2021 May 2

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  No butterflies of moths reported for two days – and I certainly haven’t seen any myself.   I therefore occupied myself with photographing a spider in my Saanich apartment.

Pholcus phalangioides (Ara.: Pholcidae)   Jeremy Tatum

2021 April 30

May Butterfly Walk Cancelled

Message from Gordon Hart

   Because of the BC Public Health Officer’s ongoing efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19 and its variants, I have cancelled the May Butterfly Walk scheduled for Sunday, May 2.  Hiking outside is still encouraged, so please get out and enjoy the spring weather and look for butterflies. I have not finished compiling our recent April count, but at least eight species were found.
I hope next month will bring better news,
Gordon

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is a small caterpillar found on Ocean Spray on Christmas Hill.  It will grow much larger.

Tetracis jubararia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:

 This morning:

4 Eupithecia sp. 

1 Phyllodesma americana

1 Sabulodes aegrotata – a different one from yesterday

and one Dunno – later identified by Libby Avis as Egira curialis

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Egira curialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

2021 April 29

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from  Metchosin this morning.  Thanks to Libby Avis, as ever, for identifications.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  According to the Index, we’ve had the first of these only once before on this site – and I can’t find the image!  Libby tells us that it is associated with oaks.

Meganola minuscula (Lep.: Nolidae)  Jochen Möhr

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

American Lappet Moth Phyllodesma americana (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)  Jochen Möhr

Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Venusia obsoleta/pearsalli (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Ron Flower writes: Out at the Goldstream River today April 29^th, I got this shot of a water strider and a surprise visit from a Pale Tiger Swallowtail. Seems early to me for them? What do you think? Also at the Munn Road power line we saw many Western Spring Azures and a fly-by of a comma.

  Jeremy Tatum writes: We usually have to wait until May for Pale Tiger Swallowwtails, but in 2016 the first was on April 21, and in 2015 the first was on April 19.

Pale Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae) Ron Flower

Water Strider (Hem.: Gerridae)  Ron Flower

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  This afternoon I saw a Satyr Comma (my first of the season) and two Mourning Cloaks along the Lochside trail north of Blenkinsop Lake.

   2021 April 28 evening

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  The Phyllodesma americana is still here and alive.  It was joined by a Cissusa indiscreta.

Cissusa indiscreta (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Jochen Möhr

Cissusa indiscreta (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Jochen Möhr

2021 April 28 morning

   Gordon Usipiuk sends a photograph of a colour variety of Coryphista meadii from  Colwood, near the east side of Havenwood Park, on 27 April.

Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Usipiuk

   Regular viewers of this site may have noted that from time to time we have had great difficulty distinguishing between this species and Triphosa haesitata, and will wonder why, since Gordon’s moth is very distinct and looks nothing at all like T. haesitata.  C. meadii has several very distinct colour varieties, and it is only one of these varieties (a very common one) that closely resembles T. haesitata.  Notice that the fourth tooth on the outer margin of the hindwing is much smaller that the other teeth – a feature that is useful  when we are struggling to distinguish between the two species.  The larval foodplant of Coryphista meadii  is Mahonia.