2016 April 8

   Thomas Barbin sends a remarkable photograph of a nomad bee (one of several groups of cleptoparasitic bees also known as cuckoo bees), from the Highlands District yesterday. Cleptoparasites lay their eggs in the nests of other species of bee or wasp, and often resemble their hosts closely.

Nomad bee Nomada sp. (Hym.: Apidae – Nomadinae)   Thomas Barbin

Gordon Hart writes from Highlands District:  Today we had five butterfly species in the yard: a Cabbage White, 2 Western Spring Azures, a Mourning Cloak, a Moss’s Elfin and two commas, Green Commas, I think. [Agreed!  Jeremy] I am attaching a photo of the elfin since it was so colourful . The FW seemed almost blue-grey. The commas who kept skirmishing over a patch of brambles looked like Green Commas, although I notice the one I sent from April 2 has two small horizontal white bars between two vertical black bars on the FW. Today’s subjects don’t have the white bars.

Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Gordon Hart

Moss’s Elfin Incisalia mossii (Lep.: Lycaenidae)   Gordon Hart

   Val George writes:  Mount Tolmie this afternoon, April 7:  One each of California Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Mourning Cloak.

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Val George

Annie Pang sends a picture of a sawfly, probably Trichiosoma triangulum, from Victoria, April 6.  As with her recent picture of the moth Mesoleuca gratulata, she appears to have caught it in the act of ovipositing.

 Sawfly, probably Trichiosoma triangulum (Hym.: Cimbicidae)  Annie Pang

Mike Yip writes from Nanoose Bay:  First-of-year last week 2 Sara Orangetips and 1 Western Brown Elfin. Today first-of-year  5  Spring Azures & 2 Western Pine Elfins.

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)   Mike Yip

Western Pine Elfin Incisalia eryphon (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip