Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  Yesterday I was walking in Uplands Park between 9-10am, Thursday June 13th, and there appeared to be many butterflies because of the warmth at that hour. A light breeze was blowing.  I saw at least two more of the Sheep Moths I had seen a week ago. Much paler coloration this time and lacking those lovely pink hues. I also saw several Lorquin’s Admirals, Western Tiger Swallowtails and Painted Ladies. There were only a few Cabbage Whites in comparison with the other numbers of butterflies.

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

  Gordon Hart sends photographs of two California Darner dragonflies from his Highlands property.  We thank Rob Cannings for confirming their identification.  One of the dragonflies is in process of eating a pentatomid bug.  Gordon sends some rather gruesome details of this – too gruesome, I think, for the delicate sensibilities of readers of this site.   Rob writes:  Both are Rhionaeschna californica. The first (lateral view, eating the bug) is a female; the other is a male. The female shows the typical rather straight lateral thoracic stripes, somewhat more slanted towards the rear than in most darners. Note the black borders to these stripes, especially on the back edge.  The stripes on the front of the thorax usually seen in other species are absent (best seen in the male individual here).

Female California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Gordon Hart

Male California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Gordon Hart

    Jeremy Tatum sends photographs of four moths:  Aseptis binotata  from Blenkinsop Lake;  Sicya croceata also from Blenkinsop Lake;  Dysstroma citrata  from Goldstream Park: and Yponomeuta malinellus  from Swan Lake.

Aseptis binotata (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jeremy Tatum

Sicya crocearia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Dysstroma citrata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Yponomeuta malinellus  (Lep.: Yponomeutidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I was at McIntyre reservoir (Central Saanich) this afternoon.  There is an absolutely huge crop of Teasel there, but not yet in flower and hence not yet of interest to butterflies.  Provided the Teasel is not cut down, there will probably be lots of butterflies there in a couple of weeks or so.  There was lots of Wild Radish in flower, and 50 or so Cabbage Whites nectaring on it, as well as two Painted Ladies.

   At 6:30 this evening there were about half-a-dozen Painted Ladies near the summit of Mount Tolmie.  There was one Lady basking on the concrete reservoir, and even though I had a prolonged good look at it, and it was a fresh, well-marked specimen, I couldn’t tell for sure which Lady it was.  Well, you will be asking, what about the apical patch?  Was it white or orange?  Was it blunt or pointed?  Sorry, I can’t tell you, because there was no apical patch!  In the end I think it was probably an aberrant Painted Lady, because I couldn’t see any of the particular features that I look for in the other Ladies.  If it stays there for a few days, perhaps someone might get a photograph of it.

2019 June 13 evening

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Today, June 13, in Beacon Hill Park I saw at least 10 Western Tiger Swallowtails and 1 Lorquin’s Admiral.

   Gordon Hart writes from the Highlands:  Giant sawflies have appeared again on the same blueberry bushes as in previous years. They perch near the top and make short sallies from there, presumably looking for a mate. They appear to have powerful jaws but I can’t find information on what the adults eat. [Good question!  I’m not sure either.  Any ideas, anyone?  Jeremy]. 

Trichiosoma triangulum (Hym.: Cimbicidae)  Gordon Hart.

   Gordon continues:  On June 11, we saw the first Sphinx perelegans of the year coming to the petunias at sunset. This is earlier than other years and they should continue through July.  I have not obtained a photo yet this year. We still have up to six species of butterfly most days, but not large numbers: Cedar Hairstreak, Cabbage White, Lorquin’s Admiral, Pale and Western Tiger Swallowtails, and on June 10, a Green Comma. 

2019 June 13 morning

   Val George writes:  Yesterday morning, June 12, I did a very short walk in Uplands Park during which I saw three Sheep Moths Hemileuca eglanterina.  I also found this pupa of a White Satin Moth Leucoma salicis.  The other pupa is a Cabbage White, which was on my kale in my Oak Bay garden.  In the last few days I’ve seen several adult Cabbage Whites that have just emerged from their pupae.

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Val George

White Satin Moth Leucoma salicis (Lep.: Erebidae – Lymantriinae)  Val George

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Val George

 Rosemary Jorna writes:  In our yard (Kemp Lake area), but far away, a Lorquin’s Admiral.

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

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  This morning there were just two Tortricidia testacea and one very pale Hydriomena of which I attach a picture.   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Yes, I agree, it’s a highflyer (Hydriomena sp.), but it’s quite a worn specimen, and it would be a brave person to identify it.  If it were February, I’d guess at H. nubilofasciata, but I don’t know if any would last until June, even though this one is worn.  Otherwise H. irata, californiata, expurgata… all look like possibilities.  Let’s just leave it as Hydriomena sp.

Hydriomena sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2019 June 12 morning

         Jochen Möhr’s moths in Metchosin this morning:

Tortricidia testacea                                                                  1

Tortricidia testacea (Lep.: Limacodidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Rosemary Jorna writes from the Kenp Lake area:  This beauty showed up in the garden, June 11, while I was trying to photograph the elusive Western Tiger Swallowtail that keeps drifting in to our yard. There is a healthy population of Western Tiger Swallowtails on Mount Emperor in the Sooke Hills – no great number in any one place but we met them steadily along the way. All of them reluctant to pose for a photo.

   Rob Cannings writes, of the beauty photographed by Rosemary:  Looks like a young male Cordulia schurtleffii. That outward flare of the cerci is characteristic of  C. shurtleffii, as is the clubbed abdomen. The eyes will get brilliant green as the individual matures.

Cordulia shurtleffii (Odo.: Corduliidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Ron Flower writes:  On June 11 we went to the Goldsteam River where we found 6 Purplish Coppers, 1 Western Spring Azure, 3 Western Tiger Swallowtails and 4 Pale Tiger Swallowtails.   The beetle was on my driveway in Royal Oak.

Male Purplish Copper Lycaena helloides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ron Flower

Polyphylla crinita (Col.: Scarabaeidae)  Ron Flower

   Peter Boon writes from Nanaimo:  A couple of reports from yesterday.  In my light trap this morning were the following moths:

Agrotis vancouverensis-Vancouver Dart                  6

Biston betularia – Peppered Moth                             1            

Leucania oregona –  Oregon Wainscot                      1

Paonis excaecata – Blinded Sphinx                             1

Hyles gallii – Bedstraw Hawk Moth                           1

Lophocampa maculata – Spotted Tiger Moth          1

Noctua pronuba – Large Yellow Underwing              2

Tetracis cervinaria                                                          3

On a trip to Paradise Meadows today with my class there were 8+ commas.  I didn’t have time to chase and specifically identify them, but will be back up there soon for a dedicated lep session. 3+ Mourning Cloaks and 3 Western Spring Azures.

Paonias excaecatus (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Peter Boon

Paonias excaecatus (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Peter Boon

Hyles gallii (Lep.: Sphingidae) Peter Boon

2019 June 11 evening

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I went to the small field just south of the Tsartlip Cemetary on West Saanich Road halfway between Stelly’s Cross Road and Mount Newton Cross Road, from where Tim Zurowski  reported large numbers of Field Crescents this morning.  It’s a tiny field smothered with huge numbers of Ox-eye Daisies.  Although I saw no notices, it is presumably private property belonging to the Tsartlip First Nation, and in any case it wouldn’t be a good idea to tramp all over the field.  I stood just at the entrance and I could see lots of the butterflies at close quarters.  I didn’t attempt to count them, but I’d have no difficulty at all in believing 100 or so.

  Aziza Cooper drew my attention to a huge collection of superb photographs of local moths obtained by Tim Zurowski at  https://timzurowski.smugmug.com/Galleries/Insects/Moths/   This will be a wonderful reference for us.   I had no idea of their exisence before.

   This evening, I found the curious structure below on Reed Canary Grass at Rithet’s Bog.  As you can see, it has a caterpillar inside!  I am not sure of its identity, but for the moment, and until I get an adult moth from it, I’m labelling as probably Psyche casta. If it turns out to be a female, she’ll be wingless and she won’t emerge from her house, so I’ll never know for sure!

Probably Psyche casta (Lep.: Psychidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Aziza Cooper writes: Today, June 11, at Royal Roads University I found my first-of-year Essex Skipper. There were 3 Pale and 4 Western Tiger Swallowtails, two Cabbage Whites and one Lorquin’s Admiral.

Jeremy Tatum comments:  This is just the sort of Essex Skipper photograph we want.  It shows that the underside of the tip of the antenna is black, thus distinguishing it from the Small Skipper (not yet recorded, I believe, from North America), for which the underside of the tip of the antenna is orange.

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Aziza Cooper

   More tomorrow morning…