2024 July 17

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of Macaria lorquinaria from Metchosin, almost a year to the day from when he sent another one of this species, and Spilosoma virginica.

Macaria loquinaria  (Lep.:  Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr)

Spilosoma virginica  (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Spilosoma virginica  (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Aziza Cooper writes: Here are two moths seen yesterday, July 16, at my home in Saanich

Large Yellow Underwing  Noctua pronuba   (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Aziza Cooper

Large Tabby Aglossa pinguinalis  (Lep.: Pyralidae)  Aziza Cooper

  This moth is an unusually interesting one. It is a first for Invertebrate Alert, and was identified for us by Libby Avis.  Originally from Europe, it has long been found in North America.  Descriptions of its caterpillar on the Web vary slightly (I would think that not a huge number of people have seen, let alone reared, one), but it is supposed to occur in caves and sheds, and feed upon straw, chaff and animal dung.  Some sites say animal fat, and at least one says fat of cadavers.

2024 July 16

   This harvestman was photographed by Ian Cooper a few days ago.  Not certain of exact species.

Harvestman (Opiliones)     Ian Cooper

Val George writes:  These two moths were on the wall of my Oak Bay house yesterday morning, July 15:

Idaea dimidiata  (Lep.: Geometridae)   Val George

Drepanulatrix secundaria / monicaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

Libby Avis sends a photograph of a moth that came to her moth light in Port Alberni on July 13.  This is a new one for Invertebrate Alert, and Libby has seen it in Port Alberni only twice before, in 2011 and 2018.

Setagrotis pallidicollis  (Lep.:  Noctuidae)  Libby Avis

Marie O’Shaughnessy was at Swan Lake at noon yesterday and found only  4 Lorquin’s Admirals, 1 Cabbage White, and 1 Western Tiger Swallowtail.  A quick stop by Mount Tolmie at 3.40 pm revealed one Pale Tiger Swallowtail, and one aggressive  Lorquin’s  Admiral  that went after the Pale every time it tried to perch.

Pale Tiger Swallowtail  Pterourus eurymedon  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Lorquin’s Admiral  Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 July 15 evening

Ian Cooper took multiple photographs of a hymenopterous insect spotted on fennel growing near the E&N trail in Esquimalt on July 14.  From a successful search on the Web, Ian finds that it is a hymenopterous parasitoid in the Family Ichneumonidae,  Subfamily Triphoninae, Tribe Exenterini.

Ichneumon wasp (Hym.: Ichneumonidae – Tryphoninae – Exenterini)  Ian Cooper

Ichneumon wasp (Hym.: Ichneumonidae – Tryphoninae – Exenterini)  Ian Cooper

Ichneumon wasp (Hym.: Ichneumonidae – Tryphoninae – Exenterini)  Ian Cooper

I don’t know how to predict what sort of a night is likely to be a good moth night.   Some people can predict when, but I don’t know how often they are right.  There have not been many moths at the Swan Lake Nature House this year – but this morning, July 16, there was a goodly number of moths there.  Ten or so, all different.   Needless to say, I didn’t have my camera with me. Later, I took my camera and tripod to the Goldstream Nature House – there was not a single moth there.   On the way back, I stopped at Swan Lake, but by that time only a single moth (shown below) was within tripod reach.  I have never found the caterpillar – it is supposed to feed on lichens or algae (not sure which) on tree trunks.  Anyway, it might be fruitful for moth photographers to pay a visit to Swan Lake in the mornings in the next few days.

Clemensia umbrata  (Erebidae – Arctiinae – Lithosiini) Jeremy Tatum

Missing Butterflies: Still missing this year –  Purplish Copper,  Margined White, Pine White.  Aziza Cooper saw a Woodland Skipper at Cowichan Station on July 14.  That is within the area covered by the annual butterfly report that Jeremy Tatum compiles from Invert Alert, so it is not technically “missing”.  Yet that is still the only one reported from the area, and there have been none from immediately around Victoria.

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