2020 May 10

 

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin yesterday morning (May 9):

 

2 Eupithecia sp. – probably graefii

1 Melanolophia imitata

2 Perizoma curvilinea

2 Tyria jacobaeae

2 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

 

and from this morning (May 10):

 

1 Apamea cinefacta

1 Eupithecia sp.

1 Hydriomena manzanita

1 Cladara limitaria

1 Melanolophia imitata

2 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Pero morissonaria

4 Tyria jacobaeae

4 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

 

Cladara limitaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Apamea cinefacta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

 

  Gordon Hart writes from the Highlands:  With the warm weather, we are finally having a good selection of butterflies. We had several first of the year butterflies for us: A Western Tiger Swallowtail on the Lilacs, a Grey Hairstreak, and a Cedar Hairstreak. This was in addition to several Western Spring Azures and two Green Commas.  I also photographed a moth disturbed from under a leaf.

  We thank Libby Avis for identifying this moth as Agrotis ipsilon.  This is a widespread Holarctic moth known in Britain as the Dark Sword-grass.  Its caterpillar is known  unflatteringly, in agricultural circles, as the black cutworm.  It likes the vegetables in your vegetable garden as much as you do.   It also has a reputation for damaging carefully-manicured golf courses.

Agrotis ipsilon (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Gordon Hart

 

   Rosemary Jorna writes:  Butterflies at last! These photographs were taken near the Charter’s Creek Trestle at the end of a long hike in the Sooke Hills . I was disappointed, dismayed by how few butterflies I saw on the hike, a few blues, moving too fast in the heat to settle. Then in the very last kilometre:

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Rosemary Jorna

 

And several metres on, ten or more Western Spring Azures hovering around or feeding on a very large fresh dog [censored]. Unfortunately I was clumsy in my approach so I only caught the one and did not have the time to linger while they regrouped. It is astonishing how fast nine butterflies can disappear.

 

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 

   Jody Wells sends photographs of two butterflies and a moth from Central Saanich:

 

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jody Wells

 

 

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jody Wells

 

Mesoleuca gratulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jody Wells

 

 

   Jeremy Tatum reports one Painted Lady from the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 6:45 pm this evening.

 

More tomorrow…