2016 March 5

   Devon Parker writes:  I am excited to say I am reporting a butterfly sighting! Today my Mom found a California Tortoiseshell. She saw it at the Nest Café near the corner of Burnside Road West and Watkiss Way.

Devon Parker

2016 February 26

   Butterflies!

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Yesterday morning, February 25, around 10:45 a.m., there was a Satyr Comma in pretty good condition along Markham Road near the Vancouver Island Technology Park.  This was in the area between Viaduct Flats and Quick’s Bottom.

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  This is the first identified butterfly report that Invertebrate Alert has received this year.  However, on February 23, Gordon and Anne-Marie Hart saw what they described as “an orange butterfly with ragged wings” along Munn Road – but of course Gordon was giving his full attention to the road!  By the time they stopped safely, the butterfly had gone, so they could not be sure of it.  In that area, there’s a good chance that it might have been a Green Comma.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  A Western Brown Elfin emerged today from a pupa that had come from a caterpillar found at Munn Road last year.  These butterflies often emerge in March, so February is a bit early.  The pupa had been kept outside all winter, so I don’t think artificial warmth triggered the early emergence.  Yesterday, of course, February 25, was an unusually warm and sunny day.   I photographed it indoors and then released the butterfly on Mount Tolmie, which I think is probably a little warmer than Munn Road, and with more flowers out just now (Spring Gold, Satinflower, Mahonia all in flower there just now.)  We know there are Western Brown Elfins on Mount Tolmie, for they were found there last year during a VNHS field trip. There’s not much Salal there, so presumably the caterpillars feed there on Ocean Spray.

  Another early lep – an Egira curialis – came to the wall of my apartment building on the same day.  As with the elfin, these are often found in March.  February is a little earlier than usual.  The moth was in an awkward position for my camera, so I got only a mediocre shot.

 Western Brown Elfin  Incisalia iroides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 Egira curialis (Lep.: Nocuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

  Nathan Fisk sends a picture of a bee-mimic fly that had been feeding on flowering currants for the past few days at Fort Rodd Hill.  Thanks to Dr Jeff Skevington and Kevin Moran for identifying it for us as Criorhina nigripes – a species that Kevin is studying.

2016 February 22

   Annie Pang sends a picture of a spider.  Thanks to Robb Bennett who writes:  I THINK that this spider is Philodromus dispar – a philodromid crab spider, sub adult male.  Adult males have dark tops bounded by light sides – you can see the start of the adult colouration in the images.  The adult version is quite striking (and quite common around here).  An introduced species, from Eurasian origins.

  Jeremy Tatum comments.  My understanding, such as it is, is that there are two Families of spiders commonly known as “crab spiders”.  One is Thomisidae – crab spiders with no further adjectives.  This includes the well-known Misumena vatia.  The other Family is Philodromidae – often known as “running” crab spiders.

2016 February 21

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Yesterday (February 20) I noticed a pretty geometrid moth near one of the lights at the front door of the Swan Lake Nature reserve.  I wasn’t sure what it was, but birdwatchers Warren Lee and Cathy Reader, armed with cameras, came to the rescue.  Warren climbed up precariously on a ladder kindly provided by the Swan Lake staff, and managed to get the picture shown below.  It is one of the earliest of the moths to appear at the beginning of the year, the Winter Oak Highflier Hydriomena nubilofasciata (that’s twelve syllables!).  Its caterpillar feeds on the leaves of Garry Oak.

2016 February 18

   Jeremy Gatten writes:  There have been several photos of Hypena californica over the years you’ve been running the Invert Alert, and many illustrate why it belongs to the group called “snout moths”.  I am not sure if there have been any side profile shots, which is really quite an interesting angle to view them from.  I had my first one of the year on Tuesday evening and it cooperated for just such a shot.  Recently, I’ve also had my first Morning-glory Plume Moth (Emmelina monodactyla) but have no pictures to show for it.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I believe the long “snouts” of the moths in the genus Hypena are the labial palps.  Most (presumably all) butterflies and moths have these, but they are especially prominent and forward-directed in Hypena – hence the name “snouts” for the moths. The palpi (or palps) are a pair of organs on either side of the labium, or lower lip. I’m not sure what they do, but they seem to be used for touching things to see if they might be if interest, such as food.  It may come from a Latin verb palpare, to feel.  We have an adjective “palpable”, as in the atmosphere was almost palpable.  Or, to share a delicious malapropism that I heard on the CBC recently: as Her Majesty approached, the atmosphere of excitement and anticipation was almost culpable.

Hypena californica (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae)  Jeremy Gatten

Hypena californica (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae)  Jeremy Gatten