April 14
2020April 14
Jochen Möhr reports seeing several Sara Orangetips and Western Spring Azures near his Metchosin home on April 13.
Gordon Hart writes from the Highlands: April 13, I saw my first Western Spring Azure of the year, as well as a California Tortoiseshell and a Green Comma.
Barb McGrenere writes from the Cordova Bay area, April 13: This morning, one Cabbage White flew through our backyard. And around 4 pm today, Mike and I saw 1 California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir.
Mark Wynja sends underside and upperside photographs of an Oreas Comma from Little Mountian, Parksville, April 13, together with a useful analysis of three comma species:
Oreas Comma Polygonia oreas (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Mark Wynja
Oreas Comma Polygonia oreas (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Mark Wynja
Oreas Comma
Dorsal surface:
- narrow dark continuous outer margin
- Very similar to Zephyr/Hoary
Ventral surface:
- mostly solid dark brown
- subterminal markings barely visible on fore wing and not visible on hind wing
Zephyr/Hoary
Dorsal surface:
- dark fragmented and uneven outer margin
Ventral surface:
- frosty gray band separating the dark outer margin from the dark base of wings
- row of pale yellow subterminal markings
Green Comma
Dorsal surface:
- wide dark continuous outer margin
- Hind wing has small pale subterminal marks, mostly surrounded by the dark of the wide margin
Ventral surface:
- row of moss green subterminal markings
- mottled below
Rosemary Jorna sends photographs of a crab spider from the Kemp Lake area, April 13. Robb Bennett identifies it as a member of the genus Xysticus. Without close examination of the specimen, it is not possible to be certain of the species. X. pretiosus and X.locuples are possibilities.
Xysticus sp. (Ara.: Thomisidae) Rosemary Jorna
Xysticus sp. (Ara.: Thomisidae) Rosemary Jorna