2018 September 14

 

   Here are a few moths photographed in Metchosin by Jochen Möhr.    We sometimes dread having to distinguish between Coryphista meadii and Triphosa haesitata.  The former occurs in several forms. Some of the forms are easy to identify, but one form looks exceedingly like T. haesitata.  The following three moths are difficult, but we are pretty sure that they are all Triphosa haesitata. The one sure way of distinguishing between the species is their caterpillars – which are totally different!

 

Triphosa haesitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Triphosa haesitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Triphosa haesitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   

The next one is also a little tricky, since there are some similar congeners.

 

Tetracis pallulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

   We can relax with the next two, which are relatively easy!

 

Ennomos magnaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Zenophleps lignicolorata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

   We haven’t yet quite finished with the word “spectacular” this year.  Here’s a caterpillar found by Jeremy Tatum this morning on Black Hawthorn in Uplands Park:

 

Polyphemus Moth Antheraea polyphemus (Lep.: Saturniidae) Jeremy Tatum