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.

June 17 evening

2020 June 17 evening

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  At Panama Flats this afternoon I saw five Cabbage Whites and three Essex Skippers.  There was a massive and extensive display of blackberry bushes in full flower, but not a swallowtail in sight.  However, at 6:15 pm this evening I saw a Western Tiger Swallowtail fly over the reservoir – the first swallowtail of any species that I have seen this year.  That was the only butterfly I saw at the top of Mount Tolmie.

 

  Kim Beardmore photographed this Sheep Moth caterpillar along the Munn Road power lines today.  These caterpillars can give you a rash if handled.

 

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae) Kim Beardmore

 

 

   Wendy Ansell writes:  Today (Wednesday) we saw 1, possibly 2, Lorquin’s Admirals and 1 Western Tiger Swallowtail at Playfair Park.  By the way, we frequently see 1 or 2 Western Tiger Swallowtails in our yard on Cordova Ridge, 1 so far today.

 

   Jeff Gaskin  writes:  Kirsten Mills and I  had some good butterflies in Nanaimo and Duncan today, June 17.  Along the trail near the Duncan sewage lagoons we saw from between 6 – 8 Western Tiger Swallowtails, and 1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail.

 On Nanaimo River Road:  For 15 kilometres from the Trans Canada Highway we saw 15 Pale Tiger Swallowtails,  4 Western Tiger Swallowtails,  5 Western Spring Azures,  1 Lorquin’s Admiral, and 13 Clodius Parnassians.  The Clodius Parnassians were found between the 8.5 km point to the 15 km point.

  More tomorrow – couldn’t get everything up today! – Jeremy T.