2016 June 21

   Mike Yip writes: I only had ten minutes at Mount Tolmie this afternoon (June 20), but I saw 3  ladies, 3 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 2 Cabbage Whites, and 1 Lorquin’s Admiral. I managed a quick photo of a West Coast Lady and I believe the others were the same.

West Coast Lady Vanessa annabella (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

West Coast Lady Vanessa annabella (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

   Marie O-Shaughnessy writes:  This lovely Painted Lady was at the south end of Turkey Head walk at the Marina yesterday at 5pm. June 20th. It settled on the rocks rather than on the ground numerous times.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaugnessy

   Jeremy Tatum writes: Here is a chrysalis of a Satyr Comma from Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake.

Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2016 June 20

   Welcome to summer – at 3:34 pm PDT today.

   On June 19, Jeremy Tatum and Bill Savale tried to take part in this month’s Butterfly Count.  After three-and-a-half hours exploring the Hydro cuts around Munn Road, we saw a grand total of 1 Western Tiger Swallowtail.  Others had a little more success.  Gordon Hart writes that in his Highlands garden (not that far away from Munn Road) he had at least 5 Cabbage Whites, minimum 6 Lorquin’s Admirals, most of them around the flowering Escallonia , one or two Pale Tiger Swallowtails, a Cedar Hairstreak, and one Western Tiger Swallowtail.  Aziza Cooper walked around Swan Lake and counted  11 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 15 Lorquin’s Admirals, 6 Cabbage Whites, and 25 Essex Skippers.  She notes that all the skippers (photograph below) were near Saanich Road along the Swan Lake walking trail.  She also kept her eyes open for dragonflies and she spotted, near the south lollipop, an Eight-spotted Skimmer ovipositing, and 3 Cardinal Meadowhawks.  Val George covered Mount Douglas and the surrounding area.  Results:   39 Cabbage Whites, 8 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 3 Red Admirals, 3 Essex Skippers, 2 Lorquin’s Admirals, 1 Anise Swallowtail, 1Grey Hairstreak (photograph below).

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

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Val George

2016 June 19

   Jeremy Tatum shows a caterpillar of the Herald Moth, and a chrysalis of a Red Admiral, both from Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake.

Herald Moth Scoliopteryx libatrix (Lep.: Erebidae – Scoliopteryginae)

Jeremy Tatum

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2016 June 18

   Gordon Hart writes: This giant sawfly has been in the same area of our Highlands yard for the past couple of weeks. It perches on a leaf for extended periods with short flights ending up back on the same spot. It is a large and heavy-set, at least 30 mm long, and with large pincer jaws. I have attached two photos: one a dorsal view, and one showing the large jaws.

Trichiosoma triangulum (Hym.: Cimbicidae)   Gordon Hart

Trichiosoma triangulum (Hym.: Cimbicidae)   Gordon Hart

2016 June 17

   Gordon Hart writes:  Time flies, and the June count will be this Saturday, June 18 for nine days ending Sunday, June 26.  Please use the submission form on the VNHS website:  www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33

Most of the spring butterflies are gone or in reduced numbers, but there is still a good variety of species out there on a good day.

If you need suggestions for a place to count, please email me (hartgordon19 AT gmail.com). If we get more than one count for a location, I will use the high numbers for each species. If you want to be removed from this list, please let me know. If you know someone who wants to be on the list, please ask them to email me.

The next monthly butterfly walk will be on Sunday July 3, and we will likely go farther afield, perhaps Shawnigan or Cowichan areas, so we will be meeting at the Mt Tolmie summit at 10 a.m., not 1p.m., to allow for travel time, and perhaps avoid the July heat (assuming there is some!).  I’ll send out another reminder closer to the date. Of course, it is weather-dependent. Thanks for participating in the count, and enjoy the butterflies!

   Rosemary Jorna writes:  This morning June 16 2016 I came upon a hatching of spiderlings [probably Araneus diadematus – Jeremy Tatum]  on a forest trail on crown land along King Creek  in Otter Point.

Probably Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Probably Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Mike Yip writes:  A grocery trip to Nanaimo today afforded an excuse to check out the dogbane butterflies on Nanaimo River Road. It was still cool at 11:30 am and only the Clodius Parnassians, Lorquin’s Admirals, and Pale and Western Tiger Swallowtails were flying, but as it warmed more butterflies started to appear: 5 Dun Skippers, 3 Hydaspe Fritillaries, 6 Cedar Hairstreaks, 3 Grey Hairstreaks, 1 Sylvan Hairstreak, and 1 Red Admiral.

Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Mike Yip

Cedar Hairstreak Mitoura rosneri (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Mike Yip

Hydaspe Fritillary Speyeria hydaspe (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium sylvinum (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip