2021 April 18 morning

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes that the two California Tortoiseshells that have been on the Mount Tolmie reservoir for several days were still there at 5:30 pm on April 17.  They are best seen in the late afternoon or early evenung.

 

   Jeremy Tatum continues:  On April 4 we showed a photograph of some newly-hatched caterpillars of the Sheep Moth.  Here are these same caterpillars today:

 

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniiidae) Jeremy Tatum

   I don’t know how the moth acquired its name “Sheep Moth” .  (Ideas, anyone?)  I have occasionally seen it called the “Elegant” Sheep Moth, although the recent addition of this adjective is quite inappropriate.  The “eglanterina”  in its scientific name does not mean “elegant” or anything like it.  It refers to one of the frequent foodplants of the caterpillar, namely the Sweet Brier Rose Rosa eglanteria, the word “eglanteria” meaning “spiny”, referring to the prickles on the plant.  The Sweet Brier Rose is also known as the Eglantine Rose, so those who would like an adjective before “Sheep” should perhaps call the moth the Eglantine Sheep Moth, rather than the Elegant Sheep moth.

 

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  I saw this beauty on Mount Douglas on the 16th April around 2- 3pm. All rather hot up there at that time. Seen near the top parking lot.

 

Male Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy