2024 July 15 morning

Jeremy Tatum photographed this Rough Prominent moth at his Saanich apartment this morning, July 15:

 Nadata gibbosa  (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Ian Cooper writes:  I’ve put together a selection of six subjects photographed by the Galloping Goose 9 km marker near Talcott Road in View Royal. Five were photographed on July 13, and one (the crane fly) was photographed on July 11.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  We thank Libby Avis for the identification of the moth below as Mesapamea secalis, a recently introduced moth from Europe.  This moth is highly variable in appearance, so it needed Libby’s skill and experience to identify it.  In Britain it is known as the Common Rustic.

Mesapamea secalis  (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Ian Cooper

Red Carpenter Ant – Camponotus vicinus (Hym.: Formicidae)  Ian Cooper

Arion rufus (Pul.: Arionidae)  Ian Cooper

Otiorhynchus singularis (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

Otiorhynchus singularis (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

Ground beetle – Pterostichus sp.  (Col.: Carabidae)  Ian Cooper

Probable crane fly  (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Ian Cooper

Probable crane fly  (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Ian Cooper

2024 July 14 evening

Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of a Lorquin’s Admiral.  Although it is in an identical pose to the one shown on July 13 morning, viewers will readily agree that they are different individuals.

Lorquin’s Admiral  Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum reports that today, July 14, at 5:30 pm, at the top of Mount Tolmie, there were two Painted Ladies flying over the road next to the Jeffrey Pine, and a Red Admiral on the reservoir.

Aziza Cooper writes: Today, July 14, at Cowichan Station there were:

Western Tiger Swallowtail – 1
Cabbage White – 5
Lorquin’s Admiral – 2
Woodland Skipper – 1
Essex Skipper – 3

I also went to Boas Road near Spectacle Lake, but I did not see any butterflies.

Female Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Aziza Cooper

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola  (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Aziza Cooper

Woodland Skipper  Ochlodes sylvanoides  (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Aziza Cooper

Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata  (Odo.:  Libellulidae) Aziza Cooper

Villa or Hemipenthes  sp. (Dip.: Bombyliidae)  Aziza Cooper

Marie O’Shaughnessy  counted the following at McIntyre reservoir, June 13:
2 Cardinal Meadowhawks
5 Western Pondhawks
1 Variegated  Meadowhark
5 Black Saddlebags
2 Blue-eyed Darners
3 Common Green Darners
Many Tule Bluets
Many Blue Dashers

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

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

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

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata  (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata  (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

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

2024 July 14 morning

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Within the Family Crambidae, there is a Subfamily Scopariinae, which includes two large genera Scoparia  and Eudonia of rather similar moths that are difficult to distinguish, and may need some more taxonomic work.  I photographed one of these this morning at my Saanich apartment.  It may be Eudonia echo; but then again, it might not be.

Eudonia sp. (possibly echo) (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Ian Cooper writes:  Here are some more recent photographs taken by the ^ E&N Trail and the # Galloping Goose Trail 9 km marker on July 10, 11 & 12.

^ Asian Lady Beetle – Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Ian Cooper

# Orb weaver spider – Araneus diadematus (Cross Orb-weaver)  (Ara.: Araneidae)
Ian Cooper

# Running crab spider – Philodromus sp. (Ara.: Philodromidae)  Ian Cooper

^ Psyllobora borealis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Ian Cooper

^ Blue-green Sharpshooter Leaf Hopper; Hordnia atropunctata (Hem.: Cicadellidae)
Ian Cooper

Yellowjacket wasp (Hem.: Vespidae) with Hordnia prey  Ian Cooper

Kirsten Mills writes:      Jeff Gaskin and I went to Mount Washington to look for butterflies we don’t normally see on the south part of the island.  We weren’t disappointed either.  At Paradise Meadows we saw at least 5 Western Meadow Fritillaries, 1 Mariposa Copper,  and several Anna’s Blues.  Then we took the chair lift up to the summit.  Right at the top we had 6 Great Arctics, 3 Hydaspe Fritillaries, 1 Persius Duskywing, several Anna’s Blues, and 1 probable Cedar Hairstreak. We also saw a Four-spotted Skimmer along the Strathcona Parkway and photos were taken of it too.

On July 13, I went to Swan Lake. I saw about 60 Blue Dashers, 7 Black Saddlebags, 1 Western Pondhawk, 8 Blue-eyed Darners, 1 Cardinal Meadowhawk, 1 Eight-spotted Skimmer, 1 Four-spotted Skimmer and 2 Common Green Darner.

Persius Duskywing  Erynnis persius  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Kirsten Mills

Cedar Hairstreak Callophrys gryneus  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Kirsten Mills

Great Arctic Oeneis nevadensis  (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Kirsten Mills

Anise Swallowtail  Papilio zelicaon  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Kirsten Mills

2024 July 13 evening

   Ian Cooper photographed this spider along the Galloping Goose trail on July 11:

Eratigena duellica  (Ara.: Agelenidae)  Ian Cooper

   Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed this Robber Fly at Swan Lake on July 12.  It was kindly identified for us by Dr Rob Cannings.

Laphria ventralis  (Dip.: Asilidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Marie spent a short time on Mount Tolmie this afternoon, July 13, and saw:
1 Cabbage White
1 Lorquin’s Admiral
1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail
1 Western Tiger Swallowtail

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Butterflies not yet reported to Invertebrate Alert this year:  Purplish Copper, Woodland Skipper, Pine White.

2024 July 13 morning

   Marie O’Shaughnessy spent an hour at Swan Lake on the morning of July 12, and she reports:

2 Lorquin’s Admirals and 1 Western Tiger Swallowtail
2 Black Saddlebags , 1 Common Green Darner, 2 Blue-eyed  Darners,
20 Blue Dashers,  and 1 Western Pondhawk perched nicely on a stick close to the ground near the parking lot.

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

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

Jochen Möhr sends photographs of a butterfly and a moth from his Metchosin property, July 12:

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jochen Möhr

Male Malacosoma californica  (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)  Jochen Möhr
[From 2024 we are following the ATC, which uses the -ca spelling for this species.]

Ian Cooper writes:  Here are some recent photos taken by the ^ E&N Trail in Esquimalt and the # Galloping Goose Trail 9km marker on July 11 & 12.

^ Leaf-cutter bee (Hym.: Megachilidae)   Ian Cooper

# Crane Fly  Tipula pubera (Dip.: Tipulidae)   Ian Cooper

# Mosquito – Culiseta incidens (Dip.: Culicidae)   Ian Cooper

  Otiorhynchus singularis  (Col.: Curculionidae)   Ian Cooper