2022 March 23

    Val George sends a picture of a pug moth from his Oak Bay house, March 22.  It might be Eupithecia annulata, but, like so many of these pugs, we can’t be quite sure, so let’s label it just Eupithecia sp.

Eupithecia sp.  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

   Rosemary Jorna sends a picture of a tiny ladybird beetle from the trunk of a maple tree near Kemp Lake.  It is  Psyllobora borealis  –  a new creature for this site.

Psyllobora borealis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Rosemary Jorna

2022 March 21

    Rosemary Jorna sends photographs of a globose springtail (Dicyrtomidae) from her maple tree near Kemp Lake, March 18.   Dr Frans Jannsens, University of Antwerp, writes:  This is a new undescribed species of Ptenothrix.   At collembola.org we have called it sp.3, tentatively.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The site collembola.org that Dr Jannsens cites is very interesting!

Ptenothrix  sp.3  (Collembola: Dicyrtomidae)   Rosemary Jorna

Ptenothrix  sp.3  (Collembola: Dicyrtomidae)   Rosemary Jorna

2022 March 19

    Val George writes that this moth – Orthosia hibisci – was by a light on the wall of his house in Oak Bay yesterday morning.  Jeremy Tatum writes: Many noctuid moths show a reniform stigma (kidney-shaped spot) and an orbicular stigma (round spot) on their forewings. If anyone is unsure of the meaning of these long words, this moth is happy to demonstrate.

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Val George

2022 March 14

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  These pugs (Eupithecia  sp.) are so frustratingly difficult to identify.   If I were to guess at this one, I’d say either E.maestosa or E. annulata.   But I’m not going to guess;  I’m going to leave it as Eupithecia sp.

Eupithecia sp.  (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

2022 March 13

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  This small moth was in my Saanich apartment a few days ago.  Fairly sure that it is a slightly worn Indian Meal Moth.  Not native in these parts.  I don’t think it’s native to India, either.  So called because the caterpillar feeds on Indian Meal, whatever that is.

Indian Meal Moth Plodia interpunctella (Lep.: Pyralidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy continues:  This unprepossessing caterpillar was on Carey Road, Victoria, this morning:

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum