2024 April 14 morning

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  On April 13 I went up to Mount Douglas at 3:00 pm and saw three Sara Orangetips, but they weren’t putting down at all.  Very active and long gaps between sightings.

I had better luck at 5:30 pm at Mount Tolmie. When I arrived, there was one very worn California Tortoiseshell on the pathway outside the reservoir railings and a Western Spring Azure resting or nectaring on the Oregon Grape flowers.

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Jeremy Tatum found this woodling moth on the wall of his apartment building in Saanich this morning, April 14:

Egira curialis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2024 April13

   Although we have had some sunny days recently, butterflies still seem to be scarce, so maybe the temperature needs to be just one or two degrees warmer.  However, writes Jeremy Tatum, I saw my first Cabbage Whites of the year today.  One at Carey Road, one at Pear Street, both in Saanich.  Cabbage Whites may not be the most spectacular and glamorous of butterflies, but it was a delight to see them after several butterflyless months.

2024 April 12

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I spent about 90 minutes today searching the Hydro lines in the Munn Road area for Moss’s Elfin, but the only butterfly I saw was a single Western Spring Azure.

  However, if butterflies are still scarce, there are lots of other invertebrates around, as shown by Ian Cooper below, photographed at *Colquitz River Park and by the #Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.

*Believed to be Steatoda bipunctata (Ara.: Theridiidae)   Ian Cooper
See Dr Bennett’s comments on April 11 morning.

#Banana Slug – Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae)   Ian Cooper

#Arion sp. (Pul.: Arionidae)   Ian Cooper

*Grey Field Slug – Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)   Ian Cooper

*Common striped woodlouse – Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae)
Ian Cooper

Unidentified noctuid caterpillar  (Lep.: Noctuidae) Ian Cooper

2024 April 11 evening

    Monthly Butterfly Counts.  As mentioned in previous postings on this site, Gordon Hart wishes to retire as organizer of these Counts.  As yet, no one has volunteered to take over as organizer and so, unless there is a last-minute volunteer, there will be no Monthly Butterfly Counts this year.

  The Monthly Butterfly Walks will continue as usual, starting in May.  For details see the Victoria Naturalist, and look also for notices on this Invert Alert site.

Gordon Hart reports that on Wednesday, April 10, he saw his first Western Spring Azures (two), and a Mourning Cloak at his Highlands home.

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes that she was pleasantly surprised to see five of these bright,  colourful,  mostly  white  Sara Orangetip butterflies  between  2- 3  o’clock off the main parking lot at the top of Mount Douglas, April 9th.

Male Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara (Lep.: Pieridae)   Marie O’Shaughnessy

Male Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara (Lep.: Pieridae)   Marie O’Shaughnessy

2023 April 11

   Aziza Cooper sends a photograph of the day-flying geometrid moth Epirrhoe plebeculata from Goldstream Heights.   This is a commonly-seen moth at this time of the year, and, writes Jeremy Tatum, I have been trying for years to find its caterpillar.   It is reputed to feed upon Galium, but I am all but certain that this is quite wrong.  Please, then, all keep a look-out for this moth and watch it carefully to see if it oviposits.  I would be very glad to have an egg – with foodplant – to rear it from egg to adult (and then, of course, to release the adult in suitable habitat when it emerges next year).

Epirrhoe plebeculata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Aziza Cooper

Epirrhoe plebeculata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Aziza Cooper

Please also all keep a look-out (perhaps in the Munn Road area) for the Moss’s Elfin butterfly.   There have been very few sightings in recent years.

Ian Cooper sends another nice bunch of a variety of creatures from Colquitz River Park.

First, a harvestman, and, for the sharp-eyed, just below it, a small springtail, Orchesella villosa.

Unidentified Harvestman (Opiliones)   Ian Cooper

And now for a closer look at the springtail:

Springtail – Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae)   Ian Cooper

Armadillidium vulgare  (Isopoda:  Armidillidiidae)   Ian Cooper

Common Rough Woodlouse – Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae)
Ian Cooper

Grey Field Slug – Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)   Ian Cooper

Believed to be Steatoda bipunctata (Ara.: Theridiidae)   Ian Cooper

Dr Bennett comments: Quite likely Ian is correct on the ID. However, bipunctata is an introduction and there are not many verified records of it yet from our area. I would want to examine the specimen before saying “for sure!”