2019 March 20 morning

 

   Ron Flower writes:  Yesterday March 19 we went to the Goldstream River and found Mourning Cloak and a Comma.   [Jeremy Tatum comments:    On March 18 I remarked that commas often like to rest head downwards.  This one must have read my remarks.  Commas can be very hard to identify from  uppersides alone, and I wouldn’t want to name this one!   I’d welcome opinions from viewers.  At Goldstream I think Satyrs are more likely than Green.  On the other hand Satyrs have become scarce in recent years.  Let’s play this one safe and say just “Comma”!]  Added later:  Thanks to Cris Guppy for identifying it as a female Satyr Comma

Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower.

 

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower

 

   Just at press time, more reports of commas are coming in, with the usual difficulties of identifying them!  Yesterday Jochen Möhr saw a probable Green  Comma in Metchosin, and Gordon Hart saw a definite Green Comma again in the Highlands.  Gordon also saw and managed to photograph a certain Satyr Comma at the northeast corner of Swan Lake.  Satyr Commas used to be very common, but in the last two or three years they have become quite scarce.

 

Satyr Comma  Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart