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

2024 August 20 morning

No Invertebrate Alert was issued on August 19.

But we start off today with two nice moths seen and photographed yesterday by Val George, Catocala relicta on the Blenkinsop Trail near the lake,  Cyclophora dataria on the wall of his Oak Bay house.

Catocala relicta  (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Val George

Cyclophora dataria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

2024 August 18

Val George writes:  This Dichagyris variabilis moth was at the Nanaimo River Road yesterday, August 17. The only butterflies I saw were two Common Woodnymphs and about half a dozen Woodland Skippers.

Dichagyris variabilis  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Val George

Marie O’Shaughnessy visited Outerbridge Park on the morning of August 18, where she saw

Butterflies

  4 Cabbage Whites
1 Lorquin’s Admiral
11 Woodland Skippers

Dragonflies

3  Striped Meadowhawks
4 Paddle-tailed Darners
1 Black Saddlebags
3 pairs of damselflies (bluets?)  in copula

She sent photographs of Striped Meadowhawks:

Striped Meadowhawk  Sympetrum pallipes  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 Striped Meadowhawk  Sympetrum pallipes  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 August 17

   Aziza Cooper writes that on August 16 at 6 pm, there were two Painted Ladies at Mount Douglas summit.   And Jeremy Tatum writes that on August 17 at 5:30 pm, there were two Red Admirals chasing each other around the Mount Tolmie reservoir, and occasionally landing on one or other of the white patches on the reservoir.

Painted Lady  Vanessa cardui  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

   Jeremy Tatum writes that on August 16 there were dozens and dozens of Woodland Skippers  at Rithet’s Bog.