2021 April 27

   After our recent hot spell, we are back to coolish wettish weather, and butterflies have become scarce again.  Thus Rosemary Jorna saw only one butterfly during a five-hour hike in the Sooke Hills yesterday.  It was her first-of-the-year Western Spring Azure, at Stone Pipe near Mary Vine Creek:

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Same with moths – Jochen Möhr had only one moth at his Metchosin home this morning – Venusia  obsoleta/pearsalli:

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

2021 April 26

    Jochen Möhr sends this photograph from Metchosin this morning.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  We usually put this one down as Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata, but this time Jochen asked if differentiation was possible.  Well, Libby Avis and I did our best, but unfortunately it resulted in a split vote!   So, ravo/neva  it will have to remain!

Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2021 April 25

   Mr E found this moth on an apartment building out on Gorge Road:

Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Mr E

   Mike Yip writes from Nanoose:  Butterflies seen on the Cross Road trail during the past week included 2 Western Pine Elfins, 2 Mourning Cloaks, 1 Western Brown Elfin, several Western Spring Azures, and several Cabbage Whites. I was pleased to find the Mourning Cloak on a tree as opposed to the road, and a male Spring Azure with its wings open.

Western Pine Elfin Incisalia eryphon (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mik Yip

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mik Yip

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

2021 April 24 evening

Gordon Usipiuk sends a photograph of Mesoleuca gratulata from Colwood, April 22.

Mesoleuca gratulata (Lep.:  Geometridae)  Gordon Usipiuk

   Jochen Möhr sends from Metchosin two difficult ones, one each of the difficult pairs Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata   and  Drepanulatrix secundaria/monicaria.  Jeremy Tatum and Libby Avis are both in agreement – we cannot tell which!

Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata  (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Drepanulatrix secundaria/monicaria (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

   The American Lappet Moth Phyllodesma americana  is much easier.

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

2021 April 24 morning

Sher Falls sends this photograph of a Margined White nectaring on Erythronium revolutum at Honeymoon Bay, Lake Cowichan, April 22.   Jeremy Tatum writes:  This is a particularly heavily-veined example.  Many of the ones that we see in the summer at Cowichan Station are almost unmarked white.  I think the more heavily-veined ones, like this one, are spring-generation females.

Margined White, Pieris marginalis (Lep.: Pieridae)   Sher Falls

   Jeremy continues:   Compare Sher’s butterfly with the image below of a female Green-veined White Pieris napi, taken from the British site https://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=napi