2020 August 13

   Gordon Hart sends photographs of two moths from Highlands.   They look as though they should be easy to identify, but both belong to genera that include some very similar species, and we can’t be sure.  The first one is probably Xanthorhoe defensaria – but it might be X. ferrugata!   And the second is probably Drepanulatrix monicaria  – but it might be one of the others!

Xanthorhoe sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

Drepanulatrix sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

   Rosemary Jorna sends pictures of some insects from the Kemp Lake area.  She says there are twenty or so of these little moths on her Tansy:

Diploschizia impigritella (Lep.:  Glyphipterigidae) Rosemary Jorna

   Your knowledge of Latin will tell you how many spots this ladybird beetle is supposed to have.  But since the spots are joined together, it’s a bit difficult to count them.

Psyllobora vigintimaculata (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Next is a nymph of some bug – but I wouldn’t like even to guess at the Family.  Suggestions would be welcome.

Unidentified bug nymph (Hemiptera)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Apantesis nevadensis

1 Cosmia praeacuta 

1 Eulithis xylina 

1 Hesperumia sulphuraria 

2 Lacinipolia cuneata

1 perhaps Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Oligia divesta

1 Panthea virginarius

2 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Pyrausta perrubralis

Venusia cambrica (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 Apantesis nevadensis  (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jody Wells sends a picture of a Black Saddlebags, spotted by Carl Hughes at Outerbridge Park:

Tramea lacerata (Odo.:  Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

   Jody also sends pictures of some snails from the Martindale Valley:

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Jody Wells

Lymnaea (perhaps stagnalis?) (Pul.: Lymnaeidae)  Jody Wells

2020 August 12

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   The unkempt caterpillar shown yesterday has now had time to tidy itself up a bit:

Acronicta impleta (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy writes:  I found this weevil at Blinkhorn Lake yesterday, kindly identified by Charlene Wood as an Obscure Root Weevil Sciopithes obscurus .

Obscure Root Weevil Sciopithes obscurus (Col.: Curculionidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of a butterfly and a moth from Metchosin today:

Male Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jochen Möhr

Hesperumia sulphuraria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jochen writes:  It is still a striking contrast to years ago, when I could count up to 28 Pine Whites just driving by the Royal Roads forest from the Colwood Fire Hall to the Royal Bay Bakery, a stretch of merely 0.6 km.  I have not seen a single one there this season yet .   Libby Avis writes from Port Alberni:  Not many butterflies here either this year.

But Jeff Gaskin writes:  Kirsten Mills is still seeing a number of Lorquin’s Admirals around these parts.  Today, August 12 she saw five on Wordsworth Street – and one was still quite fresh.  She also saw another one plus a Pine White in Browning Gyro Park.  Wordsworth Street and Browning Gyro Park are both places near Hillside Centre.  My mother still has a Lorquin’s Admiral  in her backyard and she lives on the Gorge near Harriet Road.  I last saw it today, Aug. 12.

Gordon Hart sends some pictures from Highlands:

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Gordon Hart

Green Darner Anax junius (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Gordon Hart

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

(plus one we shan’t try to identify!)

Phlogophora periculosa (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Gordon Hart

(plus a sciarid dark-winged fungus gnat)

2020 August 11

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

 1 Biston betularia

1 Coryphista meadii

2 Cosmia praeacuta

3 Eulithis xylina

1 Lacinipolia strigicollis

3 Nemoria darwiniata 

1 Evergestis funalis

2 Oligia divesta

1 Panthea virginarius

Here’s the easy-to-identify colour variety of Coryphista meadii:

Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum shows an Acronicta impleta from Salmonberry at Blinkhorn Lake this afternoon.  It has a rather unkempt appearance because it has just undergone ecdysis (in English, it has just changed skin), and it hasn’t tidied its new clothes yet.  It will look much smarter later on.  (Libby will probably guess why I was looking on Salmonberry at Blinkhorn Lake.  I didn’t find what I was looking for.)

Acronicta impleta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Mike Yip writes from Nanoose:   Common Wood Nymphs have been flying in my yard since Sunday. They were constantly on the move and impossible to photograph until I discovered their weakness – blackberry wine. I simply set up close to my small blackberry patch and waited.  Within 15 minutes  I had some very decent photographs.  [I’d say very decent indeed!   Jeremy Tatum]

 Male Common Wood Nymph Cercyonis pegala (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Mike Yip

 Male Common Wood Nymph Cercyonis pegala (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Mike Yip

2020 August 10

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning.

1 Biston betularia

1 Callizzia amorata

3 Eulithis xylina

1 Fishia illocata

1 Lacinipolia strigicollis

1 Lophocampa argentata

1 Nemoria darwiniata 

1 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Oligia divesta

1 Panthea virginarius

1 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Sicya crocearia

1 Enypia packardata

1 Thallophaga taylorata

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Nemoria darwiniata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Cosmia praeacuta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Callizzia amorata (Lep.: Uraniidae)  Jochen Möhr

Oligia divesta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) and Lacinipolia strigicollis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Lophocampa argentata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Sicya crocearia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Enypia packardata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Thallophaga taylorata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jochen also notes there four Pine Whites and ten Woodland Skippers.

2020 August 9

   Jochen Möhr’s butterflies from Metchosin yesterday, and moths this morning:

1 Lorquin’s Admiral

1 Pine White

5 Woodland Skippers

1 Painted Lady

1 Campaea perlata

1 Eupithecia (annulata?)

1 Lophocampa argentata

2 Lacinipolia strigicollis (same as yesterday)

1 Nemoria darwiniata

1 Oligocentria pallida

3 Perizoma curvilinea 

1 Panthea virginarius

1 Pero (morissonaria?) (same as yesterday)

Oligocentria pallida (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jochen Moehr

  A nice handsome Firebrat from Jeremy Tatum.  Am still waiting for someone to send a photo of a genuine silverfish.

Firebrat Thermobia domestica (Thysanura:  Lepismatidae)  Jeremy Tatum