INVERTEBRATE ALERT
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

2023 August 8 morning

2023 August 8 morning

   Here are some of the photographs taken of insects during the VNHS Butterfly Walk on August 6.

 

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Aziza Cooper

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)
Aziza Cooper

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Gordon Hart

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Gordon Hart

 

Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Aziza Cooper

 

Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

 

Grasshopper Melanoplus sp. (Orth.: Acrididae)  Aziza Cooper

If any viewer can help to identify either of the next two unidentified hymenopterans, please do let us know.

 

 

Unidentified hymenopterans   Aziza Cooper

 

Unidentified hymenopteran   Aziza Cooper

 

On August 7, Mike McGrenere photographed a Sulphur butterfly at McIntyre Reservoir – presumably the same one seen by participants in the VNHS Butterfly Walk on August 6.  It can be quite difficult to distinguish between Orange and Clouded Sulphurs.  For the time being I am labelling this one as either/or.  We may be able to get a more certain identification later.

 

Sulphur Colias sp. (Lep.: Pieridae)  Mike McGrenere

 

A few weeks ago, Jeremy Tatum found the caterpillar shown below stretched out along the midrib of a Nootka Rose leaf, protected by a silken shelter.  The adult moth emerged yesterday, August 7, and was identified by Libby Avis as Carcina quercana.

 

Carcina quercana (Lep.: Depressariidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Carcina quercana (Lep.: Depressariidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

 

 

Much more later…

Two many photographs is a nice problem to have – but…  it takes a little white to process them all, so, please, I’d like to impose a limit of six pics per person per day.  Sixpixmax!

 

2023 August 7 afternoon

2023 August 7 afternoon

The August VNHS Butterfly Walk was held yesterday, August 6, led by Gordon Hart.  Aziza Cooper writes:

Under partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures, nine people saw eight species of butterflies:

Anise Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Sulphur species
Painted Lady
Red Admiral
Lorquin’s Admiral
Woodland Skipper
Essex Skipper

Mount Tolmie, early afternoon
Woodland Skipper – 1

Mcintyre Reservoir:
Anise Swallowtail – 1
Cabbage White – 7
Sulphur species – 1
Woodland Skipper – 5

Island View Beach:
Lorquin’s Admiral – 2
Woodland Skipper – 8
Essex Skipper – 2

Mount Tolmie, late afternoon:
Red Admiral – 2
Painted Lady – 1

Several photographs of butterflies and other insects were taken.  It is hoped to post some of them in tomorrow’s posting.  These will include a photograph of the “sulphur sp.” – seen again today, August 7 – from which we may be able to determine the species.

 

Jeff Gaskin writes:  I saw a Lorquin’s Admiral on August 5th at Panama Flats, which is the last one I’ve seen so far. No more swallowtails since the last ones I told you about.     Kirsten and I also went to Outerbridge Park, August 6th,  hoping to see Marie’s Striped Meadowhawk that she photographed on the 4th.  We didn’t see the Meadowhawk but did see 3 Paddle-tailed Darners instead.  They were the only dragonflies we saw and also no butterflies were seen either.

2023 August 7 morning

2023 August 7 morning

   There was no Invertebrate Alert for August 6.

Here are photographs of Purplish Copper and Grey Hairstreak from Kirsten Mills’ and Jeff Gaskin’s recent trip to the Cowichan Valley – see August 4 evening.  Since we here in Victoria have been starved of Purplish Coppers this year and last we are happily posting three of Kirsten’s photographs of different individuals from the seven that Kirsten and Jeff saw that day.

Male Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Kirsten Mills

Male Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Kirsten Mills

 Female Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Kirsten Mills

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Kirsten Mills

 

Kirsten Mills writes on August 6:  Jeff Gaskin and I went to King’s Park. We saw four Variegated Meadowhawks (identified by Jeremy Gatten). The day before, I was there and I saw at least seven. We also saw one or two at Hillside Mall.

Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum
(Odo.: Libellulidae)
Kirsten Mills

We hope to post a report on yesterday’s VNHS Butterfly Walk this evening.

 

2023 August 5 evening

2023 August 5 evening

 From Gordon Hart:

Hello, Butterfly Watchers,

This is a reminder for the VNHS Butterfly Walk on Sunday, August 6.

We will meet at the Mount Tolmie summit by the reservoir, at 1.00 p.m. You can park in the parking lot there, or in the large lot north of the summit. After a look around the summit, we will decide on a destination from there.

You can review Vancouver Island butterflies at Val George’s website : https://vancouverislandbutterflies.com/

See you on Sunday,
Gordon Hart
Butterfly count coordinator
Victoria Natural History Society

 

 

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes: I was in Outerbridge Park yesterday Friday Aug 4th between  12:30 and 2:00 pm and I saw two very worn Lorquin’s Admirals,  three Cabbage White butterflies and seven Woodland Skippers.  I also saw two Blue Dashers, two Paddle-tailed Darners and a Striped Meadowhawk.

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

  Striped Meadowhawk  Sympetrum pallipes  (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

Val George writes:  These two moths (Cyclophora dataria and Macaria signaria) were on the walls of my Oak Bay house this morning, August 5.

Cyclophora dataria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George)

 

Macaria signaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George)

2023 August 5 morning

From Gordon Hart:

 

Hello, Butterfly Watchers,

This is a reminder for the VNHS Butterfly Walk on Sunday, August 6.

We will meet at the Mount Tolmie summit by the reservoir, at 1.00 p.m. You can park in the parking lot there, or in the large lot north of the summit. After a look around the summit, we will decide on a destination from there.

 

You can review Vancouver Island butterflies at Val George’s website : https://vancouverislandbutterflies.com/

See you on Sunday,

Gordon

 

Gordon Hart,

Butterfly count coordinator

Victoria Natural History Society