curialis

1 Egira simplex

2 Eupithecia annulata

1 Eupithecia graefii

2 Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata 

11 Hydriomena manzanita 

3 Melanolophia imitata

2 Nola minna

3 Venusia obsoleta pearsalli

Eupithecia annulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Melanolophia imitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Cissusa indiscreta (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae) Jochen Möhr

   Jochen’s moths this morning, April 15, no pictures taken:

1 Cissusa indiscreta

2 Egira curialis

2 Egira crucialis/simplex

7 Hydriomena manzanita

4 Melanolophia imitata

1 Nola minna

4 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

 Peter  Boon’s moths from Nanaimo this morning, April 15:

Egira crucialis  9

Orthosia hibisci  16

Egira perlubens  6

Orthosia transparens  5

Behrensia conchiformis  1

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

Orthosia transparens (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

Egira perlubens (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Peter Boon

2020April 14

   Jochen Möhr reports seeing several Sara Orangetips and Western Spring Azures near his Metchosin home on April 13.

  Gordon Hart writes  from the Highlands: April 13, I saw my first Western Spring Azure of the year, as well as a California Tortoiseshell and a Green Comma.

  Barb McGrenere writes from the Cordova Bay area, April 13:  This morning, one Cabbage White flew through our backyard.  And around 4 pm today, Mike and I saw 1 California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir. 

  Mark Wynja sends underside and upperside photographs of an Oreas Comma  from Little Mountian, Parksville, April 13, together with a useful analysis of three comma species:

Oreas Comma Polygonia oreas (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mark Wynja

Oreas Comma Polygonia oreas (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mark Wynja

Oreas Comma

Dorsal surface:

1. narrow dark continuous outer margin
2. Very similar to Zephyr/Hoary

Ventral surface:

1. mostly solid dark brown
2. subterminal markings barely visible on fore wing and not visible on hind wing

Zephyr/Hoary 

Dorsal surface:

1. dark fragmented and uneven outer margin

Ventral surface:

1. frosty gray band separating the dark outer margin from the dark base of wings
2. row of pale yellow subterminal markings

Green Comma 

Dorsal surface:

1. wide dark continuous outer margin
2. Hind wing has small pale subterminal marks, mostly surrounded by the dark of the wide margin

Ventral surface:

1. row of moss green subterminal markings
2. mottled below

   Rosemary Jorna sends photographs of a crab spider  from the Kemp Lake area, April 13.  Robb Bennett identifies it as a member of the genus Xysticus.  Without close examination of the specimen, it is not possible to be certain of the species.  X. pretiosus and  X.locuples are possibilities.

Xysticus sp. (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Xysticus sp. (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Rosemary Jorna