2016 July 11

   Thomas Barbin sends some remarkable close-ups of insects in his Highlands yard, July 10. 

Bumblebee face  (Hym.: Apidae)   Thomas Barbin

Bumblebee hairs   (Hym.: Apidae)       Thomas Barbin

Bumblebee mouth   (Hym.: Apidae)             Thomas Barbin

Damselfly   (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)    Thomas Barbin

Sweat bee  Lasioglossum sp.   (Hym.: Halictidae)           Thomas Barbin

Sweat bee  Lasioglossum sp.   (Hym.: Halictidae)           Thomas Barbin

Sweat bee  Lasioglossum sp.   (Hym.: Halictidae)           Thomas Barbin

Sweat bee  Lasioglossum sp.   (Hym.: Halictidae)           Thomas Barbin

   Here are two more shots of Liam Singh’s Black Saddlebags (see yesterday’s posting).

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Liam Singh

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Liam Singh

   Annie Pang sends photographs of a variety of small flies from Gorge Park.

Fly   (Dip.:  possibly Lauxaniidae)   Annie Pang

Fly  Syritta pipiens (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Annie Pang

Fly (Dip.: possibly Tachinidae)  Annie Pang

2016 July 10

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  This one flew into my bedroom last night:

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

   Jeremy adds:  I saw a Western Spring Azure at Roberts Bay, Sidney, today.  This is a very late date to see one, although I have very occasionally seen them in July in previous years.

   Liam Singh sends a picture of a Black Saddlebags from Haliburton Farms, Victoria, today.  This is a first for Invert Alert.

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Liam Singh

   Annie Pang sends a picture of a leafcutter bee from Gorge Park, July 10.

Leafcutter bee Megachile sp. (Hym.: Megachilidae)  Annie Pang

2016 July 9 morning

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is a Herald Moth, from Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake. July 9.  The Herald Moth is a long-lived moth, spending the winter in the adult state.  It is one of the first moths to be seen in early spring – it heralds in the spring, hence the name. Larval foodplant willow.

 Herald Moth Scoliopteryx libatrix (Lep.: Erebidae – Scoliopteryginae) Jeremy Tatum

   Thomas Barbin sends close-up photos of two “micro” moths and a bee from his Highland yard, July 8.

Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Thomas Barbin

Glyphipterix bifasciata (Lep.: Glyphipterigidae) Thomas Barbin

Bee face    Thomas Barbin

2016 July 8

   Liam Singh sends two photographs from Victoria of a damselfly, kindly identified for us by Rob Cannings as a young female Tule Bluet.

Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)

Liam Singh

Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum (Odo.: Coenagrionidae) 
Liam Singh

   Annie Pang sends a photograph of a bee, identified by Linc Best, and of a dragonfly, identified by Rob Cannings.

Melissodes microsticta (Hym.:  Apidae)  Annie Pang

Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)

Annie Pang

2016 July 7

    Aziza Cooper writes:  Tuesday, July 5, the VNHS Tuesday birding group went to Panama Flats. We saw one Lorquin’s Admiral, one Western Tiger Swallowtail, 5 or 6 European (Essex) Skippers and numerous Cabbage Whites. A very spiky brown caterpillar was on the trail, a black and yellow bee on thistles and some interesting bugs on Queen Anne’s Lace (Wild Carrot).

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Thanks to Linc Best for identifying the bee.

Bombus vosnesenskii (Hym.: Apidae)  Aziza Cooper

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

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Well, neither of the insects on the Daucus carota is a bug.  The one on the left is an ichneumonid, and the one on the right is a cantharid beetle.   Beyond that I cannot go – but we would welcome suggestions.

Ichneumonid (Hym.: Ichneumonidae), and soldier beetle (Col.: Cantharidae) Aziza Cooper

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I knew what the “very spiky brown caterpillar” was going to be before I saw the photograph!   Don’t handle these caterpillars – they can give you a nasty rash!  The caterpillars feed on various shrubs of the Families Rosaceae and Caprifoliaceae.

The June 29 Invert Alert reported Red Admirals from several localities, but I somehow managed to miss one reported on that date from Nanoose Bay, by Mike Yip. Here it is, a little late – my apologies!  Jeremy

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

Mike also sends a picture of a very pretty “micro” – Pyrausta perrubralis – from Nanoose Bay today.

Pyrausta perrubralis (Lep.:  Crambidae)  Mike Yip

   Libby Avis sends a photo of a male velvet ant  Dasymutilla sp. from Rathtrevor Provincial Park, July 5^th 2016.  These insects are more closely related to wasps than to ants, and the wingless females have a reputation of having an exceedingly painful sting.  This is the first velvet ant that we have had on this site.

Velvet Ant Dasymutilla sp. (Hym.: Mutillidae)  Libby Avis

Rosemary Jorna photographed a sand wasp at Witty’s Lagoon today, July 7.

Sand wasp Bembix americana (Hym.: Crabronidae)  Rosemary Jorna