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.

April 28

2016 April 28

 

MAY BUTTERFLY WALK

 

Hi, Butterfly watchers,

The second butterfly walk of 2016 is this Sunday, May 1. The weather looks as though it will be fine, so we should have a good showing of butterflies.

We meet at the top of Mount Tolmie in the parking lot by the reservoir at 1 p.m. After a quick look around the summit, we will decide on a destination at that time.

As always, the walk is weather-dependent, so if the weather forecast is wrong and it is cold or rainy, the walk will be cancelled.

Thanks also to everyone who participated in April’s butterfly count. See the VNHS Invertalert for April 27 (yesterday!) for details and a comparison with 2015’s count. The May count will start May 21.

Thanks,

Gordon Hart

 

   Annie Pang sends a photograph of a greenbottle fly from Gorge Park.  This fly belongs to the large genus Lucilia.  We can’t be certain of the species, but the commonest and most widespread and therefore the most likely is Lucilia sericata.  The separated eyes show that this is a female.

Greenbottle Lucilia (probably sericata) (Dip.:  Calliphoridae)  Annie Pang

Annie also sends a picture of a bee from Gorge Park.  We are very much in need of someone who can identify Hymenoptera for us!

 

 

Mason bee Osmia sp. (Hym.: Megachilidae)   Annie Pang

   Libby Avis writes from Port Alberni:  Here’s a moth that we don’t get here very often – Lithophane dilatocula. Only the third one I’ve seen. Photo taken in Port Alberni on April 27th.

 

Lithophane dilatocula (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Libby Avis

Gordon Hart writes:  I dropped by the Munn Road power lines today, Wednesday April 27. I saw about a dozen Western Spring Azures, a Sara Orangetip, and at least three Propertius Duskywings. Two were by the mud near the pond, and one or two near the gate. There was also a Western Forktail Damselfly.

 

Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Gordon Hart

Western Forktail Ischnura perparva (Odo.:  Coenagrionidae)  Gordon Hart

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here a small moth, from near Blenkinsop Lake today:

 

 

Euceratia securella (Lep.: Plutellidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

And here’s a large moth, from Livesay Road, Central Saanich, also today:

 

Cerisy’s Eyed Hawk Moth Smerinthus cerisyi (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Also found at Livesey Road, this egg:

 

 

Triphosa haesitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Lastly, for today, a nice close-up of a familiar insect, a Cabbage White, sent by John Costello.

 

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae) John Costello