2016 April 27

 

   While full details of all the year’s monthly Butterfly Counts are published in the following year’s March/April issue of Victoria Naturalist, Gordon Hart has kindly supplied us with the figures for this year’s April count – and last’s year’s, for comparison.

Gordon thanks all who participated.

 

 

19 species	Apr/2016	Apr/2015	Difference
AniseSwallowtail	1	0	1
Western Brown Elfin	19	9	10
CabbageButterfly	188	69	119
CaliforniaTortoiseshell	4	4	0
CedarHairstreak	6	1	5
GreenComma	4	1	3
GreyHairstreak	6	5	1
MossElfin	4	3	1
MourningCloak	9	8	1
PaintedLady	4	10	-6
PaleSwallowtail	4	0	4
PropertiusDuskywing	7	25	-18
RedAdmiral	6	0	6
SaraOrangeTip	53	72	-19
SatyrComma	4	4	0
SpringAzure	322	189	133
TwoBanded Grizzled (Checkered) Skipper	2	0	2
WesternPineElfin	3	0	3
WesternTigerSwallowtail	2	0	2
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell	0	1	-1
totals	648	401	247
Number of observers	18	14
Number of reports	47	19

 

 

   Gordon sends a photograph of a very bright and fresh-looking male Western Spring Azure.

 

 

 

 

   Scott Gilmore’s recent comment about the great variability of the Multicoloured Asian Ladybird inspired Rosemary Jorna to take a series of photographs to illustrate just how variable this beetle can be.  We apologize that the first is slightly blurred, but we thought it was worth including in the series to illustrate one variation.  The second one is rather orangey in colour, and this might be (or might not!) because it has only recently ecloded from its pupal state and hasn’t yet hardened and reached its final colour.  However, great though the variability of the Multicoloured Asian Ladybird is, it turns out that two of Rosemary’s ladybirds are in fact a different species – the Seven-spotted Ladybird.  We are grateful to Scott Gilmore for the identifications.

 

 

 Rosemary Jorna

 

 Rosemary Jorna

 

 

 

 

 Rosemary Jorna

 

 

 Rosemary Jorna

 

Rosemary Jorna

Rosemary Jorna

 

 

   Jeremy Tatum photographed the Brown Woodling moth shown below near the Swan Lake nature house today (April 27).  He saw (but, alas, did not photograph) a Mourning Cloak in flight nearby.