2024 July 10 evening

Jeremy Tatum writes:  This snipe fly was on my living-room window this morning, and it permitted me only a silhouette for a photograph (it is a dorsal [sic] view).  It bears a very close resemblance to a male European Chrysopilus cristatus, although I haven’t been able to determine if that species occurs here.

Snipe fly Chrysopilus (possibly cristatus) (Dip.: Rhagionidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Apamea is a large genus of noctuid moths.  In the last few days, we have had three representative species on Invertebrate Alert:
July 4:   A. cuculliformis
July 7     A. amputatrix
July 8     A. probably atriclava

And yesterday, Libby Avis had another one in Port Alberni:
July 9     A. probably antennata

Here is Libby’s:

Apamea (probably antennata)  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Libby Avis

2024 July 10 morning

   During a 90-minute meander at 10:30 am on July 9 at Swan Lake, on a very hot morning, Marie O’Shaughnessy saw only the following butterflies:
1 Cabbage White
3 Lorquin’s Admirals

Dragonflies were numerous:
2 Black Saddlebags mating
1 male blue  Western Pondhawk
2 Cardinal Meadowhawks
1 California Darner
3 Blue-eyed Darners
37 Blue Dashers
2 Common Green Darners
1  Eight-Spotted Skimmer
Many damselflies in tandem too. 

Here are some photographs that Marie obtained:

Western Pondhawk  Erythemis collocata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)   Marie O’Shaughnessy

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy 

   Marie photographed a dragonfly drama showing a female Blue-eyed Darner trying her best to lay some eggs while being harassed by two boorish male dragonflies.  Comments below the photographs by Dr Rob Cannings.

Dr Cannings: “Female Rhionaeschna multicolor ovipositing”      Photo Marie O’Shaughnessy

Dr Cannings: “Male R. multicolor attempting to mate with her.”   Photo Marie O’Shaughnessy

Dr Cannings: “Male Anax junius comes along and either tries to mate with the female
Rhionaeschna (mistakes can happen!), or is trying to eat her for lunch. Can’t be sure.”
Photo Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 July 9 evening

Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of a Lorquin’s Admiral from his Metchosin property.

Lorquin’s Admiral  Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Jochen Möhr

Here are more pictures from Ian Cooper.  All pictures taken by the ^E&N Trail and the #Galloping Goose Trail on Sunday July 07, 2024.

^ Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)   Ian Cooper

# Unidentified nematoceran fly (Dip. – Nematocera)  Ian Cooper

^ Blue-green Sharpshooter Hordnia atropunctata (Hem.: Coccinellidae)   Ian Cooper

Psyllobora borealis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Ian Cooper

2024 July 9 morning

   Val George writes: On the morning of July 8, there were two Satyr Commas on the Blenkinsop trail near Blenkinsop Lake.   [Jeremy Tatum notes:  The one below is on Stinging Nettle – presumably laying eggs?]

Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Val George

Aziza Cooper writes:   On July 8, there were many Blue Dashers at McIntyre Reservoir. There were also four Cabbage Whites and five Essex Skippers.

Blue Dasher  Pachydiplax longipennis  (Odo.:  Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

Here are four photographs of a yellowjacket wasp by Ian Cooper.  You’d think it would be easy to identify.  So far, we haven’t been able to do so with complete certainty, even to genus.

Yellowjacket wasp (Hym.: Vespidae)  Ian Cooper

Yellowjacket wasp (Hym.: Vespidae)  Ian Cooper

Yellowjacket wasp (Hym.: Vespidae)  Ian Cooper

Yellowjacket wasp (Hym.: Vespidae)  Ian Cooper

2024 July 8 evening

   We have had two recent difficult moth identification problems, and we thank Libby Avis for her help with and comments on the identifications.  The suggested species designations in the captions below are suggestions only, not definitive identifications.

Eudonia sp. (possibly commortalis) (Lep.: Crambidae)  Val George

Apamea sp. (possibly atriclava)  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr