2017 October 16

   Jeremy Gatten writes:  The nice weather yesterday resulted in a surprising number of dragonfly and butterfly species on the wing today.  The highlight of my day was my first American Lady for BC, which was at Albert Head Lagoon.  Also at Albert Head Lagoon were several Cabbage Whites, a female Common Green Darner and what I believe was a Paddle-tailed Darner.  At Witty’s Lagoon, I had one Cardinal Meadowhawk and a few Autumn Meadowhawks. [The Autumn Meadowhawk is also known as the Yellow-legged Meadowhawk Sympetrum vicinum.] Moving on to Swanwick Road, I had a Painted Lady and a Striped Meadowhawk.  Reasonable numbers of moths around at Hans Helgesen Elementary School, including: Agrochola purpurea (2), Orthosia mys (3), Epirrita autumnata (4), Philedia punctomacularia (1), Tetracis sp. (3, possibly two different species), and Eupithecia unicolor (1).  At my place in Saanichton this evening (October 15), I’ve had: Autographa californica (2), Sunira decipiens (1), Mythimna unipuncta (2), and Eupithecia sp.

2017 October 15

   Another splendid crop of moths that Jochen Moehr is seeing at his home in Metchosin.

Agrochola purpurea (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

Plemyria georgii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jopchen Moehr

The third is a species of  Drepanulatrix – a genus which has been providing us with identification problems.  In order of increasing preference, Jeremy Tatum writes, I would identify Jochen’s moth below as one of D. foeminaria, D. secundaria, D. monicaria.  Actually I’m sufficiently sure that it is Drepanulatrix monicaria that that’s how I’m going to label it,

Drepanulatrix monicaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Moehr

At least seven butterfly-ers visited McIntyre reservoir today, and saw several Cabbage Whites, three Orange Sulphurs (at the north end of the reservoir), a Painted Lady (on the west side), and many Autographa californica.   Kirsten Mills saw a Painted Lady at Prospect Lake Golf Course, and another one at the corner or Tillicum Road and Gorge Road.

2017 October 14

   Nathan Fisk sends an interesting picture of a cell from the nest of a leafcutter bee.  He found three of these cells in the soil at Fort Rodd Hill Nursery. The cell will be provisioned with nectar and pollen, and one egg will be laid inside it.  The bee larva will grow within.  The sides of the cell are constructed from roughly rectangular portions of a leaf, and the ends are constructed from circular portions.  Leafcutter bees are regarded as major pollinators.

Cell from nest of leafcutter bee  (Hym.:  Megachilidae)  Nathan Fisk

   Jochen Moehr sends a photograph of the moth Plemyria georgii  from his home in Metchosin.

Plemyria georgii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Moehr

2017 October 12

   There may yet be a few butterflies around.  Anne-Marie saw a Painted Lady at her Highlands property, October 10.

2017 October 10

   Robert Wilson sent me two photographs of a caterpillar that wandered across his driveway on Triangle Mountain, Colwood, today.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  It is a species of Panthea.   Not sure whether it is P. virginarius or P. portlandia – but these names may belong to a single species anyway, so I’ll label it probably virginarius.  The caterpillar feeds on Douglas Fir.

Panthea (probably virginarius) (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Robert Wilson

Panthea (probably virginarius) (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Robert Wilson

   Jeremy Tatum reports that he saw a Cabbage White in Oak Bay today.