2024 September 24

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  On September 6 Ian Cooper came across a white caterpillar with red spiracles hiding in a folded dead maple leaf on the ground along the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.  Because it was half hidden in the dead leaf, it was impossible to get a perfect photograph without disturbing the caterpillar.  Nevertheless, Ian got the photograph shown below.

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ian Cooper

Ian handed the caterpillar to me for rearing, and, before I could get any further photographs, the caterpillar had made a white silken cocoon.  Just three days ago I had occasion to look inside the cocoon, and I discovered a pupa inside, white as the driven snow, something I had never seen before:

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Today, September 24, the adult moth emerged, enabling the identification as Sabulodes aegrotata.  After photography, I released it along the Lochside Trail near Blenkinsop Lake.

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

This was an interesting find, because I had never before seen a moth pupa as white as this one.  Also, the caterpillar apparently has the English name Omnivorous Looper, suggesting that it is quite a well-known caterpillar, yet none of the images of the caterpillars of S. aegrotata that I could find on the Internet look at all like this one.

Jeff Gaskin writes:  This morning, September 24, at Swan Lake there were at least 2 Blue-eyed and 2 Paddle-tailed Darners.  Also, there were a few other darners which I was unable to identify, and one Blue Dasher.

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  There were still one or two Cabbage White butterflies flying around in Mount View and Swan Creek Parks this morning (September 24).  When will the last butterfly be reported?  Is an October butterfly sighting possible?