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.

June 13

2018 June 13

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is a caterpillar of Euthyatira pudens found on dogwood at UVic yesterday.


Euthyatira pudens (Lep.: Drepanidae – Thyatirinae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

   Jody Wells found this little moth at Saanichton (Cordova) Spit yesterday, June 12.


Acleris albicomana (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Jody Wells

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is the pug moth that came from the caterpillar shown on dogwood on May 29.   Thanks to Libby Avis for helping with the identification as Eupithecia misturata.

 


Eupithecia misturata (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I had two tortricid moths emerge from their pupae recently.  They looked quite different, not only in their markings, but in their size, the female being much larger.  However, Justin Dombrowskie kindly identified them for us as a male and female Archips rosana.  The caterpillars had been found on Cornus stolonifera (the female) and on Rubus discolor (the male).

Female Archips rosana (Lep.: Tortricidae)    Jeremy Tatum

 

Male Archips rosana (Lep.: Tortricidae)    Jeremy Tatum

 

   Jeremy continues:  David Harris and I went to Island View Beach today, where David was treated to a sight of several pristine fresh Lorquin’s Admirals.  Then we went to the fields inland from Island View Beach, hoping to find Ringlets  (also known as Large Heaths).   I am embarrassed to say I got hopelessly and utterly lost!  It is a much larger area back there than I had ever realized.  After wandering randomly for a long time, we eventually met someone and we had to ask the way.   Anyway, it was worth it, because we saw several Ringlets and a Purplish Copper.  We also found caterpillars of an Essex (European) Skipper and a Garden Tiger Moth (both of which David could have found in Sussex!).  The caterpillar of the Garden Tiger is the original Woolly Bear, the latter feeding upon Yellow Honeysuckle.  I haven’t seen one here for a few years, and it permitted only a not-very-good photograph, shown below:

Garden Tiger Arctia caja (Lep.:  Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Lots more waiting in the queue…..