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.

March 31 morning

2016 March 31 morning

 

   NOTICE:  Some viewers have been having trouble either viewing this site, or in submitting contributions.  We are trying to sort things out, but at present I think the best way to view the site is to go to the VNHS site https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/ , look for POPULAR ITEMS, and click on Invertebrate Alert. To submit items (recent photos or sightings), send them to jtatum@uvic.ca

 

 

   Nathan Fisk writes:  What a day (March 30)!  Western Spring Azure, Sara Orangetips and Cabbage Whites all moving about. Found this flyer as well. All in the Garry Oak learning meadow at Fort Rodd Hill.

 

Jeremy Tatum responds:  I think we’d need to see a little bit more of the moth to be quite certain what it is.  It is a geometrid.  At a wild guess I’d say possibly Hydriomena manzanita.

 

Possibly Hydriomena manzanita (Lep.: Geometridae)  Nathan Fisk

 

Gordon Hart writes:   Today in our Highland District yard we had a comma sp. fly-by, and one Sara Orangetip.  At Francis/King Park, I saw a Mourning Cloak (photo attached) and a Cabbage White. Mesoleuca gratulata has been everywhere this week.

Back on March 16, I saw a similar small orange and black moth at the Pike Lake substation (photo also attached).

 

Mourning Cloak  Nymphalis antiopa  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

 Epirrhoe plebeculata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart

 

Aziza Cooper writes:  Today (March 30) one Western Spring Azure was in the southeast woods at Beacon Hill Park. At Mount Tolmie this afternoon there were 2 California Tortoiseshells, 2 Spring Azures, 3 Cabbage Whites and one Sara Orangetip.  The Western Spring Azure photo is the one from Beacon Hill Park. Photo is by Jody Wells.

 

Western Spring Azure  Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jody Wells

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

Val George writes:  The sun today, March 30, brought out some butterflies.  At Observatory Hill I saw a Satyr Comma and a Cabbage White.  At Mount Tolmie there were two California Tortoiseshells and two Cabbage Whites.  One fresh-looking tortoiseshell was on the reservoir at the summit;  the other, a rather beat-up one, was on a fir tree (photos attached).

 

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Val George

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Val George

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here’s a problem for viewers – how many California Tortoiseshells on Mount Tolmie on Tuesday?  Are the above three photos of three different individuals?  Or just two?  I think three, but I’m not sure!