INVERTEBRATE ALERT
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

April 21 morning

2018 April 21 morning

 

   More of Jochen’s moth photos from Metchosin.

 

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Moehr

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Moehr

Melanolophia imitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Moehr

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

   I think the caterpillar below may be Noctua pronuba, but I’m not entirely certain. (Jeremy Tatum)

 

Noctuid caterpillar, perhaps Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jochen Moehr

 

On April 18, we posted pictures of some early bees on or around some Shooting Star flowers, which we labelled Dodecatheon.  Apparently the botanical taxonomists are every bit as enthusiastic about name changes as are the zoologists, and Jeremy Gatten points out to me that Shooting Stars are now supposed to be in the genus Primula. Jeremy Gatten confesses to being a bit baffled by this – as does Jeremy Tatum – though we have to assume that the taxonomists have some good reason for it.  To my eyes, Shooting Stars bear little resemblance to the Primroses that I used to see in my youth in the hedgerows of England in spring.