INVERTEBRATE ALERT
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

2022 April 1

2022 April 1 morning

    Jochen Möhr sends photographs of two moths from his Metchosin home, March 31.

Orthosia transparens (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The larval foodplant is Gaultheria shallon.

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

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I don’t know a reliable way of distinguishing between these two species.

Jeremy continues:  Here is a caterpillar of Paraseptis adnixa from near Blenkinsop Lake.  This caterpillar sensibly appears early in the year – thus avoiding the attentions of tachinid flies.  Its foodplant is Oemleria cerasiformis  – about the only shrub in leaf in early March.   Early images of this species on this site are listed as Aseptis adnixa.

Paraseptis adnixa  (Lep.:  Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   The spectacular hawk moth caterpillar below is fully eight inches long.  If it is gently squeezed it emits an alarming squeak.  April 1 is an early date to find a hawk moth caterpillar this size.

 

Fullius aprile (Lep.: Sphingidae)   Jeremy Tatum