2018 May 14

   Rosemary Jorna sends a picture of a Western Blood-red Lady Beetle from Kemp Lake.

Western Blood-red Lady Beetle Cycloneda polita (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Jochen Möhr  sends a picture of a Silver-spotted Tiger Moth caterpillar from Metchosin.

Silver-spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa argentata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

   Aziza Cooper writes: On May 13, I saw a Grey Hairstreak at Mount Tolmie summit. At 9am, I saw it on the lawn area between the summit rock and the reservoir. No photo. She sends photographs of two damselflies from Mcintyre Reservoir at 12:30 pm.  The first is a Pacific Forktail.  Rob Cannings tells us that the second is a Bluet, but it is a young individual with the colours hardly developed, so it is difficult to tell the exact species with confidence.

Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Aziza Cooper

Bluet Enallagma sp. (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Aziza Cooper

   Jeremy Tatum found the beetle below in Latoria Creek Park.  Scott Gilmore tells us that it is a “good one”, and is the Festive Click Beetle.

Festive Click Beetle Selatosomus festivus (Col.: Elateridae)  Jeremy Tatum

2018 May 13

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Today I saw a Moss’s Elfin in Gore Park, Central Saanich, and another one in Gowlland Tod Park.  At 6:00 p.m. there was some activity at the top of Mount Tolmie.  Nothing sitting on the top of the reservoir, but a Pale Tiger Swallowtail  and two Western Tiger Swallowtails flew overhead, an Anise Swallowtail was flying around the rocky summit, and a Painted Lady was flying around the Jeffery Pine.

  Had just written that, when the following came in from Val George – who reports more or less the same as me!  Val writes:  This afternoon, May 13, I saw my first Pale Swallowtail of the season on Mount Tolmie.  In fact, all three of our swallowtail species were there.  My total count was:  2 Pale Swallowtail, 2 Anise Swallowtail, 1 Western Tiger Swallowtail, 2 Painted Lady, 3 Cabbage White, several Western Spring Azure. 

   Jeremy continues:   Here is a caterpillar found on Indian Plum on Christmas Hill:

Aseptis binotata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Aziza Cooper sends another photograph of a Hoary  (“Zephyr”) Comma from the San Juan Ridge.  Note the sharp division of the underside of the wings into a dark basal area and a lighter terminal area.  Note also the V-shaped (rather than ear-shaped) comma mark.

Hoary Comma Polygonia gracilis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

May 13 morning

Aziza Cooper writes:  Yesterday, May 12, Moralea and I went to look for butterflies up the logging roads west of Jordan River. We had a brief view of a brown hairstreak in a willow, but could not positively identify it as Johnson’s. There were many commas (at least 30). Also there were one Mylitta Crescent, a Mourning Cloak, a Western Spring Azure, a Western Brown Elfin and a Two-banded Checkered (Grizzled) Skipper.

It was also lovely to see Avalanche Lily and Bog Laurel.

Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

Hoary (“Zephyr”) Comma Polygonia gracilis zephyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper

Hoary (“Zephyr”) Comma Polygonia gracilis zephyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The back door of my apartment building in Saanich at one time attracted a nice variety of moths.  Nowadays I rarely see anything but the occasional pug, which I despair to identify.

Unidentified pug Eupithecia sp. (Lep. Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

2018 May 12 evening

  Jeremy Tatum and Bill Savale went to the railway line north of Cowichan Station today.  Very few butterflies there, but we did see about four Margined Whites, a Satyr Comma and a Mylitta Crescent.

   The Herb Robert (on which the Margined White nectars) is only just starting.  The ditch by the side of the railway track is nearly dry, and what little water was in it seemed rather dirty and polluted.  There was no Narcissus (on which the Margined Whites oviposit) there, which does not augur well for the future of this butterfly there.  There was, however, lots of Hesperis matronalis, which does serve as an alternative larval foodplant (though some regard this plant as an undesirable invasive species).

  We saw three things there that are not invertebrates and therefore don’t strictly belong on this site, but I mention them for interest since they are not often seen in the immediate area of Victoria, namely, Wild Ginger,  California Tea, and Northwestern Toad.

  Nothing on the Mount Tolmie reservoir or around the Jeffery Pine at 6:45 this evening.

   Moralea Milne writes:  Excellent Moth Talk last night by the wonderful team of Libby and Rick Avis  – then this fabulous creature (photo below) turned up on my doorstep in Metchosin last night. Nothing like a photo of a moth to show that I need to do some painting! I shall send out an email with a list of moth resources later. Thank you for your continued interest in our natural world, and I hope your next few months, until our September 21st Talk and Walk (on vultures), supplies you with many opportunities to enjoy our native flora and fauna.

Ceanothus Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Moralea Milne

2018 May 12 morning

   Aziza Cooper writes:  Yesterday, May 11, I saw two Anise Swallowtails over the summit rocks at Mount Tolmie. They were chasing/ circling around each other, and didn’t stop.

  Nathan Fisk advises us that female Silvery Blues are now to be seen at the Colwood turn-off.   Eggs, which are easy to see, must soon follow.  Please do be careful, if you go to see these butterflies, not to overtrample the vegetation there.

 Various bumblebees are queuing up to show themselves here – we’ll get them up as soon as we are more sure of their identifications.