2020 September 10 morning

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  When I arrived at UVic today I saw a Nepytia phantasmaria in the car park – a “lifer ” for me!  Since Jochen Möhr in Metchosin and Gordon Hart in Highlands had both reported them this year, I was about to ask (in this posting) whether this was a good year for the species.  And then I received this amazing message from Gordon:

 

I checked the porch lights last night (evening of September 8), and was amazed to see the walls near the lights covered with Nepytia phantasmaria. I counted close to 60 between two lights. There were about five Neoalcis californiaria, several Xanthorhoe sp. and a few small crambid snout moths. Yesterday evening, September 9, there seem to be similar numbers plus an Autographa californica, and a large brown lacewing. I have attached some photos from September 8.

 

And Libby Avis writes from Port Alberni:

 

We’ve had exactly the same experience as Gordon. Counted about 100 two nights ago and last night we estimated around 150-200 at the light, plus others all through the grass where Rick had set up a small low light trap. We get them every year here and numbers vary, but nothing like what we’ve been seeing this year. Duncan’s Conifer Defoliators of BC says that localised short-lived outbreaks have been recorded in the past. Powell and Opler also mention outbreaks in BC, so I guess that’s what we’re seeing this year. Quite a sight last night!

 

Reading from the left:

Dark-winged fungus gnat (Dip.: Sciaridae)

Nepytia phantasmaria (Lep.: Geometridae)

Male non-biting midge (Dip.: Chironomidae)

Gordon Hart

Zenophleps lignitaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Gordon Hart

      Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

 

7 Agriphila sp.

1 Euxoa difformis

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

14 (!) Neoalcis californiaria 

 

Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Euxoa sp. (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Agriphila (possibly straminella) (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

Agriphila (possibly straminella) (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

Agriphila (possibly straminella) (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

Agriphila (possibly straminella) (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Aziza Cooper writes:  On September 8, I found a Purplish Copper near the footpath that parallels the beach. The butterfly was in the grass west of the trail and south of the ditch that passes the toilets.  Also there were two Ringlets.

 

Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Aziza Cooper