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 20

2018 June 20

 

   David Harris, Sussex (England) butterfly enthusiast, visited Victoria from March 11 – 19, and is now safely back home.  He writes:

 

As far as I can tell, 18 butterfly species were seen over the week, not bad going for the `June Gap`.

 

Lorquin`s Admiral

Painted Lady

West Coast Lady

Small (Cabbage) White

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Pale Swallowtail

Anise Swallowtail

Large Heath (Ringlet)

Purplish Copper

Field Crescent

Essex Skipper

Western Spring Azure

Red Admiral

Cedar Hairstreak

Grey Hairstreak

Margined White

Western Tailed Blue

Clodius Parnassian

 

The highlights for me were probably the sight of the sheer numbers of Pale Swallowtails hill-topping at Mount Douglas, the smell of the Nootka Rose on the beach, the beauty of that Violet-green Swallow sun-bathing at the Kinsol Trestle Bridge, the sounds of the Marsh Wren and Red -breasted Sapsucker, the Northwestern Toads along the railway line north of Cowichan Station  and the Barred Owl catching that Garter Snake at Gordon and Anne-Marie`s in probably the most wildlife-friendly garden I have ever come across.

 

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The Common Emerald caterpillar shown on May 27 produced an adult moth shown below on June 16:

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

 

   Aziza Cooper writes:  On June 19, at Goldstream railroad track, there were 3 Pale Swallowtails, one Western Tiger Swallowtail, 4 Lorquin’s Admirals and 1 Essex Skipper.

 

Lorquin’s Admirals Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

 

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Aziza Cooper