May 8 morning
2016 May 8 morning
Mike Yip writes: Looks like another good year for the “Taylor‘s” Checkerspots on Denman Island. I had no trouble finding about 30 right at the entrance to Denman Provincial Park on Thursday May 5.
Today I spent an hour checking some areas a short way past the Saddle parking spot on Mount Cokely and found 5 Sara Orangetips, 6 Hoary “Zephyr” Commas, 3 Western Brown Elfins, 1 Western Pine Elfin, 2 Cedar Hairstreaks, 3 Mylitta Crescents, and several Silvery Blues. The bonus moths [Thank you, Libby Avis, for the identifications!] and ladybird are also from Cokely. After Cokely I checked the Northwest Bay logging road and found many Western Tailed Blues, Western Spring Azures, a few Silvery Blues, and 4 Mylitta Crescents. I was hoping for a duskywing but had to settle for a few dark, day-flying, duskywing-imitating moths.
The Cedar Hairstreak is from my garden and the Moss’s Elfin from Mount Cokely.
Edith’s (“Taylor’s”) Checkerspot Euphydryas editha taylori (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Mike Yip
Hoary (“Zephyr”) Comma Polygonia gracilis zephyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)Mike Yip
Hoary (“Zephyr”) Comma Polygonia gracilis zephyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Mike Yip
Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae) Mike Yip
Thallophaga taylorata (Lep.: Geometridae) Mike Yip
[“Thallophaga” is Greek for “fern-eater” – which is what the caterpillar does!]
Mylitta Crescents Phyciodes mylitta (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Mike Yip
Cedar Hairstreak Mitoura rosneri (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Mike Yip
Moss’s Elfin Incisalia mossii (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Mike Yip
Euclidia ardita (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae) Mike Yip
Rebecca Reader-Lee sends a photograph of an American Emerald Dragonfly from the North Highlands. We are grateful to Rob Cannings for the identification.
American Emerald Cordulia shurtleffi (Odo.: Corduliidae) Rebecca Reader-Lee
Jeremy Tatum sends a picture of a Spilosoma virginica – the adult of the well-known Yellow Woolly Bear – from the Blenkinsop Valley, May 7.
Spilosoma virginica (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Jeremy Tatum
And a spider, which he spotted in his bathtub just before taking his morning shower:
