INVERTEBRATE ALERT
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.

July 3

2106 July 3

 

   Annie Pang sends a photograph of a Seven-spotted Ladybird seen on July 2.

 

 

Seven-spotted Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Annie Pang

   She also sends photographs of two Essex Skippers – one of the normal form, and the other of the uncommon pale form “pallida” from Cuthbert Holmes Park.

 

 Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Annie Pang

 

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola f. “pallida” (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Annie Pang

 

Aziza Cooper writes:  Today, Sunday, July 3, three butterfly watchers went to the hydro lines north of Spectacle Lake. The butterflies were very scarce. We found two Lorquin’s Admirals and one Lorquin’s Admiral caterpillar about to pupate. The only other butterfly we saw was one skipper flyby, not identifiable.

 

The day was quite warm but quite cloudy, and it seems the butterfly season is already coming to a close. We observed 32 species of birds and ate many delicious wild berries. The walk was very pleasant!

 

Aziza sends a photograph of the Lorquin’s Admiral pre-pupal caterpillar, and also of a fly that landed on Jeff Gaskin’s back-pack.  Thanks to Claudia Copley who  has tracked it down as a species of Anthrax.

 

Lorquin’s Admiral Limentis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)

Aziza Cooper

Anthrax sp. (Dip.: Bombyliidae)  Aziza Cooper