2017 April 1

Jeremy Gatten writes: I had a bunch of moths last night – I love that there is something new every night at this time of year. [Jeremy Tatum interjects:  Alas, I am getting nothing here at my Saanich apartment!]  New moths for my place in Saanichton this year were: Orthosia pacifica (3!), Cerastis enigmatica, Melanolophia imitata, and Cladara limitaria.  The latter are really impressive when they’re fresh and have mint green accents.

Cladara limitaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Gatten

   Rosemary Jorna writes:   I found this perfect empty cocoon while working in our yard in the Kemp Lake area.  It is about 1.4 cm  long.  Jeremy Tatum responds:  This is the cocoon of one of our giant sawflies (Cimbicidae).  We have two common large species, Cimbex americana and Trichiosoma triangulatum.  My guess is that the cocoons of the two species are distinguishable, but I don’t know how.  One would have to rear the larvae – which are fairly commonly encountered.

Giant sawfly cocoon (Hym.: Cimbicidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Rosemary also found the moth below on one of the maple trees near Kemp Lake. It is a pterophorid, and probably a native species, and certainly not the usual European Emmelina monodactyla. Because of their unusually narrow wings, they are not easy to identify – but maybe not impossible. We are working on it!

 Unknown pterophorid (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Rosemary Jorna