2020 May 11 morning

   Jeremy Tatum shows a caterpillar of Hydriomena nubilofasciata from Garry Oak on Christmas Hill:

Hydriomena nubilofasciata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Here’s a picture of a Fourteen-spotted Ladybird from Mr E:

Fourteen-spotted Ladybird Beetle Calvia quattuordecimguttata (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Mr E

Unidentified aphidid (Hem.: Aphididae)  Mr E

   Scott Gilmore writes:  I have a poor photograph of a new to me long horned beetle –  Evodinus vancouveri  – which my son and I found at Mount Washington Sunday May 10.  Jeremy Tatum comments:  I don’t suppose many viewers will agree that this is a “poor” photograph!

Evodinus vancouveri (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Scott Gilmore

   Here are some photographs of Pholcus phalangioides from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin.  They are quite remarkable.  One of them shows the cast skin of the spider.  How does it carry out such a delicate operation and leave the cast skin apparently undamaged?   Another of the photographs shows the spider eating something.  Although we can’t be sure of what it is having for dinner, it does look rather like the spider Eratigena.  But how can such a delicate spider as Pholcus overcome and kill (if indeed that is what happened) such a huge, strong spider as Eratigena?  I asked Dr Robb Bennett about this, and this is how he replied:

Yes, a young Eratigena or Tegenaria domestica.   Pholcus (and various theridiids) are well known for taking down quite large prey. I used to survey for Eratigena agrestis and duellica population by quickly checking theridiid webs around building foundations and window frames.

Answer to moulting “how?” is “very carefully”! I believe there is much under-skin enzymatic action happening to grease the wheels, so to speak. And all parts of the spider are very soft and malleable during and after the moulting process. Skin and all major and micro setae harden up very shortly after the spider emerges. Interesting that the moulting procedure is fairly standard across the phylogenetic spectrum of spiders – first pop open the top of the carapace like a hinged manhole cover, then slowly wriggle the pedipalps and legs out of their old gloves and leggings, and then finally extricate the abdomen. Puff up a bit, then harden up, and good-to-go…

Pholcus phalangioides (Ara.: Pholcidae)  Jochen Möhr

Pholcus phalangioides (Ara.: Pholcidae)  Jochen Möhr

Pholcus phalangioides (Ara.: Pholcidae)  Jochen Möhr

  Here are two jumping spiders photographed by Mr E.  Thanks to Dr Bennett for confirming that the first is Eris militaris.  We can’t be sure of the second.

Eris militaris (Ara.: Salticidae)  Mr E

Unidentified jumping spider (Ara.: Salticidae)  Mr E

More to come later.  I am whelmed at the moment.  Jeremy Tatum

2020 May 10

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin yesterday morning (May 9):

2 Eupithecia sp. – probably graefii

1 Melanolophia imitata

2 Perizoma curvilinea

2 Tyria jacobaeae

2 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

and from this morning (May 10):

1 Apamea cinefacta

1 Eupithecia sp.

1 Hydriomena manzanita

1 Cladara limitaria

1 Melanolophia imitata

2 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Pero morissonaria

4 Tyria jacobaeae

4 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Cladara limitaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Apamea cinefacta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

  Gordon Hart writes from the Highlands:  With the warm weather, we are finally having a good selection of butterflies. We had several first of the year butterflies for us: A Western Tiger Swallowtail on the Lilacs, a Grey Hairstreak, and a Cedar Hairstreak. This was in addition to several Western Spring Azures and two Green Commas.  I also photographed a moth disturbed from under a leaf.

  We thank Libby Avis for identifying this moth as Agrotis ipsilon.  This is a widespread Holarctic moth known in Britain as the Dark Sword-grass.  Its caterpillar is known  unflatteringly, in agricultural circles, as the black cutworm.  It likes the vegetables in your vegetable garden as much as you do.   It also has a reputation for damaging carefully-manicured golf courses.

Agrotis ipsilon (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Gordon Hart

   Rosemary Jorna writes:  Butterflies at last! These photographs were taken near the Charter’s Creek Trestle at the end of a long hike in the Sooke Hills . I was disappointed, dismayed by how few butterflies I saw on the hike, a few blues, moving too fast in the heat to settle. Then in the very last kilometre:

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Rosemary Jorna

And several metres on, ten or more Western Spring Azures hovering around or feeding on a very large fresh dog [censored]. Unfortunately I was clumsy in my approach so I only caught the one and did not have the time to linger while they regrouped. It is astonishing how fast nine butterflies can disappear.

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jody Wells sends photographs of two butterflies and a moth from Central Saanich:

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jody Wells

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jody Wells

Mesoleuca gratulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jody Wells

   Jeremy Tatum reports one Painted Lady from the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 6:45 pm this evening.

More tomorrow…

2020 May 9

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I think Catocala must by now be almost full-grown.  This one was on Garry Oak on Mount Tolmie.

Catocala aholibah (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae – Catocalini) Jeremy Tatum

   The moth below is a much smaller one.  Many of the small green wriggly caterpillars hiding in a folded leaf on a tree or shrub (and which are not Winter Moths, which are not wriggly) belong to the large family Tortricidae.  We are grateful to Dr Jason Dombroskie for identifying this one as Argyrotaenia franciscana .  Its caterpillar was found on Ocean Spray at Swan Lake.

Argyrotaenia franciscana (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Now here are a few beetles photographed by Scott Gilmore in Lantzville:

Nemozoma punctulatum (Col.: Trogositidae) Scott Gilmore

Pityophagus rufipennis (Col.: Nitidulidae) Scott Gilmore

Oxylaemus californicus (Col.: Bothrideridae) Scott Gilmore

Platycerus oregonensis (Col.:  Lucanidae) Scott Gilmore

   All except the last of these are very tiny beetles.  A very much larger beetle was found by Jochen Möhr in Metchosin today:

Chalcophora angulicollis (Col.: Buprestidae)  Jochen Möhr

Chalcophora angulicollis (Col.: Buprestidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jochen Möhr  and Gordon Hart both photographed Green Commas today – in Metchosin and in the Highlands.

Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jochen Möhr

Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Gordon Hart

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  At 6:45 pm this evening there were two Painted Ladies and a California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir.

2020 May 8

Mr E sends pictures of two crab spiders.    Mr E suggests maybe Mecaphesa, and we are glad to have this confirmed by Robb Bennett.

Crab spider Mecaphesa sp (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Mr E

Crab spider Mecaphesa sp. (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Mr E

    For the next one, Mr E writes:  for the nymph….. I have no clue!!!    To which Jereny Tatum replies:  I heartily agree!  We can safely say that it is the nymph of a bug.  If I were tentatively to suggest from the Family Delphacidae, that would be little more than a wild guess.  If anyone can help, do let us know!  jtatum at uvic dot ca

Nymph of bug (Hemiptera)  Mr E

   Two reports of first-of-year Ringlets Coenonympha tullia from Island View Beach today.  Four seen there by Sonia Voicescu, and three by Val George.  Sonia also reported a comma from there – doubtless a Satyr Comma.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  My personal first-of-year Propertius Duskywing just outside the entrance to the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 6::45 pm today, and on the reservoir, a California Tortoiseshell.  I’ll swear they preferentially settle on the small white patches there!

2020 May 7 evening

   After a long cool or cloudy period with few or no butterflies, today at last has been warm and sunny and butterflies have  been lining up to have their photographs taken.  Here are some from Peter Boon in Nanaimo and Jochen Möhr in Metchosin – mostly today’s, although Peter’s Painted Lady is from April 21, Little Mountain, Parksville.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Peter Boon

Male Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius (Lep,: Hesperiidae)  Peter Boon

Female Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jochen Möhr

Male Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jochen Möhr

Male Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jochen Möhr

Male Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jochen Möhr

Male Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jochen Möhr

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr