INVERTEBRATE ALERT
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

2024 October 4

2024 October 4

   Aziza Cooper writes:
On September 30 at McIntyre Reservoir, there were four or more Cabbage Whites and the Drone Fly shown below.   On Wednesday, October 2, I saw one Cabbage White near Cedar Hill Park and four others in Fernwood.

Jeremy Tatum writes: Please keep a look-out for and report further sightings of Cabbage Whites, so that we can determine its last date for the year.

 

Cabbage White Pieris rapae  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Aziza Cooper

Drone Fly  Eristalis tenax  (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Aziza Cooper

 

Vicki Baines photographed this October Thorn Moth on a window of The Heights at Mount View building on Carey Road today, October 4.

October Thorn Tetracis jubararia  (Lep.: Geometridae)     Vicki Baines

 

 

 

2024 October 3

2024 October 3

October Butterfly:  Val George writes:  One Cabbage White at McIntyre Reservoir today October 3.

2024 October 2

2024 October 2

October butterfly!   Jeremy Tatum saw a Cabbage White flying across Cedar Hill Cross Road today.

Please report any butterflies seen in October.

2024 October 1

2024 October 1

   The following was received from Bruce Whittington.   Can anyone help with this?  E.g. Identify the wasp with reasonable certainty?  Or any information about wasps gaining access to nectar like this?  Or anything pertaining to this about about the plant Cuphea?


Cuphea  and wasp      Bruce Whittington

 

Val George writes:  This Brown-lined Looper, Neoalcis californiaria, was on the wall of the Nature House at Goldstream Park yesterday, September 30. Seems a little late for this species.  [Yes, writes Jeremy Tatum, a little late but not very much.]

Neoalcis californiaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)    Val George

 

 

2024 September 30

2024 September 30

No Invertebrate Alert was issued on September 29.

Jeff Gaskin writes:   On September 29, I went up Christmas Hill and found one female type Variegated Meadowhawk.  There were no hilltopping butterflies up there while I was there.  This was around 4:20 p.m.

Jeremy Tatum saw two Cabbage Whites along Carey Road on September 30.  Will any butterflies be reported in October?

Jeremy continues: Today, September 30, I saw an October Thorn moth Tetracis jubararia along Carey Road.  This is of interest to me, because I have had a pupa of T. jubararia for several months.  I am wondering, since I have just seen an adult moth, will the pupa eclode in the next few days?

 

[   plaudo, plaudere, plausi, plausum          to explode, explosion

claudo, claudere,  clausi, clausum           to eclode,    eclosion     ]