INVERTEBRATE ALERT
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

2024 August 31 evening

2024 August 31 evening

Gordon Hart writes: At Whiffin Spit today, Anne-Marie and I finally spotted something other than a Cabbage White. It was “only” a Painted Lady, not the American Lady, but still nice to see. It was nectaring on Sea Rocket. Interesting that the Cabbage Whites seemed to prefer the yellow Gumweed flowers, but the Painted Lady went from plant to plant of the Sea Rocket.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

2024 August 31 morning

2024 August 31 morning

No Invertebrate Alert was issued on August 30.

The Monthly Butterfly Walk will take place tomorrow, starting at 1:00 pm on top of Mount Tolmie. For the formal announcement and other details, see the Invert Alert posting for August 29 evening.  All welcome.

Richard Rycraft writes: I saw a couple of Woodland Skippers yesterday afternoon feeding on the Lavender in my Oak Bay garden..  I used to see many, but local development has reduced the wild grass areas that used to be nearby.  Plus the usual Cabbage Whites.

Many viewers, I suspect, writes Jeremy Tatum, will have observed that Lavender seems to have a special nectaring attraction for Woodland Skippers.  The caterpillar feeds on grasses – hence Richard’s reference to the lost grass areas.

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Richard Rycraft

 

Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a moth from his Saanich apartment this morning.  This one, the Square-spot Rustic, like the Large and Lesser Yellow Underwings¸ is a European moth that has somehow established itself here.

Xestia xanthographa  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

 

 

 

2024 August 29 evening

2024 August 29 evening

Monthly Butterfly Walk  Sunday September 1

Join us on our monthly Butterfly Walk. Each outing is intended to help us learn more about local butterflies. This field trip is weather-dependent as it needs to be sunny and warm to make it worthwhile. We start at the top of Mount Tolmie (off Cedar Hill Cross Road). Meet at 1 p.m. in the lot by the reservoir where we will have an initial look for butterflies and then decide where to go from there. Car-pooling is encouraged. We try to return by 4 p.m. Cancellations or special instructions will be posted on the Invertebrate Alert ( https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?cat=8 ) or the calendar (https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?page_id=1518 ) closer to the date. Contact Gordon Hart at 250-721-1264 or butterflies@vicnhs.bc.ca for more information.

Butterflies seem to be relatively few at present.  However, this time of year is the time for the possibility of seeing some exciting migratory butterfly, such as a sulphur or a lady.  In any case, there are still quite a lot of dragonflies and damselflies around, so we can make this a combined trip to see and identify butterflies and dragonflies.  It will probably be a good idea to select as our destination somewhere where there be dragons.

 

Aziza Cooper writes:  Today, August 29, at Cowichan Station, there were four Margined Whites, two Cabbage Whites, one Woodland Skipper and a brief look at a possible Mylitta Crescent.

 

Margined White  Pieris marginalis  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Aziza Cooper

Margined White  Pieris marginalis  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Aziza Cooper

2024 August 29 morning

2024 August 29 morning

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  This moth flew into my living room in Saanich last night:

Lesser Yellow Underwing  Noctua comes  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed a Variegated Meadowhawk at Cattle Point on August 28

Variegated Meadowhawk  Sympetrum corruptum   (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

2024 August 28

2024 August 28

   Aziza Cooper writes, on August 27:  Here is a dragonfly seen on August 27 along Nelthorpe Avenue, next to Swan Lake. I also saw eight Woodland Skippers.   Thanks to Dr Rob Cannings for identifying the dragonfly as Sympetrum pallipes.

Striped Meadowhawk  Sympetrum pallipes  (Odo.: Libellulidae)   Aziza Cooper

 

Today, August 28, Aziza writes:  Today, at Whiffin Spit, there were six Cabbage Whites and three Woodland Skippers. Here are a few other insects:

Carolina Grasshopper  Dissosteira carolina  (Orth.:  Acrididae)  Aziza Cooper

Drone Fly  Eristalis tenax  (Dip.:  Syrphidae)  Aziza Cooper

Honey Bee Apis mellifera  (Hym.: Apidae)  Aziza Cooper