2022 July 31

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  From time to time I make mistakes, large or small, or one sort or another, in the Invert Alert postings.  I am sure some viewers must notice them.  Please, if you spot a mistake of any sort, please do let me know:  jtatum at uvic dot ca     I shall not be in the least annoyed.  Quite the opposite, I shall be exceedingly grateful.   It is a very easy matter for me to make corrections.

    Barb McGrenere writes:  Yesterday morning, Mike and I walked up Observatory Hill.  We saw 1 Western Tiger Swallowtail, 1 Cabbage White, 1 tattered Painted Lady nectaring on purple flowers in the garden area in front of the main office building, and 1 Lorquin’s Admiral.

Aziza Cooper sends photographs of a butterfly and a bee from Swan Lake today.

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae) Aziza Cooper

Bombus fervidus (Hym.: Apidae)  Aziza Cooper

         Steven Roias writes:  The bee is Bombus fervidus californicus. According to recent genetic research B. californicus and B. fervidus are the same species, despite morphological differences. Because the western type looks so different, I refer to them as California Bumblebee, but note that they are still B. fervidus.

Bruce Whittington sends a photograph of a female Blue-eyed Darner from Ladysmith.  We thank Dr Rob Cannings for the identification.

Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Bruce Whittington

2022 July 30

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  There have been no moths at the rear door of my Saanich apartment building for weeks, but the dearth of moths was broken this morning with great excitement by the appearance of no less than a Brown House Moth, whose chief point of interest is perhaps the length of its scientific name.

Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Lep.: Oecophoridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Carl Hughes sends a photograph of a pair of Leopard Slugs (also called Great Grey Slugs) in cop.   They hang from a slimy rope and twist themselves around each other.

Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Carl Hughes

2022 July 29

    Cheryl  Hoyle sends another spider picture from View Royal.  Dr Robb Bennett writes:  Yes to Eratigena.  Likely duellica.  A male, perhaps juvenile.

Eratigena (probably duellica) (Ara.: Agelenidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Jochen Möhr sends a moth picture from Metchosin.  Libby Avis writes:  Macaria lorquinaria. Had a couple of them here [Port Alberni] too last week.

Macaria lorquinaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Jeremy  Tatum writes:  On July 15 we showed a picture of a tiny second instar caterpillar of a Red Admiral.  Let us see what progress it has made just 12 days later on July 27:

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 July 28

    Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of Araneus diadematus from View Royal yesterday.

Araneus diadematus (Ara.:  Araneidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2022 July 27

    Jeff Gaskin writes:

     On July 25th Monday, Kirsten Mills and I drove along Nanaimo River Road looking specifically for Clodius Parnassians and by the 8th km mark we found just three.  You drive along the Island Highway until you come to the exit to Nanaimo River Road, which is just past the Nanaimo or Cassidy airport.  Then you drive for about 8 km and if you go past a street called Elk Trails Way you’ve just gone a bit too far.  This spot has been very reliable for us now as we’ve never been disappointed for the last 3 or 4 years we’ve gone there.

   Butterfliers are reminded to keep a lookout, too, for Parnassius smintheus, which as been suspected in recent years along the railway trail north of Cowichan Station.