2022 July 21 afternoon

    Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  Our Lorquin’s Admiral 11 days later, still guarding the parking space and taking on whoever intrudes – be it me, swallowtails, Cabbage Whites or even dragonflies!  

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Ren Ferguson forwards some photographs obtained by Larkin Schmiedl on Salt Spring Island on July 18.

Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Larkin Schmiedl

Spilosoma virginica (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Larkin Schmiedl

Malacosoma californicum (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)   Larkin Schmiedl

2022 July 21 morning

    Marie O’Shaughnessy sends photographs of a pair of Polyphemus Moths in cop.  on Mount Tolmie, July 20.  The one with the elaborate antennae is the male. 

Polyphemus Moth Antheraea polyphemus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   Marie also writes that butterflies are still plentiful at the top of Mount Tolmie. 

2 Pale Tiger Swallowtails,  6 Lorquin’s Admirals, 6  Western Tiger Swallowtails and 2  Cabbage Whites. As well as two medium size, all rusty red coloured individuals that never put down so difficult to identify as constantly rapidly, on the move.  [Painted Ladies, maybe?  Jeremy Tatum.]

  Jeremy Tatum counted 8 Lorquin’s Admirals at Rithet’s Bog, July 20.

  Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  Our Lorquin’s Admirals steadfastly defend our parking lot against intruders, and we have numerous swallowtails pass through all day long – not to mention innumerable Essex Skippers.  The other day, I counted fifteen Essex Skippers in a neighboring farm on a line of lavender bushes in bloom.  And I see them flitting across the place, where we live, and on the borders of the road in Metchosin.  Jochen sends photographs of some moths:

Female Malacosoma californicum (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)   Jochen Möhr

Small Magpie Moth Anania hortulata (Lep.:  Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Nemoria unitaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes that there was also a Nemoria unitaria at the University of Victoria this morning:

Nemoria unitaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Also, the Nemoria shown on July 15 from Swan Lake was also N. unitaria, not N. darwiniata as I originally mislabelled it (writes  Jeremy Tatum).  Thanks to Libby Avis for spotting my mistake.

   Libby sends a photograph of a Scallop Shell Rheumaptera undulata from Port Alberni.  There was also a Scallop Shell at UVic this morning, writes Jeremy – and the darned thing flew just half a second before I pressed the expose button!

Scallop Shell Rheumaptera undulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Libby Avis

   Val George writes:  This moth (Zotheca tranquilla) was on the wall of my Oak Bay house this morning, July 21.

Elder Moth Zotheca tranquilla (Lep.: Noctuidae) Val George

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  And this moth flew into my Saanich apartment this morning.  Noctua pronuba is quite a variable moth, and one could be forgiven by not immediately recognizing that this one is the same species as the one shown by Bryan Gates in yesterday’s posting.

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 July 20 afternoon

    Bryan Gates sends photographs of a moth from his Oak Bay yard and a caterpillar from View Royal.

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) Bryan Gates

Silver-spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa argentata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)

  Bryan Gates

2022 July 20 morning

    Kirsten Mills writes:  On July 19, Jeff Gaskin and I went to Gowland Todd Provincial Park. We saw California Tortoiseshell and a Green Comma and several dragonflies.

Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Kirsten Mills

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis Odo.: Libellulidae)  Kirsten Mills

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis Odo.: Libellulidae)  Kirsten Mills

Satyr  Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Kirsten Mills

Cheryl  Hoyle sends two photographs taken at McKenzie Bight, July 19:

Arion rufus (Pul.:  Arionidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a small nondescript green caterpillar found at Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake.  It could be any of hundreds of species – impossible to identify.   But wait! Only three pairs of midabdominal prolegs, and feeding on Stinging Nettle.  Y’all know that this has to be Hypena  sp.

[Added later:  The adult moth emerged on August 4 and was found to be H. humuli.]

Hypena humuli. (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 July 18

    Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  Since July 17 we have had three to five Malacosoma californicum here every day – mostly females. But today, there was obviously a male. [See, among other things, its elaborate antennae.]

Malacosoma californicum (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  I had some good butterflies at both Swan Lake and Blenkinsop Lake today, July 18.  At Swan Lake I had 18 European (Essex) Skippers, 13 Lorquin’s Admirals, 4 Western Tiger Swallowtails and just one Cabbage White.

   At Blenkinsop Lake I found a Red Admiral and one and maybe two Satyr Commas.  Also were included 16 Cabbage Whites, 5 Western Tiger Swallowtails, and 4 Lorquin’s Admirals.