2020 July 31 morning

   Gordon Hart’s moths from Highlands this morning:

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

Hesperumia sulphuraria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Gordon Hart

Phlogophora periculosa (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Gordon Hart

Sicya crocearia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

2020 July 30

   More of Gordon Hart’s moths and other insects from Highlands yesterday. Thanks to Libby Avis for the moth identifications.

   The moth below is Evergestis funalis.  Don’t know what the other little insect is – a fly or a bug – not sure.

Evergestis funalis (probably subsp. insularis) (Lep.: Crambidae)  Gordon Hart

   The small insect in the photograph below might be the same species  as the fly/bug in the photograph

above; this time it looks more like a fly and not a bug

Nematocampa resistaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

Hydriomena speciosata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

    The big bipectinate antennae on the moth below mark it as a male.  It is hard to believe that it is the same species, Neoalcis californiaria, as the moth shown on July 12.  Today’s example is a more usual colour here than the July 12 one.

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

Crane fly (Dip.: Tipulidae) and Tissue Moth Triphosa haesitata (Lep. Geometridae) Gordon Hart

We shall not attempt to identify the three small flies in the photograph!

Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Gordon Hart

   The central insect in the photograph below is a green lacewing.  We hesitate to go below Family level. 

We don’t attempt to identify the other insects below Family or even Order!   From left to right, the small insects are:  Non-biting midge (Dip.: Chironomidae);   under the left antenna of the lacewing, possibly a small bug,  Hemiptera);  a fly;  a beetle.  Scott Gilmore had a go at the beetle!  He suggests Anaspis (Col.; Scraptiidae).

Lacewing (Neu.: Chrysopidae)   Gordon Hart

   Val George writes:  On  July 28, there were several moths on the walls of the nature house at Swan Lake.  This is one I don’t recall seeing before so I took this photo.  Is it Schizura unicornis?

Libby Avis replies:  Yes – Schizura unicornis. Have seen several here (Port Alberni) recently too.

And Jeremy Tatum adds:  Compare with two similar species shown on July 26.

Schizura unicornis (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Val George

   Four photographs from Jody Wells – the first two from Martindale Valley July 28, the remaining two from Swan Lake July 27.  Thanks to Dr Rob Cannings for identifying the dragonflies.

Carolina Grasshopper Dissosteira carolina (Orth.: Acrididae)  Jody Wells

Male Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

Male Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

Male Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Jody Wells

      Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning.  And, as an extra, some mating slugs, found at 3:00 a.m., hanging on a thread of tough slime with a blob of more slime underneath them.  This morning, there was nothing left but a bit of dried slime on the wall.  [Jeremy Tatum writes:  See also Scott Gilmore, 2015 August 16.]

1 Callizzia amorata

1 Campaea perlata

1 Coryphista meadii

3 Eulithis xylina

1 Panthea virginarius

2 Pero sp.

Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Great Grey Slug Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 July 29

   Norma Smith sends photographs of two Pyrausta californicalis from her garden near St Michael’s University School.  The caterpillars of this species feed on mints Mentha sp.  Norma tells me that her garden has a ground cover of Corsican Mint Mentha requienii.

Pyrausta californicalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Norma Smith

Pyrausta californicalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Norma Smith

   This huge corydalid was found by Rebecca Dunne on Hornby Island, July 28.  Thanks to Dr Rob Cannings for confirming Rebecca’s identification as Dysmicohermes disjunctus.

Dysmicohermes disjunctus (Meg.: Corydalidae)  Rebecca Dunne

   Rosemary Jorna sends photographs of two butterflies and two beetles from Sooke, July 27.  Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying the beetles.

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Rosemary Jorna

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Xestoleptura crassipes (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Xestoleptura crassipes (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr’s moths and butterflies from Metchosin, July 28:

Drepanulatrix sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Hesperumia latipennis (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Jochen Möhr

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin, July 29:

1 Callizzia amorata

1 Campaea perlata

1 Drepanulatrix sp.

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Lacinipolia strigicollis

1 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Perizoma costiguttata

1 Stenoporpia excelsaria 

Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Two of Gordon Hart’s moths from Highlands, July 29:

Malacosoma californicum (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)

with nonbiting midge (Dip.: Chironomidae)

Males, both of them, with large feathery antennae!

Scallopshell Rheumaptera undulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

(also known as Hydria undulata)

with unidentified dipteran

   Jeff Gaskin writes:    Kirsten Mills tells me she just found a very worn Pale Tiger Swallowtail in Browning Gyro Park.  It’s a small park near Hillside mall. She found it today, July 29.

More tomorrow…

2020 July 28

   Absolutely overwhelmed today – so I regret no Invert Alert today.  Shall try to catch up tomorrow.  Jeremy  

2020 July 27

 Thanks yet again to Libby Avis for a lot of help with today’s identifications.

  Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning, plus two recent crane flies

1 Callizzia amorata 

1 Campaea perlata

1 Caripeta divisata

1 Eupithecia sp.

4 Hesperumia latipennis 

1 Nemoria darwiniata

1 Plemyria georgii

1 Protitame subalbaria

1 Sphinx perelegans

2 Sicya crocearia 

1 Ypsilopha canariella  

Alucita montana (Lep.: Alucitidae)  Jochen Möhr

Campaea perlata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Caripeta divisata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Plemyria georgii  (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Nemoria darwiniata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Ypsolopha canariella (Lep.: Plutellidae) Jochen Möhr

Sphinx perelegans (Lep.: Sphingidae) Jochen Möhr

Sphinx perelegans (Lep.: Sphingidae) Jochen Möhr

Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae) Jochen Möhr

Male probably Tipula paludosa (Dip.: Tipulidae) Jochen Möhr

Female probably Tipula paludosa (Dip.: Tipulidae) Jochen Möhr

   Gordon Hart sends photographs of moths and a fishfly from the Highlands district:

Campaea perlata (Lep.: Geometridae) Gordon Hart

Eulithis xylina (Lep.: Geometridae) Gordon Hart

Unidentified (Lep.: Crambidae) Gordon Hart

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) Gordon Hart

 Eupithecia (probably annulata) (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

Protochauliodes spenceri (Neu.: Corydalidae) Gordon Hart

Pero (possibly morrisonaria) (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

   Wendy and Gerry Ansell write:  Today, Monday July 27, we saw 6 Pine Whites and 1 Lorquin’s Admiral by Beaver Lake.  Those were our first Pine Whites of the year.