2019 July 8

 

   It seems that the recent rain brought out the slugs. Rebecca Reader-Lee writes: I went to Botanical Beach with my family on Friday, July 5th and, while we were there, I found a small (no more than 5cm long) slug crawling down a tree next to the path.  Jeremy Gatten writes that he believes it is a Scarletback Taildropper Prophysaon vanattae.

 

Scarletback Taildropper Prophysaon vanattae (Pul.: Arionidae)

Rebecca Reader-Lee

 

   Gordon Hart sends photographs of a dragonfly and a bumblebee.  Thanks to Dr Rob Cannings for confirming the  identity of the former as a male Blue-eyed Darner, and to Annie Pang for confirming the latter as a Western Bumblebee.

Male Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Gordon Hart

Western Bumblebee Bombus occidentalis (Hym.: Apidae)  Gordon Hart

 

 

Jochen Möhr’s moths in Metchosin this morning:

1 Autographa californica

1 Callizzia amorata

2 Eulithis xylina

1 Homorthodes hanhami

1 Nadata gibbosa

1 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Perizoma costiguttata

1 Pseudothyatira cymatophoroides

1 Scopula quinquelinearia

1 Aseptis binotata

 

Leucania dia (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Homorthodea hanhami (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Aseptis binotata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Autographa californica (Lep.:  Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Pseudothyatira cymatophoroides (Lep.: Drepanidae – Thyatirinae)

  Jochen Möhr

Scopula quinquelinearia  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

   Gordon Hart writes that a Painted Lady was seen at home on Thursday July 4, along with the usual Lorquin’s Admirals, Cabbage Whites and Western Tiger Swallowtails.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart.

 

   Gordon also sends a photograph of a bee, kindly identified by Annie Pang as Bombus melanopygus.

Bombus melanopygus (Hym.: Apidae)  Gordon Hart

 

   Rosemary Jorna writes:   This fly was at the top of Todd Hill in the Sooke Hills today, June 8:

Probably Peleteria malleola (Dip.: Tachinidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is a Red Admiral caterpillar found today on Lochside Trail just south of Lohbrunner’s.

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes that there were three Painted Ladies, a Western Tiger Swallowtail, and a Red Admiral on the MountTolmie reservoir this evening.  I believe that this, and the caterpillar above, are the first Red Admirals reported to Invert Alert this year.