2020 July 18

 Invert Alert Problems:

   When Invert Alert was first started ten years ago, it was intended mainly as an “Alert”, so that people could report, for example, a rare butterfly such as a sulphur.  Since then it has morphed into a combined photo gallery plus identification service.  This is a welcome development, and it’s great fun doing it, but the problem is that at the height of summer the amount of work becomes overwhelming.  Thus, when a picture is received, provided that the identity of the insect is known, and provided that there are no computer problems or other difficulties (which almost never happens) each photograph takes about ten minutes to process before posting on Invert Alert.  Thus, if there are ten photographs, all of known identities, and there are no other difficulties, that amounts to an hour and forty minutes.

A particular difficulty at present concerns bees.  There are numerous species, each with various castes, that are notoriously difficult to identify, and the three experts that we were able to call upon have now left the Province and are no longer easily available to us.  Annie Pang has been doing her best to fill in, but, like most of us, she is an amateur and it is a very large load for her.

Today, in particular, I am so overloaded that I have decided that the most practicable thing I can do is not to process most of today’s submissions, and to start again tomorrow with a plea to contributors to limit their submissions to their best-quality work.  I don’t want to set a daily limit per contributor, but prefer to let contributors themselves select their best.   Also please remember that some insects, such as our commonest butterflies, are photographed again and again and again.  I’ll continue to try to identify insects, because I know that in many cases contributors really don’t know.

I’m sorry about this, but it is a high-summer problem.  We can probably get back to normal when the number of contributions starts to ease off in October or thereabouts.

Jeremy Tatum

Now for a very few selections from today’s submissions:

   Montana Stanley, a new contributor, sends this picture of a June beetle from Triangle Mountain, July 16.

Polyphylla crinita (Col.: Scarabaeidae)  Montana Stanley

   Jochen Möhr sends a picture of a Grey Hairstreak from his Metchosin property:

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Rosemary Jorna sends a photograph of a leafcutter bee

Female Leaf-cutter bee Megachile sp. (Hym.: Megachilidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Val George sends a photograph of a rather worn female Purplish Copper from Island View Beach today.

Female Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Val George

And that, I’m afraid, is all I can manage today!  (8:00 pm)

2020 July 17 afternoon

From Gordon Hart:

Hello Butterfly Watchers,

The July Butterfly Count period starts Saturday July 18 until Sunday July 26. This is an informal census of butterfly numbers and species in Greater Victoria. The area is defined by the Christmas Bird Count circle, extending from Victoria to Brentwood Bay and Island View Road in Central Saanich, and west to Happy Valley and Triangle Mountain, and Langford Lake and Goldstream areas.

You can submit a count any time over the count period, just use a separate form for each count and location. In the case of repeat or duplicate counts, I will use the higher numbers. To submit counts, please use the form from the VNHS website at:

https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33

If you have difficulty with the form, just send me an email with the information.

Thank-you for submitting your sightings and good luck with your count.

-Gordon

Gordon Hart,

Butterfly Count Coordinator,

Victoria Natural History Society

Jody Wells photographed this paper wasp at Brentwood Bay yesterday.  Thanks to Claudia Copley for identifying it as the Golden Paper Wasp Polistes aurifer.  The usual paper wasp we see here is the European P. dominula – but this one is native.

Golden Paper Wasp Polistes aurifer (Hym.: Vespidae)  Jody Wells

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is a caterpillar of the Pale Tiger Swallowtail from Munn Road:

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)
Jeremy Tatum

2020 July 17 morning

From Gordon Hart:

Hello Butterfly Watchers,

The July Butterfly Count period starts Saturday July 18 until Sunday July 26. This is an informal census of butterfly numbers and species in Greater Victoria. The area is defined by the Christmas Bird Count circle, extending from Victoria to Brentwood Bay and Island View Road in Central Saanich, and west to Happy Valley and Triangle Mountain, and Langford Lake and Goldstream areas.

You can submit a count any time over the count period, just use a separate form for each count and location. In the case of repeat or duplicate counts, I will use the higher numbers. To submit counts, please use the form from the VNHS website at: https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33

If you have difficulty with the form, just send me an email with the information.

Thank-you for submitting your sightings and good luck with your count.

-Gordon

Gordon Hart,

Butterfly Count Coordinator,

Victoria Natural History Society

Annie Pang sends pictures of a long-horned beetle from a neighbour’s garden in the Gorge area, July 14.   Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying it as Xestoleptura crassipes.

Xestoleptura crassipes (Col.: Cerambycidae)   Annie Pang

Xestoleptura crassipes (Col.: Cerambycidae)   Annie Pang

2020 July 16 afternoon

   Annie Pang photographed this syrphid fly near Gorge Road, July 10.  Thanks to Dr Jeff Skevington who writes that, although not all characters are visible, he’s pretty sure it is Eristalis hirta:

Eristalis hirta (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Annie Pang

Eristalis hirta (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Annie Pang

   Jody Wells photographed the swallowtail below.  It looks slightly pale, but Mike Yip and Jeremy Tatum are in agreement that it is a Western Tiger Swallowtail.  Mike draws attention to the narrow black margin on the wings and writes that the yellow colour gets washed out as the butterfly ages so can be very pale.   

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Jody Wells

   Butterflies may be scarce in Victoria, but apparently not so on Mount Washington.   Mike writes, of a recent trip: At a roadside stop on the way to the ski hill we found lots of Anna’s Blues flying and nectaring on daisies, as well as several flying Western Meadow Fritillaries and Western Tiger Swallowtails. On the top of the mountain the Great Arctics were common and the Hydaspe Fritillaries were less common but in very fresh condition.   A short afternoon walk along the beginning of the Paradise Meadow boardwalk yielded about a dozen Western Meadow Fritillaries, three Cabbage Whites, and one comma species (no picture). Still spring-like conditions on the ski hill with no fireweed in bloom.

Male Anna’s Blue  Lycaeides anna  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Female Anna’s Blue  Lycaeides anna  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Male Anna’s Blue  Lycaeides anna  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Hydaspe Fritillary Speyeria hydaspe (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

Great Arctic Oeneis nevadensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Mike Yip

Western Meadow Fritillary Boloria epithore (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

2020 July 16 morning

   Richard Rycraft sends a photograph of a Sheep Moth caterpillar from Uplands Park yesterday, where he also saw an Essex Skipper and two Lorquin’s Admirals.

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Richard Rycraft

   Rosemary Jorna writes from Kemp Lake:  There has been a scarcity of Lorquin’s Admirals around this year. I had only seen the one I reported but did not photograph in early June. Usually I have seen them in number of locations.  On the other hand there are always 2 or 3 Cabbage Whites scouting out our Garden. Today I saw the first Lorquin’s Admiral in our yard challenging the Cabbage White.

Jeremy Tatum responds:  Yes, with the possible exception of the Essex Skipper, butterflies are worryingly scarce this year.  Observers are reporting whenever they see a single Lorquin’s Admiral or Western Tiger Swallowtail.  Even Cabbage Whites are not as abundant as usual.

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Rosemary Jorna

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Rosemary Jorna

(Identity confirmed by Dr Rob Cannings)

   Annie Pang sends photographs of a jumping spider taken by her neighbour Belle Leon:

Phidippus johnsoni  (Ara.: Salticidae)  Belle Leon

Phidippus johnsoni  (Ara.: Salticidae)  Belle Leon

More this afternoon or evening…