2015 May 24

   Aziza Cooper writes:   As I was coming back from the west coast on Thursday May 21 I stopped at the Taylor River flats and found this large orange moth. 

Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Aziza Cooper

   Rosemary Jorna sends a nice bunch of lycaenid photographs from the Sooke area, May 23.  She also reports seeing five Pale Tiger Swallowtails together mud-puddling near Ripple Rock.

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Rosemary Jorna

Cedar Hairstreak Mitoura rosneri (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Rosemary Jorna

Western Pine Elfin Incisalia eryphon (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Rosemary Jorna

   Scott Gilmore sends some spectacular photographs from Upper Lantzville, all nicely identified for us!

   Here is a Four Spotted Sap Beetle that decided to walk across our picnic table as we had dinner outside. 

My son and I found this fly as we were out walking:

Epalpus signifer (Dip.: Tachinidae)  Scott Gilmore

[Jeremy Tatum remarks:  I once read that many tachinids can be recognized by their having bristly abdomens.  I see what they meant!]

This beetle was found sitting on a young Red Alder Leaf.

   Scott continues:  Most evenings near dusk there are reasonable numbers of beetles that fly around. My son and I like to see what we can find in our backyard. It is often the really tiny things we find that I find the most interesting.  The next two are about 2 mm long.  Thanks to Charlene Wood for the identification of Enicmus fictus, and Donald Chandler for the identification of Sonoma sp.

Enicmus fictus (Col.: Latritiidae) Scott Gilmore

Sonoma sp. (Col.: Staphylinidae) Scott Gilmore