July 19 morning

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.

2020 July 19 morning

Brenda Pilon sends a picture (via Annie Pang) of a pretty little moth from her Victoria garden. The caterpillar feeds on mints (Mentha).

Mint moth Pyrausta californicalis (Lep.: Crambidae) Brenda Pilon

Here are a couple of photographs from Jochen Möhr of Cinnabar Moth caterpillars feeding on Ragwort. The caterpillars of some species of butterfly or moth have a wise range of foodplants. Others feed on only single genus or even species of plant. The Mint Moth and the Cinnabar Moth are both very particular species. The first feeds only on mints, the second only on ragworts.

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Jochen Möhr

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