July 16 evening

    This morning’s crop of Jochen Möhr’s moths were relatively easy to identify.  Now we come to the more difficult ones.

    Triphosa haesitata/Coryphista meadii is a notoriously difficult pair.  The latter has several different forms, the most common of which can be terribly hard to distinguish from haesitata.  On the outer margin of the hindwing of Jochen’s moth below, the fourth tooth is much smaller than the adjacent teeth.   That’s probably good enough to label it safely as Coryphista meadii.

Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   The problem with Iridopsis is that there seems no general agreement as to whether I. larvaria  and I. emasculata (also spelled emasculatum) are truly separate species, or whether they should be lumped as one.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I believe they are quite different animals, and that Jochen’s is a slightly faded Iridopsis emasculata.

Iridopsis emasculata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   The problem with Sicya is that there seems no general agreement as to whether S. macularia  and S. crocearia are truly separate species, or whether they should be lumped as one.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Unlike the case for iridopsis, I have no opinion one way or the other.  In looking at published pictures of aduilts and larvae, I see conflicting evidence.  In the adults, there seems to be no consistent reliable feature for telling one from the other, so I would say they are all one species.   On the other hand, there seem to be two distinct caterpillars, suggesting that they are separate species.  I’ll label Jochen’s moth with an either/or.

Sicya macularia/crocearia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   The next one presents no particular identification problems – I just accidentally missed it out in this morning’s posting.

Gabriola dyari (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   After that splendid series of moths, it’s time for a butterfly.   It is now mid-July, so it’s Pine White time.  Here’s a male photographed by Judith Terry.

Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae)  Judith Terry

July 16 morning

   Here are some of Jochen Möhr’s recent moth photographs from Metchosin.  We give a huge thank you to Libby Avis for the identifications.

Nemoria darwiniata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Dasychira grisefacta (Lep.:  Erebidae – Lymantriinae)  Jochen Möhr

Caripeta divisata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Eulithis xylina (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Protitame subalbaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Callizzia amorata (Lep.: Uraniidae – Epipleminae) Jochen Möhr

   That’s enough for this morning – more this afternoon!

July 15

   Gerry and Wendy Ansell write:  We went to Mount Tolmie yesterday (July 14) to see your Red Admiral and we found 2 Painted Ladies, 1 Red Admiral, and 1 Western Tiger Swallowtail by the reservoir. 

  Gerry and Wendy continue:  Following excellent directions from Michael Bentley, this afternoon  (July 15) we saw at least 6 Pine Whites by Elk/Beaver Lake park.  They are in the tall trees by the last parking area on your way out of the park onto Elk Lake Drive.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw a Pine White at Bear Hill today.

   This evening I went to Cairn Hill, Highrock Park, Esquimalt, hoping to see hill-topping nymphalids there.  There were none.  However, I did see a Pine White on the hill, and near the bottom of the hill were a few Lorquin’s Admirals and a fairly spectacular ten or so Western Tiger Swallowtails.

   At the entrance to the park is a rather attractive board with excellent photographs of the birds and butterflies you may see in the park in the spring.  These include Western Bluebird, Western Meadowlark, Anise Swallowtail and Western Pine Elfin.  Good luck with those!!

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   Here is a caterpillar found today on Epilobium at McIntyre reservoir, Central Saanich.

White-lined Hawk Moth Hyles lineata (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jochen Möhr has photographed another goodly bunch of exciting moths in Metchosin, but  Jeremy Tatum writes that he is too hot and sleepy to post (below) more than one this evening.  More tomorrow!

Ypsolopha canariella (Lep.: Plutellidae)  Jochen Möhr

July 14

   Val George writes:  This morning, July 14, the VNHS birding group found this Sheep Moth caterpillar, Hemileuca eglanterina, in Uplands Park in Oak Bay.   Jeremy Tatum remarks:  This caterpillar should be handled (if at all) with care.  Some people (including myself) find that the caterpillar may give them a rash.

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Val George

   Mike Yip writes from Nanoose Bay:  A bunch of these slimy looking larvae have been defoliating my wife’s quince tree. They are about 8 – 9 mm and haven’t bothered any of the apple or pear trees. Any idea what they are?   Jeremy Tatum replies: They are the larvae of a sawfly Eriocampoides limacina, also known as Caliroa cerasi.  They are often to be found on cherry trees.  I wouldn’t altogether trust them with apple or pear.  “Limacina” means “slug-lke”.  “Cerasi” means “of the cherry”.

Caliroa cerasi (Eriocampoides limacina)(Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Mike Yip

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw two Pine Whites at the top of a Douglas Fir south of Beaver Lake this afternoon.  This evening there was but a single Painted Lady at the top of Mount Tolmie.

July 13 evening

   Jochen Möhr sends a picture of Macaria signaria from Metchosin:

Macaria signaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Today, July 13, I saw my first Pine Whites of the season.  Four were along Goldstream Avenue by the Colwood Golf Course,  one was along Duke Road, and finally one was in Witty’s Lagoon Park.  All were seen quite high up in Douglas Fir trees.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  This evening at 7:00 pm July 13 there was one Red Admiral on the Mount Tolmie reservoir, and one Painted Lady near the Jeffery Pine.