2024 June 10 morning

   A selection of photographs by Ian Cooper from Colquitz River Park, June 8-9.

Clubiona sp.  (Ara.: Clubionidae)  Ian Cooper

Woodlouse Hunter Spider – Dysdera crocata  (Ara.: Dysderidae)  Ian Cooper

Protolophus niger (Opiliones:  Protolophidae)  Ian Cooper

Protolophus niger (Opiliones:  Protolophidae)  Ian Cooper

Alderfly, Sialis sp. (Meg.:  Sialidae)  Ian Cooper

Jumping bristletail Pedetontus sp. (possibly saltator) (Microcoryphia:  Machilidae)
Ian Cooper

Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

Unknown caterpillar (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Ian Cooper

2024 June 9

   Aziza Cooper photographed this millepede at Killarney Lake, and the Bumble Bee near the Hartland landfill on June 8.  We thank Steven Roias for identifying the bee as a male Bombus melanopygus.

Harpaphe haydeniana  (Polydesmida:  Xystodesmidae)   Aziza Cooper

Male Bombus melanopygus  (Hym.: Apidae)   Aziza Cooper

Jeremy Tatum photographed this moth at his Saanich apartment this morning.  Although not in the genus Eupithecia, it is in the closely-related genus Pasiphila and is known as the Green Pug.

Green Pug Pasiphila rectangulata  (Lep.: Geometridae)     Jeremy Tatum

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes: An early afternoon visit to McIntyre reservoir on June 8 provided a number of dragonflies and damselflies and a few Cabbage White butterflies

I found a good-looking female Eight-spotted Skimmer,
2 Blue-eyed Darners
1 Common Green Darner,  very active and unable to get a photo
6 Cardinal Meadowhawks, 2 in tandem.
At least 8 Damselflies, Pacific Forktails and Tule Bluets….Some in tandem.

The only butterflies seen there  today were three Cabbage Whites.  Two additional Cabbage Whites were near Blenkinsop Lake, and one at Outerbridge Park.  Also at Outerbridge Park were two Western Spring Azures and two Blue-eyed Darners.

Tule Bluet  Enallagma carunculatum   (Odo.: Coenagriondae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum  (Odo.:  Libellulidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor   (Odo.: Aeshnidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Eight-spotted Skimmer  Libellula forensis  (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 June 8

Jeff Gaskin writes:  Well today, June 8,  I finally found a swallowtail.  There were two actually and they were both in Colwood.  These were Western Tiger Swallowtails with one seen on Latoria Road  and the other one on Sunheights Drive, Triangle mMountain.

At least one Cardinal Meadowhawk was still at the ponds in Cuthbert Holmes Park as were the several California Darners but I didn’t see one butterfly there.  [To which Jeremy Tatum adds:  And I went to Quick’s Bottom today – not a butterfly in sight.]

   Marie O’Shaughnessy visited Government House on June 5, where she saw
5 Cabbage Whites
1 Mourning Cloak
2 Western Tiger Swallowtails that were busy chasing one another.
1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail

Marie counted ten Cabbage Whites in the Martindale/Island View area on June 7.

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Pterourus rutulus   (Lep.:  Papilionidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

You wouldn’t think it would be at all difficult to distinguish between Western and Pale Tiger Swallowtails.  In fact, it is not unusual to come across a tiger swallowtail that one isn’t quite sure of.  Look at this one, for example, photographed by Aziza Cooper recently:

Tiger swallowtail  Pterourus sp. (Lep.  Papilionidae)   Aziza Cooper

   I wasn’t quite sure, writes Jeremy Tatum, so I sent it to a local butterflier, who writes:  That’s a very interesting one. The black markings are certainly those of Western Tiger and much too narrow for Pale Tiger. Over the years I’ve seen 3 or 4 Western Tigers with very pale yellow backgrounds but I don’t think any of them were quite this pale. I’ve often wondered whether the two species can hybridize though I’ve never seen any references in the literature to this happening. Conclusion: I would put it down as a Western Tiger though I wouldn’t feel 100% confident about that.

Another small detail, writes Jeremy:  The crescent near the tail of the hind wing is supposed to be “usually” yellow in the Western Tiger Swallowtail, and “usually” orange in the Pale Tiger Swallowtail.  This isn’t a totally reliable feature, but, for the record, the crescent on this one certainly isn’t orange.

Another possibility, besides possible hybridization, is that this is a “leucistic” Western Tiger Swallowtail, in which the yellow is replaced by white.

Comments by viewers are welcome.

Other butterflies seen by Aziza are:

On June 7, Mt. Tolmie summit had a Mourning Cloak and a Tiger Swallowtail at about 2 pm.  On June 8, the powerline near Hartland Landfill had 10 Western Spring Azures and one Tiger Swallowtail before 11 am.

On June 6,  Aziza Cooper photographed the bumble bee below at Cowichan Station.  Thanks to Steven Roias for identifying it as a male Bombus mixtus.

Male Bombus mixtus  (Hym.: Apidae)   Aziza Cooper

2024 June 7

Jeff Gaskin writes:  Today, June 7,  I found my first of the year Cardinal Meadowhawks in Cuthbert Holmes Park,  by the ponds near Admirals Road.  There were two, and also there were several California Darners.  Strange to say I still haven’t seen a Swallowtail or Lorquin’s Admiral in Victoria  this year.  There have been very few butterflies in the Burnside/Gorge neighbourhood; only Cabbage Whites are around.

Jeremy Tatum replies:  I think I have seen only one swallowtail (a Western Tiger), but then I haven’t been out very much.  It is still a little early for large numbers Lorquin’s Admirals.  What are others finding?

Jeremy Tatum writes:   This moth turned up at my Saanich apartment this morning.

Stenoporpia excelsaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

2024 June 6

   Marie O’Shaughnessy reported the following butterfly sightings from several areas, June 5:

Mount Tolmie Park.  1 Cabbage White at 10 am
Panama Flats 12 noon,   3 Cabbage Whites and 1 Mourning Cloak
Blenkinsop Road  1 pm 2 Cabbage Whites.
Outerbridge Park 2 pm 2 Cabbage Whites and 1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail.

And she sends photographs of butterflies, dragon/damselflies and a spider, also June 5.

Cabbage White Pieris rapae  (Lep.: Pieridae)   Marie O’Shaughnessy

Two Painted Ladies from Mount Tolmie:

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

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

Pacific Forktail  Ischnura cervula  (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

California Darner Rhionaeschna californica  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Cardinal Meadowhawk   Sympetrum illotum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Goldenrod Crab Spider  Misumena vatia  (Ara.: Thomisidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Azzia Cooper writes:

Today, June 6, at Viaduct Flats parking lot, there was a Western Tiger Swallowtail, a Cabbage White, a Western Spring Azure and a Lorquin’s Admiral.

At the corner of Koksilah Road and the Trans-Canada Highway, there were hundreds of lupins, but only one Silvery Blue.

At Cowichan Station, there were no white butterflies. There were four Cedar Hairstreaks and one blue butterfly, not seen well enough for identification.

Cedar Hairstreak  Callophrys gryneus  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)   Aziza Cooper

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

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

Unknown, possibly leaf-cutter bee (Hym.: Megachilidae)  Aziza Cooper