2015 August 3

   Jeremy Tatum visited Mount Tolmie at 6:00 pm on August 2 and found 1 Red Admiral on the reservoir, and 1 Painted Lady near the Jeffrey Pine.

  Devon Parker writes:  I was up on the San Juan Ridge again and found six species of butterflies today near the same area as last time [see July 18 posting], including three species not seen before on the San Juan Ridge.

2 Oreas Comma Polygonia oreas.
3 Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta nectaring on Pearly Everlasting.
3 Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini.
5 Hydaspe Fritillary Speyeria hydaspe nectaring on Pearly Everlasting.
3 Mariposa Copper Lycaena mariposa nectaring on Pearly Everlasting.
1 Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium sylvinum.

   Fritillaries are notoriously difficult to identify from upperside alone.  Devon believes the ones he saw are probably hydaspe, but he will try and photograph the underside next time he goes there.  We wish him luck.

Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium sylvinum (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Devon Parker

 Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Devon Parker

Hydaspe Fritillary  Speyeria hydaspe (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Devon Parker

   Annie Pang sends a picture of a European Paper Wasp

European Paper Wasp  Polistes dominula (Hym.: Vespidae)  Annie Pang

   David Robichaud writes:   I thought folks would want to know [yes we would! – Jeremy] that the Western Branded Skippers are flying at Cordova (Saanichton) Spit right now (Aug 3), and looking fresh.  I hadn’t checked there until today, so I can’t say when they started to emerge.  I saw more than a dozen in about 1.5 hours of wandering around.  There were also a few Woodland Skippers interspersed, just to make things interesting.  I’ve attached a photo.

   Jeremy Tatum comments.  Some taxonomists split the branded skippers into a Common Branded Skipper  Hesperia comma (Holarctic distribution – called Silver -spotted Skipper in the UK) and the newly-split Western Branded Skipper H. colorado.  Both are supposed to occur on Vancouver Island, but the Cordova Bay ones are supposed to be colorado.  Perhaps a lot more observations are called for!   I wish I could find the caterpillar.

 Western Branded Skipper  Hesperia colorado  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  David Robichaud

    Aziza Cooper writes:  Today I found two Purplish Coppers at the pump house on the east side of Martindale valley, just north of Martindale Road. They were mostly nectaring on daisies. At least 50 Cabbage Whites were also there.

Female Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Aziza Cooper

   And now for two fearsome flies.  Harmless to humans, but not to other insects!  The first is identified by Jeff Skevington as Villa sp., a species of bee fly.  It was photographed by Aziza Cooper during yesterday’s outing to the Kinsol trestle. The second, which came into my (Jeremy Tatum) living room today to frighten me, is identified by Rob Cannings as Laphria ventralis,  a species of robber fly.  Thanks to these experts for helping us out.

Laphria ventralis (Dip.: Asilidae)  Jeremy Tatum