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 21

2015 May 21

 

  Jeff Gaskin writes:  I managed to see at least one Silvery Blue today, Thursday May 21, and it was amongst lupines at the Colwood turnoff and at the start of Sooke Road and about a block away from Atkins Road.  I am also seeing a lot more Pale Swallowtails in Victoria so far this year. There were five along the Galloping Goose/Atkins Road and a further seen on Observatory Hill on Tuesday. Amazingly enough I’m not seeing any Western Tiger Swallowtails this year yet.

 

Annie Pang sends a photo of a caterpillar of a Lorquin’s Admiral:

 

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Annie Pang

   She also sends photographs of a species of ichneumon wasp.  A correspondent has suggested a probable identity as Opheltes sp.

 

 

Probably Opheltes sp. (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) Annie Pang

Probably Opheltes sp. (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) Annie Pang

Probably Opheltes sp. (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) Annie Pang