2015 April 5

   The last few days have been either cold or wet, and we have had no reports of butterflies for a week.  However, today was sunny and, if one could get out of the wind, not too cold, and some butterflies were on the wing.

   David Robichaud reported that Western Elfin butterflies are flying at Government House this week, along with Cabbage White, Sara Orangetip and Western Spring Azure.

  Jeremy Tatum and Bill Savale saw one each of Cabbage White, Sara Orangetip, Western Spring Azure and Mourning Cloak at Latoria Creek Park today.

  Also today, Jeremy Tatum saw a very pretty little geometrid moth with bright orange hindwings at Tower Point.   It was Dasyfidonia avuncularia – a lifer for him.

  Aziza Cooper writes: Today the butterfly walk group [that’s that first of this year’s monthly VNHS butterfly walks that Aziza runs] saw one Propertius Duskywing and a Spring Azure at Mount Tolmie. We went on to the Government House grounds where there were about six Spring Azures and eight Cabbage Whites. We saw two Cabbage Whites mating.   We also saw a Brown Creeper catch and eat a moth with a fat body and wings with a black and white pattern. Last Monday on the west slope of Mount Douglas I saw another Propertius Duskywing and six Sara Orangetips.

  Bill Katz photographed a geometrid moth in Haro Woods on April 4, kindly identified for us by Libby Avis as Perizoma curvilinea, a new one for this site.

Perizoma curvilinea (Lep.: Geometridae)  Bill Katz

      Bill also photographed a maggot at Haro Woods, which Jeremy believes is the larva (also known as a leatherjacket) of a crane fly.