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.

2024 June 15

2024 June 15

On June 14, Marie O’Shaughnessy reported that, because of cool weather, butterflies and dragonflies were scarce.  Thus, at McIntyre reservoir she found only two Cabbage Whites, one Cardinal Meadowhawk, one California Darner, plus 11 damselflies.  She saw a Western Tiger Swallowtail along Bowker Creek.  June 15 has been cool and windy; in spite of that, Gordon Hart saw a Pale Tiger Swallowtail in the Highlands today.

Gordon photographed this bright green grasshopper at Uplands Park, June 13.  James Miskelly writes:  That’s a nymph of Melanoplus bivittatus. It’s common in Melanoplus for species that are brown as adults to have nymphs that are green.

 

Melanoplus bivittatus  (Orth.: Acrididae)  Gordon Hart

 

Val George writes :  This beautiful, pristine Ceanothus Silkmoth, Hyalophora euryalus, was on the wall of the Nature House at Swan Lake today, June 15. One of the staff there said it had been there for two days.

Ceanothus Silkmoth Hyalophora euryalus  (Lep.:  Saturniidae)  Val George

Ceanothus Silkmoth Hyalophora euryalus  (Lep.:  Saturniidae)  Val George