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.

May 30

2018 May 30

 

   Ondrea Clarkson sends a picture of a Pale Tiger Swallowtail from just outside the Elliott Building, UVic, yesterday afternoon.

 

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Ondrea Clarkson

 

   Jochen Möhr sends a picture of a highflyer (Hydriomena sp.) from Metchosin.  It is difficult to decide between two similar species,  H. californiata or H. marinata.

 


Hydriomena californiata/marinata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

 

   Annie Pang sends a picture of a bee, kindly identified by Cory Sheffield and Lincoln Best as Bombus fervidus.


Bombus fervidus (Hym.: Apidae)  Annie Pang

 

    Nathan Fisk sends photographs of two bees from Fort Rodd Hill yesterday.   We are not sure exactly which species they are – but they are hard at work pollinating.

 

Unidentified bee (Hym.: Apidae)   Nathan Fisk

 

Unidentified bee (Hym.: Apidae)   Nathan Fisk

 

 

Jeremy Tatum sends a picture of a caterpillar found at Rithet’s Bog on May 29.

 

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

   Annie Pang sends pictures of a Spotted Tiger Moth, which emerged yesterday from a cocoon made by a caterpillar last fall that Annie successfully reared.  (See her caterpillar 2017 September 7 and 16, and the cocoon, September 27.)

 

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Annie Pang

 

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Annie Pang