2022 July 21 morning

    Marie O’Shaughnessy sends photographs of a pair of Polyphemus Moths in cop.  on Mount Tolmie, July 20.  The one with the elaborate antennae is the male. 

Polyphemus Moth Antheraea polyphemus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   Marie also writes that butterflies are still plentiful at the top of Mount Tolmie. 

2 Pale Tiger Swallowtails,  6 Lorquin’s Admirals, 6  Western Tiger Swallowtails and 2  Cabbage Whites. As well as two medium size, all rusty red coloured individuals that never put down so difficult to identify as constantly rapidly, on the move.  [Painted Ladies, maybe?  Jeremy Tatum.]

  Jeremy Tatum counted 8 Lorquin’s Admirals at Rithet’s Bog, July 20.

  Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  Our Lorquin’s Admirals steadfastly defend our parking lot against intruders, and we have numerous swallowtails pass through all day long – not to mention innumerable Essex Skippers.  The other day, I counted fifteen Essex Skippers in a neighboring farm on a line of lavender bushes in bloom.  And I see them flitting across the place, where we live, and on the borders of the road in Metchosin.  Jochen sends photographs of some moths:

Female Malacosoma californicum (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)   Jochen Möhr

 

Small Magpie Moth Anania hortulata (Lep.:  Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Nemoria unitaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes that there was also a Nemoria unitaria at the University of Victoria this morning:

Nemoria unitaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Also, the Nemoria shown on July 15 from Swan Lake was also N. unitaria, not N. darwiniata as I originally mislabelled it (writes  Jeremy Tatum).  Thanks to Libby Avis for spotting my mistake.

   Libby sends a photograph of a Scallop Shell Rheumaptera undulata from Port Alberni.  There was also a Scallop Shell at UVic this morning, writes Jeremy – and the darned thing flew just half a second before I pressed the expose button!

Scallop Shell Rheumaptera undulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Libby Avis

   Val George writes:  This moth (Zotheca tranquilla) was on the wall of my Oak Bay house this morning, July 21.

Elder Moth Zotheca tranquilla (Lep.: Noctuidae) Val George

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  And this moth flew into my Saanich apartment this morning.  Noctua pronuba is quite a variable moth, and one could be forgiven by not immediately recognizing that this one is the same species as the one shown by Bryan Gates in yesterday’s posting.

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum