2019 October 4

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

2 Drepanulatrix sp.

2 Dryotype opina

1 Lambdina fiscellaria

1 Platyptilia carduidactylus

2 Pleromelloida cinerea

2 Sunira decipiens

3 Tetracis jubararia/pallulata

Sunira decipiens (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jochen Möhr

Platyptilia carduidactylus (Lep.:  Pterophoridae) Jochen Möhr

Lambdina fiscellaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Naturalists who are familiar with spreadwing damselflies might keep a look-out in British Columbia for

Archilestes californicus.  This is a new species for Canada.  I have just been notified via Dr Rob Cannings of the discovery of the fourth British Columbia record, in the Osoyoos Desert, by Eckert Cameron.  This is what it looks like:

Archilestes californicus (Odo.: Lestidae)  Eckert Cameron

   Rob describes it as follows:  Archilestes californicus is a very large (4.5-6 cm long) brown spreadwing with a white-striped thorax. The male’s eyes and labrum are blue; the abdomen is brown above with darker areas tinged with green; segs 9-10 are pruinose; the paraprocts are short and parallel, visible from above; the pterostigmas are tan or whitish.

   If anyone thinks he or she sees or has photographed this species in British Columbia, let us know, and I’ll pass it on to Rob if it looks good.  Jeremy Tatum

2019 October 3

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Hypena californica

1 Lithomoia germana 

2 Pleromelloida cinerea

3 Tetracis jubararia/pallulata

1 Drepanulatix sp.

2 Dryotype opina

2019 October 2

[Sorry to be posting this so early in the day – I’m not expecting to be back at the computer again today.  Jeremy]

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin, October 1 and 2:

October 1

1 Dryotype opina

1 Lithomoia germana

2 Pleromelloida cinerea 

October 2

2 Drepanulatrix sp.

2 Dryotype opina

1 Ennomos magnaria

1 Hypena californica

1 Lithomoia germana

2 Pleromelloida cinerea 

1 Tetracis jubararia/pallulata

Dryotype opina (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a moth reared from a caterpillar found on Gumweed at Island View Beach, where the moth was released this morning.

Cucullia montanae (Lep.: Noctuidae)  JeremyTatum

2019 October 1

   Jeremy Tatum writes:

    Because of a computer glitch, I was not able to post an Invert Alert on September 30.  This one combines September 30 and October 1.

    Erratum:  A tentative Schizura was misidentified on the Septemmber 26 Alert.  See September 26 for details.

  Here’s a caterpillar of the Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata from Aylard Farm on September 29.  The head is at the  bottom.

Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Jeremy Tatum

   On September 30, I saw about half-a-dozen or so Cabbage Whites between Martindale and Island View Roads.   Will we see any butterflies in October?  Sulphurs have been known to appear in October.  There’s still a chance of some moth caterpillars – October is the month for the Banded Woolly Bear.  Panama Flats is a good location for these.

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin, October 1:

1 Triphosa haesitata

1 Drepanulatrix sp. 

1 Dryotype opina

1 Ennomos magnaria 

1 Lithomoia germana 

1 Plemyria georgii

2 Pleromelloida cinerea

1 Tetracis jubararia or pallulata

1 Platyptilia carduidactylus

   Jochen writes: Because it is the last day of the month, here is the total tally for my September observations on one wall.  They are numbers of observations, not of individuals, because I have no control over which individuals are observed numerous times.  For instance, I am sure all five observations of  Lithomoia germana  are of the same individual.  There is no way of knowing how many individuals are covered by the species for which there are many observations.  

374 observations 

covering 

36 species

Platyptilia carduidactylus (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Jochen Möhr

Plemyria georgii (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Triphosa haesitata  (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

  At Press time:  Jeremy Tatum writes:  A few Cabbage Whites still flying around several agricultural fields in Central Saanich today, October 1 – so we do have some October butterflies!

2019 September 29

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is a caterpillar of the Rough Prominent Nadata gibbosa.  It is usually found on oak, but I have occasionally found it on alder, as here, from near Esquimalt Lagoon.

Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jeremy Tatum

The mandibles of Nadata gibbosa are yellow:

Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jochen  Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Dryotype opina

1 Ennomos magnaria

1 Noctua pronuba

4 Pleromelloida cinerea

1 Schizura ipomoeae

1 Tetracis jubararia / pallulata