2024 June 22 morning

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes from Swan Lake, June 21:

Dragonflies were out this morning:

11 Blue Dashers
1 Cardinal Meadowhawk.
2 Blue-eyed Darners
3 Common Green Darners

Butterflies seen were

2 Lorquin’s Admirals
2 Western Tiger Swallowtails
1 Cabbage White

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

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

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

At Uplands Park on June 21, Marie saw at least nine Essex Skippers¸ as well as two Cabbage Whites  and three Sheep Moths.

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

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

Cabbage White Pieris rapae   (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Val George photographed this pair of Common Green Darners at McIntyre Reservoir, June 21.

 Common Green Darners  Anax junius   (Odo.: Aeshnidae)   Val George

2024 June 21  evening

   Another miscellany of invertebrates from Ian Cooper.  Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying the long-horned beetle in the first three photographs below.

Xestoleptura behrensii (Col.: Cerambycidae – Lepturinae)  Ian Cooper

Xestoleptura behrensii (Col.: Cerambycidae – Lepturinae)  Ian Cooper

Xestoleptura behrensii (Col.: Cerambycidae – Lepturinae)  Ian Cooper

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

Female Running Crab Spider – Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae)
preying on an Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)
Ian Cooper

Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)   Ian Cooper

Unidentified tortricid moth (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Ian Cooper

Val George writes:   This Anise Swallowtail was at the Mount Douglas summit yesterday, June 20. Also there were three Pale Tiger Swallowtails and a Painted Lady.

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Val George

Gordon Hart writes:  This morning at Maber Flats some of our birding group noticed a number of butterflies – several Cabbage Whites, my first of the year Essex Skipper, and a Western Tiger Swallowtail.

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Pterourus rutulus  (Lep.: Papilionidae)   Gordon Hart

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

Jeff Gaskin writes:   Here is the list of butterflies and dragonflies that Kirsten Mills and I saw today, June 21.   First of all, after 2:30 p.m. we went to McIntyre reservoir where we saw at least 10 Tule Bluets and the odd Pacific Forktail.  The dragonflies included the following  :   3 Cardinal and 2 Variegated Meadowhawks,  1 Blue-eyed and 3 Common Green Darners, 1 Western Pondhawk,  1 Blue Dasher, and 3 Eight-spotted Skimmers.

Then at 4:15 p.m.  we went to the 7500 block of West Saanich Road to a field of daisies next to a cemetery where we saw 2 Field Crescents and up to 8 European (Essex) Skippers.  Finally, after 5:15 p.m. we went to Mount Tolmie where at the concrete reservoir there was a Painted Lady and 2 Red Admirals.  Nearby there were a Western Tiger Swallowtail and a Lorquin’s Admiral.

More tomorrow morning…!

2024 June 21 morning

  Aziza Cooper writes:  Yesterday, June 20, at the railroad tracks near Goldstream campground there were:

Western Spring Azure – 2
Blue sp. – 2
Cedar Hairstreak – 10+
Pale Tiger Swallowtail – 1
Satyr Comma – 1

 Satyr Comma  Polygonia satyrus   (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

Satyr Comma  Polygonia satyrus   (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Aziza Cooper

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

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes from Mount Tolmie reservoir at 4.30pm June 20:
2 Cabbage Whites
3 Pale Tiger Swallowtails
2 Western Tiger Swallowtails
3 Lorquin’s Admirals that were very aggressively chasing a Swallowtail.
1 Painted Lady flying around.

These butterflies were very active during my visit of 20 mins.

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Pterourus rutulus  (Lep.: Papilionidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

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

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

Marie photographed these two Common Green Darners at McIntyre reservoir, June 18.  There were four of this species there, as well as a Cardinal Meadowhawk.

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

2024 June 20 evening

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Today, June 20, I found my first of year European (Essex) Skippers.  At least five were at Panama Flats on the north west side.  Also, there were two Common Green Darners and one Lorquin’s Admiral.  A Western Tiger Swallowtail was on Wascana Street.

Jeremy Tatum writes that, at 6:45 pm on the top of Mount Tolmie, there was a Red Admiral sunning itself on one of the white spots on the surface of the reservoir, a Western Tiger Swallowtail was nectaring on the Philadelphus, and a Painted Lady was flying around the Jeffrey Pine.