2018 May 17 morning

 

   Thomas Barbin writes:  Yesterday at John Dean Park there were:
15 Western Spring Azures
7 Western Tiger Swallowtails
1 Propertius Duskywing
1 Cabbage White

 

   But, writes Jeremy Tatum, this is a caterpillar morning.

First I find that I had mislabelled a caterpillar on May 13.  I had wrongly labelled it Orthosia hibisci.  However, the caterpillar has since grown into its final instar (photograph below), and, though it is very similar to hibisci, I can now see that it is in fact Aseptis binotata.

I have a feeling that it might not be well.

Aseptis binotata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jeremy Tatum

 

   Next is Ipimorpha nanaimo from a cottonwood tree at Panama Flats.

Ipimorpha nanaimo  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

  And now, I’m afraid, three unidentified caterpillars, respectively from oak, pear and willow.  I’ll make wild, wild guesses at what they might be – perhaps Hydriomena nubilofasciata, Hedya nubiferana  and Choristoneura rosaceana.  They’re probably all wrong – time will tell, when the moths finally eclode. (From the Latin claudere, just as explode is from plaudere.  The nouns are eclosion and explosion; the verbs are eclode and explode.  Entomologists please note.)

Unidentified (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

Hedya nubiferana (confirmed) (Lep.: Tortricidae)    Jeremy Tatum

 

 

Unidentified (Lep.: Tortricidae)   Jeremy Tatum