2025 June 7
Jeremy Tatum writes: Here is a photograph of a Spectacle Moth Abrostola urentis. The caterpillar is yet another nettle-eater. The caterpillar was found last year on Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake, and is shown in Invert Alert, 2024 September 23, page 18. The adult moth was released in the same location today. The moth is a plusiine, but, unlike most plusiines, the caterpillar has the full complement of four pairs of midabdominal prolegs.
Spectacle Moth Abrostola urentis (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae) Jeremy Tatum
It is called a “spectacle” moth because:
Spectacle Moth Abrostola urentis (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae) Jeremy Tatum
Apologies for the too reddish colour of the images. The moth emerged after sunset and had to be photographed in artificial light, which I managed to correct only slightly – not quite enough.
Here are some more invertebrates photographed by Ian Cooper on the California Lilac (Ceanothus) bushes growing along Academy Close behind St. Anne’s Academy, on June 4 and 5 2025.
Jumping spider Metaphidippus manni (Ara.: Salticidae)
Ian Cooper
Identified by Thomas Barbin
Unidentified ichneumon wasp (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) Ian Cooper
American Morio Bee Fly Hemipenthes morioides
(Dip.: Bombyliidae)
Ian Cooper
Marie O’Shaughnessy writes: I was at Outerbridge Park for an hour on June 4, and I saw four Cabbage Whites, one Pale Tiger Swallowtail, one Western Tiger Swallowtail.
Dragonflies were still the usual three species – two Four-spotted Skimmers, four Cardinal Meadowhawks, three California Darners.
Pale Tiger Swallowtail Pterourus eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy
Aziza Cooper writes: On June 4 at the railroad tracks near Goldstream campground, there were at least 10 Cedar Hairstreaks, 10 Western Spring Azures and one Pale Tiger Swallowtail.
Jeremy Tatum writes: The locality was the same as the place where Aziza last year found and photographed a Johnson’s Hairstreak. This year, Aziza sent the photograph below, and I was not completely sure whether it is a Cedar or a Johnson’s Hairstreak. Thanks to Steve Ansell and David Harris, both of whom took considerable trouble to examine the photographs critcally. They both confirmed that Aziza’s photograph last year (Invert Alert, July 30, 2024, page 30) is indeed a Johnson’s Hairstreak, but this year’s (photograph below) is a Cedar Hairstreak.
Cedar Hairstreak Callophrys (Mitoura) gryneus
(Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Aziza Cooper
Butterflies Galore
Jeremy Tatum writes: I met Aziza Cooper at the Mount Tolmie reservoir at about 5:45 pm today, June 7, and we saw eight species of butterfly flying around there: Western Tiger, Pale Tiger and Anise Swallowtails; Painted and West Coast Ladies; Red Admiral, Western Spring Azure, Cabbage White.
Invert Sightings 