2016 April 7

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Thanks to Rob Bennett for identifying the spider which I photographed at my Saanich apartment this morning, April 7.

 Scotophaeus blackwalli (Ara.: Gnaphosidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Scotophaeus blackwalli (Ara.: Gnaphosidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy continues:  There were also a couple of moths on the walls of my apartment building.  The immature stages of these moths are of some interest – Hypena decorata because the caterpillar has only three pairs of mid-abdominal prolegs;  Cyclophora dataria because the pupa is very similar to that of the Cabbage White butterfly – one of my favorite examples of convergent evolution of two unrelated insects.

I had originally labelled the Hypena moth as Hypena californica.  I am greatly indebted to Jeremy Gatten for pointing out that the two white dots near the apex shows that the moth is, in fact, H. decorata.

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

Cyclophora dataria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Devon Parker reports two blue butterflies, presumably Western Spring Azures, on April 6.  One at Flanagan Place, and one at the intersection of Glanford Street and Mackenzie Avenue.