August 9 morning

    Here are two further photographs (which I had overlooked earlier) from the Sunday August 5 Butterfly Walk, by Val George.   And thanks to Val for pointing out my misidentification (since corrected) of Aziza’s grasshopper (August 6 morning).

Trimeroptropis verruculata (Orth.: Acrididae)  Val George

“Western” Branded Skipper Hesperia comma colorado (Lep.: Hesperiidae)

Val George

   You never know what weirdos you might find walking on a downtown sidewalk in Victoria.  This is what Cheryl Hoyle found yesterday (and presumably photographed later in more natural surroundings):

Banded Alder Borer Rosalia funebris (Col.: Cerambycidae)   Cheryl Hoyle

   Aziza Cooper writes:  Yesterday, August 8, I found some Milkweed at the McTavish Park & Ride near the airport. It seems that the landscapers are planting “native” plants, but not necessarily local native plants.

   Although this is not an “invertebrate”, writes Jeremy Tatum, I thought it would be worthwhile to post the photograph, since it is obviously of interest to butterfly watchers, being the foodplant, of course, of the Milkweed butterfly.

Milkweed Asclepias sp.  (Gen.: Apocynaceae)  Aziza Cooper

August 8

   Kirsten Mills writes:  Yesterday, August 7, I saw a Lorquin’s Admiral at North Dairy and Shelbourne and another one at  Hunt and Sayward. I also saw a Western Tiger Swallowtail near Mattick’s farm.  I then went to McIntyre reservoir at 4 pm and I saw nine Purplish Coppers. I attach a photo of one.

    And today, August 8, Jeff Gaskin also saw one there.

Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Kirsten Mills

   Brenda Sopow sends a photograph of an uncommon moth she found at her house a couple of weeks ago.

Zale lunata (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Brenda Sopow

   Rosemary Jorna writes: . This seems to be my year for watching insects dining: a Pine White and a Flower Crab Spider.  Kemp Lake, August 8.  On a happier note there is a Western Tiger Swallowtail drifiting round our yard as well as 10 or so Woodland Skippers.

Crab Spider Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae)

Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae)

Rosemary Jorna

2018 August 7

   Annie Pang forwards a photograph of a snipe fly taken by Linda Wincey in Oak Bay, August 6.

Snipe fly   (Dip.:  Rhagionidae)  Linda Wincey

   Scott Gilmore writes from Upper Lantzville:  I had 3 Xanthochroina bicolor at my light last night. I have only seen this beetle once before so it was nice to find.

Xanthochroina bicolor (Col.: Oedemeridae)   Scott Gilmore

Xanthochroina bicolor (Col.: Oedemeridae)   Scott Gilmore

August 6, evening

    Rosemary Jorna sends two photographs of Diploschizia impigritella on Tansy, Kemp Lake, August 6.

Diploschizia impigritella (Lep.: Glyphipterigidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Diploschizia impigritella (Lep.: Glyphipterigidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr visited Charles Knighton’s You-Pic Flower Garden on Metchosin Road at the intersection with Witty Beach Road.  He writes: His flowers alone are well worth a visit.  But the butterflies!  The place is teeming with swarms of Woodland Skippers.  There are at least hundreds of them all over the flowers.

   Annie Pang photographed a moth at her back porch today.

Neoalcis californiaria Lep.: Geometridae)  Annie Pang

Colias Alert!

   Kirsten Mills writes: Yesterday August 5 I saw a sulphur fly by Island View Road a couple of hundred feet before you hit the beach.  By the time I stopped I only got another quick glance so I couldn’t determine species or take a photo. This morning August 6 at 7 am I saw a Woodland Skipper at Gonzales Point. I have never seen a butterfly that early in the morning. Also Jeff Gaskin and I saw a Western Tiger Swallowtail around 4 pm near Obed and Wascana. Here’s a photo of the Woodland Skipper.

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Kirsten Mills

August 6 morning

   Jeff Gaskin, Aziza Cooper and Jeremy Tatum write:  The results of the August 5 VNHS  Butterfly Walk – attended by about 10 people – are as follows  :   On Mount Tolmie we had a prolonged close view of an Anise Swallowtail flying around and perching on the Fennel.   Jeff saw a Lorquin’s Admiral and a Western Tiger Swallowtail on the way up the hill from Cedar Hill Cross Road.  Then we went to Island View Beach to look, unsuccessfully, for Purplish Coppers, but between Island View Beach and Saanichton Spit we saw the following :   3 Lorquin’s Admirals, 7 Woodland Skippers, 2 Cabbage Whites.  At Saanichton Spit we saw the following :   3 or more Woodland Skippers, at least 2 and maybe 3 Western Branded Skippers (our target species for the day), 3 Ringlets, 2 Cabbage Whites and 1 Lorquin’s Admiral.  Along the way back to our cars from Saanichton Spit we stopped to look at more of the ubiquitous Woodland Skippers, no one listening to Aziza who tried in vain to tell everyone that one of them wasn’t a Woodland Skipper.  Eventually she was vindicated when she took an excellent photograph of what proved to be a rather late Essex Skipper, for a total of eight species – an excellent number for a dry season.

   Here are some photographs from the trip, by Aziza Cooper and Gordon Hart.

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Aziza Cooper

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)   Gordon Hart

“Western” Branded Skipper Hesperia comma colorado (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Aziza Cooper

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Aziza Cooper

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

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Gordon Hart

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

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

Ringlet (Large Heath) Coenonympha tullia  (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae) Aziza Cooper

Grasshopper Trimeroptropis verruculata (Orth.: Acrididae)  Aziza Cooper

Fall Webworm Hyphantria cunea (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Gordon Hart

   Gerry and Wendy Ansell write:  There were quite a few Ringlets (Large Heaths) at Layritz Park yesterday (Aug 5).  It was difficult to determine numbers as they were flitting everywhere so you couldn’t tell if they were repeats or new.  I would guess a minimum of 12 and probably a lot more.

   Rosemary Jorna sends some photographs from the Kemp Lake area, August 5.  Thanks to Annie Pang and Lincoln Best for the bee identification.

Bombus melanopygus (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Rosemary Jorna

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae) Rosemary Jorna

Greenbottle Lucilia sericata (Dip.: Calliphoridae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr writes that he saw some Lorquin’s Admirals and Pine Whites while he was on the way to the Celebration of Life of Moralea Milne.  On the way, he took a picture or a Pine White in memory of Moralea:

Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae) Jochen Möhr