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.

2021 July 2

 

2021 July 2

    Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Brachyloma rectifascia

1 Eupithecia sp.  

1 Furcula scolopendrina

4 Malacosoma californicum

 

Brachyloma rectifascia  (Lep.:  Noctuidae)   Jochen Möhr

Furcula scolopendrina Lep.: Notodontidae)   Jochen Möhr

Female Malacosoma californicum (Lep.: Lasiocampidae) Jochen Möhr

 

Rosemary Jorna sends pictures from Otter Point of a cicada and a beewolf  (not to be confused with Beowulf!).

Cicada Okanagana sp. (Hem.: Cicadidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Beewolf Philanthus crabroniformis (Hym.: Crabronidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Marie O’Shaughnessy sends a photograph of a male Polyphemus Moth found in a garden along Tudor Road, Ten Mile Point, on June 8

Antheraea polyphemus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

Here’s a caterpillar of a Vapourer  or Rusty Tussock moth from Swan Lake:

Rusty Tussock or Vapourer Orgyia antiqua (Lep.:  Erebidae – Lymantriinae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

July 1

2021 July 1

 

   Here’s a female Malacosoma disstria from Swan Lake:

 

Female Malacosoma disstria (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2021 June 30

2021 June 30

 

   Ron Flower sends pictures of a Bumble Bee at Goldstream Park and a pair of Sheep Moths at Uplands Park:

 

Bombus vosnesenskii  (Hym.: Apidae)  Ron Flower

 

Sheep Moths Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Ron Flower

 

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a snout moth Hypena californica:

 

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

 

   Aziza Cooper writes:  Today, June 30, one moth was over the entrance to the Swan Lake Nature House, and five or more Lorquin’s Admirals were along the trails. I also saw four Western Tiger Swallowtails and one Essex Skipper:

 

Female Malacosoma disstria (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)   Aziza Cooper

 

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

Butterfly Walk, Sunday July 4

Hello Butterfly Watchers,
We will be having a Butterfly Walk on Sunday, July 4 as described in the VNHS calendar. Covid-19 protocols now allow larger groups, but we should still be careful about physical distancing.
We will meet at the top of Mount Tolmie by the reservoir, at 1.00 p.m. You can park in the parking lot there, or in the large lot north of the summit. After a look around the summit, we will decide on a destination from there.
See you on Sunday,
Gordon
Gordon Hart,
Butterfly count coordinator
Victoria Natural History Society
Jeremy Tatum writes:  We are currently having computer problems that make it difficult for is to post photographs on this site.  We are working on the problem and will resume postings  as soon as we have solved the problem.

2021 June 29

2021 June 29

 

   Laurie Tomandl writes:  I just spotted this critter outside my back door in Cordova Bay, just sitting on the baking hot cement in our current 38 degree weather at 7pm.  Is it a British Emerald?

 

  Yes, writes Jeremy Tatum .   Although we do have native emeralds here, this one is indeed the Common Emerald from Britain or Europe.   In the immediate area around Victoria, it is the commonest emerald.  Goodness knows how they got here – but we do have several European moths in the area.

 

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Laurie Tomandl

 

   In addition to 11 Malacosoma californicum Jochen Möhr had the following moths at his Metchosin house this morning:

 

Idaea dimidiata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

 

 

Bellura obliqua (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae) Jochen Möhr

 

Raphia frater (Lep.:  Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr