2015 March 8

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is a batch of eggs, found in North Saanich yesterday, of the Vapourer Moth Orgyia antiqua, also known as the Rusty Tussock Moth.  Also an ichneumon wasp from my Saanich apartment today, identified by Scott Gilmore as a species of Ophion.

Ichneumon wasp Ophion sp.  (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) Jeremy Tatum

  Jeff Gaskin writes:  Saturday March 7, there was a Mourning Cloak on Forshaw Road at Rhoda Lane on the Esquimalt side of the Gorge. This was near Esquimalt Gorge Park.

  Gordon Hart writes:  On Saturday March 7 in our yard, I saw the orange and black moth

Archiearis infans again. Besides that one, I saw two Epirrhoe plebeculata and I got a picture of an even smaller geometrid with brown and black patterning.  We also saw at least two Satyr Commas and I think the Green Comma as well. I also saw my first Cabbage White of the year.

  Jeremy Tatum responds:  All three moths that Gordon mentions are early day-flying geometrids, although Archiearis is far from typical, the caterpillar having three pairs of mid-abdominal prolegs. It feeds on alder, and needs bark on which to pupate.  Gordon’s smaller – and very pretty – geometrid is Enchoria lacteata.  I have never found the caterpillar, but it is reputed to feed upon Miner’s Lettuce. 

  Jeremy adds:  I, too, saw my first Cabbage White today, at Lamont Road in Central Saanich, as, too, did Bill Katz, who photographed this one on Summit Hill.

2015 March 6

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is an Orthosia hibisci from my Saanich apartment this morning.

2015 March 5

   Bill Katz found an Egira curialis at the dockyard on March 4.

   Egira curialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)    Bill Katz

2014 March 4

   Gordon Hart writes:  I was at home today and saw lots of activity on the heather and other early blooms. I saw at least three species of bumblebee, plus many flies. I have attached a picture of a small moth with yellowish hindwings that we see every year in spring- like a miniature butterfly. Also attached are pictures of two flies.

  Jeremy Tatum comments:  The moth is Epirrhoe plebeculata, one of the early spring geometrids that often flies at the same time as Mesoleuca gratulata.  I have been trying for years to find the caterpillar.  It is said to feed on Galium, like other members of its genus, but I have usually seen the moth flying in areas where there is no sign of any species of Galium, and I suspect the caterpillar may have some other foodplant. 

  Anyone who rears caterpillars will recognize the large bristly fly as a species of tachinid.  These are flies whose maggots are internal parasitoids of insect larvae, including butterfly and moth caterpillars.  I don’t know the smaller fly; it may be a small syrphid, but I’m not sure.

Tachinid fly (Dip.: Tachinidae) Gordon Hart

Unknown fly   Gordon Hart

2015 March 1

   Bill Katz reports an Orthosia hibisci from the Interfaith Chapel at UVic on February 28.  

   Bill sends a photograph of a species of snout from his Summit Hill garage, February 28.  Jeremy writes: “I can’t tell for certain what species it is, though I think it is most likely Hypena decorata”.

Bill Katz

   Bill also sends photos of a pug and a wave from the Nature House at Goldstream Park, March 1. 

Eupithecia ravocostaliata (Lep.: Geometridae) Bill Katz

Venusia obsoleta (Lep.: Geometridae) Bill Katz

   On February 17 we posted a picture of a geometrid caterpillar photographed by Scott Gilmore at Upper Lantzville on Ceanothus thyrsiflorus.   We speculated that it might be a species of Drepanulatrix.  Scott writes that these caterpillars have now pupated, and we wait with excitement to see what they turn out to be.  The green pupa has only just been formed.  In a day or two it will be as hard and brown as the others.

 Geometrid pupae – possibly Drepanulatrix sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Scott Gilmore