2023 April 29

Last year Rosemary Jorna showed a series of photographs from the Kemp Lake area of the Ceanothus Giant Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus from oviposition to construction of a cocoon  (2022 May 6, 8, 27,  June 21, 25, July 13).  Rosemary now deserves congratulations for seeing the insect through its complete cycle, for an adult moth emerged today:

Hyalophorus euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jeff Gaskin has been finding butterflies yesterday and today.  He writes: Yesterday, April 28, I saw some butterflies in Cuthbert Holmes Park.  I saw the following:   1 Mourning Cloak,  5 Sara Orangetips,  3 Western Spring Azures and 8 Cabbage Whites.  Today, April 29, I found a Western Brown Elfin on a plant in someone’s private residence on Saanich Road. near Swan Lake.  At Blenkinsop Lake I saw one Satyr Comma,  8 Western Spring Azures and an incredible 7 Mourning Cloaks.  There were 3 Mourning Cloaks south of the bridge, 1 at the bridge, and 3 north of the lake.  One of the latter was near Lohbrunner Road.

   Ian Cooper has been photographing more fascinating invertebrates, some of which will be shown in tomorrow’s Invertebrate Alert.  For tonight we limit ourselves to one exciting moth – a great find – along the Galloping Goose Trail, April 29. Identified for us by Libby Avis as Annaphila decia:

Annaphila decia   (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Ian Cooper