2019 September 13

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Today at Tod Creek Flats I saw two Woodland Skippers and one Cabbage White.  And that’s all for today, folks!

2019 September 12 afternoon

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I have never paid much attention to those little grass veneer moths that one sees almost everywhere in grassy fields, regarding them as both unidentifiable and uninteresting.  Jochen Möhr and Libby Avis coincidentally within a few days of each other obtained excellent photographs of these little moths, showing what interesting creatures they are.  Libby’s is identified as

Agriphila attenuata.  We haven’t as yet identified Jochen’s to species, but it is almost certainly of the same genus.

Agriphila attenuata (Lep.: Crambidae)  Libby Avis

Probably Agriphila sp. (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

  There is a front page story in today’s Times-Colonist saying that three specimens of the Asian Giant Hornet Vespa mandarinia have been seen in Nanaimo.  They are said to vary in length from 3.5 cm to 5 cm (queens) with a wingspan of 7 mm.  Go and get a ruler and see what these numbers really mean!

2019 September 12 morning

   Erratum:   On September 11, I had misidentified a dragonfly photographed by Jody Wells.  The correction has now been made and the insect in now correctly labelled.

   Cheryl Hoyle sends photographs of some beetles, and we are most grateful to Charlene Wood for identifying them.

The first, photographed at Port Alberni, September 8, is a leaf beetle of the family Chrysomelidae.  This is a large family of small beetles, which need very close examination for safe identification, so we shall just leave it as a chrysomelid.

Leaf beetle (Col.: Chrysomelidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Next is a ground beetle, Pterostichus algidus, from Bamfield, September 7.

Pterostichus algidus (Col.: Carabidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Charlene writes that the third, photographed at Bamfield on September 9, is a cool intertidal beach specialist staphylinid Pictured Rove Beetle Thinopinus pictus. They mostly feed on beach hoppers (Amphipoda).

Thinopinus pictus (Col.: Staphylinidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Jochen Möhr sends a picture of a spider.  Dr Robb Bennett writes:  The spider is a mature male Agelenopsis grass funnel-web spider. Most likely either Agelenopsis actuosa or Agelenopsis oklahoma – they are the only two in our area which have a very large circular embolus (the black object immediately below the spider’s eye area). There are several other species of Agelenopsis around but their emboli are less conspicuous, much less sticky-outy (a technical term).

Agelenopsis actuosa or A. oklahoma (Ara.: Agelenidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Rick and Libby Avis saw a Ringlet and a Woodland Skipper at Island View Beach on September 6, and photographed a female Caenurgina erechtea.

Caenurgina erechtea (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae) Rick Avis

Scott Gilmore photographed a Fall Webworm – the caterpillar of the moth Hyphantria cunea in his Lantzville garden today:

Hyphantria cunea (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Scott Gilmore

   Jeremy Tatum photographed a caterpillar from East Sooke Park.   Not sure whether it is Habrosyne scripta  or Pseudothyatira cymatophoroides.  Shall have to wait until next spring to be sure.

 (Lep.: Drepanidae – Thysanurinae)  Jeremy Tatum

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Fishia illocata

6 Lacinipolia pensilis

2 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Platyptilia carduidactylus

4 Xestia finatimis complex 

Platyptilia carduidactylus (Lep.:  Pterophoridae)  Jochen Möhr

Xestia finatimis complex (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Fishea illocata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2019 September 11

   Jody Wells sends photographs of a dragonfly from Sluggett Reservoir, Brentwood Bay, September 10, and a spectacular White-lined Hawk Moth from McIntyre Reservoir, September 5.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  My apologies for misidentifying the dragonfly in the original posting.  Dr Rob Cannings has put me right.  Rob writes: This is an old male Sympetrum costiferum. Hard to see all the features, but the abdomen pattern is correct. Red venation (amber leading edge of wing present in younger individuals has faded away); red, black bordered stigma. Brown/red face. Brown to black legs. Fine black markings on sides of thorax not visible. Mature S. obtrusum always have a bright, white face. The abdomen has a strong triangular black patch on the side of each segment.

Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum costiferum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

White-lined Hawk Moth Hyles lineata (Lep.: Sphingidae) Jody Wells

   Gordon Hart sends a photograph of its close relative, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth, from the Petunias in his Highlands garden, Saptember 10.  Gordon writes:   * I enclose the blurry moth picture for identification, not for posting! *  Well, maybe it is not quite as crisp and sharp as Jody’s moth at rest, but I think viewers will agree that a sight like this is just too exciting not to share.  This is the fourth report this year of this species to Invert Alert.  We have had two adults and a caterpillar earlier in the year.

Bedstraw Hawk Moth Hyles gallii (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Gordon Hart

   Gordon also photographed a fresh Painted Lady also in his garden, September 10.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Gordon Hart

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning.   As usual, a huge thanks  to Libby Avis for help with the identifications.

1 Drepanulatrix sp. 

1 Ennomos magnaria

1 Fishia illocata

6 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Noctua pronuba

1 Platyptilia carduidactylus

1 Udea profundalis  

4 Xestia finatimis-infimatis-verniloides complex

Lacinipolis pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Udea profundalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

Platyptilia carduidactylus (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Jochen Möhr

2019 September 10

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Ennomos magnaria

1 Eulithis xylina

4 Euxoa difformis

1 Fishia illocata

8 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria 

4 Xestia . . . complex 

Euxoa difformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Xestia finatimis complex  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Xestia finatimis complex  and Euxoa difformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum shows a photograph of a Satellite Moth  reared on Rubus from a caterpillar from Munn Road.  Although the caterpillar of this moth can be reared quite happily on a vegetarian diet, as this one was, it is not averse from adding a little bit of extra protein to its diet, and is best reared separately from other caterpillars.  The moth emerges from its pupa in late summer or fall, and it spends the winter in the adult state.  It may be seen again in early spring.

Eupsilia tristigmata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum