2024 March 29

   Ian Cooper sends photographs of a March Fly (also known as St Mark’s Fly).   Dr Rob Cannings writes: “This is a female of a species of Bibio (Diptera: Bibionidae). Known as March Flies (some appear in March). This is the only genus we have here in the family, but there are quite a few species and I can’t tell them apart without a microscope and a lot of trouble!

Interestingly, the most abundant insects found in BC Eocene fossils are in the genus Plecia in the same family. Plecia doesn’t get much farther north now than Florida, I think.”

Bibio sp. (Dip.: Bibionidae)  Ian Cooper

Bibio sp. (Dip.: Bibionidae)  Ian Cooper

Jochen Möhr sends photographs of two pug moths from Metchosin.  They are clearly one of two similar species, Eupithecia ravocostaliata or E. nevadata.  Jeremy Tatum thinks probably E. ravocostaliata,  but this is not a certain identification.  They could be the other one.

Eupithecia  (probably ravocostaliata)  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Eupithecia  (probably ravocostaliata)  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr