July 28

 

   Cheryl Hoyle sends a picture of a grasshopper from View Royal, July 26.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I know little about grasshoppers, but I’m fairly sure that this is Melanoplus femurrubrum.

Melanoplus femurrubrum (Orth.: Acrididae)   Cheryl Hoyle

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Today I saw an Anise Swallowtail nectaring on the teasels at McIntyre Reservoir, Central Saanich.   Most of the large teasels at the south end of the reservoir have finished flowering.  However, the smaller teasels at the north end of the reservoir are now in full flower and should be attractive to butterflies.

  I walked from Island View Beach parking lot to Cordova (Saanichton) Spit this afternoon.  In the grassy fields just inland from the beach were a number of skippers – both Woodland and Essex.  I’m not sure which were the more numerous of the two, but I was surprised to see so many Essex this late in the season.  At the start of Cordova Spit were lots of Woodland Skippers and one Branded Skipper nectaring on the Gumweed.  This was at the side of the gravel trail, just where we saw them last year.  [In this site I am treating the so-called “Western” Branded Skipper as a race or subspecies of Hesperia comma, until the caterpillars are found to see just how different the two forms are.]   Also seen were a Purplish Copper on the way to Cordova Spit, and a “Ringlet” = Large Heath on the spit.

   Doug Cary writes:  I’m trying to identify a caterpillar observed in Uplands Park today and hope you can assist. We came across six of these in different locations during a walk this morning. They were approximately 5 cm in length and all were on the ground.   Jeremy Tatum replies:  It is the Sheep Moth.  They have finished feeding (on Ocean Spray or Snowberry) and are searching for somewhere to pupate.  These caterpillars can give you a rash if handled.

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Doug Carey

   Devon Parker writes:   On July 22 I observed 15+ Western Bumblebees at Butchart Gardens in the perennial border next to the concert lawn. Most of them were nectaring on the white and purple Veronica. On July 28 I observed 3 Western Bumblebees at Royal Roads in the walled Garden nectaring on Globe Thistle and Goldenrod.

Western Bumblebee Bombus occidentalis (Hym.: Apidae)  Devon Parker