2018 April 10 morning

 

   Some difficult puzzles from Jochen.  The noctuid pair Egira crucialis/simplex is notoriously difficult to separate.  Jochen photographed five individuals in Metchosin.  Here they are.  Several enthusiasts have pored over them.  There seems to be agreement that the first is probably simplex.  The next three are probably crucialis.  There have been five votes on the fifth.  Two say probably simplex, two say probably crucialis, and one abstention!  No one says absolutely definitely on any of them.  The hindwings would be a help.  Also the caterpillars, which are quite distinct in the final instar.

 

Probably Egira simplex (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

 

Probably Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

 

 

 

Probably Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

 

 

Probably Egira crucialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

 

 

Egira crucialis/simplex (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

 

 

 

   Another pair that is difficult to distinguish is Eupithecia ravocostaliata/nevadata.

Jochen sends a photograph of one believed to be ravocostaliata.

 

Eupithecia ravocostaliata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Moehr

 

 

   Scott Gilmore sends photographs of another spider from Upper Lantzville.  Robb Bennett writes:  Hey!  Nice one…BC’s only “lynx spider” (Oxyopidae): Oxyopes scalaris.  Fairly common across southern Canada and south into Mexico but, for some reason, we hardly ever collect it around here or see images of it. The only other Vancouver Island records we have for it are from around Victoria so I will add the Lantzville record to the database.

 

Lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris (Ara.: Oxyopidae)    Scott Gilmore

 

Lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris (Ara.: Oxyopidae)    Scott Gilmore

 

 

Lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris (Ara.: Oxyopidae)    Scott Gilmore

 

 

 

Lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris (Ara.: Oxyopidae)    Scott Gilmore