2017 August 15

   Jeff Gaskin writes: Yesterday, August 14, at 4:50 pm, on Mount Tolmie on or near the concrete reservoir were a Red Admiral, a West Coast Lady, and 3 Painted Ladies. There were also 2 other ladies which I couldn’t identify because of wear and tear.

Today, August 15, the Tuesday Group and I saw a Western Tiger Swallowtail towards the start of Lochside trail and the connector bike path which ends at Blenkinsop Road and Mount Douglas Cross Road.

And today, August 15, Jeremy Tatum visited Mount Tolmie and found a Red Admiral and two Painted Ladies on the reservoir, and a further two Painted Ladies near the Jeffery Pine.

Mark Wynja writes:  On Monday August 14, 2017 I arrived at McIntyre Reservoir at 1:15pm. Upon my arrival 1 Orange Sulphur was observed flying over the flowers at the west side of the reservoir. After about 10 minutes it flew north and did not return. Also present were 1 Anise Swallowtail, 1 male Purplish Copper, 2 Painted Ladies, many Cabbage Whites, and 2 Eight-spotted Skimmers.  Here are some of Mark’s photographs from there – plus a Western Branded Skipper from Cordova Spit, August 6.

Male Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mark Wynja

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae) Mark Wynja

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae) Mark Wynja

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Mark Wynja

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Mark Wynja

Western Branded Skipper Hesperia colorado (Lep.: Hesperiidae)

Mark Wynja

2017 August 14 morning

   Colias alert continues.

   Ron Flower writes:  Yesterday, Sunday 13th August, at noon we went to the reservoir at Garcias Farm (also called McIntyre Reservoir).  Next to the pond there is a flower section next to the tractor tract and the cabbage patch.  We saw a Mourning Cloak Grasshopper.  We saw three Painted Ladies, a Purplish Copper and best of all three Orange Sulphurs.  And many Cabbage Whites.  Wear long pants as it is very thorny in there.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw an Orange Sulphur at Puckle Road again late on the Sunday afternoon – as well as in the morning as mentioned in yesterday’s postings.  Also a Large Heath there, and an Autographa californica moth.  Ron’s photograph shows that his sulphur is indeed a male Orange Sulphur.  You can just see some of the upper forewing orange through the wings, and the black forewing border is broader than it usually is on the similar Clouded Sulphur.

Mourning Cloak Grasshopper Dissosteira carolina (Orth.: Acrididae) Ron Flower

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower

Male Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Ron Flower

Male Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)  Ron Flower

2017 August 13 noon

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Yes!!!!  At 11:00 am this morning I saw a sulphur at the corner of Puckle and Lamont Roads, Central Saanich, just where Jeff said it was. I didn’t see it well enough or long enough to identify it to species, but our default species is the Orange Sulphur.

2017 August 13 morning

Colias alert!

   Jeff Gaskin writes: Late this afternoon (August 12) there was a very bright Orange Sulphur next to the road on Puckle Road just south of Lamont Road.  The butterfly didn’t stay for very long and was seen also by Kirsten Mills.  This was the first Orange Sulphur I’ve seen and we were both very enthused at seeing it.

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  This is the second report of a sulphur this year.  See Val George’s observation of one on August 4 on Lochside Drive south of Michell’s farm.

2017 August 12

   Bill Katz sends a photograph of Tolype distincta from Goldstream Park this morning.  Most British Columbia records of this species are listed under the name T. dayi, although dayi and distincta are probably the same species.

Tolype distincta (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)  Bill Katz

   Gordon Hart sends a photograph of a very fresh-looking pug.  You’d think it would be easy to identify – but it ain’t!  Jeremy Tatum’s wild guess is Eupithecia maestosa,but that’s not much more than a guess. E. annulata is at least as good a fit.

Pug Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Gordon Hart

   Gordon writes that he has several Woodland Skippers (at least 12), two Pine Whites and a Lorquin’s Admiral.