2016 August 2

   Annie Pang sends us two spiders and a moth. 

Cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides (Ara.:  Pholcidae)   Annie Pang

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  This is one of several unrelated creatures called, in different parts of the English-speaking world, “Daddy-long-legs”.  That’s a nice name, so it’s a pity it’s applied to different animals.  Perhaps it’s best to stick to the scientific name.

Male Scotophaeus blackwalli (Ara.: Gnaphosidae)   Annie Pang

The Mouse Amphipyra tragopoginis (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Annie Pang

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  The moth is known as The Mouse partly because of its colour and partly because of the mouse-like way by which it scuttles around on its legs.  The caterpillar feeds on many low-growing herbaceous plants, but is particularly fond of the pappus of Salsify, also known as Oyster Plant, also known as Goatsbeard, genus Tragopogon  (which means goat’s beard).  It is not known for certain whether the moth (which occurs in Europe) is native to North America or whether it was accidentally introduced.

   And now for the horror photograph from Saturna Island that we mentioned yesterday.  Thanks to Rob Cannings for the robber fly identification, and to Sean McCann for the wasp identification.

Robber fly Laphria sp. (Dip.: Asilidae)

Yellowjacket wasp Vespula alascensis (Hym.: Vespidae)

Nathan Fisk

2106 August 1

NOTICE

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I haven’t found anyone to take over from me while I am on holiday, Aug 9 – 26, so Invertebrate Alert will be closed during that period.  When I get back, you can send me your observations or a very few of your very best photographs of unusual invertebrates, but please don’t send me huge numbers of photographs of our most frequently photographed insects during that period.  Thanks!

   Annie Pang sends photographs of two flies, kindly identified by Matthias Buck.

Syritta pipiens (Dip: Syrphidae)  Annie Pang

Villa sp.  (Dip.:  Bombyliidae)  Annie Pang

   Jeremy Tatum saw a young caterpillar of Lorquin’s Admiral on willow at King’s Pond today, August 1.  And in the evening, at 6:30 pm. there was a Red Admiral on the Mount Tolmie Reservoir, near the paint blotch.   Jess Gaskin reports a Western Tiger Swallowtail , which looked to him to be in pretty bad shape, in the flower garden in Esquimalt Gorge Park.

   Nathan Fisk sends three photographs from Saturna Island today.  I am reproducing two of them here.  The third is of too horrific a nature (X-rated) to be shown without advance warning, and is unsuitable for children or those with a nervous disposition.   I’ll post it as soon as we have exact identities of the species involved.  Watch this site.

Buprestis aurulenta (Col.: Buprestidae)  Nathan Fisk

Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)   Nathan Fisk

2016 July 31

   Annie Pang sends pictures of bees.  Thanks to Linc Best for identifications.

Ceratina sp. (Hym.: Apidae)  Annie Pang

Halictus rubicundus (Hym.: Halictidae)  Annie Pang

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)  Annie Pang

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Today (July 31) I went to Cordova Spit in search of the Western Branded Skipper. I searched in the southeast corner of the spit, in an area where there are a few crabapple trees.  I looked for skippers nectaring on the Gumweed.  There were lots of hesperiine skippers there, and it was not always easy to see the underside of the hindwings, so a lot of them went unidentified.  I identified those that I could as Woodland Skippers.  I wondered if perhaps I was overlooking the target species or misidentifying the ones I had called Woodlands.  And then at last I saw a genuine Western Branded Skipper nectaring on the Gumweed.  On seeing the underside of the hidwings, there was no mistaking it – and I then realized that the ones I had been calling Woodlands were indeed Woodlands, and the Branded is quite different.

On the way back I saw one male Purplish Copper at Island View Beach.

2016 July 30

   Val George writes:  Yesterday afternoon, July 29, I saw at least a dozen “Ringlets” (also called Large Heath) Coenonympha tullia at Island View Beach.

Coenonympha tullia (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Val George

   Marie O’Shaughnessy sends a photograph of a Western Pondhawk from MacIntyre reservoir July 25.  We were initially unsure whether this was a Western Pondhawk or the somewhat similar Blue Dasher, and we are grateful to Rob Cannings for identifying it for us.  Rob makes the interesting observation that the Western Pondhawk often perches on the ground, while the Blue Dasher rarely does.  That will be something for dragonfly watchers to look out for!

Male Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw a Western Tiger Swallowtail today at Cresswell Road (near the Airport).  Also there was a sesiid (clearwing moth).  I didn’t manage to identify it, but sesiids are always exciting – I certainly don’t get to see one every year.  At 6:45 pm this evening, the usual nymphalids were hill-topping on Mount Tolmie.  Three Red Admirals:  two on the reservoir (one on the paint blotches – it usually chooses the blue blotch), and one on the bramble patch.  And one Painted Lady, as usual on the roadside beneath the Jeffery Pine.

Gerry, Wendy and Steve Ansell write:  We went searching for the Western Branded Skippers on the Indian Reserve on Cordova Spit.  Steve managed to photograph two males and there may have been more.  They were near the dirt parking lots on the spit.

Western Branded Skipper Hesperia colorado (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Steve Ansell

[Jeremy comments – That looks like a Honey Bee coming in for the attack!]

Western Branded Skipper Hesperia colorado (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Steve Ansell

 Western Branded Skipper Hesperia colorado (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Steve Ansell

2016 July 29

   Jeremy Tatum writes: Yesterday I posted several of Jody Wells’s recent photographs of dragonflies, and I tried – with limited success – to guess at the identifications.  Rob Cannings to the rescue!   Rob is away at a scientific meeting, but he took the time to identify the dragonflies for us.   Thank you, Rob.  Viewers can now view the July 28 Invert Alert and see the correct identifications.

  Marie O’Shaughnessy sends a picture of a Woodland Skipper from Observatory Hill, July 25.

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae) 

Marie O’Shaughnessy

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Today, July 29, I found a Western Tiger Swallowtail in Beacon Hill Park amongst some flowers by the sun dial near Deer Lake.