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.

August 18

2020 August 18

 

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

 

1 Oligia divesta

2 Neoalcis californiaria 

1 Perizoma curvilinea

 


Oligia divesta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  On August 11 and 12 I posted photographs of a penultimate instar caterpillar that I had originally misidentified as Orgyia antiqua. Now that it is in its final instar, I see that it is in a totally different Family.  It is a noctuid, Actronicta impleta.

 


Actronicta impleta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum


Actronicta impleta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum


Actronicta impleta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

  And now a few recent photographs from Ian Cooper.   We may be able to refine the identifications in the next few days.

 


Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Ian Cooper


Misumena vatia  (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Ian Cooper


Bombus melanopygus/mixtus (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

Annie Pang says not quite sure which of the  two it is.


Eristalis arbustorum (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Dr Jeff Skevington writes:  That hourglass shape on the abdomen makes it either Eristalis arbustorum or E. brousii. The broad yellow base to the mid tibia makes it arbustorum.

 

Beewolf Philanthus crabroniformis (Hym.: Crabronidae)  Ian Cooper

Claudia Copley would like a dorsal view to be quite sure.

Clearwing moth.  Synanthedon bibionipennis  (Lep.: Sesiidae)  Ian Cooper