2023 August 23 morning

Colias Alert!

Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed this sulphur at McIntyre reservoir yesterday, August 22.  There are evidently still a few Teasels in flower – enough to attract this butterfly.  I’d be glad of opinions (with reasons!) as to which species this is. With luck some butterflyers will visit the reservoir today and be able to see an upperside and see if there is any orange.

Sulphur Colias (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2023 August 22

  Here are some photographs by Ian Cooper of bees from along the E&N Trail in Vic West and View Royal on July 22 and 28, 2023.   We thank Steven Roias for sorting out the three Bombus bumble bees for us.

Bombus vosnesenskii (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

Bombus vancouverensis (Hym.: Apidae) Ian Cooper

Steven writes:  Despite the bee being a male, the abdominal colour patterning is still very distinct between vancouverensis and flavifrons. In vancouverensis, you will observe orange bands (called tergites) between yellow bands (as seen in the photo). In flavifrons males, you will see either the first two bands are yellow followed by orange bands and a black last band; or five bands of yellow and two black bands at the end.

Bombus fervidus californicus (Hym.: Apidae) Ian Cooper

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)   Ian Cooper

Halictus rubicundus (Hym.: Halictidae)  Ian Cooper

Megachile (possibly perihirta)  (Hym.: Megachilidae) Ian Cooper

From Salt Spring Island Ren Ferguson sends a photograph of an unusual colour variety of the caterpillar of the Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata.  It is probably third instar.  The background colour of this instar is usally yellow rather than the snow white of this specimen.

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata
(Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)
Ren Ferguson

Jeff Gaskin writes:
Today, August 22, I found a Shadow Darner that looked identical to the one Kirsten and I saw at Muir creek in Colquitz River Park.  It was approximately 100 metres south of Marigold Road on the east side of Interurban road.

Also, today August 22, I found a lot of Woodland Skippers.  26 were in the Capital City Allotment gardens on Kent Road, and 75 were in Beacon Hill Park.  The only other butterfly I saw today was the Cabbage White and they were in typical numbers.

Jeremy Tatum reports one Red Admiral from the Mount Tolmie reservoir, 5:15 pm, August 22.

2023 August 21 evening

Continuing from this morning’s Invert Alert with recent spider photographs by Ian Cooper, taken by the #Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal on Aug 18 2023.

#Female Eratigena duellica/agrestis (Ara: Agelenidae)
Ian Cooper

#Female Running Crab Spider: Philodromus dispar
(Ara.: Philodromidae)
Ian Cooper

Jeff Gaskin writes:
I found some more hilltopping butterflies yesterday, August 20.  At Christmas Hill around 5 p.m there were three Painted Ladies and one Red Admiral seen at the summit.  Also, a total of 59 Woodland Skippers were seen mostly on Nelthorpe Street, where there were 36, and another 16 on Saanich Road,  six on Taine Road,  and one near the Swan Lake nature house.

Today,  August 21, the only butterflies of note were just one Pine White in all those firs at Royal Roads University, and a Lorquin’s Admiral.  I also found just two Woodland Skippers at the University. The only other butterfly species I saw was the Cabbage White and there were only 12 of them.   There was a Black Saddlebags dragonfly outside the Colwood Library this morning, August 21.

2023 August 21 morning

   We start with some magnificent spider photographs from Ian Cooper, who writes:

Here is a selection of recent spider pics taken by the *E&N Trail in View Royal and the #Galloping Goose Trail, also in View Royal on Aug 17-18 2023.

   #Female Cybaeus signifer (Ara.: Cybaeidae)   Ian Cooper

I spotted a large dark spider on a log up an embankment by the trail and was able to get close to it without the spider running away. It turned out to be a female Cybaeus signifer. I was amazed that it remained motionless as I carefully made my way up the embankment to take photos and capture some video footage of it, which it allowed me to do. The spider eventually got nervous and suddenly fled to its hiding spot.   Short video here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1322625945049951

 *Juvenile Argiope trifasciata (Ara.: Argiope)    Ian Cooper

 First ever sighting of one of these!  Its web was between Queen Anne’s Lace flowers on the E&N Trail.

Folding door spider   Antrodiaetus pacificus
(Ara., Mygalomorphae: Antrodiaetidae)
Ian Cooper

Folding door spider   Antrodiaetus pacificus
(Ara., Mygalomorphae: Antrodiaetidae)
Ian Cooper

Note: This was a rare sight: An Antrodiaetus pacificus spotted out in the open by the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal. They normally remain in their burrows, but it’s my understanding the males go out in search of receptive females in the autumn. I believe this one is a male and seeing as it’s the third week of August, the mating urge may be why this spider was out on a wander. It was actively on the move when I first spotted it, but then ‘froze’ in place when I shone my light on it to take photos and video, which is why I was able to get these unusual close-up shots, taken right beside the motionless spider. I infer its ‘freezing’ to be a defence response, which I’ve noticed other spiders and harvestmen often do as well to avoid attracting predators’ attention. Video of it here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2549103618601405

More of Ian’s spider photographs to come this evening.

In the meantime, some photographs from Cheryl Hoyle in View Royal, August 20:

Green Lacewing Chrysoperla sp. (Neu.: Chrysopidae) Cheryl Hoyle

Assassin Bug Zelus tetracanthus  (Hem.: Reduviidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

We thank Scott Gilmore for identifying this assassin bug for us.

Female Drumming Katydid Meconema thalassinum
(Orth.: Tettigoniidae)
Cheryl Hoyle

2023 August 20

   Jochen Möhr photographed another Nemoria darwiniata  at his Metchosin house this morning:

Nemoria darwiniata (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a (probably second instar) caterpillar from the flower of Grindelia stricta (as Gumweed is apparently called now) at Island View Beach:

Heliothis phloxiphaga (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

He also shows a caterpillar feeding on Rumex obtusifolia at the University of Victoria today:

Dysstroma citrata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum