2019 October 6

Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of Tetracis jubararia (guaranteed!).

Tetracis jubararia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Here’s a difficult tortricid from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin.  Probably a species of Acleris.Possibly (but not certain), Acleris britannia.

Possibly Acleris britannia (Lep.: Tortricidae)

Jochen Möhr

   Now, a stink bug and two spiders from Cheryl Hoyle:

Probably Chlorochroa ligata (Hem.: Pentatomidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   We haven’t (yet?) been able to identify Cheryl’s second spider other than to say it is a jumping spider (Salticidae) and most likely of the genus Sitticus.

Probably Sitticus sp.  (Ara.: Salticidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2019 October 5

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

3 Drepanulatrix sp.

1 Pleromelloida cinerea

1 Tetracis jubararia/pallulata

1 Udea profundalis

Tetracis jubararia/pallulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Udea profundalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes: At this time of year, this site is becoming a little less busy, so I may from time to time take the opportunity of musing on random topics.  Today:

    What is a chrysalis, and what its its plural?.  The first part is fairly easy.  A chrysalis is an informal “nontechnical” name used for the pupa of a butterfly.  One sometimes hears talk of a moth chrysalis, but it is probably best to restrict its use to the pupa of a butterfly, and not to use it for a moth pupa.  The word comes from the Greek chrysos = gold and it refers to the gold colour of, or gold spots on, the pupae of some nymphalid butterflies.

  For the plural we have a choice of three spellings, any one of which might be defended as “correct”!

1. If we accept that “chrysalis” is a perfectly normal English word, I see nothing at all objectionable to forming its plural in the usual English way, and spelling and pronouncing it chrysalises.
2. On the other hand if we feel that it has not quite reached the status of an English word, and that it still looks a bit “foreign” (i.e. Greek), then we can use the Greek form of the plural, namely chrysalides.  [Analogous words:  iris, irides;  proboscis, proboscides]
3. The spelling chrysalids for the plural is often seen, and it is the spelling that I usually use.  It is open to the objection that it is not correct in either English or Greek.  In its defence, it may be pointed out that the spelling chrysalids for the plural has been used for hundreds of years (Moses Harris used it in the 1760s), and it has become so usual and so established, that it may be taken as the normal or “correct” spelling.

So, in brief, you can use any of these spellings, and stand on solid ground.  The one thing that is certain, is that there is no word “chrysalid” in singular or plural!

2019 October 4

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

2 Drepanulatrix sp.

2 Dryotype opina

1 Lambdina fiscellaria

1 Platyptilia carduidactylus

2 Pleromelloida cinerea

2 Sunira decipiens

3 Tetracis jubararia/pallulata

Sunira decipiens (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jochen Möhr

Platyptilia carduidactylus (Lep.:  Pterophoridae) Jochen Möhr

Lambdina fiscellaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Naturalists who are familiar with spreadwing damselflies might keep a look-out in British Columbia for

Archilestes californicus.  This is a new species for Canada.  I have just been notified via Dr Rob Cannings of the discovery of the fourth British Columbia record, in the Osoyoos Desert, by Eckert Cameron.  This is what it looks like:

Archilestes californicus (Odo.: Lestidae)  Eckert Cameron

   Rob describes it as follows:  Archilestes californicus is a very large (4.5-6 cm long) brown spreadwing with a white-striped thorax. The male’s eyes and labrum are blue; the abdomen is brown above with darker areas tinged with green; segs 9-10 are pruinose; the paraprocts are short and parallel, visible from above; the pterostigmas are tan or whitish.

   If anyone thinks he or she sees or has photographed this species in British Columbia, let us know, and I’ll pass it on to Rob if it looks good.  Jeremy Tatum

2019 October 3

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Hypena californica

1 Lithomoia germana 

2 Pleromelloida cinerea

3 Tetracis jubararia/pallulata

1 Drepanulatix sp.

2 Dryotype opina

2019 October 2

[Sorry to be posting this so early in the day – I’m not expecting to be back at the computer again today.  Jeremy]

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin, October 1 and 2:

October 1

1 Dryotype opina

1 Lithomoia germana

2 Pleromelloida cinerea 

October 2

2 Drepanulatrix sp.

2 Dryotype opina

1 Ennomos magnaria

1 Hypena californica

1 Lithomoia germana

2 Pleromelloida cinerea 

1 Tetracis jubararia/pallulata

Dryotype opina (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a moth reared from a caterpillar found on Gumweed at Island View Beach, where the moth was released this morning.

Cucullia montanae (Lep.: Noctuidae)  JeremyTatum