2015 October 13

   Jeremy Gatten writes:  The geo you had, Tetracis jubararia (I guess they changed the genus from Synaxis to Tetracis), is the one I have seen loads of on the walls out at Hans Helgesen School.  It is extremely variable with the ground colour ranging from faded margarine yellow to vivid burnt sienna.  For what it’s worth, the walls at Hans Helgesen were much barer today.  Still a few Ceranemota fasciata, a couple of Ennomos magnaria, maybe a half dozen Tetracis jubararia, and a couple of Noctua pronuba.  I forgot to add that I also had one of each Nepytia phantasmaria and Philedia punctomacularia on the 10th.

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Jeremy Gatten is right on both counts re jubararia.  Synaxis jubararia and Tetracis jubararia are synonyms.  The former has been used for many years, but some modern lists use the latter name.  Previous examples in Invert Alert have used the name Synaxis, which is also the name used in the Index.  Whether I ever have the energy to go through our archival postings and change the name remains to be seen.  Maybe I’ll wait a bit and see what the majority of modern authors are doing.

  Jeremy G also mentions the wide colour variation.  Jeremy T went out to Goldstream this morning, and there were several jubararia there.  Most were of the typical pale yellow or yellowish brown colour, but there was one that was deep, rich reddish brown (perhaps Jeremy G’s “vivid burnt sienna”?).  I photographed it on the chance that it might be another species, but I think it is just an extreme example of jubararia.

Tetracis (also called Synaxis) jubararia (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy Tatum found a spider in his bath this morning.  Thanks to Robb Bennett who identified it as Scotophaeus blackwalli.  Robb writes that it is a recently established Old World spider, with BC records so far only in Victoria and Salmon Arm.  This is the third time Robb has identified this species from my Saanich apartment – obviously the centre of its BC distribution!   Lots of Banded Woolly Bears at Panama Flats this morning.  But have we seen the last butterfly of the season?  Let us know if you see any – even a Cabbage White.

Scotophaeus blackwalli (Ara.: Gnaphosidae)   Jeremy Tatum

2015 October 11

   Jeremy Gatten writes:  Still lots on the wing surprisingly enough.  My favourite of the lot was this one: Ceranemota fasciata.  This was taken in Metchosin at Hans Helgesen Elementary School (lots more there, but most are high up on walls) on October 10th.  I have probably six Orthosia mys at my place in Saanichton, plus a couple of Mythimna unipuncta and one Pleromelloida cinerea.  I still have to sort through the geometrids, but it looks like a couple of species of Euchlaena and also Maple Spanworms Ennomos magnaria.  Hans Helgesen had two other native noctuids: Sunira decipiens and possibly Lacinipolia patalis.

Ceranemota fasciata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Thyatirinae)  Jeremy Gatten

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I’ve had no moths at my Saanich apartment recently, and I was excited to learn what Libby and Scott and Jeremy G have been seeing in their more rural surroundings.  So I went to Swan Lake to see if there was anything there around the lights of the Nature House.  I found just one moth, but a nice one to find –Tetracis jubararia.  Unfortunately in a corner where I couldn’t get a camera.  

2015 October 11

   A bug and two ladybird beetles from Jeremy Tatum’s Saanich apartment yesterday and today.  Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying the beetle as the Multicoloured Asian Ladybird Beetle.  [I have heard so many English names for this Asian species that I call it the Many-named Ladybird!.]

Western Conifer Seed Bug  Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hem.: Coreidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Multicoloured Asian Ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Multicoloured Asian Ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 Libby Avis sends some nice pictures from Port Alberni, October 7 and 8.

Ceranemota fasciata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Thyatirinae)  Libby Avis

Orthosia mys (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Libby Avis

Agrotis ipsilon (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Libby Avis

Hemichroa crocea (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Libby Avis

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw a Cabbage White flying at Maber Flats today (October 11).  Also there were lots of Banded Woolly Bears – and a distressing number seemed to have been stomped on – more that one would expect from random accident.

   Scott Gilmore writes from Upper Lantzville:  It was nice to find a Maple Spanworm (Ennomos magnaria) just outside our backdoor today. Jeremy Tatum comments:  Lovely moth!  I hadn’t heard the common name “Maple Spanworm” before – but apparently that is the name used in forestry circles.  I wonder if the caterpillar actually eats maples?  The only macro moth caterpillar I have ever found on maple is the Winter Moth.  E. magnaria is usually on willow.

Maple Spanworm Ennomos magnaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Scott Gilmore

2015 October 9

   Kelly Whitnack sends a picture of a fearsome spider from Sooke.  Thanks to Robb Bennett for identifying it as a mygalomorph (that’s a Suborder of spiders), a male burrowing “folding door” spider, Antrodiaetus pacificus.  Robb also says that it may be awesome, but not fearsome.  We leave viewers to decide for themselves.

Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara.: Antrodiaetidae)  Kelly Whitnack

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  The butterfly season may be almost over – but not quite.  While visiting Gordon Hart’s Highlands garden yesterday I found the Cabbage White caterpillar shown below on Gordon’s prize broccolis.

Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jeremy Tatum

  Gordon Hart writes:  Anne-Marie found a small slug eating holes in the sour cherry leaves. I have attached a picture since we were wondering if it was a species of small slug, or is just a smaller stage of a large slug? It reminds me of a leech.  Jeremy Tatum replies:  Not a slug! Not a leech!  It is amazing, but this is the larva of a sawfly!   I think we can just make out Anne-Marie in the reflection!

Eriocampoides limacina (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Gordon/Anne-Marie Hart

Eriocampoides limacina (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Gordon/Anne-Marie Hart

2015 October 5

    Gordon Hart sends a picture of a rather unkempt-looking Yellow Woolly Bear from his Highlands yard.  It has since started to make a cocoon. He also sends a picture of one of two Cabbage Whites from Fort Rodd Hill.

Yellow Woolly Bear Spilosoma virginica (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Gordon Hart

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)   Gordon Hart.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Halfway down the east slope of Mount Tolmie there is a huge mass of flowering Ivy, in full bloom now.  You can smell it (a pleasant smell) from quite a way off.  I know that English Ivy is not everyone’s favorite plant, but the blossoms are attracting large numbers of interesting bees, wasps and flies; and today, at about 4:00 p.m., there were 2 Red Admirals there.  I stayed there for 40 minutes just watching them – I could barely tear myself away, they were so beautiful.