2024 June 2

     We hear that Daniel Dönnecke saw a Mourning Cloak at Maber Flats on May 31 – and Marie O’Shaughnessy saw two at Swan Lake on the same day.

Jeff Gaskin writes: Not much to report but a couple of Mourning Cloaks in the past two days.  Yesterday, June the 1st at Somenos marsh in Duncan there was a Mourning Cloak along the boardwalk trail.  The day before on May 31st there was another Mourning Cloak in the southeast corner of Panama Flats.   I’m still seeing the odd Western Spring Azure and not much else except Cabbage Whites.

   Here is another view of the Green Comma that flirted with Marie yesterday in Outerbridge Park, as well as a photo of another Green Comma from Gordon Hart’s Highlands Garden.

Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

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

And here is a Cardinal Meadowhawk photographed by Gordon in Goy Park, near the Prospect Lake power lines.

Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

Marie sends photographs of two dragonflies from Swan Lake, May 31:

Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Apart from Tineola bisselliella, which is common in my apartment and not entirely welcome, writes Jeremy Tatum, moths seem to be scarce everywhere this year.  It was therefore a good surprise to receive photographs of two moths today, one from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin and one from Marie O’Shaughnessy at Swan Lake.   We thank Libby Avis for identifying both of them for us.

Lacinipolia patalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)      Jochen Möhr

Macaria sp.  (Lep.: Geometridae)         Marie O’Shaughnessy
Difficult to be sure of exact species.

Here are two bumble bees photographed by Gordon Hart, kindly identified for us by Steven Roias:

Bombus flavifrons or sitkensis  (Hym.: Apidae)  Gordon Hart
(Need to see last few tergites to be sure which species.)

Bombus vancouverensis  (Hym.: Apidae)    Gordon Hart