2022 August 22

   Cheryl Hoyle sends pictures of a root-maggot fly and a grasshopper from View Royal, August 21:

Anthomyia procellaris (Dip.: Anthomyiidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Melanoplus sp. (Orth.: Acrididae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   It looks as though Jochen Möhr had a productive night last night in Metchosin:

Eulithis xylina (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Eulithis xylina (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   We shan’t attempt to identify the bug (although possibly Miridae) near the left-hand wing, still less the tiny hymenopteran near the leg!

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Cosmia praeacuta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Cosmia praeacuta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Elophila icciusalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes: The caterpillar of the above moth lives under water in ponds.  I think I’d try to pronounce the beginning of its species name something like “icksy”.

Udea profundalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The other little moth might be a tortricid and the bug might be a mirid.  Beyond that, we shan’t go!

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Dargida procinctus (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 August 21

    Jochen Möhr sends pictures of a moth and a mayfly from Metchosin:

Habrosyne scripta (Drepanidae – Thyasirinae)  Jochen Möhr

Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) Jochen Möhs

2022 August 20

   Jeremy Tatm writes:  The young hawk moth caterpillar shown on August 15 is now in its next instar:

Smerinthis ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Jeremy Tatum

The exuviae (cast skins) of dragonfly nymphs can often be found clinging to vegetation at the edge of a pond.  Viewers are asked to look out for these, and to save any that they find.  It would be particularly interesting to look around the edge of McIntyre reservoir, where Black Saddlebags are so common, though I don’t know how you’d get down to the edge without disturbing shorebirds, etc.   There are other places, though, where Saddlebags are being seen.  Definite proof of breeding of the Black Saddlebags in British Columbia is still lacking.  Finding exuviae of a nymph would surely be proof.

Jochen Möhr sends photographs of three moths from Metchosin this morning:

Xestia xanthographa (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Cosmia praeacuta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Udea profondalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 August 19

    Cheryl Hoyle sends two photographs from View Royal, August 18.  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying the moth as a recent introduction from Europe.

Mesapamea secalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Male Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of Pero sp. from Metchosin this morning.   This is a difficult genus, but at present it seems most closely to resemble P. mizon.

Pero mizon (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Rosemay Jorna sends photographs of a Pacific Spiketail  from Sooke Potholes Regional Park today.  It will be noticed that this one has blue eyes, whereas Ron Flower’s one, shown on August 15, had brown eyes.  We think that the blue-eyed one is a male, and the brown-eyed one is a female.

Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis (Odo.: Cordulegastridae)  Rosemary Jorna

Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis (Odo.: Cordulegastridae)

 Rosemary Jorna

Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis (Odo.: Cordulegastridae)  Rosemary Jorna

Jeremy Tatum reports that he saw a Western Tiger Swallowtail along Royal Oak Drive today.

Can other viewers pass this date, please?

2022 August 18  evening

     A plea from Jeremy Tatum:  Please, if you spot a mistake of any sort in any of the Invert Alert postings, please do not be shy about letting me know.  I just discovered a mistake (now corrected) in my spelling of the scientific name of the Pine White – I’m sure someone must have noticed!

    We are approaching the end of the butterfly season, though not quite there yet.  Swallowtails are beginning to become scarce, so it is worthwhile reporting any of these so that we can document the last dates.   There will still be Lorquin’s Admirals, Pine Whites, Cabbage Whites, Woodland Skippers around, and we may see a few late-season butterflies such as Red Admirals and Orange Sulphurs.  So keep reporting all butterfly sightings.

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  I saw a rather late Western Tiger Swallowtail this morning, August 18, just behind Tillicum Mall.  Lorquin’s Admirals are also still around as one was there and another in a backyard in the Burnside/Gorge neighbourhood.