2018 June 24

   Val George writes:  Yesterday afternoon, June 23, there were many dragonflies frequenting the water edges at Swan Lake.  As well as the usual darners, there were several dozen Blue Dashers Pachydiplax longipennis, at least a dozen Cardinal Meadowhawks Sympetrum illotum, two

 8-spotted Skimmers Libellula forensis, and several Pacific Forktails Ischnura cervula. A few photos are attached.

Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Val George

Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Val George

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Val George

   Jeremy Tatum sends photographs of a bug and the cocoon of a moth:

Rough Stink Bug Brochymena affinis (Hem.: Pentatomidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy Tatum  writes:   Bill Savale and I went to the railway line north of Cowichan Station today, and we saw several Margined Whites.  Some had a small grey spot in the middle of the forewing upperside.  I believe these are females. Some were completely white with no maculation at all; these, I believe, are males.  None had the veins on the underside of the hindwings emphasized.  I believe the veins are emphasized with dark scales in the earlier generation in the year.   We saw no blues, doubtless because it was cloudy.  I would be very interested if any observers went to that area looking for blues, and to confirm (or otherwise!) that they are Western Tailed Blues.

  Yesterday evening there were Painted Ladies and a Red Admiral at the top of Mount Tolmie.  These two species have been seen hill-topping in the evenings in recent days on the tops of Christmas Hill and Mount Douglas.  Would some observer like to check out Highrock Hill in Esquimalt to see if there any hill-toppers there in the late afternoon or evening?

2018 June 23

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of a pair of Blue-eyed Darners in copula.

Blue-eyed Darners Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Jochen Möhr

Blue-eyed Darners Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Jochen Möhr

    Sonia Voicescu writes:  More sightings from Rithet’s Bog! Looks like the first brood of the Ringlet is starting to die off; nonetheless still good numbers.  In total I have seen: 8 Ringlets (Large Heaths),  8 Essex Skippers,  15 Lorquin’s Admirals,  4 Western Tiger Swallowtails.

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Sonia Voicescu

Ringlet Coenonympha tullia

(Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)

Sonia Voicescu

   Ron Flower writes:  Yesterday Thursday June 21 we went to Kinsol trestle were we saw a Clodius Parnassian.   Then to Cowichan Station and we saw 4 Margined Whites. Then at Boas Road we did find two blues but I am sure they are Silvery Blues and not Boisduvals.  [Ron’s photograph below confirms it.] Finally I saw the caterpillar back at Beacon Hill Park.

Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Ron Flower

Margined White Pieris marginalis (Lep.: Pieridae)  Ron Flower

Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ron Flower

Silver-spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa argentata

 (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)

 Ron Flower

   Mike Yip writes:  A late report from Nanaimo River Road on June 18.   No Dun Skippers or Sylvan Hairstreaks. Several Cedar and Grey Hairstreaks, many Clodius Parnassians, a couple of Lorquin’s Admirals, several Pale and Western Tiger Swallowtails, one Western Meadow Fritillary, and a mystery brown butterfly.

Jeremy Tatum writes:   We’ll show the mystery brown butterfly first below.  By shape it looks like an elfin (Incisalia/ Callophrys) – but which one?  We would welcome opinions (with reasons!).

Mystery brown butterfly (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Mike Yip

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

Cedar Hairstreak Mitoura rosneri  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Adela septentrionella (Lep.: Incurvariidae)  Mike Yip

2018 June 22

    Jochen Möhr sends a picture of a pug (Eupithecia sp.) from Metchosin.  This one seems so well marked that it would seem to be easy to identify.  But there are so many of these very similar pugs, and so much variation within each species, that it is hard to be sure of many of them.  Jeremy Tatum’s best guess at this one is Eupithecia annulata, but this is by no means certain.

Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Bryan Gates sends photographs of two dragonflies:

Probably Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Bryan Gates

Probably Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Bryan Gates

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Panama Flats had lots of butterflies today, June 22.  There were a total of 63 Essex Skippers, 58 Cabbage Whites, 19 Lorquin’s Admirals, 5 Western Tiger Swallowtails, and 1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail.

2018 June 21

Welcome to Summer!  Summer Solstice 2018 21^d 03^h 07^m  PDT

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is a caterpillar of Behrensia conchiformis found on Snowberry at UVic yesterday.   This is an interesting moth, for its caterpillar and pupa are invisible.  The adult moth is also interesting – but we’ll have to wait until next year to see why.

Behrensia conchiformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Annie Pang sends a photograph of a dragonfly from Gorge Park, June 19.  Thanks to Rob Cannings for the identification.

Juvenile male Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor Annie Pang

2018 June 20

   David Harris, Sussex (England) butterfly enthusiast, visited Victoria from March 11 – 19, and is now safely back home.  He writes:

As far as I can tell, 18 butterfly species were seen over the week, not bad going for the `June Gap`.

Lorquin`s Admiral

Painted Lady

West Coast Lady

Small (Cabbage) White

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Pale Swallowtail

Anise Swallowtail

Large Heath (Ringlet)

Purplish Copper

Field Crescent

Essex Skipper

Western Spring Azure

Red Admiral

Cedar Hairstreak

Grey Hairstreak

Margined White

Western Tailed Blue

Clodius Parnassian

The highlights for me were probably the sight of the sheer numbers of Pale Swallowtails hill-topping at Mount Douglas, the smell of the Nootka Rose on the beach, the beauty of that Violet-green Swallow sun-bathing at the Kinsol Trestle Bridge, the sounds of the Marsh Wren and Red -breasted Sapsucker, the Northwestern Toads along the railway line north of Cowichan Station  and the Barred Owl catching that Garter Snake at Gordon and Anne-Marie`s in probably the most wildlife-friendly garden I have ever come across.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The Common Emerald caterpillar shown on May 27 produced an adult moth shown below on June 16:

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Aziza Cooper writes:  On June 19, at Goldstream railroad track, there were 3 Pale Swallowtails, one Western Tiger Swallowtail, 4 Lorquin’s Admirals and 1 Essex Skipper.

Lorquin’s Admirals Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Aziza Cooper