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.

2021 September 3

2021 September 3

 

Monthly Butterfly Walk scheduled for Sunday is cancelled.  See notice on September 2 Alert.

 

   Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of a Woodland Skipper in Metchosin nectaring on a — Wanted! – a Botanist to tell us what it is nectaring on!

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Jochen Möhr

  Jochen had these moths at his Metchosin home this morning

1 Neoalcis californiaria

2 Nepytia phantasmaria

3 Noctua pronuba

1 Orgyia antiqua 

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria

Here are photographs of a few of them:

Nepytia phantasmaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Orgyia antiqua (Lep.: Erebidae – Lymantriinae) Jochen Möhr

 

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   As a welcome bonus, Jochen writes:  This morning a very docile and tolerant Mourning Cloak had taken seat on my chair to sun itself.  I am grateful.

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum photographed some moths at the Goldstream Park Nature House this morning.

Nepytia phantasmaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Caripeta aequaliaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy also writes: Also at the Nature House was what I think is the largest caddisfly I have ever seen – out of camera range, unfortunately.  Possibly  Dicosmoecus atripes.

 

   Gordon Hart writes:  I dropped by Swan Lake yesterday and saw a Lorquin’s Admiral near Tuesday Pond – likely the same one Jeff saw.  There was one Woodland Skipper on Gumweed and several bee species. 

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

 

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Gordon Hart