2017 June 23

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I just discovered that the June 18 – 22 postings all had the wrong dates; they were all advanced by one day.  I have now corrected these.

   Jochen Moehr writes from Metchosin:  My confidence in our new place being blessed with biodiversity continues to increase.  This morning, driving up there around 8:30 a.m., I encountered four different Papilio individuals while driving along Lindholm Road.  I always see at least one or two.  We also always have mud puddling Papilios on the newly seeded slope, which we are irrigating.  Today, finally, I was able to get a picture of one of them, which I attach. 

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Jochen Moehr

   Rosemary Jorna writes:  Things come in pairs at Jordan River. We were on the beach there last night (June 21) watching the sun go down and saluting it with friends and wine. When I went to wash the glasses this morning I found two young slugs had come home with us, each sleeping it off in a separate wine glass. They now reside on our property as I did not realize we would be back in Jordan River today.   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I am fairly ignorant about slugs, but to me this one looks rather like the introduced European Lehmannia valentiana.   Hint for slug and snail photographers:  It is best if you can do exactly what Rosemary has done – i.e. photograph the animal from the right hand side so that we can see the pneumostome, which I think is always on the right.  The exact position of the pneumostome on the mantle helps enormously with the identification.  If you are not sure what the pneumostome is, have a guess, and you’ll almost certainly be right!

Lehmannia valentina (Pul.: Limacidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Aziza Cooper sends a photograph of a bee on a daisy at Goldstream Park, June 21. Trouble is, we have so many insects here that it is not always possible to identify every one accurately even from a good photograph. This one is probably either a halictid or an andrenid, and it may be safest to leave it at that.

Bee – not sure which one!  (Hymenoptera)  Aziza Cooper

   Peter Boon writes:  I took a stroll around the Nanaimo River estuary today.  It was quite windy but I found my first-of-year Purplish Copper. I then went out to the roadside verges of Nanaimo River Road. The Dogbane was in flower but butterflies were few and far between. In a couple of hours there I found at least 3 Pale Tiger Swallowtails, 2 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 1 Cedar Hairstreak, 1 first-of-year Lorquin’s Admiral, 1 White (probably Margined) and 1 first-of-year Clodius Parnassian.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw my first-of-year Lorquin’s Admirals today – about three of them near the Mount Tolmie Reservoir at 4:30 pm.

   More pics in the queue – awaiting identification.