2019 September 21

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

2 Drepanulatrix sp.

2 Noctua pronuba

3 Pleromelloida cinerea 

Pleromelloida cinerea (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Drepanulatrix sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

 Jeremy Tatum writes:  There were half a dozen or so Cabbage Whites at Muir Creek today, September 21.

2019 September 20

   Bud Logan sends a photograph of a black woolly bear caterpillar.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I don’t know for sure what it is, but I am wondering if it is an all-black individual of the Banded Woolly Bear.  The width of the central orange band in this species varies, but I’ve never seen one in which the orange band is totally absent.  Anyone care to comment?

Maybe Pyrrharctia isabella (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Bud Logan

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

Tetracis pallulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Pleromelloida cinerea (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Pleromelloida cinerea (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The “Meadow” bed at the Finnerty Gardens (UVic) at the moment has massive amounts of Sedum and Verbena in flower.  These are excellent butterfly attractants.  At lunchtime today (September 20) there were two fresh-looking Painted Ladies nectaring on the Verbena.

2019 September 19

   Layla Munger sends three photographs from Beacon Hill Park, September 18. Thanks to Dr Rob Cannings for the identification of the dragonfly as Aeshna palmata.  Rob  writes: The straight thoracic stripes are similar to those of R. multicolor, but have some yellow in them rather than being all blue. The face is yellowish instead of bluish, and has a black line, unlike the faint brown line of R. multicolor. A male would have been much easier!

Female Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Layla Munger

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Layla Munger

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Layla Munger

   Jochen Möhr had a big moth night in Metchosin last night.   Thanks as ever to Libby Avis for help with the identifications. Here are a few that Jochen photographed.

Sunira decipiens (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Agrochola purpurea (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Euxoa sp. (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Dysstroma sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Tetracis sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Xestia finatimis-infimatis-verniloides complex (Lep.: Noctuidae)

Jochen Möhr

Euxoa sp. (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a snail from McIntyre Reservoir.

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy writes:  Here is the puparium of a parasitic fly from a hapless caterpillar of a thyatirine moth:

Parasitic fly puparium (Dip.: Tachinidae) Jeremy Tatum

2019 September 18 afternoon

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Agrochola purpurea

2 Drepanulatrix sp. 

1 Eudonia sp. 

1 Euxoa sp.  

1 Lambdina fiscellaria

1 Noctua pronuba

1 Udea profundalis

Xestia finatimis complex (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Dryotype opina (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Lambdina fiscellaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Here are some slugs from Nanaimo by Franci Holtsander:

Arion sp. (probably subfuscus) (Pul.: Arionidae) Franci Holtsander

Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae) Franci Holtsander

Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae) Franci Holtsander

2019 September 18 morning

   Kirsten Mills writes: On September 16, I was a caterpillar that looked like the hawk moth caterpillar last month. It was seen at the south end of Island View Beach.

Well, replies Jeremy Tatum, I hope Kirsten means that she “saw” a caterpillar rather than that she “was” one.  In any case, what a spectacular caterpillar it is!  It is indeed the same species as the one she showed on August 26, from nearby McIntyre Reservoir – a Bedstraw Hawk Moth.  I am beginning to lose count, but I think this is the sixth report of this species to Invert Alert this year – four adults, and two caterpillars, the latter both found by Kirsten.  Today’s caterpillar is a very different colour variety from the one Kirsten photographed on August 26 , so she did well to recognize that today’s is the same species.  Here they are both, first, the one Kirsten found in August:

Bedstraw Hawk Moth Hyles gallii (Lep.: Sphingidae) Kirsten Mills

and now the one she found on September 16:

Bedstraw Hawk Moth Hyles gallii (Lep.: Sphingidae) Kirsten Mills

   Although these individuals look very different, both have a red “horn” – I believe this is constant in all colour varieties of the caterpillar.  So far this year, we have received one photograph of an adult Hyles lineata, but we haven’t yet had one of a caterpillar. Its caterpillar always has a yellow horn.

Kirsten also sends a photograph of a Neoalcis californiaria from near Hillside Mall:

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Kirsten Mills

Franci Holtsander. from Nanaimo, sends a photograph of a caterpillar of the Spotted Tiger Moth, and also the snail Cepaea nemoralis.  The shell looks just right for this species, although the animal itself is usually rather paler than this specimen.

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae- Arctiinae)

Franci Holtsander

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Franci Holtsander

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of Cucullia montanae.  You can see the “hood” over its head, from which it gets its name Cucullia, from “cucullus”, a hood.  I don’t know where it gets its name “montanae” from, since I usually find this species on Gumweed on the beach down at sea level.

Cucullia montanae (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jeremy Tatum

More this afternoon or evening…