2021 August 3 afternoon

    On August 1, Aziza Cooper found and photographed two different Catocala species both at the Swan Lake Nature House.   Catocalas are exciting at the best of times, but to find two of them at the same time and place is particularly thrilling.  Unfortunately, although these are large and exciting moths, it is a large genus, and the several species are hard to identify, even if you manage to see the colourful hind wings that Catocalas have.  Thanks to Libby Avis for her efforts in identifying them.  Libby writes:

 Brown one looks like C. aholibah to me. Associated with oaks.

 Grey one – several options. Does she have a shot showing even a part of the underwing? Looks as if it might be C. relicta which is the only one which has a black and white underwing. Other options would all have red & black underwings  – could be unijuga or semirelicta or even something else.

Catocala aholibah (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae) Aziza Cooper

 

 

Catocala (probably relicta) (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Aziza Cooper

   Most of us, when we visit Cowichan Station, walk along the track north away from Victoria, but today Ron and Nora Flower walked towards Victoria and was rewarded with around six to eight Mylitta Crescents. Starting at the little Cowichan Station House we walked left towards Victoria and found one right away.  Most of them were found about 50 metres past the W train sign. 

Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower

 

Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower