2018 May 7 morning

    Eleven butterfly enthusiasts took part in the Victoria Natural History Society’s May Butterfly Walk yesterday, led by Gordon Hart.  As usual we met at Mount Tolmie to discuss where to go.  While there, Aziza Cooper managed to photograph a Western Brown Elfin.  From there we went to the area around the Pike Lake substation on Munn Road.  There were lots and lots of Western Spring Azures, many of them mud-puddling.  Also seen were several Sara Orangetips.  These were the only two butterfly species seen there, though we also noted a few dragonflies, and a day-flying geometrid moth kindly identified for us by Libby Avis as Lomographa semiclarata.  From there we were all invited to Gordon and Anne-Marie’s wonderful property in the Highlands, where Anne-Marie served us all delicious food, and we all had good views of a Green Comma.  Finally back to Mount Tolmie, where a hill-topping California Tortoiseshell awaited us on the reservoir.

Western Brown Elfin Incisalia iroides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Aziza Cooper

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

Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

   Thanks to Rob Cannings for identifying the next one as an immature Dot-tailed Whiteface.  A  hint of the white face can be seen on Aziza’s photograph.

Immature female Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia intacta (Odo.: Libellulidae)      Aziza Cooper

Immature female Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia intacta (Odo.: Libellulidae)    Gordon Hart

Lomographa semiclarata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Aziza Cooper

Lomographa semiclarata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

        From up-Island we have a photograph of a Sara  Orangetip from Little Mountain, Errington, photographed by Sheryl Falls.

Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara (Lep.: Pi eridae)  Sheryl Falls

2018 May 6

   Kirsten Mills writes that there were two California Tortoiseshells and a Propertius Duskywing on the summit of Mount Douglas yesterday evening.

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Kirsten Mills

   Kirsten also writes that this afternoon, between 2:00 and 2:30 pm, there were two Anise Swallowtails on Mount Douglas between the top parking lot and the summit. Also two Propertius Duskywings and three Sara Orangetips.

   Aziza Cooper writes: Yesterday, May 5, I saw three Silvery Blues at the lupins along the Galloping Goose trail near the beginning of Sooke Road at Island Highway.

   Annie Pang writes:  I finally sighted a White Ribbon Carpet Moth Mesoleuca gratulata at Gorge Park, Victoria, BC, yesterday, May 5, 2018.  Had to run all over the park to get the moth to land, and even then it didn’t stay still for long before it was off again.  It took several tries and this was the best I could get.  [Pretty good, I’d say – Jeremy Tatum]

Mesoleuca gratulata (Lep.: Geometridae)   Annie Pang

  Jody Wells sends a picture of a “fly with a long drinking straw” from near the summit at Oak Haven Park,Brentwood Bay.  Jeremy Tatum says that as long as it isn’t a plastic drinking straw, that’s OK.

Bee fly Bombylius major (Dip.: Bombyliidae)  Jody Wells

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is a moth reared from a caterpillar from Blenkinsop Lake and released there this morning:

Aseptis adnixa ( Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

    Jeremy Tatum writes that during a walk along the Panhandler Tail off Munn Road this morning, he saw several Western Spring Azures and Sara Orangetips, a Propertius Duskywing, a Western Tiger Swallowtail and a Green Comma which kept landing on his jacket.  Also several of the usual spring day-flying geometrid moths: Mesoleuca gratulata, Epirrhoe plebeculata, one Rheumaptera hastata, and two Leptostales rubromarginaria.

   The VNHS had its monthly Butterfly Walk for May this afternoon.  We hope to give a report tomorrow morning.

2018 May 5 evening

MAY BUTTERFLY WALK

 Jeremy Tatum writes:  My sincere apologies to all who were inconvenienced by the mistakes in this morning’s posting.  First, it gave the date as May 6, and then it said that the May Butterfly Walk was today.  I do apologize for this.  I was having computer problems and I got everything mixed up while I was struggling.

 Anyway the May Butterfly Walk is on Sunday May 6.  Meet at top of Mount Tolmie, 1:00 pm.

   Today, Jeff  Gaskin saw two Western Brown Elfins on Gorge Road, and this evening at about 6:30 pm Jeff  Gaskin and Kirsten Mills saw two California Tortoiseshells and a Propertius Duskywing on or near the Mount Tolmie reservoir.

  Jeremy Tatum reports many Western Spring Azures , a few Sara Orangetips, and a Western Brown Elfin on the Panhandler Trail off Munn Road. 

   Gordon Hart writes:  Today we had 20+ Western Spring Azures, a few Cabbage Whites, a couple of Green Commas, and the first Western Brown Elfin of the year for our yard in the Highlands.

  Val George saw three Anise Swallowtails on Mount Douglas today.  Here is a photograph of one:

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

2018 May 5 morning

   Reminder:  Monthly Butterfly Walk, top of Mount Tolmie, tomorrow, 1:00 pm.  All welcome.

   A Western Brown Elfin from Mill Hill photographed by Nathan Fisk:

Western Brown Elfin Incisalia iroides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Nathan Fisk

   And two moths from Rithet’s Bog, photographed by Jeremy Tatum:

Euceratia castella (Lep.: Plutellidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Peppered Moth Biston betularia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

2018 May 4 evening

   Jeremy Tatum writes:

   Only one observation reported this evening – namely that a Red Admiral was again on the Mount Tolmie reservoir, at about 6:30 pm.  No California Tortoiseshell seen there this evening.

   No further observations this evening, but a nomenclatural problem has arisen.  Viewers will have noticed that on this site I list the elfins in the genus Incisalia.  From time to time, someone will point out to me that the genus “should be” Callophrys and that Incisalia is “invalid”.  I am well aware of the Callophrys/Incisalia problem, and the reasons for it, and there are reasons why I have been using the genus name Incisalia.

  However, an enormous new complication has arisen.  Over the years, the Cedar Hairstreak has undergone numerous changes in its scientific and its English names.  I had hoped that it had finally settled down to Mitoura rosneri.  Apparently some taxonomists now declare that it is Callophrys gryneus. This I cannot understand at all  –  I cannot see that the Cedar Hairstreak belongs in Callophrys or in Incisalia at all.  Until the “new” name gets general acceptance I shall continue on this site to list it as Mitoura rosneri.  The pronunciation of Mitoura, by the way, is Myto Yura. It means Thread Tail. Perhaps we shall see some during the Butterfly Walk on Sunday. See you all there.