2024 August 27

  In yesterday’s posting, the first two of Marie O’Shaughnessy’s photographs showed typical resting positions of a pondhawk (on the ground) and other libellulids, (horizontally on a twig). Today, she shows the typical resting position of an aeshnid, hanging vertically, in this case a Blue-eyed Darner on July 27:

Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 August 26 evening

   Mike and Barbara McGrenere found and photographed a rather worn Painted Lady along the west side of the Island View Nursery on August 25.  This is close to where Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed one on the same day (see yesterday’s posting), but it is obviously a different individual.  It is good to know that there are still a few around.

Painted Lady  Vanessa cardui  (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Mike McGrenere

We haven’t yet seen any American Ladies here this year, but a few days ago, three American Ladies turned up at Swansea in South Wales.

Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed several dragon/damselflies at McIntyre reservoir on August 24.  She writes:
Dragonflies seen were …
1 Black Saddlebags
11 Blue Dashers
3 Blue-eyed Darners
1 Cardinal Meadowhawk
4 Western Pondhawks, 3 blue male and 1 green female
1 Paddle-tailed Darner
3 Tule Bluet damselfly

According to Dr Rob Cannings, libellulids ofter rest in a horizontal position;  pondhawks rest on the ground;  aeshnids rest in a vertically hanging position.  The first two of Marie’s photographs below show a libellulid and a pondhawk doing just what they are supposed to do.  Indeed, most of the photographs of the Cardinal Meadowhawk and the Western Pondhawk that have appeared on this site over the years have shown them behaving properly. Could someone please photograph an aeshnid hanging vertically, to complete the picture?

Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum illotum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis  (Odo.: Libellulidae)   Marie O’Shaughnessy

Below, a pair of Blue-eyed Darners Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae) in cop.
Above, a pair of Blue Dashers Pachydiplax longipennis (Odo.: Libellulidae) in cop.
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Tule Bluet  Enallagna carunculatum  (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 August 26 morning

No Invertebrate Alert was issued on August 25.

Marie O’Shaughnessy shows another photograph – this time a lateral view – of the grasshopper shown on August 24.  This enabled James Miskelly to identify it with certainty.   James writes:  This confirms that it’s Melanoplus sanguinipes.  If Marie or the readers are interested in identification notes, this is the only Melanoplus on Vancouver Island that has diagonal stripes on the outer face of the hind femurs.

Melanoplus sanguinipes  (Orth.: Acrididae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Marie writes that the butterflies at McIntyre Reservoir on the afternoon of August 25 were.

1 Painted Lady
4 Cabbage Whites
10 Woodland Skippers 

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Gordon Hart writes:  Here at home in the Highlands, on Sunday August 25 we saw a nice Black Saddlebags. It perched for a minute, so I was able to photograph it. It stayed a while hunting with a couple of Paddle-tailed Darners before disappearing. The only butterflies today were a Cabbage White and at least two Woodland Skippers.

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

2024 August 24

   No Invertebrate Alert was issued on August 23.

Marie O’Shaughnessy sends these five photographs from a trip up to Parksville /Nanaimo area Aug 22, 2024

Western Forktail Ischnura perparva  (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Spotted Spreadwing  Lestes congener  (Odo.: Lestidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)   Marie O’Shaughnessy

We thank James Miskelly, who writes, of the following two photographs:

The katydid is Conocephalus fasciatus and the grasshopper is a bit ambiguous. I think it’s Melanoplus sanguinipes but without a side view of the hind femora I can’t rule out M. femurrubrum. On Vancouver Island the latter species is only found in salt marsh habitat.

Conocephalus fasciatus  (Odo.: Tettigoniidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Melanoplus sanguinipes  (Odo.: Acrididae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

       But see further on the identification of this grasshopper on the August 26 posting.

2024 August 22 morning

   No Invertebrate Alert was issued on August 21.

Aziza Cooper sends a photograph of a Robin’s Pincushion, or Bedeguar, from Pedder Bay, August 20. This is a gall formed on a wild rose (usually on a nonnative species rather than on a Nootka Rose) by the larva of the gall wasp Diplolepis rosae.

Robin’s Pincushion Diplolepis rosae (Hym.: Cynipidae)  Aziza Cooper

Jeremy Tatum shows a caterpillar found on Gumweed at Esquimalt Lagoon, August 21.

Cucullia montanae  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum