2018 January 16

 

   Our viewers are certainly doing their best to keep this site open during the bleak midwinter!  First, a photograph of another overwintering noctuid moth, Lithophane baileyi, from Jochen Moehr in Metchosin.  The last entry in this site for this species was on October 29.

 

Lithophane baileyi (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

 

   Next, a remarkable series of tiny springtails, and a tiny snail, from Thomas Barbin in and around his Highlands garden.  Springtails used to be the Order Collembola, but apparently Collembola is now promoted to Subclass, containing several Orders.  I am trying to keep consistent and up-to-date on this site and in its Index!  In the title under each photograph I generally print the genus and species in italics.  Then, in parentheses, the Order – usually abbreviated to three letters, but written in full for the springtails – and the Family (-idae).

 

Hymenaphorura cocklei (Poduromorpha:  Onychiuridae)  Thomas Barbin

 

 

Left:  Ptenothrix sp. (Symphypleona: Dicyrtomidae)

Right: Sminthurinus elegans (Symphypleona: Katiannidae)

Thomas Barbin

 

Vesicephalus occidentalis (Symphypleona: Katiannidae)  Thomas Barbin

 

Vesicephalus occidentalis (Symphypleona: Katiannidae)  Thomas Barbin

 

 

   And even as I am processing the pictures above, in comes another one – this time an unknown noctuid or erebid caterpillar found on Sidney Island Spit by Ian Cruickshank.

 

 

Unknown caterpillar (Lep.: Noctuidae or Erebidae)  Ian Cruickshank

 

Unknown caterpillar (Lep.: Noctuidae or Erebidae)  Ian Cruickshank