2022 June 10

    Claire Ebendinger sends a photograph of a Cinnabar Moth from the Galloping Goose Trail at Matheson Lake, June 9.

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Claire Ebendinger

Ken Vaughan writes:  Here’s a Pale Tiger Swallowtail from Mount Tolmie. I spent more than two hours waiting for this chap to settle down, and it never did give me a truly good angle from which to photograph him.  A Western Tiger  Swallowtail flew by and the difference was obvious.

Pale  Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Ken Vaughan

Jeff Gaskin writes:  This morning, June 10, I saw some butterflies at the University of Victoria.  I saw my first of the year Pale Tiger Swallowtail, a very fresh Mourning Cloak, and one Western Tiger Swallowtail which still seem scarce this year.  Jeremy Tatum writes: I saw my second and third Western Tiger Swallowtails of the year today – one at Carey Road, Victoria, and one at Poplar Avenue, Saanich.

2022 June 8 morning

     Jeremy Tatum writes that yesterday, June 7, he saw his first swallowtail of the year – a Western Tiger Swallowtail  – at Carey Road, Victoria.   And at 5:00 p.m. there was a Red Admiral on the Mount Tolmie reservoir.  It was quite worn, and may be the same individual seen there on various dates since Val George’s photograph on May 8 (posted on May 9).

Aziza Cooper writes:  On June 7, at Mount Tolmie, I saw a Propertius Duskywing just north of Warbler Alley. A Large Yellow Underwing moth was in the grass nearby, and one bright yellow swallowtail flew by.  At Pedder Bay, there was one Western Spring Azure at the head of the inlet, and one Cinnabar Moth in the grassy parking lot.

Propertius Duskywing  Erynnis propertius (Lep.: Hesperiidae)   Aziza Cooper

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Aziza Cooper

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Aziza Cooper

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a caterpillar reared on Mahonia from an egg found at Munn Road:

Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 June 6 afternoon

    Jochen Möhr writes:   An exodus of a colony of what I only know as “Sugar Ants”.  They are exceedingly tiny, perhaps something like 3 mm long, they are very vivid, and they were running up one of the corners of the home we are in.  Many were carrying tiny white specs.  I think they were transporting their larvae to the new home.  

Ants carrying larvae (Hym.: Formicidae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 June 6 morning

    Val George sends a photograph of a young female Dot-tailed Whiteface at the Munn Road Ponds, June 1.   Thanks to Dr Rob Cannings for confirming Val’s identification.

Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia intacta (Odo.: Libellulidae)   Val George

Jeremy  Tatum sends a photograph of a micro moth reared from Armenian Blackberry, and identified by Libby Avis as Ditula angustiorana:

Ditula angustiorana (Lep.:  Tortricidae)  Jeremy Tatum

In spite of yesterday’s (June 5) wet weather, Gordon Hart saw a Pale Tiger Swallowtail in the Highlands during a brief sunny spell around mid-day.

2022 June 5

    Aziza Cooper sends a picture of a large crane fly in her Saanich apartment today:

Tipula pubera (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Aziza Cooper

   Ron Flower sends photographs of two moths from his Royal Oak home, June 3.

Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Ron Flower

Triphosa haesitata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ron Flower

  The sharp-eyed will see what looks like a bdelloid mite just above the midpoint of the leading edge of the righthand forewing.