2022 August 12

    Three moths, August 11, from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin, Val George in Oak Bay, and Jeremy Tatum in Saanich:

Autographa corusca (lLep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Pero mizon/morrisonaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Val George

Hypena californica (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae) Jeremy Tatum

   This morning I had a long, leisurely, close look at a fairly fresh Mourning Cloak perched on the northeastern part of the boardwalk at Swan Lake.

   This afternoon I saw a full grown and fully-fed caterpillar of a Sheep Moth wandering around on Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake, looking for a place to pupate.  I took him home to offer him a nice home in a pile of sterilized potting soil.  He seemed a little confused, so I gave him a single very gentle nudge with the tip of one of my fingers.  That was a mistake.  The resulting itch on my finger is a little worse that that caused by a mosquito or stinging nettle, and it seems to be spreading.  I have sometimes wondered if I have been exaggerating a little on this site when warning viewers not to handle this caterpillar.  I now know that I was not exaggerating.

2022 August 11

    Today this moth was resting on Mike and Barbara McGrenere’s patio, in the Cordova Bay area, when they stepped out for lunch.

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lpe.: Geometridae)  Mike McGrenere

2022 August 9

    Val George sends a photograph of a species of Pero on the wall of his Oak Bay house this morning. Pero is a difficult genus, and we can’t be certain which species this one is.

Pero sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

2022 August 8 evening

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  This one was at my Saanich apartment this morning.  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying it as Oligia divesta.

Oligia divesta (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jeremy Tatum

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:   Pine Whites are definitely here.

   Yesterday, we had some Nature-Buff Friends over, and I asked them whether they had spotted any Pine Whites yet.  The answer was negative.   A few minutes later, we saw one fly past the front of the Douglas Firs here and flutter up the last one, and we both agreed that yes, it was a Pine White.

This morning, I saw several here in our Douglas Firs, first two at about 11 a.m., then later at various hours one here, one there, always unmistakably and always for quite a while.  And then, driving into Langford via Happy Valley Road at around 4 p.m., coming back around 5 p.m., I saw one each on the way in and the way out at Happy Valley Road, close to the intersection with Rocky Point Road.  So yes, they are back!

[Jeremy Tatum writes:  Kirsten Mills reported two on July 22.  Jochen’s report is the only one since then.]

2022 August 8 morning

    This bee was photographed by Aziza Cooper in Goldstream Park, August 3.  Thanks to Steven Roias for identifying it for us as a male Bombus flavifrons.

Male Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Aziza Cooper

   Jeremy Tatum sends the photograph below of a moth at his Saanich apartment, August 8.

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   More photographs from yesterday’s VNHS Butterfly Walk.  The snail was from Mount Tolmie; the insects from Island View.

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.:  Helicidae)  Gordon Hart

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Gordon Hart

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon