INVERTEBRATE ALERT
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

2023 June 24 evening

2023 June 24 evening

   On June 22, Val George photographed this Drepanulatrix at his Oak Bay house.  Drepanulatrix  is a difficult genus. Libby Avis and Jeremy Tatum think that it is probably (not 100 percent certain) either D. foeminaria or D. monicaria, but we cannot be more certain than that.

 

Drepanulatrix (probably foeminaria or monicaria)
(Lep.: Geometridae )
Val George

   Today, Val shows several young hatchling Banasa Stink Bugs on his raspberry canes:

Banasa dimidiata  (Hem.: Pentatomidae)   Val George

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes about amazing numbers of Sheep Moths in Uplands Park Thursday and Friday this week in one small area. I guess it’s called an “outbreak” – just like a rash.  [Jeremy Tatum inserts:  Yes, I saw large numbers along the Panhandle Trail, too.]  Marie continues: These moths are so rich in colour and great subjects for photography, I can’t resist marvelling at this spectacle.  Plenty of mating going on, though I couldn’t find any ovipositing yesterday among the 40 seen in the 45 minutes that I was there.

 Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Sheep Moths Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

Today, June 24, Jeff Gaskin found 2 Grey Hairstreaks in two separate locations.  One was in front of 950 Mackenzie Avenue near Christmas Hill, and the other was at Rithet’s Bog.  Also, at Rithet’s Bog were 10 European (Essex) Skippers,  1 Cabbage White, 15 Western Tiger Swallowtails, and 39 Lorquin’s Admirals.  Nothing special at Christmas Hill except for 2 Cabbage Whites, 16 Lorquin’s Admirals, and 5 Western Tiger Swallowtails.  Later this afternoon still on June 24, a Painted Lady was in my mom’s backyard in the Burnside/Gorge neighbourhood.

Among the dragonflies I saw, I had Cardinal Meadowhawks at both Christmas Hill and Rithet’s Bog.  An Eight spotted Skimmer and Four spotted Skimmer were at Christmas Hill, as were a surprising number of Blue Dashers.