2019 April 29 afternoon
Mike Yip writes from Nanoose: Great day for golf at Fairwinds (April 25), and it was even more enjoyable to find a Western Pine Elfin basking on the 3rd green and a Grey Hairstreak on the 18th green. After golf I checked Cross Road and found an obliging Western Spring Azure.
Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Mike Yip
And here’s an upperside (from the broad grey outer margin, a female) from Ken Vaughan:
Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Ken Vaughan
Jeremy Tatum writes that there was a California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 3:45 on the afternoon of April 25.
Jochen Möhr’s moth counts in Metchosin on the mornings of April 25, 26 and 27 were
25 26 27
6 Hydriomena manzanita 4 Melanolophia imitata 2 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli
5 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli 4 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli and one each of:
2 Behrensia conchiformis and one each of: Behrensia conchiformis
and one each of: Anticlea vasiliata Cladara limitaria
Cladara limitaria Behrensia conchiformis Drepanuilatrix monicaria
Melanolophia imitata Cladara limitaria Egira crucialis
Egira simplex/crucialis Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata
Feralia comstocki/deceptiva Eupithecia sp. Feralia comstocki.deceptiva
Phyllodesma americana Perizoma curvilinea
Anticlea vasiliata
Photographs of a few of them:
Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr
Feralia (probably comstocki) (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr
Cladara limitaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr
Phyllodesma americana (Lep.: Lasiocampidae) Jochen Möhr
Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr
Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr
Jeremy Tatum writes: I photographed a weevil, on Rumex crispus at Rithet’s Bog on April 24. Identification proved a bit of a problem and it needed a combined effort from three beetle enthusiasts. Charlene Woods identified it as a species of Lixus, but she pointed out that there were only two species of Lixus on the British Columbia list, and Scott Gilmore didn’t think it was either of these. Finally Bob Anderson identified it as Lixus concavus – a widespread species in North America, but which somehow had managed to avoid being on the British Columbia list. An exciting experience, and thanks to the three people who went to a lot of trouble to identify it.
Lixus concavus (Col.: Curculionidae) Jeremy Tatum
Here’s a photograph of a bee fly Bombyliu major from Ken Vaughan in the Highlands:
Bee fly Bombylius major (Dip.: Bombyliidae) Ken Vaughan
Syrphine flies and chrysomelid beetles are notoriously difficult to identify from photographs, and Ken has a photograph of one of each from the Highlands. We are very grateful to Jeff Skevington (flies) and Scott Gilmore (beetles) for giving it their best shot.
First, the fly. Dr Skevington writes: It looks like Eupeodes but I hesitate to put even generic identifications on syrphines with only one view.
Possibly Eupeodes (Dip.: Syrphidae – Syrphinae) Ken Vaughan
Now the beetle. Scott Gilmore writes: Leaf beetles are hard even with a specimen in hand. This appears to be from the tribe Alticini and I think (guess?) genus Altica.
Possibly Altica (Col.: Chrysomelidae – Alticini) Ken Vaughan
Jochen Möhr’s line-up in Metchosin for the morning of April 30:
This morning’s lineup:
5 Eupitheciae
4 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli
1 Coryphista meadii
1 Cladara limitaria
1 Drepanulatrix monicaria
1 Egira crucialis
1 Egira curialis
1 Egira simplex
1 Egira rubrica
1 Perizoma curvilinea
1 Orthosia transparens
1 Xanthorhoe defensaria
Photographs of a few of them:
Egira curialis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr
Egira crucialis/simplex (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr
Egira crucialis/simplex (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr
Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr
Triphosa haesitata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr
