2018 May 22

   Jody Wells sends photographs of dragonflies from Welch Road (Martindale Flats, Central Saanich).

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

   Kirsten Mills sends a photograph of a Cedar Hairstreak Gordon and Anne-Marie Hart’s Highlands property.

Cedar Hairstreak Mitoura rosneri (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Kirsten Mills

  Jeff Gaskin  writes:  Today, May 22, I found the  following Ringlets :  4 at Quick’s Bottom,74 at Layritz Park, and 9 at the Horticultural Center/Viaduct flats. That’s a total of 87 –  quite a number , hey Jeremy.

   More in the queue – whenever I can squeeze some time away from the conference.  Patience!

2018 May 21 evening

    More Möhr moths from Metchosin:

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Gluphisia severa (Lep.: Notodontidae) Jochen Möhr

Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae) Jochen Möhr

Selenia alciphearia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   The West Coast form of the following spectacular hawk moth is treated by some authorities as a separate species Smerinthus ophthalmica.  Here, for better or worse, I retain the name Smerinthus cerisyi.

Smerinthus cerisyi (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Jochen Möhr

Smerinthus cerisyi (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Jochen Möhr

  On the butterfly front, Gordon Hart, just back from a visit to Ontario, reports that he has Cedar Hairstreaks, Western Spring Azures, Green Comma and Pale Tiger Swallowtails in his Highlands yard.

   Ron Flower sends photographs of a Silvery Blue from the Colwood turn-off, and a Satyr Comma from Goldstream Park, May 17.  Satyr Commas, formerly common, have become quite rare in  the last two years, so it is reassuring to know that there are still a few about.

Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ron Flower

Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ron Flower

Male Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower

Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower

2018 May 21 morning

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  From Tuesday until Saturday inclusive this week I shall be heavily involved with the Canadian Astronomical Society meeting in Victoria.  Consequently there may be some delays in posting Invert Alert contributions.  By all means continue to submit your observations and photographs, though it would be helpful if photographers would, during these few days, concentrate their attention on the less frequently photographed species.  Thank you.

   Erratum:  In the posting of May 20 evening, I had incorrectly labelled a snakefly.  This has now been corrected.

    On May 19 Andrew Simon photographed a jumping spider on Galiano Island.  We are thankful to Sean McCann for confirming its identification as Metaphidippus manni.

Metaphidippus manni (Ara.: Salticidae) Andrew Simon

Metaphidippus manni (Ara.: Salticidae) Andrew Simon

   Here are some moths photographed by Jochen Möhr in Metchosin, and identified for us by Libby Avis.

Pero behrensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Pero (probably behrensaria)  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

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

Hydriomena (californiata or marinata)(Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Plagodis pulveraria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

More in the queue this evening…

2018 May 20 evening

   Andrew Simon and Scott and Sable Gilmore, while conducting a mini bioblitz on Galiano Island yesterday, came across two snakeflies.  We are grateful to Chris Ratzlaff of the Spencer Entomological Museum for identifying them as Agulla assimilis.  Dr Ratzlaff remarks: “The pale scape (instead of black) and the long pterostigma are key characteristics of this species. Second most common in BC (first is adnixa)”

The one with the long ovipositor is a female.   The other is a male.

Male snakefly Agulla assimilis (Raph.:  Raphidiidae)  Andrew Simon

Female snakefly Agulla assimilis (Raph.:  Raphidiidae)  Andrew Simon

Female snakefly Agulla assimilis (Raph.:  Raphidiidae)  Andrew Simon

Female snakefly

 Agulla assimilis (Raph.:  Raphidiidae)

  Andrew Simon

    Jeremy Tatum writes:   Today, at Munn  Road, Bill Savale and I saw our first Lorquin’s Admiral of the year.

Also there were a few Moss’s Elfins and Cedar Hairstreaks.

More in the queue for tomorrow…

2018 May 20 morning

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  From Tuesday until Saturday inclusive this week I shall be heavily involved with the Canadian Astronomical Society meeting in Victoria.  Consequently there may be some delays in posting Invert Alert contributions.  By all means continue to submit your observations and photographs, though it would be helpful if photographers would, during these few days, concentrate their attention on the less frequently photographed species.  Thank you.

   Jeremy Tatum sends three photographs all from Saanich yesterday.  Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying the beetle.   The white moth is the adult of the well-known Yellow Woolly Bear caterpillar.

Stag beetle  Platycerus oregonensis (Col,: Lucanidae)    Jeremy Tatum

Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jeremy Tatum

 

Spilosoma virginica (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Andrew Simon together with Scott and Sable Gilmore conducted a mini bioblitz in Bluffs Park, Galiano Island, BC, Saturday May 19, 2018.  They came across this geometrid caterpillar:

Protoboarmia porcelaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Andrew Simon

   Annie Pang sends photographs of a Cabbage White butterfly¸ and a Narcissus Bulb Fly.

Male Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)   Annie Pang

Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon equestris  (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Annie Pang