2018 March 8

 

   Objet trouvé by Ann Nightingale in Ann Scarfe’s Gordon Head garden, a chrysalis of a tiger swallowtail butterfly.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I can’t tell whether it is a Western or a Pale Tiger Swallowtail.  Unfortunately the pupa had somehow become detached from its substrate, which would normally result in a crippled adult unable to fly or even to completely emerge from the chrysalis.  Fortunately, there is still some silk attached to the cremaster and to the girdle, and I think I may be able to attach these silk remnants to a suitable surface and with luck the butterfly may be able to emerge without injury.  I hope to be able to report a happy ending later in the year!

 

Tiger swallowtail Papilio sp. (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

 

  Jochen Moehr writes from Metchosin:  The moth activity up here is increasing.  Since two or three days now, we have lively activity at the very weak light at our deck.  Tonight, there were about fifteen.  I think they are all pugs. Jeremy Tatum writes:  I find pugs difficult, but I think these are either Eupithecia annulata or they are not!

 

Eupithecia (possibly annulata) (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Moehr

 

Eupithecia (possibly annulata)  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Moehr

 

 

  Moralea Milne sends a photograph of a moth from Camas Hill, March 7.  Identified by Libby Avis as Orthosia pulchella, who comments that she knows of no previous records from this area.   We’ve certainly had none on Invert Alert since it started in 2010.  We’ve had six species of Orthosia, but not this one.  Moths in this genus are often unjustly called “drabs”.  Moralea’s moth is far from drab – indeed the scientific name means “beautiful little one” – a perfectly justified name!

 

Orthosia pulchella (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Moralea Milne