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.

July 2 morning

July 2 morning

    [In case you’re wondering, there was no July 1 posting.]

    Here’s a fly photographed a couple of weeks ago by someone and kindly identified by Michelle Locke as Dasysyrphus intrudens.   Apologies for the delay – it kind of got lost in the heap.  And more apologies – I had wrongly attributed the photo to Jochen.  Does anyone recognize it and can tell me whose it is?!


Dasysyrphus intrudens (Dip.: Syrphidae)

 

   Annie Pang sends pictures of a Western Tiger Swallowtail:

 

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Annie Pang

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Annie Pang

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Annie Pang

 

 

   Yesterday, July 1, we had the monthly VNHS Butterfly Walk, which is held regularly on the first Sunday of each month, led by Gordon Hart.  Nine enthusiasts attended.  Jeff Gaskin kept count, as follows:

On Mt. Tolmie   20 Lorquin’s Admirals,  1 Western Tiger Swallowtail,  and 1 or 2 Cabbage Whites.

At McIntyre Road reservoir  :  several Cabbage Whites and a few Essex Skippers.

At Island View Beach from the north parking lot to Saanichton Spit parking lot  :   16 Lorquin’s Admirals,  30 Essex Skippers,  2 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 1 Ringlet, and 4 Cabbage Whites.

 

Lots of dragonflies and sand wasps were seen (photos below), as well as an Otter with two young cubs (kittens?  otterlets?  Is there a name for young otters?).

Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Aziza Cooper

Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

Sand Wasp Bembix americana (Hym.: Crabronidae)  Aziza Cooper

 

More to come this afternoon or evening…