2015 June 24

Aziza Cooper writes:  Yesterday afternoon, Mount Tolmie had a busy group of butterflies at the reservoir:

Western Tiger Swallowtail – 4

West Coast Lady – 1

Painted Lady – 4

Red Admiral – 1

Lorquin’s Admiral – 1

Cabbage White – 1

The Painted Ladies are mostly along the road on the north side of the summit. The reservoir was occupied by an exercise class at 6pm, and the butterflies were ousted. [Jeremy Tatum writes: The West Coast Lady was back on the reservoir at 7:00 pm – an absolutely pristine fresh specimen.  They must have bred locally.   Check mallow plants for caterpillars.]

Aziza continues: Government House has a sunny lawn east of the main building where I’ve seen a Red Admiral on three visits in the late afternoon during the last two weeks. There are also four Western Tiger Swallowtails that fly around the same area.

  Barb McGrenere writes that on June 20, Mike found a hawk moth caterpillar near Jennings Lane, Elk Lake Park.  Barb took a photo, not quite in focus, but good enough to see that it is something exciting.  The moth Hyles lineata comes to mind, but I have never seen one quite this colour or with quite this pattern.  Green caterpillars often turn brown shortly before pupating, and the fact that this one was on the ground suggests that it was on its way to find somewhere to pupate.  Caterpillar expert Dr David Wagner believes that it is probably lineata, and he comments that they were moving north in huge numbers this spring, so perhaps we can expect to see a few more of them.  If it is not lineata, then it is something I have never seen before – but I think that that yellow caudal horn tells us that it is indeed probably lineata.

   Jeremy Tatum writes: Here are two moths from my Saanich apartment this morning, June 24, and a chrysalis (again – chrysos = gold!) of a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell from one of the caterpillars found during the Metchosin Bioblitz.

Silver-spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa argentata

(Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)

Jeremy Tatum

 Enargia infumata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jeremy Tatum

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Aglais milberti (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a Common Emerald moth from View Royal, June 23.

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Cheryl Hoyle