2017 April 28

   Thomas Barbin took the photographs below of a robber fly in the Highlands District on April 24.  We are grateful to Rob Cannings for identifying it as a female Nicocles canadensis.  Rob notes that Saanich is the type locality.  That is, the individual specimen from which the species was originally formally described was taken in Saanich.  If in doubt as to the identity of a robber fly that looks like this one, that Saanich type specimen is the original definitive specimen with which other specimens must ultimately be compared.  Those of us who live in Saanich can now take pride in our famous municipality.  Perhaps this fly should replace the introduced and all-but-disappeared pheasant on the Saanich coat-of-arms, and the Saanich Latin motto Populo serviendo could be replaced with Nicocles canadensis.

Robber fly Nicocles canadensis (Dip.: Asilidae)  Thomas Barbin

 Robber fly Nicocles canadensis (Dip.: Asilidae)  Thomas Barbin

   Annie Pang sends a picture of a Two-spotted Ladybird from Gorge Park, April 24.

 Two-spotted Ladybird Adalia bipunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Annie Pang

   Jeremy Tatum writes: I have just spent two hours in the Pike Lake Substation area of Munn Road, determined to spot Epirrhoe plebeculata ovipositing – but I didn’t see a single moth.  And as for butterflies, in  two hours I saw one Sara Orangetip and one Western Spring Azure.  This continuing lack of butterflies is astonishing.

  On a more positive note, a message has just come in from Mike Yip of Nanoose Bay, who writes:  Western Pine Elfins are finally flying on Cross Road, and they aren’t wasting any time. (Neither are the bee flies.) Also seen was one Western Brown Elfin and several fly-by probable Western Spring Azures.

Western Pine Elfins Incisalia eryphon (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

 Bee flies Bombylius major (Dip.: Bombyliidae)  Mike Yip

   And in case any of you are wondering what Epirrhoe plebeculata is – the one I keep saying I am wanting to see ovipositing – Mike conveniently sends a photograph:

Epirrhoe plebeculata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Mike Yip