2024 August 10 evening

Marie O’Shaughnessy has been photographing dragonflies and damselflies at Beaver Lake Ponds and McIntyre Reservoir on August 8. We thank Dr Rob Cannings for help with the identifications.

First, from Beaver Lake Ponds, where Marie saw:

Dragonflies
1 Black Saddlebag 
2 Blue Dashers
1 Striped Meadowhawk
2 Western Pondhawks

Damselflies
3 Spotted Spreadwings 
2 Pacific Forktail

Butterflies
3 Cabbage Whites
2 Woodland Skippers

Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener (Odo.: Lestidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula  (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Female Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Now from McIntyre Reservoir:

Butterflies
5 Cabbage Whites

Dragonflies
4 Black Saddlebags 
1 Blue-eyed Darner 
3 Western Pondhawks – 1 female, 1 male and 1 bi-coloured 
17 Blue Dashers
1 Eight-spotted Skimmer 
2 Paddletailed Darners

Male Western Pondhawk  Erythemis collocata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy
Dr Cannings writes that this is a male Western Pondhawk but not yet fully pruinose.

Jeremy Tatum writes: “Two Red Admirals emerged today from their chrysalides.  See July 29 for a caterpillar and August 1 for a chrysalis.  I was unable to take a photograph, but you may see the adults where I released them, one at Mount View Park and the other at Playfair Park.”

Ian Cooper sends a photograph of a ladybird beetle from the E&N Trail in Vic West, August 4.   Scott Gilmore kindly identified it for us as Hippodamia convergens.

Hippodamia convergens  (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Ian Cooper