July 18 morning

    And now for something completely different.  Rosemary Jorna writes:  Here is another of this summer’s interesting insect actions.  I believe this is a Giant Water Bug. It is over 5 cm. The grandchildren caught it in a net in the shallows on the Sooke River yesterday (July 17).  When we released it it came to rest underwater on a rock, then next thing we saw was the crayfish head under the rock followed by the bug. A few seconds later the bug emerged, dragging out the crayfish, which soon stopped struggling. We watched in fascinated horror for five minutes or so.

   Rosemary tells us that the Signal Crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus, our only native crayfish, occurs in the Sooke River, so it is probable that that is what this one is.  However, there are a few non-native crayfish in British Columbia, and we can’t be absolutely sure of this one.  Rosemary speculates that it might have just finished a moult, which might account for its very light colour. The main claws showed red.

Giant Water Bug Lethocerus americanus (Hem.: Belostomatidae)

Crayfish, probably Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dec.: Astacidae)

   Rosemary also sends a photograph of a beetle from Sooke River, kindly identified by Scott Gilmore as Xestoleptura crassipes.

Xestoleptura crassipes (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of the moth Iridopsis emasculata from Metchosin.

Iridopsis emasculata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

July 17, evening

    More photographs of moths from Metchosin.  Photographed by Jochen Möhr; identified by Libby Avis.

Digrammia muscariata (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Digrammia muscariata (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Hesperumia sulphuraria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Enypia packardata (Lep.:  Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Dichagyris variabilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Clemensia albata (Lep.:  Erebidae – Arctiinae – Lithosiini)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   The huge mass of Teasels at McIntyre reservoir is now in full bloom, and while there are bees a-plenty enjoying the nectar, no butterflies have as yet discovered the bounty.  There are a few Cabbage Whites there – but they are largely ignoring the Teasel and are nectaring primarily on the Wild Radish (Raphanus).   Also, I saw no butterflies at all a-top Mount Tolmie at 6:30 this evening.  

July 17 morning

    Jochen Möhr writes that he counted 8 Pine Whites yesterday while he was driving towards town along the Hatley Park (Royal Roads University) property along Metchosin Road.  And Nathan Fisk reports his first-of-year at Fort Rodd Hill (photograph below).

Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae)  Nathan Fisk

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Everyone knows that the difference between a butterfly and a moth is that a butterfly is brightly coloured and a moth isn’t.  Here’s a moth from Island View Beach just to prove it.

Garden Tiger Moth Arctia caja (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jeremy Tatum

July 16 evening

    This morning’s crop of Jochen Möhr’s moths were relatively easy to identify.  Now we come to the more difficult ones.

    Triphosa haesitata/Coryphista meadii is a notoriously difficult pair.  The latter has several different forms, the most common of which can be terribly hard to distinguish from haesitata.  On the outer margin of the hindwing of Jochen’s moth below, the fourth tooth is much smaller than the adjacent teeth.   That’s probably good enough to label it safely as Coryphista meadii.

Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   The problem with Iridopsis is that there seems no general agreement as to whether I. larvaria  and I. emasculata (also spelled emasculatum) are truly separate species, or whether they should be lumped as one.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I believe they are quite different animals, and that Jochen’s is a slightly faded Iridopsis emasculata.

Iridopsis emasculata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   The problem with Sicya is that there seems no general agreement as to whether S. macularia  and S. crocearia are truly separate species, or whether they should be lumped as one.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Unlike the case for iridopsis, I have no opinion one way or the other.  In looking at published pictures of aduilts and larvae, I see conflicting evidence.  In the adults, there seems to be no consistent reliable feature for telling one from the other, so I would say they are all one species.   On the other hand, there seem to be two distinct caterpillars, suggesting that they are separate species.  I’ll label Jochen’s moth with an either/or.

Sicya macularia/crocearia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   The next one presents no particular identification problems – I just accidentally missed it out in this morning’s posting.

Gabriola dyari (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   After that splendid series of moths, it’s time for a butterfly.   It is now mid-July, so it’s Pine White time.  Here’s a male photographed by Judith Terry.

Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae)  Judith Terry

July 16 morning

   Here are some of Jochen Möhr’s recent moth photographs from Metchosin.  We give a huge thank you to Libby Avis for the identifications.

Nemoria darwiniata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Dasychira grisefacta (Lep.:  Erebidae – Lymantriinae)  Jochen Möhr

Caripeta divisata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Eulithis xylina (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Protitame subalbaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Callizzia amorata (Lep.: Uraniidae – Epipleminae) Jochen Möhr

   That’s enough for this morning – more this afternoon!