April 30

 

The green caterpillar posted on April 20 as a possible Dysstroma species didn't waste much time in metamorphosing.  It pupated the following day, and the moth emerged today.  It is shown below, and it is Dysstroma sobrio.

  

 

Dysstroma sobrio  (Lep.:  Geometridae)                                  Jeremy Tatum


 
April 25
 

We had one sunny day on April 23, but it didn't last.  Jeremy Tatum saw a Satyr Anglewing (also known as Satyr Comma) yesterday at Goldstream Park, and Annie Pang saw and photographed one on April 23 at Logan Park.  One of her photos shows a remarkable feature that I had never noticed before.  The comma mark on the hindwing is apparently translucent - see the shadow of the wing on the Salal leaf!  

 

Jeremys Gatten and Tatum have been discussing that Orthosia moth.  If O. mys and O. transparens  are indeed good species, it looks as though JG's April 24 Orthosia is indeed O. transparens as originally posted, and JT's April 6 posting, originally identified as O. mys, is probably in fact also transparens. The combination of the grayish thoracic dorsal ridge plus the fairly obvious forewing postmedial transverse row of spots seems to favour transparens.   The caterpillar of the April 6 Orthosia moth was found and reared on Gaultheria shallon.

Satyr Anglewing Polygonia satyrus  (Lep.:  Nymphalidae)                          Annie Pang

 

 

 

Satyr Anglewing Polygonia satyrus  (Lep.:  Nymphalidae)                   Annie Pang


 

April 24

 

Terry Thormin writes: "It was a nice warm, sunny day yesterday (April 23) and between other commitments I managed to get in an hour at Point Holmes in Comox. I was hoping that the first of the Western Tiger Beetles, Cicindela oregona were out, and I was not disappointed. As well as the tiger beetles I also saw my first Cutworm Wasp, Podalonia sp. Although there were lots of other insects flying, I spent all my time photographing these two species and did not identify anything else."

 

Cicindela oregona  (Lep.:   Cicindelidae)        Terry Thormin

[Note:  Some modern authors put the tiger beetles in the family Carabidae.  This will take a bit of getting used to.  Let's see if it sticks before we go along with it.  Jeremy Tatum.]

 

Podalonia sp.  (Hym.:  Sphecidae)     Terry Thormin


 

Jeremy Gatten writes:  "I was hoping it was going to be a good night at the lights last night due to the warmth of the day and the forecasted weather change today.  It was indeed a good night with a Feralia deceptiva back again along with two Behrensia conchiformis also present.  I have two or three to still go over, but I had what I am pretty certain is Orthosia transparens and Venusia obsoleta.  For the Orthosia, I think the grey crest on the head is likely a good feature to use to distinguish it from O. mys.  The Venusia moth is tricky and I'm not sure exactly how to distinguish it from V. pearsalli."

 

Jeremy Tatum comments: "Jeremy Gatten brings up some puzzling identification problems.  If he is right about the grey crest, then my own photo on the April 6 posting is Orthosia transparens and not O. mys as originally labelled.  Web pictures of museum specimens show that transparens appears to have darker hindwings than mys, but we can't tell from JG's photo or from mine.  As for V. obsoleta/pearsalli, I have encountered this puzzle before, when Annie Pang sent me a Venusia photo, and I don't know the answer.  It may be that they are not safely identifiable from wing markings.  Species are often determined by microscopic examination of genitalia, or by DNA or other biochemical analyses.  It may not be unreasonable to ask whether transparens/mys and obsoleta/pearsalli are really good species.  We would welcome comment from anyone out there who is knowledgeable on these species pairs."

 

[Added later:  Both Jeremys are now pretty sure that this and the April 6 entry are O. transparens.  See April 25 entry.]

 

Orthosia transparens (Lep.:   Noctuidae)     Jeremy Gatten

 
 

Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli  (Lep.: Geometridae)        Jeremy Gatten

 

 

Jeremy Tatum writes: "Here are two unidentified noctuid caterpillars.  The brown one was from Goldstream Park on Elder today.  The green one was from Blenkinsop Lake on Willow yesterday.  So, how many legs does a noctuid caterpillar have?    Most have the usual complement of four pairs of midabdominal prolegs, but many of the noctuid caterpillars in the subfamily Plusiinae have only two pairs of midabdominal prolegs.  I'm going to guess that the green caterpillar below is Autographa mappa.  My third photo, taken today at home, is doubtless a reflection of my poor housekeeping. Later:  The brown caterpillar on Elder was later identified as Polia nimbosa.

 

 

Noctuid caterpillar on Elder                   Jeremy Tatum

 

 

Plusiine caterpillar (Noctuidae) on Willow      Jeremy Tatum

 

 

Firebrat   (Thy.:  Lepismatidae)    Jeremy Tatum

 
 

April 23
 
Jeremy Gatten writes: I had a tiny moth that landed on Grassland Saxifrage at Gore Park.  Despite its small size, the pattern was very intricate and I was able to determine that it is likely Grapholita lunatana.
Grapholata lunatana  (Lep.:  Tortricidae)      Jeremy Gatten
 
 

April 21

 

Jeremy Gatten writes:  The lights yielded another Feralia deceptiva a few nights ago and shortly after I had my first Behrensia conchiformis.  The almost iridescent lime green markings on the wing make this one subtly vibrant.  After getting lackluster photos the first night it came in, I was able to get a decent one last night.

 

Behrensia conchiformis  (Lep.:  Noctuidae)                   Jeremy Gatten

 

April 20

The weather remains cold, and there are few butterflies to be seen.  Annie Pang saw a Cabbage White and a Satyr Anglewing on Christmas Hill yesterday, and she got a nice photograph of the latter.  And, Yay!  I saw my first butterfly of the year today on Mount Tolmie, a Spring Azure.  It was cold and cloudy, and she wouldn’t open her wings, but she did allow me close enough to photograph her.   On April 13 I found a fine green geometrid caterpillar on Oemleria in Central Saanich.  I think it may be a species of Dysstroma.  Jeremy Tatum    [Later:  It is Dysstroma sobrio.  See entry for April 18.]

 

 

Satyr Anglewing  Polygonia satyrus  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)     Annie Pang

 
 

Spring Azure  Celastrina ladon  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)           Jeremy Tatum

 

 

Dysstroma sp.?   (Lep.: Geometridae)                                            Jeremy Tatum


April 19
 
Terry Thormin writes:  "Three new ones. The bee fly is from the Tsolum River in Courtenay and was photographed on April 17, the Zebra Spider was photographed in front of my house in Comox on April 18 and the other unidentified jumping spider was photographed also on April 18 at Holmes Point."   If there is anyone out there who can identify the bee fly and the jumping spider with certainty, please let us know.
 
 
Bee fly  (Dip.:  Bombyliidae)                                                      Terry Thormin
 
 
Zebra Spider  Salticus scenicus (Ara.:  Salticidae)                                       Terry Thormin
 
 
 
Jumping spider  (Ara.:  Salticidae)                                                      Terry Thormin
 
April 17
 
Jeremy Gatten reports a California Tortoiseshell on Observatory Hill on April 9.  Because of the unusually cold and wet weather, there have been very few butterfly reports so far this year, so please do let us know of any butterflies at all that you see.
 
 
April 14
 
What awful weather!   Is Barry Camp's Cabbage White on April 9 still the only butterfly yet this year?  I certainly haven't seen one.  But Jeremy Gatten found a nice moth.  He writes: On the evening of April 11, I finally had another species, Egira rubrica, come in to the light.  They are still few and far between due to the cold weather, but a couple of Eupithecia ravocostaliata were present also.   And Annie Pang sent one of her splendid poetograms of Mesoleuca gratulata, photographed at Logan Park on April 7.
 

 

Egira rubrica (Lep.: Noctuidae)                                      Jeremy Gatten 

 

 

 

 
Mesoleuca gratulata(Lep.: Geometridae)                                 Annie Pang

April 9

 

Just as invertebrates were starting to become active, we had another cold and wet spell, and most of them went back to bed.  However, Terry Thormin reports having seen his first Polistes dominula (European Paper Wasp) in Comox yesterday, where he also managed to photograph a jumping spider (Salticidae).  Would anyone out there like to offer an identification of it?   I was hoping to find a nice display of Dung Flies (Dip.:  Scathopagidae) at the Lochside Drive pig farm in Central Saanich, but it was too chilly and I didn't find one.  However I did see a number of Moth Flies (Dip.: Psychodidae) there yesterday.  And Barry Camp reports the first butterfly of the season (about time, too - I don't think I ever remember a year when we had to wait this late).  He reports a Cabbage White Pieris rapae - not sure where.

 

Jumping spider  (Ara.:  Salticidae)                                   Terry Thormin



April 06

 

Jeremy Gatten writes: Here's a shot of Agonopterix alstroemeriana - I had several come in to the light I turned on March 30.  On March 31 it was mostly Orthosia hibisci and O. praeses, Triphosa haesitata, Eupithecia ravocostaliata (and another species of Eupithecia that I haven't attempted yet), one plume moth that I haven't attempted, and there was a noctuid that I have to check over as well.  It is interesting how weather affects the results.  On March 30 it rained and I pretty much only got small moths (with the exception of one Triphosa haesitata and a couple of Orthosia), but the next night it was clear and I had many Orthosia, many Eupithecia, a couple of Triphosa haesitata, and maybe only one Agonopterix alstroemeriana.  It makes sense that rain keeps them down, but I wonder what causes some nights to be more productive than others?

 

Agonopteryx alstroameriana

(Lep.:  Oecophoridae)

Jeremy Gatten

 

  

Jeremy Gatten continues:  On April 2 I went to Oak Haven Park and during brief stints of sunshine, I managed to find one moth flying.  The first one I saw only landed twice very briefly and then I lost it when I decided to turn my focus to a Slate-colored Junco.  I continued on my way and came across a much more cooperative individual.  Here's a cropped shot of Epirrhoe plebeculata.

   

Epirrhoe plebeculata  (Lep.:  Geometridae)           Jeremy Gatten

 

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here are a couple of moths from the Gordon Head area in late March.  Orthosia  transparens was a lifer for me. “Erebidae” is a newly-named family which includes the former family Arctiidae, now demoted to subfamily Arctiinae.”

 

Spilosoma virginica  (Lep.:  Erebidae)                                     Jeremy Tatum

Orthosia transparens  (Lep.:  Noctuidae)           Jeremy Tatum

 

 

April 5

Jeremy Gatten writes: I have been turning on the light outside my deck at night  in the last few days or so of March to see which moths are flying at this time of year.  I started identifying moths last year in the summer, so the early season moths are new to me.  The first night I turned on the light at night, I went out and was delighted to find one of the most exotic-looking moths I have found yet: a Deceptive Sallow (Feralia deceptiva).  I have not seen one again since that first night.  On the second night, I found an individual belonging to the species Acerra normalis which is also striking in its own way.  The species that seem to be common right now, albeit based only a few nights, are Orthosia praeses, Orthosia hibisci, Hypena californica, Triphosa haesitata, and Eupithecia ravocostaliata.  I will continue to turn the light on and see what comes in over the next three weeks until my field season starts up.


 

Acerra normalis  (Lep.:  Noctuidae)  Jeremy Gatten

 

Eupithecia ravocostaliata  (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Gatten

 

Feralia deceptiva (Lep.:  Noctuidae)       Jeremy Gatten

 

Hypena californica (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Gatten

 

 

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae)              Jeremy Gatten

 

Orthosia praeses (Lep.: Noctuidae)       Jeremy Gatten

 

 

Triphosa haesitata  (Lep.:  Geometridae)     Jeremy Gatten


 

March 26
 
Saturday, March 26th produced a few new insects for the spring. At Point Holmes I managed to photograph the Tricolored Bumble Bee, Bombus ternarius,  that I had seen a few days earlier. I also saw, but could not photograph, my first Honey Bee, Apis mellifera. This, by the way, is over a month later than when I saw my first one last year. I also photographed a Blow Fly, Calliphora sp., and a Golden Dung Fly, Scathophaga stercoraria. On to Kin Beach just north of Comox where I found two new bees, a Sweat Bee, Lasioglossum sp. and an Andrenid bee, Andrena sp. For those interested in the flowers the insects are frequenting, they are all Gold Star which is a common early spring bloomer along the coast. When I got home, I found the Red-backed Stink Bug, Banasa dimiata on the Rhododendron just outside my front door. Terry Thormin.
 
                                                                                                                                             
    Andrena sp.        (Hym.:  Andrenidae)                                           Terry Thormin  
 
        
Red-backed Stink Bug  Banasa dimiata        (Hem.:   Pentatomidae)                        Terry Thormin
 
                                                                                                                                                                        
Tricoloured Bumble Bee Bombus ternarius (Hym.: Apidae)        Terry Thormin   
 
 
  Blow fly  Calliphora sp.       (Dip.:  Calliphoridae)                              Terry Thormin
 
 
 
                                                                                                                               
Sweat Bee Lasioglossum sp.  (Hym.: Halictidae)                            Terry Thormin        
 
 
 
   Golden Dung Fly  Scathophaga stercoraria     (Dip.: Scathophagidae)    Terry Thormin      
 
 
March 20
 
Yesterday (March 20) was a nice day, temperatures reached 10 degrees, winds were light and the sun was shining, so I spent some time at the coastal sand dunes at Point Holmes in Comox. The first of the spring flowers, Gold Star, were out and there were a few insects visiting them. I saw a single bumblebee, a Tricoloured Bumblebee, Bombus ternarius which didn'’t slow down enough to allow me to get a photo. I also saw and photographed two flies, a blow fly, Pollenia sp. and a kelp fly, Coelopa sp. The kelp fly, as the name implies, is normally found in the wrack of kelp that can be found along the beaches. Larvae develop in the rotting kelp, but the adults will occasionally visit flowers. There were also several ichneumon wasps ovipositing in the sand at the base of some plants that were just starting to put out new leaves. These wasps don'’t attack the plant, but rather the larvae of another insect that is feeding on the roots of the plant. This is the same species I saw and photographed last year. I have sent the photograph to an expert and hopefully I will get an identification and perhaps an indication of the host species.  Terry Thormin.
 
 
                                                                                                                                                      
Pollenia sp.        (Dip.:   Calliphoridae)                                      Terry Thormin           
 
 
 Coelopa sp.     (Dip.:   Coelopidae)                                        Terry Thormin               
 
 
 
                                                                                    
                                           
                  Ichneumonid wasp      (Hym.:  Ichneumonidae)                                  Terry Thormin                  
 
 
                                                                              
March 3
 
I went for a walk on February 28 in the Lazo Marsh Woods in Comox. It was a warm (7 degrees), sunny day, but I really did not expect any insects as it has been quite cool lately. The insect I did find was totally unexpected. This early in the season I would expect either a fly of some type or an early bee visiting flowers like winter heather. To find a firefly was a big surprise. This individual is Ellychnia sp. and is one of the fireflies that does not produce a light. When I checked my records for this genus in Alberta I found that the earliest record was May 25 and the latest was August 14. I always thought that these beetles overwintered either in the egg or larval stage, so to see an adult beetle on February 28 was quite a surprise.   Terry Thormin.