2020 April 29

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Today I saw three Western Spring Azures at Tod Creek Flats, and one Cabbage White along Hunt Road, Central Saanich.  These are the first butterflies to be reported to Invert Alert since April 20.

   Mr E sends pictures of a sawfly of the genus Rhogogaster.

Sawfly Rhogogaster sp. (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Mr E

Sawfly Rhogogaster sp. (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Mr E

   Jochen Möhr’s  moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Acleris

6 Eupithecias

1 Feralia comstocki

1 Hyalophora euryalus

5 Melanolophia imitata

1 Nola minna

2 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Orthosia hibisci

1 Orthosia transparens

1 Phyllodesma americana (still same, still alive)

3 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Feralia comstocki (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Nola minna (Lep.: Nolidae) Jochen Möhr

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr

 Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jochen Möhr

2020 April 28

   Mr E has recently been photographing all sorts of creatures that are posing an identification challenge for us.  The first one is relatively easy.  It’s a pillbug.  Since it’s not, of course, a bug, it must be spelled as one word – pillbug – not as two ( “pill bug”).  It’s an isopod crustacean.

Pillbug Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda:  Armadillidiidae)  Mr E

   The next two are, first, a centipede, and then a termite of the soldier caste.  Thanks to Claudia Coploy for help with the identification of these.

Centipede (We think Lithobiomorpha:  maybe Lithobiidae)  Mr E

Termites used to belong to the Order Isoptera, but they are now joined with cockroaches in a new Order Blattodea.

Termite Reticulitermes hesperus (Blat.: Rhinotermitidae)   Mr E

   And here are two amazing photographs of a crane fly emerging from its pupa.  It looks very like Tipula paludosa, though it’s hard to be sure until it has hardened and achieved its final colours.  Since it is a fly, crane fly is written as two separate words (not “cranefly”). 

Crane Fly.  Probably Tipula paludosa (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Mr E

Crane Fly.  Probably Tipula paludosa (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Mr E

      Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Acleris sp

1 Egira rubrica

7 Eupithecias

3 Melanolophia imitata

1 Orthosia praeses

1 Orthosia hibisci

2 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Phyllodesma americana (still the same one)

3 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Phyllodesma americana (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira rubrica (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Orthosia praeses (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Acleris sp.(Lep.: Tortricidae) Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  This pretty little chequered beetle paid me a visit in my apartment this morning:

Enoclerus eximius (Col.: Cleridae) Jeremy Tatum

   Mr E sends photographs of Adela trigrapha.  These used to be in Incurvariidae, but are now moved to a Family of their own – Adelidae.

Adela trigrapha (Lep.: Adelidae) Mr E

Adela trigrapha (Lep.: Adelidae) Mr E

Adela trigrapha (Lep.: Adelidae) Mr E

2020 April 27

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

2 Egira crucialis/simplex

1 Egira perlubens

2 Eupithecias

4 Hydriomena manzanita 

3 Melanolophia imitata 

1 Orthosia praeses

1 Orthosia revicta 

1 Orthosia transparens

1 Phyllodesma americana (same one, seems to like it here)

1 Tyria jacobaeae

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria 

Egira perlubens (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Orthosia revicta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Val George writes:  Here’s my annual posting of the Mint Moth Pyrausta californicalis population that looks as though it has now established itself on the patch of mint in my backyard in Oak Bay.  These moths appeared two years ago and have multiplied in numbers since.  You’ll recall, incidentally, that you reared a caterpillar that I brought to you when the moths first appeared.  The attached photograph is of an adult that I found on the inside of one of my windows this morning, April 27.

Mint Moth Pyrausta californicalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Val George

   Ann Tiplady writes:  Just now, walking to the bank I found this moth on the sidewalk in Cadboro Bay Road, with a broken wing tip and pretty fouled in cobwebs.  I pulled off what I could and put the moth on a warm wall.

Ceanothus Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Ann Tiplady

Ceanothus Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Ann Tiplady

2020 April 26

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Egira crucialis

1 Egira simplex

1 Egira rubrica

2 Eupithecia  

5 Hydriomena manzanita

1 Melanolophia imitata

1 Orthosia praeses

2 Orthosia transparens

1 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Phyllodesma americana

4 Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Egira simplex (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Orthosia praeses (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 April 25

   Libby Avis sends photographs of a pair of net-winged beetles from the Alberni Valley April 18^th:

Two (look very carefully!) Net-winged Beetles Dictyoptera simplicipes (Col.: Lycidae)

Rick Avis

Now you can see that there are two!

Net-winged Beetles Dictyoptera simplicipes (Col.: Lycidae) Rick Avis

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Anticlea vasiliata

1 Behrensia conchiformis

1 Egira crucialis/simplex

1 Egira rubrica

3 Eupithecia sp.

9 Hydriomena manzanita

5 Melanolophia imitata

2 Orthosia transparens

2 Perizoma curvilinea

1 Phyllodesma americana (still the same one)

7 Venusia obsoleta /pearsalli

1 Xanthorrhoe defensaria

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Melanolophia imitata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Melanolophia imitata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Annie Pang photographed the bees below at Gorge Park on April 23.  Identifications of species and sex by Annie, who was given an A+ by Lincoln Best who confirmed Annie’s identifications!

Male mining bee Andrena sp. (Hym.: Andrenidae)  Annie Pang

Female Blue Orchard Bee Osmia lignaria (Hym.: Megachilidae)  Annie Pang