2015 June 24

Aziza Cooper writes:  Yesterday afternoon, Mount Tolmie had a busy group of butterflies at the reservoir:

Western Tiger Swallowtail – 4

West Coast Lady – 1

Painted Lady – 4

Red Admiral – 1

Lorquin’s Admiral – 1

Cabbage White – 1

The Painted Ladies are mostly along the road on the north side of the summit. The reservoir was occupied by an exercise class at 6pm, and the butterflies were ousted. [Jeremy Tatum writes: The West Coast Lady was back on the reservoir at 7:00 pm – an absolutely pristine fresh specimen.  They must have bred locally.   Check mallow plants for caterpillars.]

Aziza continues: Government House has a sunny lawn east of the main building where I’ve seen a Red Admiral on three visits in the late afternoon during the last two weeks. There are also four Western Tiger Swallowtails that fly around the same area.

  Barb McGrenere writes that on June 20, Mike found a hawk moth caterpillar near Jennings Lane, Elk Lake Park.  Barb took a photo, not quite in focus, but good enough to see that it is something exciting.  The moth Hyles lineata comes to mind, but I have never seen one quite this colour or with quite this pattern.  Green caterpillars often turn brown shortly before pupating, and the fact that this one was on the ground suggests that it was on its way to find somewhere to pupate.  Caterpillar expert Dr David Wagner believes that it is probably lineata, and he comments that they were moving north in huge numbers this spring, so perhaps we can expect to see a few more of them.  If it is not lineata, then it is something I have never seen before – but I think that that yellow caudal horn tells us that it is indeed probably lineata.

   Jeremy Tatum writes: Here are two moths from my Saanich apartment this morning, June 24, and a chrysalis (again – chrysos = gold!) of a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell from one of the caterpillars found during the Metchosin Bioblitz.

Silver-spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa argentata

(Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)

Jeremy Tatum

 Enargia infumata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jeremy Tatum

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Aglais milberti (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a Common Emerald moth from View Royal, June 23.

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2015 June 23

   Val George sends an upper- and an underside view of a Western Meadow Fritillary

from Saturday’s Mount Washington trip, and an upperside of an Anna’s Blue.

Western Meadow Fritillary Boloria epithore (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Val George

Western Meadow Fritillary Boloria epithore (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Val George

Anna’s Blue Lycaeides anna (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Val George

  Libby Avis writes: I have attached three of our photos from Saturday on Strathcona. One I think is Udea washingtonalis from Paradise Meadows. Got a pupa of Lorquin’s Admiral, found attached to a low rock at the edge of Helen Mackenzie Lake.  Rick also managed to catch up with one of the ubiquitous Spearmarked Moths which were everywhere when it finally warmed up. [Jeremy Tatum comments:  Yes, several contributors have seen or photographed these moths recently.  They are called Spearmarked or Spear moths from a white mark in the middle of the black subterminal band, which is supposed to look (with a bit of imagination) like the tip of a spear.  They are also called Argent and Sable moths – Aziza remarked that argent and sable are heraldicspeak for silver and black.

Udea washingtonalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Libby Avis

Spear, or Argent and Sable Moth Rheumaptera hastata (Lep.: Geometridae) Libby Avis

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Libby Avis

   Cheryl Hoyle sends photographs of two striking moths from Metchosin, June 22.

 Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Cheryl Hoyle

Sicya macularia (Lep.: Geometridae) Cheryl Hoyle

   Barb McGrenere writes:  Mike and I went for a hike up Observatory Hill on Sunday June 21 and we found Pale Swallowtail and Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies nectaring on fuchsia coloured flowers near the “old house” near the base of the mountain. They were visiting nearly every bloom on those plants.  There were about 6 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 2 Pale Swallowtails, 2 Lorquin’s Admirals.

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Barb McGrenere

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Some of my highlights from this month’s count include: 16 Lorquin’s Admirals in Cuthbert Holmes Park on June 21, On June 22, there were 108 European Skippers and 3 Ringlets (Large Heath Coenonympha tullia)in Layritz Park in that field in the northwest edge of the park.    Today, June 23, there were 4 Pale Swallowtails at Langford Lake, with 3 of them on the Ed Nixon trail and 1 along Leigh Road.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  After all these showy butterflies and moths, it seems a bit trite to show a modest pug, but I am struggling to identify the pugs, and I believe that this one at my Saanich apartment today (June 23) is Eupithecia unicolor.

Eupithecia unicolor (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw several Margined Whites north of Cowichan Station today, June 23.  If you drive from Victoria, drive past Dougan Lake, and, shortly before you come to Duncan, turn left on Koksilah Road.  Drive along there until the road passes underneath a railway bridge.  You can turn left immediately before or immediately past the bridge to find parking at Cowichan Station.  Walk north along the railway track (I believe there are no trains at present.)  Both Cabbage Whites and Margined Whites are present there, so you have to be careful, but most are Margined Whites. Their flight is slightly lighter than Cabbage White, but not so light as Pine White.  Most of them are pure white – almost completely immaculate, in spite of the current name “Margined” White and the former name “Veined” White.  You may, if you get a good close view, see one or two barely visible grey spots on the upper side of the forewing, but absolutely no black on the wing tip.  For all practical purposes they are pure white.

    As I noticed also last year, they seem to be very fond of nectaring at Herb Robert.  If you see a white nectaring there it is almost certainly the Margined White.

    The species is part of the “napi complex”, which has a Holarctic distribution, and which I would call a single species. The caterpillar and chrysalis of our butterflies are indistinguishable from those in Britain. The enthusiastic taxonomists, however, have split it into goodness knows how many species, and certainly our immaculate white butterflies look rather different from the heavily-marked species you will see in Scotland.

2015 June 22

   Annie Pang has been busy as a bee, photographing bees.  If there are any experts out there who can identify them, please let us know!

Bee 1 (Hym.) Annie Pang

Bee2 (Hym.) Annie Pang

Bee 3 (Hym.)  Annie Pang

And she has been photographing other creatures, too:

European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula (Hym.: Vespidae)  Annie Pang

Beetle (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Annie Pang

And a spider on the kitchen table, identified for us by Robb Bennett, who writes: “It’s a cobweb weaver (family Theridiidae) – most likely one of the many species that used to be broadly lumped into the genus Theridion.

 Cobweb spider “Theridion” sp. (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Annie Pang

While on Mount Washington with the butterfly outing, Bill Katz photographed a few things, including the beetle below (identified for us by Scott Gilmore) and the moth.

Lepturobosca chrysocoma (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Bill Katz

Rheumaptera hastata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Bill Katz

  Mike Yip writes from Nanoose Bay:  Pristine, second generation Grey Hairstreaks are flying now. – saw 4 last week. One kindly decided to bask in my garden for an easy photo. Encountered 2 Red Admirals at the end of Cross Road yesterday. One was on its last wings but the other was intact. 

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mik Yip

  Aziza Cooper sends a photograph of a pair of Western Meadow Fritillaries at Mount Washington on Saturday.

  Jeremy Tatum writes that there are still (June 21) Red Admirals and Painted Ladies (some worn, some fresh) at the top of Mount Tolmie in the evenings, and he saw a very fresh Red Admiral in the Finnerty Gardens at UVic.  He remarks that he stopped at Chemainus on the way back from Mount Washington, and he noted that the nettles there have Red Admiral caterpillars on them, so we may have a bumper crop of these butterflies soon.

  I still have a backlog of contributions to Invert Alert – particularly a few micro moths yet to be identified, as well as some butterflies still in the queue.  I’ll get round to them a.s.a.p.

2015 June 21

   Sorry – no June 20 posting – I was at Mount Washington looking for butterflies!  As a result of being away for a day, I have accumulated a whole bunch of welcome contributions, and it will take me a few days to catch up and post them all.  In the meantime, here is Aziza’s report on our trip to Mount Washington.  A big thank you to Aziza for organizing such an exciting trip.  I dare say we’ll be getting some more photos from the trip in the next day or so. [And I know I’m not supposed to mention vertebrates on this site, but I’ll just whisper quietly – we saw a Vancouver Island Marmot!!!]

Aziza’s report:

On our VNHS field trip to Mount Washington, about 10 people saw four species of butterflies. Three of us ended the day with a single Great Arctic.

Species seen by the whole group were:

Western Meadow Fritillary – many, possibly 30

Hydaspe Fritillary – 2

Anna’s Blue – 10-15

Silvery Blue

When we arrived at the parking lot at 11:30am, the sky was very dark and cloudy, temperature was 8 C and it was spitting rain. The group immediately found perched Anna’s Blues and fritillaries near the base of the chairlift. The weather got steadily better all day, and ended with mostly sunny skies at 4pm. By that time the fritillaries were being seen frequently.

It was a long climb up the mountain, but everyone made it. There were no butterflies hilltopping at the summit, possibly due to the cold temperature and mostly cloudy skies at that elevation. The moth devotees found various moths along the way. We took the chairlift down, an easy way to finish.

Aziza Cooper

Hydaspe Fritillary Speyeria hydaspe (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper

Anna’s Blue Lycaeides anna (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Aziza Cooper

Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Aziza Cooper

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  On June 19, around 12:30 pm. I was with Rick Schortinghuis looking for the Field Crescents on Stelly’s Cross Road, and we found just one or possibly two as we weren’t positive if we were seeing the same one again.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  On the same day I saw a fresh Satyr Comma at Bow Park – presumably one of the first of this year’s crop to emerge.

  Val George writes:  This afternoon, June 19, I finally managed to get out to Stelly’s Cross Road to check out the Field Crescents that Aziza originally located.  There were at least four in the exact spot Aziza described in the left corner of the back field by Eddy’s Self Storage; they were moving around the Oxeye Daisies.  Also there, I saw my first Woodland Skipper of the season among the many European Skippers present.

   On my way home I stopped briefly at Mount Douglas and found 3 Anise Swallowtails and 4 Painted Ladies (3 of them very worn) at the summit.

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Val George

Field Crescent Phyciodes pratensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Val George

  Chris Garrett writes:  My wife Elizabeth and I are trying to learn a bit more about local butterflies, such as they are. One was trapped in our greenhouse a few days ago, though it did eventually get out. It was difficult to photograph, and the best I could do was to get it on the edge of a photo while the camera had auto-focussed elsewhere.  [Jeremy Tatum responds:  Welcome to the world of butterfly-watchers, Chris and Elizabeth!  Yes, the focus is perhaps not quite good enough to reproduce well here, but it is good enough to identify the butterfly as a California Tortoiseshell.  This is a migratory species which sometimes (not every year) puts in an appearance here in April.  There were several reports this year, but the last one reported to this site was on May 15.  They usually don’t stay here, and breeding records are very few.  Your butterfly looks fresh rather than worn, so this invites a suspicion that some of the April butterflies laid eggs here (probably on Ceanothus thyrsiflorus), and yours is the first of a new generation, having been bred here.]

2015 June 19

   Sorry – no June 18 posting.  Too busy!   Jeremy

   Aziza Cooper writes:  Hi Butterfly Counters,

Tomorrow (Saturday June 20) begins the June Butterfly Count. The count period is from the 3rd Saturday to the 4th Sunday: June 20 to June 28. 

Please use the form at https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/website/index.php/butterfly-count to submit your results. Submit a separate form for each area you count, so I can take the higher number in case of double counting.

If you’d like a suggestion about what area to count, send me an email.

If you want to be removed from this list or if you know of anyone who would like to be added, please email me.

Thanks for submitting your sightings, and happy counting! 

The monthly butterfly walk is held on the first Sunday of each month. The next walk is on July 5. We meet at Mt Tolmie summit at 1:00pm and decide on our destination from there. The walk will be cancelled if the weather is cool or rainy.

Enjoy the butterflies!

   Bill Katz sends photographs of Gabriola dyari (a new moth for this site) and Udea profundalis from Swan Lake Nature House, June 17.

Gabriola dyari (Lep.: Geometridae) Bill Katz

Udea profundalis (Lep.: Crambidae) Bill Katz

   Annie Pang sends photographs of the European Common Emerald moth, a Green Pug and an ichneumonid (probably Netelia or Ophion), June 17

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Annie Pang

Green Pug Pasiphila rectangulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Annie Pang

Probably Netelia or Ophion sp. (Hym.: Icheumonidae)  Annie Pang

   Aziza Cooper writes: I went up to Mt Washington and although it was a cloudy afternoon, there were quite a few butterflies. Anna’s Blues were near the chairlift in front of the Alpine Lodge, many Western Meadow Fritillaries were along the road to the east, and Great Arctics along the Linton Trail where it heads uphill from the road. A Painted Lady and one female blue were also there. Please help with identification of the blue, although my photo doesn’t show much of the ventral side.  [Jeremy Tatum responds:  I have seen Silvery Blues as dark as this one, and I suggest that as a tentative possibility.  But I am not familiar with all the blues that might occur on Mount Washington, so I wouldn’t really like to say!]

Great Arctic Oeneis nevadensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae) Aziza Cooper

Anna’s Blue Lycaeides anna (Lep.: Lycaenudae)  Aziza Cooper

Unidentified, but tentatively Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)

Aziza Cooper

Western Meadow Fritillary Boloria epithore (Lep.: Nymphalidae( Aziza Cooper