2022 May 22 morning

    Gordon Hart writes:  We walked along the Prospect Road to Munn Road power lines on May 21 and saw at least 50 Western Spring Azures. There were several groups gathered at damp spots along the path. We also saw at least seven Epirrhoe plebeculata moths. There were also several dragonflies and damselflies, but no other butterfly species.

   We also saw thousands of honey bees forming a swarm in a bush near Munn Road. When we first saw them they were in the air over quite a large area, and later the group had formed a compact swarm on a branch of the bush.  I wonder how long they will stay there, and where they will end up?  At home, we had a variety of butterflies: two Green Commas; two Mourning Cloaks chasing one another; a fresh Western Brown Elfin; and several Western Spring Azures.  We saw one Pacific Forktail damselfly, Ischnura cervula.

  Jeff Gaskin writes:  On May 21, I found a Mourning Cloak, 3 Satyr Commas and 3 Western Spring Azures north and south of Blenkinsop Lake.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   On May 21 I walked along the Panhandle Trail, off Munn Road, ans I saw a Western Brown Elfin, a Propertius  Duskywing, a Green Comma as well as several Western Spring Azures and Sara Orangetips.  In the evening, at 5:15 pm, there was a rather worn Red Admiral on the Mount Tolmie reservoir.

 Caterpillars of  the Silver-spotted Tiger Moth are abundant and ubiquitous at present, so I took the opportunity of photographing one at UVic.

Lophocampa argentata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jeremy Tatum