2024 June 5
Aziza Cooper writes that on June 4, she saw one Western Spring Azure and one Cabbage White at Rithet’s Bog, and one Western Spring Azure at Swan Lake.
Val George photographed this moth on the wall of his Oak Bay house this morning, June 5.
Udea profundalis (Lep.: Crambidae) Val George
2024 June 3
There seem to be so few butterflies around jyust now, that it is worth reporting sightings of a single butterfly. Thus, Aziza reports a Pale Tiger Swallowtail at Devonian Park today. Moths, too are scarce to come by, but there are a few nevertheless. Thus, Aziza photographed a Cinnabar Moth at Pedder Bay:
Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Aziza Cooper
Jeremy Tatum shows a Virginia Tiger = Virginia Ermine reared from a Yellow Woolly Bear caterpillar last year. The adult moth emerged yesterday, and was released on Christmas Hill:
Spilosoma virginica (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Jeremy Tatum
In case you are wondering if “Erebidae – Arctiinae” for each is a misprint – no, they are both arctiines.
Jeremy Tatum writes: I hope someone will go up to the the railway line north of Cowichan station to check for Margined Whites there – we don’t want to miss them this year. While there, carefully check any blues you might see along the railway track. They may not all be Western Spring Azures.
Also, someone please check the lupine patch at the corner of the TCH and Koksilah Road for Silvery Blues. If there are no butterflies there, check the young, unopened lupine flowerheads for ova. Be careful of the irregular ground there – you could easily break or sprain an ankle, so walk carefully.
2024 June 2
We hear that Daniel Dönnecke saw a Mourning Cloak at Maber Flats on May 31 – and Marie O’Shaughnessy saw two at Swan Lake on the same day.
Jeff Gaskin writes: Not much to report but a couple of Mourning Cloaks in the past two days. Yesterday, June the 1st at Somenos marsh in Duncan there was a Mourning Cloak along the boardwalk trail. The day before on May 31st there was another Mourning Cloak in the southeast corner of Panama Flats. I’m still seeing the odd Western Spring Azure and not much else except Cabbage Whites.
Here is another view of the Green Comma that flirted with Marie yesterday in Outerbridge Park, as well as a photo of another Green Comma from Gordon Hart’s Highlands Garden.
Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy
Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Gordon Hart
And here is a Cardinal Meadowhawk photographed by Gordon in Goy Park, near the Prospect Lake power lines.
Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae) Gordon Hart
Marie sends photographs of two dragonflies from Swan Lake, May 31:
Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy
California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
Apart from Tineola bisselliella, which is common in my apartment and not entirely welcome, writes Jeremy Tatum, moths seem to be scarce everywhere this year. It was therefore a good surprise to receive photographs of two moths today, one from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin and one from Marie O’Shaughnessy at Swan Lake. We thank Libby Avis for identifying both of them for us.
Lacinipolia patalis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr
Macaria sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Marie O’Shaughnessy
Difficult to be sure of exact species.
Here are two bumble bees photographed by Gordon Hart, kindly identified for us by Steven Roias:
Bombus flavifrons or sitkensis (Hym.: Apidae) Gordon Hart
(Need to see last few tergites to be sure which species.)
Bombus vancouverensis (Hym.: Apidae) Gordon Hart
2024 June 1 morning
A selection of photographs of dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies from Marie O’Shaughnessy and Aziza Cooper.
Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
Western Forktail Ischnura perparva (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)
Aziza Cooper
Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)
Aziza Cooper
Female Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
Marie writes: I had an amazing encounter with this Green Anglewing butterfly yesterday afternoon, May 31st. It was constantly landing on my hands, fingers, chest and shoulder. I have never had this kind of encounter before with butterflies.
Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
Male Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
2024 May 31 evening
Ian Cooper photographed this tiny wasp at his home in Victoria. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of parasitoidal wasps in the families Ichneumonidae, Braconidae, and some related families. Identification is a challenge, but, writes Jeremy Tatum, I agree with Ian that this is a braconid, and in the subfamily Microgastrinae:
Parasitoidal wasp (Hym.: Braconidae – Microgastrinae) Ian Cooper
Ian also photographed this dead Antrodiaetus pacificus. Ian would like to acquire a suitable microscope that would enable him to make scierntifically valuable drawings of some of the creatures that he finds. Suggestions, anyone?
Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara.: Antrodiaetidae) Ian Cooper