INVERTEBRATE ALERT
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

June 19

2018 June 19

 

    David Harris and Jeremy Tatum visited Mount Douglas yesterday afternoon to see a wonderful show of Pale Tiger Swallowtails – at least eight countable at any time – plus a few Western Tiger Swallowtails all whirling around in a spectacular display.  While there we also found a caterpillar of a Western Spring Azure in an Ocean Spray flower.   In the evening we went to Christmas Hill where there were many Painted Ladies and a few Red Admirals hill-topping, and we also saw a Grey Hairstreak perching on an oak tree on the summit.

 

   Marie O’Shaughnessy encountered four Lorquin’s Admirals at a single location in Uplands Park on June 17.  Here is one of them.

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin that this Dark Marbled Carpet was on his bathroom door yesterday morning:

 

Dark Marbled Carpet Dysstroma citrata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

 

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  I was up at the Mount Tolmie reservoir late yesterday afternoon, June 18th,  and I saw  3-4 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 3 Lorquin’s Admirals, a Cabbage White and 2 Anise Swallowtails.   

 

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

   Aziza writes:  On June 18, I saw about ten Field Crescents at Eddy’s Self-Storage on Stelly’s Cross Road. They were in the usual area on the east side and back of the property. Most were quite worn. Also there were: one Painted Lady, one Essex Skipper, one Cabbage White and one Western Tiger Swallowtail.

 

  Also I went to the field west of the gravel trail at Quick’s Bottom and found 21 Ringlets, as well as six Lorquin’s Admirals and two Cabbage Whites.

 

Field Crescent Phyciodes pratensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

 

Field Crescent Phyciodes pratensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

 

 

Ringlet (Large Heath) Coenonympha tullia (Lep.:  Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Aziza Cooper

 

 

   Marie O’Shaughnessy shows us a Lorquin’s Admiral from the summit of Mount Tolmie yesterday.

 

Lorquin’s Admiral  Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

 Jeremy Tatum writes: Six Painted Ladies at the top of Mount Tolmie this evening.