2020 March 19

   Welcome to Spring!  The Sun crosses the equator from south to north at 8:49 pm PDT this evening. Appropriately, there were a number of butterfly sightings yesterday:

 

  Val George writes:  I  saw my first butterflies of the season yesterday afternoon, March 18:  Two California Tortoiseshells at the summit of Mount Tolmie, one on the reservoir, the other by the Jeffery Pine.   They were definitely two different insects, as the photos show.

 

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Val George

 

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Val George

 

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchison:  When I came home yesterday, there was a Satyr Comma enjoying the the warm gravel on our driveway. 

Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Jochen Möhr

 

    Gordon Hart wrote yesterday  March 18 from Highlands:  We had a Mourning Cloak fly by and stop briefly. Unfortunately, my camera was in the house, so I was unable to get a photo. That makes three species of butterfly in 2020, and no pictures of any of them!  I did see lots of bees and moths as well. I have attached a picture of Epirrhoe plebeculata.

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I have been trying to find the caterpillar of E.  plebeculata for years.  If anyone sees this moth (common in March and April) please keep a lookout for oviposition!

 

Epirrhoe plebeculata (Lep.: Geometridae)   Gordon Hart

 

   Jochen Möhr continues with his amazing run of moths at his Metchosin home.  Thus, this morning:

 

1 Acerra normalis

8 Eupithecias (including one probably ravocostaliata)

17 Hydriomena manzanita

1 Lithophane innominata

1 Lithophane pertorrida

2 Orthosia praeses 

1 Triphosa haesitata 

2 Venusia obsoleta / pearsalli

2 unidentified micros

 

   Spurred on by this, writes Jeremy Tatum, I went to the Goldstream Park Nature House this morning, but, although the lights were on, the only moths were three Eupithecia and one Venusia.  Then I went to the Swan Lake Nature House.  The lights were on, but there were no moths at all.  Both Nature Houses are closed, because of the corona virus outbreak.   The moths are presumably paying attention.

 

  Here is a sample of some of Jochen’s moths this morning.

 

Acerra normalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Acerra normalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Lithophane pertorrida (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

 

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

 

 

   The next one, we think, is a slightly worn Lithophane, but we can’t be absolutely certain whether it is L. innominata or L. petulca.

 

Lithophane innominata/petulca (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Orthosia praeses (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

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

 

Hypena californica (Erebidae – Hypeninae) Jochen Möhr