2022 February 12

    Jeremy Gatten writes that so far this year he has seen the following at his Central Saanich house: Phigalia plumogeraria, Agonopterix alstroemeriana, Hydriomena nubilofasciata, Eupithecia annulata (best guess really), and Hypena californica.

   Val George writes:  There were three of these guys at the door of the Nature House at Swan Lake yesterday.   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Val is right in referring to them as “guys” – the females are wingless.  I wonder if there are any females at the Nature House – probably not, because the males will have flown there, attracted by the lights.  The females will be crawling up the tree-trunks.  The male in the photograph is hiding its magnificent bipectinate antennae.

Phigalia plumogeraria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

2022 February 7

    Jochen Möhr photographed this pug at his Metchosin home yesterday.   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I sometimes post these difficult nondescript pugs, rightly or wrongly,  as something like “probably Eupithecia annulata” or “probably E. misturata”.  Jochen’s pug below may possibly be one of these (I can’t think of anything else), but I think prudence demands that we content ourselves this time with labelling it merely “Eupithecia sp.”

Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 February 6

    John McClarnon writes today from Hazlitt Creek Road, Highlands,:  While watering overwintering tropical plants in the basement I found  the moth in the picture. All of the plants spend the summer / early fall outside.  John identifies it correctly as a Canary Thorn Neoterpes trianguliferata.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I have reared this species from a caterpillar on the leaves of Gooseberry Ribes sp.  John writes that there are two Red-flowering Currants Ribes sanguineum nearby.

Neoterpes trianguliferata (Lep.: Geometridae)  John McClarnon

Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of an early noctuid moth from Metchosin.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I had hastily dismissed this as Egira hiemalis, so thanks to Libby Avis for pointing out, just before press time, that it is actually Egira cognata.

Egira cognata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 February 4

       Ron Flower writes that on Monday January 31 he saw three Banded Woolly Bear caterpillars, Pyrrharctia isabella, along the trail on the west side of Panama Flats.  We are used to seeing these caterpillars in October, when they are full-fed and looking for somewhere to spend the winter.  They spend the winter in the caterpillar stage and bestir themselves again in February/March, when they are looking for somewhere safe to spin a cocoon  and pupate inside.