2016 March 28

   Jeff Gaskin reports his first Cabbage Whites of the year today, one at Jutland Road and one on Wascana Street, Victoria.  And Mike Yip reports his first butterfly of the year, a Mourning Cloak at Cross Road, Nanoose Bay.

Mourning Cloak  Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Mike Yip

    Scott Gilmore wrote from Upper Lantzville, on March 26:  In trying to re-find the garlic snail so I could smell it I turned up a different species of land snail in my backyard, Cochilicopa lubrica.  At just under 5mm long it is not very big. 

Glossy Pillar  Cochilicopa lubrica (Pul.: Cionellidae)  Scott Gilmore

   Jeremy Gatten writes, on March 26:  I have sent in a photograph of this longhorn beetle before, but I got much better shots of one today.  It was found at Hans Helgesen Elementary School in Metchosin (same as the only other one I have seen).  The moth diversity is not too shabby right now, with probably over 20 species on the wing at present.  The latest for me are Egira crucialis (yesterday at my place in Saanichton), E. perlubens (today at Hans Helgesen) and Anticlea vasiliata at my place this evening.

   Scott Gilmore wrote from Upper Lantzville, on March 27:   Today I found a Jumping Spider that is new to me. I think it is Platycryptus californicus but I do not claim to know anything about spiders.  [Jeremy Tatum writes:  Thanks to Robb Bennett for confirming Scott’s identification.]

Platycryptus californicus (Ara.: Salticidae)    Scott Gilmore