2022 October 3 morning

    Here are some photographs from along the Galloping Goose trail, near Harriet Road, taken in the last few days by Ian Cooper.

Drone fly  Eristalis  arbustorum (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Lesser House Fly Fannia (probably canicularis) (Dip.: Fanniidae)

Ian Cooper

Lesser House Fly Fannia (probably canicularis) (Dip.: Fanniidae)

Ian Cooper

Lesser House Fly Fannia (probably canicularis) (Dip.: Fanniidae)

Ian Cooper

Lixus rubellus (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

Lixus rubellus (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

More photographs by Marie O’Shaughnessy from McIntyre reservoir.

Sulphur Colias philodice/eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   In the photograph below, we are not certain of the lefthand butterfly.  The one in flight is probably a Clouded Sulphur C. philodice

Sulphurs Colias  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)

  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2022 October 2

    Jeff Gaskin writes: Good things to report!!!

   First of all, I met Marie O’Shaughnessy at McIntyre Road reservoir today, October 2,  and immediately we started seeing sulphurs.  I would say we had two or three Clouded Sulphurs and two for sure Orange Sulphurs. Marie was able to take some pictures. Also, in the Martindale valley we counted 38 Cabbage Whites.

   Then, I coerced Marie into driving to Markham Road, where I had seen a nice, crisp looking Lorquin’s Admiral back on September 22, and we found to our amazement that it was still there.  This is the first time I’ve ever seen a Lorquin’s Admiral in October, and Marie took a few pictures.  The butterfly’s colours are still quite vivid, but it is missing little parts of its wings.

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

  Robert Fraser photographed a Lorquin’s Admiral in the Swan Lake parking lot today:

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Robert Fraser

   Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed a worn Painted Lady on the top of Mount Tolmie today:

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

   Val George writes:  This moth, George’s Carpet Moth  Plemyria georgii , was on the wall of my Oak Bay house this morning, October 2.

Plemyria georgii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw (didn’t photograph) an Autographa californica flying around at Longview Farms in Central Saanich today.

2022 October 1 morning

Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of a Tetracis moth from Metchosin.  We cannot be certain whether it is T. pallulata or T. jubararia.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I am leaning towards pallulata, so I’ll put that name first.

Tetracis pallulata/jubararia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of Hypena californica. The caterpillar was shown on September 15 morning.

Hypena calfornica (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae)  Jeremy Tatum

Cheryl Hoyle sends photographs from View Royal.

Alucita montana (Lep.: Alucitdae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Flutter fly Toxonevra muliebris (Dip: Pallopteridae)

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Of the next one, Dr Robb Bennett writes:  Not sure!  I think it is a gnaphosid, genus Micaria.

Probably Micaria sp. (Ara.: Gnaphosidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Ian Cooper sends photographs from the Galloping Goose Trail, near Harriet Road.

European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula (Hym.: Vespidae)

Ian Cooper

Seven-spotted Ladybird  Coccinella septempunctata (Col.:  Coccinellidae)
Ian Cooper

Greenbottle Lucilia sericata (Dip.: Calliphoridae) Ian Cooper

Honey Bee Apis mellifera  (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

Marie O’Shaughnessy sends a photograph of a Spotted Tiger Moth caterpillar.

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)

 Marie O’Shaughnessy

2022 September 30 evening

An all-butterfly edition

Colias Alert!

Yesterday, September 29, Marie Shaughnessy saw five sulphur butterflies.  One, at Lamont Road in Central Saanich,, was described as bright orange yellow, and was therefore presumably an Orange Sulphur.   The other four were at McIntyre reservoir, where Marie managed to get photographs of upper and undersides of two of them, and these seem to be male Clouded Sulphurs. 

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

    The two Painted Ladies reportedfrom the top of Mount Tolmie on September 28 and 29 were still there in the evening of September 30, flying around the Jeffery Pine or resting on the road or on the summit.  Although worn, they still fly well, chasing each other vigorously as if it were spring.  Marie photographed the upperside and underside of one of them yesterday.

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

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

The day following Ian Cooper’s discovery of two Grey Hairstreak caterpillars (see yesterday’s posting) , Jeremy Tatum spotted (at 4:30 pm) an adult Grey Hairstreak perching on, and flying around, an oak at the top of Christmas Hill.

Cabbage Whites were seen at several locations today.  Today is September 30.  Are there butterflies to be seen in October?   Let us know!

More tomorrow…

2022 September 30 morning

    Colias Alert!   Yesterday Marie O’Shaughnessy saw four sulphurs at McIntyre reservoir and obtained astonishing photographs of the upperside.  I shan’t be able to post these until later in the day.  I want to examine the photographs carefully, but a hasty look suggests to me that they are quite likely Clouded Sulphurs, Colias philodice,  rather than our usual Orange Sulphurs.