2022 October 6 morning

    Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a snout moth, reared from a caterpillar found on nettle at Swan Lake.  The name “snout moth” has been applied to several unrelated species.  However, it was originally applied to moths of the subfamily Hypeninae, on account of their exceptionally long labial palpi.  The first mention I can find is that of Moses Harris, writing in the eighteenth century (1766) of a moth now classed as a hypenine, The Snout being a “standard name, as given and established by the worthy and ingenious Society of AURELIANS.”   Hypenines were also called snouts in the standard nineteenth century (Kirby) and the twentieth century (South) books.

Hypena californica is quite variable, as can be seen by comparing the moth shown below to another of the same species shown on  October 1.

Hypena californica (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae)  Jeremy Tatum

Val George writes:  A few days ago Jeff Gaskin reported the sighting of a Lorquin’s Admiral and commented that he had never before seen this species in October.  I, too, don’t recall having seen one this late, but yesterday, October 5, this one was in the parking lot at Swan Lake.  [Possibly the same one as the one reported by Robert Fraser on October 2.  – Jeremy Tatum]

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I perused the Butterfly Reports from 2014 to 2021, and I found that the last Lorquin’s Admirals are usually gone by late August.  In that period, five of the eight years had September sightings, the latest being 2014 September 27.  This year, 2022, is the first year since the Butterfly Reports began in 2014 in which the species has been seen in October.

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Val George

2022 October 5 morning

    Here are some creatures working hard in the middle of the night while others slept:

Araneus diadematus (Ara: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

Neriene (possibly digna) (Ara.: Linyphiidae) Ian Cooper

Eratigena sp. (Ara.: Agelenidae)  Ian Cooper

Harvestman, probably Leptobunus parvulus (Opiliones: Phalangiidae)

Ian Cooper

Camel Cricket Pristoceuthophilus sp. (Orth.: Rhaphidophoridae)  Ian Cooper

Crane Fly  (Dip.: Tipulidae) or Winter Gnat (Dip.: Trichoceridae)  Ian Cooper

2022 October 5 evening

    Jochen Möhr sends photographs from Metchosin of the moth Autographa californica:

Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Cara Gibson sends photographs of two moths from Swan Lake nature house:

Udea profundalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Cara Gibson

Jeremy Tatum writes:  The moth below is Tetracis jubararia, or T. pallulata.  I am leaning towards jubararia.

Tetracis jubararia/pallulata  (Lep.: Geometridae)

  Cara Gibson

The Grey Hairstreak caterpillar found by Ian Cooper the other day (see September 29) has now pupated:

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 October 4 morning

    Two photographs obtained yesterday in View Royal by Cheryl Hoyle:

Mouse Moth Amphipyra tragopoginis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Dr Robb Bennett writes, of the spider below:  The spider looks like a Zygiella species.  Zygiella x-notata is common.  But could also be Z. atrica or Z. dispar in our area.

Zygiella sp. (Ara.:  Araneidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2022 October 3 evening

    At 4:15 this afternoon, there were still several Sulphurs at McIntyre reservoir.  Identification with certainty is proving difficult with some of the specimens, but, writes Jeremy Tatum, I believe all those that I saw today are Clouded Sulphurs, Colias philodice.  They are nectaring on Wild Radish Raphanus, which is plentiful there, so there is a good chance that the butterflies may remain while this sunny weather lasts.

  At 5.:00 pm there was at least one Painted Lady remaining at the top of Mount Tolmie.  It flies around the Jeffery Pine, often resting on the road surface beneath the pine.