2017 September 17

 

   Mike McGrenere sends a second photograph of the American Lady that he found at McIntyre reservoir on September 10.  This photograph allows a clearer view of the underside.  This is a rarity here, and indeed in British Columbia, although it is the second report we have heard of on Vancouver Island this year.  One was photographed by Martin Dollenkamp from Black Creek on August 8. (See the posting for August 11.)  On 2015 August 26 one was photographed at Ucluelet by a visitor from the UK, Patrick Moore, and was shown on the Sussex (England) butterfly website

www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

specifically at    http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/old%20sightings/nov-dec2015.html

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)

Mike McGrenere

   There are still a few Painted Ladies around – Anne-Marie Hart spotted a fresh one nectaring on a Buddleia bush in their Highlands garden yesterday.

 

Libby Avis tells us that she is still seeing lots of Nepytia phantasmaria (see yesterday’s posting) in Port Alberni –  15 of them last night!

 

Janet Renouf sends a photograph of a green caterpillar from under an oak tree.  It is a Rough Prominent Nadata gibbosa, and it looks as if it is just about to pupate at any moment.  Unfortunately it seems to have had some sort of a mishap, because it usually spins a tough cocoon in which to pupate, and, without its cocoon, I don’t rate its chances of survival greatly.

 

Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Janet Renouf

   Gordon Hart sends photographs of damselflies from the Beaver Lake retriever ponds, September 15.  We are grateful to Rob Cannings for the identifications.  Rob writes: The first is a Lestes male. Unfortunately, the tip of the abdomen is out of focus, which makes identification tricky from the dorsal view. The two species common here in September are L. disjunctus and L. congener and, based on this and certain characters, it’s one of those. I’m afraid I can’t really tell.   The second is a female Enallagma carunculatum. Eighth abdominal segment is all black on top.

 

Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus/congener (Odo.:  Lestidae)  Gordon Hart

Female Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)

Gordon Hart