2016 April 18

 

   Jeremy Gatten found the clown beetle shown below around the vernal pools in Uplands Park on April 17.

 

 Hister militaris  (Col.:  Histeridae)   Jeremy Gatten

 

 Hister militaris  (Col.:  Histeridae)   Jeremy Gatten

 

 

   Gordon Hart sends photographs of a female California Darner and a Spear Moth, also known as Argent and Sable.

 

 

 Gordon Hart

 

    Rebecca Reader-Lee sends photographs of some moths from her North Highlands home, April 17.

 Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Rebecca Reader-Lee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Aziza Cooper writes: Yesterday, April 17, on Knockan Hill there were one Western Brown Elfin, two Spring Azures and one Cabbage White.

 

   In Beacon Hill Park on April 17 were one Mourning Cloak and one Cabbage White. At about 7pm on April 17, one Red Admiral was shivering in the wind on the reservoir at Mt Tolmie.

 

Today, April 18, at the railroad tracks just south of the bridge over Goldstream west of the Goldstream campground, there were about 30 Spring Azures, one Cedar Hairstreak and one Western Pine Elfin.

 

I observed up to 17 Spring Azures grouped together puddling in the mud between the tracks. The formerly flooded area is now only muddy.

 

  Wendy and Gerry Ansell write that they just had their first Western Tiger Swallowtail in their yard on Cordova Ridge – April 18^th at 12:30 pm.

 

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  No butterflies on the Mount Tolmie reservoir on Monday (April 18) afternoon, but at about 6:30 p.m. there were two Red Admirals, one California Tortoiseshell  and a Green (I think!) Comma either on the reservoir or near the top of the steps.  The comma, in particular, seemed to enjoy resting on the Escallonia near the top of the steps.  If anyone sees it there, I’d be interested if you agree (or otherwise!) with the identification.

 Western Spring Azures Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)   Aziza Cooper