Invertebrate Alert – Page 32 – Victoria Natural History Society

2024 July 4 afternoon

2024 July 4 afternoon

On July 3, Marie O’Shaughnessy counted the following dragonflies at Swan Lake,

1 Western Pondhawk
14 Blue Dashers
2 Eight-spotted Skimmers
2 Cardinal Meadowhawks
1 Common Green Darner
2 Blue-eyed Darners

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

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

and the following at McIntyre reservoir:

1 Common Green Darner
7 Blue Dashers
2 Variegated Meadowhawk
3 Cardinal Meadowhawks
3 Blue-eyed Darners
8 Eight-spotted Skimmers
25 Tule Bluets in tandem. Probably many more.

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

Common Green Darner Anax junius (Odo.: Aeshnidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

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

In several localities, Marie saw Tiger Swallowtails, Lorquin’s Admirals, Essex Skippers and 26 Cabbage Whites.

Here is a batch from Ian Cooper. All were taken in View Royal by the Galloping Goose Trail near Talcott Road, beginning shortly before dusk and into the evening, July 3.

Does anyone know what this is? Please let us know. Ian Cooper

Dyslobus sp. (possibly decoratus) (Col.: Curculionidae) Ian Cooper

Ground beetle – identification uncertain (Col.: Carabidae) Ian Cooper

Ladybird beetle pupa (Col.: Coccinellidae) Ian Cooper

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

Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae) Ian Cooper

This large crane fly (the leaf is a small portion of a leaf of a Bigleaf Maple Acer macrophyllum was photographed by Ian Cooper along the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal, July 2, evening after dusk.

Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae) Ian Cooper

Jochen Möhr photographed the moth below at his Metchosin house yesterday morning, July 3. It is evidently quite an uncommon moth here, identified by Libby Avis as Apamea cuculliformis. It has appeared on Invertebrate Alert only once before – in Victoria on 2015 May 20. Libby has seen it only twice in Port Alberni in 2008 and 2009, and she tells us that iNaturalist has only seven sightings for BC and none are from the Victoria area.

Apamea cuculliformis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Aziza Cooper writes: On July 3, I found at least six Clodius Parnassians along Nanaimo River Road near Elk Trails Road. Most of them were east of Elk Trails Road, and two were north up Elk Trails Road. They were constantly moving and only one stopped briefly for a photo. At the same location were two Western Tiger Swallowtails, four Lorquin’s Admirals, one Anise Swallowtail and one Cabbage White. There was one red-brown skipper which did not stop for a photo. At the Pipeline Trail there was a very worn butterfly, presumably a Cedar Hairstreak.

Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius (Lep.: Papilionidae) Aziza Cooper

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

Cedar Hairstreak Callophrys gryneus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Aziza Cooper

2024 July 3 afternoon

2024 July 3 afternoon

Val George writes: This rather worn Grey Hairstreak was at the summit of Mount Douglas yesterday afternoon July 2. Jeremy Tatum writes: This is the first report in Invert Alert of a Grey Hairstreak this year. Purplish Copper yet to come.

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Val George

Here are some photographs by Ian Cooper: All pictures from Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal, July 2nd, evening after dusk.

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae) Ian Cooper

Ian writes: Enoplognatha ovata are currently abundant, but sightings of the red ‘candy stripe’ variant have been infrequent.

Believed to be Anyphaena aperta (Ara.: Anyphaenidae) Ian Cooper

Ian writes: Took a while to pin down the identification for this one! I knew I’d seen this species before, and that we had published it on Invert a couple of years ago, [2022 October 22 morning] but its name escaped me. It’s reminiscent of a crab spider (no web, just waits to ambush passing prey [but the 2022 photograph appears to show some webbing]) but it isn’t a crab spider. It’s been referred to as a ‘sac’ spider, but I’m not sure if that term is still used.

Brown Lacewing (Neu.: Hemerobiidae) Ian Cooper

Crane fly – (Dip.: Tipulidae) Ian Cooper

Ian writes: I saw a few of these crane flies actively laying their eggs in various locations by the trail, including in a tree’s moss.

Western Black Carpenter Ant – Camponotus modoc (Hym.: Formicidae)
Ian Cooper

2024 July 3 morning

2024 July 3 morning

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:
I went for an hour’s meander into Uplands Park July 2 and found

more than 30 Essex Skippers
3 Sheep Moths
2 Cabbage Whites
1 Lorquin’s Admiral

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Marie continues: At McIntyre reservoir, July 1st afternoon:

2 Common Green Darners
6 Blue Dashers
5 Eight-spotted Skimmers
3 Cardinal Meadowhawks
4 Variegated Meadowhawks
3 Blue-eyed Darners
I saw only 2 Cabbage White Butterflies

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

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

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

2024 July 2 evening

2024 July 2 evening

Ian Cooper writes: Here are some of the photos taken at dusk by the Galloping Goose trail on June 30 2024.

Unidentified linyphiid spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae) Ian Cooper

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae) Ian Cooper

Non-biting midge (male) (Dip.: Chironomidae) Ian Cooper

The next two photographs show a gracillariid moth of the genus Caloptilia. Jeremy Tatum writes: Although I have not been able to determine the species, it does seem to bear a close resemblance to the very appropriately named Caloptilia nondeterminata, which is most likely what it is.

Caloptilia (possibly nondeterminata) (Lep. Gracillariidae) Ian Cooper

Here are two photographs by Aziza Cooper of the Milbert’s Tortoiseshell reported by Aziza from Swan Lake on the June 30 afternoon posting.

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Aglais milberti (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper

And today, July 2, Aziza writes: At Maber Flats there was a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell next to the road. Another butterfly flew past, possibly a second Milbert’s. There was also one Cabbage White.