2020 March 10 morning

   Mr E sends a photograph of a midge on March 8.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I cannot be sure whether this is a non-biting midge of the Family Chironomidae or a phantom midge of the Family Chaoboridae, although I am leaning fairly strongly toward the latter.  Whichever it is, the plumed antennae show that it is a male. Neither Family bites.

Probably a phantom midge (Dip.: Chaoboridae)  Mr E

   He also sends two photographs of a moth from Brentwood Bay, March 8. Jeremy Tatum writes:  I think this is Eupithecia annulata or E. olivacea,  a frustrating pair of pugs that, despite our best efforts, neither Libby Avis nor I always feel able to determine with total certainty.

Eupithecia annulata/olivacea  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Mr E

Eupithecia annulata/olivacea  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Mr E

    Gordon Hart writes from the Highlands:  Even though we had a heavy frost yesterday morning, Monday, March 9, it was much warmer by early afternoon when we saw a Comma sp. fly by. We saw it twice but at a distance and flying, so I was unable to get a photo. By size and colour, I thought it was a Satyr Comma, which I have seen in early March in other years here. The Purple Heather had several species of bees and flies today as well, including the early Black-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus melanopygus, and Yellow-faced Bumblebee, B. vosnesenskii.  I have attached a photo of B. vosnesenskii, and a Drone Fly Eristalis tenax perched nearby.

Yellow-faced Bumblebee Bombus vosnesenskii (Hym.: Apidae)  Gordon Hart

Drone Fly Eristalis tenax (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Gordon Hart

2020 March 7

   Yesterday Jochen Möhr photographed a micro moth in Metchosin,  and this morning he photographed a handsome noctuid, which he identified as Acerra normalis.  Libby Avis gives what she describes as a “VERY tentative” identification of the micro as Epinotia emarginana, although, writes Jeremy Tatum, I’m going to label it “probable” rather than merely “possible”.  I think Libby probably has it right!

Probably Epinotia emarginana (Lep.: Tortricidae)

Jochen Möhr

Acerra normalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jochen Möhr

Acerra normalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jochen Möhr

2020 March 5

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  This morning 8 Eupithecias and 1 Hydriomena manzanita.  I took the ragged wing edges for the effects of some damage, perhaps from a bird’s beak. 

Hydriomena manzanita (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 March 3

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  This morning merely 2 Eupithecias and one Hydriomena manzanita.

2020 March 2

  Jochen Möhr ‘s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Egira hiemalis

6 Eupithecia,

2 Hydriomena manzanita

1 Phigalia plumogeraria

1 Venusia obsoleta/ pearsalli

Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli (Lep.:  Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr