This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

April 18

2020 April 18

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I visited the pond near the Pike Lake Substation on Munn Road this afternoon.  I saw just two Western Spring Azures and one Sara Orangetip.  Also a few damselflies and mayflies. Perhaps the most interesting thing was that I watched two Wandering Shrews at length and at close quarters – but since they have backbones, they are not allowed on this site.

 

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

 

1 Cerastis enigmatica

3 Cladara limitaria

1 Egira curialis

2 Egira crucialis

6 Epithecias 

1 Feralia comstocki

3 Melanolophia imitata

1 Orthosia hibisci

3 Perizoma curvilinea

6 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

2 Xanthorhoe defensaria

 

 


Cerastis enigmatica (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


Cladara limitaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr


Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


Egira curialis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


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

Probably Eupithecia nevadata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr


Feralia comstocki  (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Gordon Hart sends photographs of a male Sara Orangetip and a California Tortoiseshell  from Mount Tolmie today.

 

Male Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara (Lep.: Pieridae)  Gordon Hart

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

   Ron Flower writes:  Today April 18 we went to Gore Park where there were many Western Spring Azures and our first dragonfly of the year.  [Jeremy Tatum says:  I’ll try and post the dragonfly tomorrow!]

 

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ron Flower

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ron Flower

More tomorrow – I didn’t have time to post everything!   – J