2023 May 29

    Ron Flower photographed a Purplish Copper at Goldstream today.   This is good news.  Last year just one was reported during one of the Monthly Butterfly Walks, and no additional reports were received by Invertebrate Alert.

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

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

Aziza Cooper sends pictures of a Painted Lady and a West Coast Lady  from Mount Tolmie.

Painted Lady  Vanessa cardui  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

West Coast Lady Vanessa annabella (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Aziza Cooper

2023 May 29 morning

    Aziza Cooper writes that yesterday, May 28, on Mount Tolmie, there were:  4 Painted Ladies (two on the reservoir, and two on the road near the Jeffery Pine), 1 West Coast Lady and 1 Red Admiral (all in the genus Vanessa).

Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a Xanthorhoe defensaria from View Royal, May 28.

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2023 May 28

    Jeff Gaskin writes: A great day for Lorquin’s Admirals.  I saw a total of four today in the Colquitz River/Swan Creek/Hyacinth Park areas.  Plus,  I got an email from Dorothy Chambers saying  that she saw her first Lorquin’s Admirals in Cuthbert Holmes Park today.  I also saw three Mourning Cloaks in different places at Panama Flats this morning.  All sightings were today, May 28.

Jeremy Tatum writes that he had a Mourning Cloak settle on his sleeve for several seconds, and, very briefly, on his head, at Rithet’s Bog today.  We have heard of so many instances of Mourning Cloaks alighting on people that I think we can say that it a fairly regular and distinctive habit of the species.  Jeremy also found a hawk moth egg on willow at Rithet’s Bog:

Smerinthus ophthalmica  (Lep.: Sphingidae)   Jeremy Tatum

Jochen Möhr writes today from Metchosin: I think today I spotted more Swallowtails than Cabbage Whites. At one time I saw three almost simultaneously on the property, where we live, but was only able to record one.

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Jochen Möhr

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Jochen Möhr

2023 May 27 morning

   Val George tallied Cabbage White 37; Western Tiger Swallowtail 6; Pale Tiger Swallowtail 2; Western Spring Azure 6; Painted Lady 6; Red Admiral 1  on Mount Douglas on May 25.  He photographed a Nadata gibbosa on the wall of his Oak Bay house on May 26.

Nadata gibbosa  (Lep.: Notodontidae)   Val George

Kirsten Mills sends a photograph of a pair of Pacific Forktails from McIntyre Reservoir, May 25, and a Western Pondhawk from Blenkinsop Lake, May 27.  She also reports seven Mourning Cloaks from the Blenkinsop Lake area.

Pacific Forktails Ischnura cervula (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)
Kirsten Mills

Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Kirsten Mills

Jeff Gaskin writes:  On May 27, at Ocean Boulevard and Lagoon Road, there was a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell.  On Heatherbell Road I saw a Mourning Cloak and at my mom’s home on Wascana Street I saw a second Mourning Cloak.  Adam Ross told me at the Colwood Tim Horton’s that he saw a third Mourning Cloak at Witty’s Lagoon as well as 8 or 9 Western Tiger Swallowtails.   Jeremy Tatum adds yet another Mourning Cloak – one at Maber Flats, May 27.

2023 May 26

   Ian Cooper sends a selection of photographs taken along the Galloping Goose Trail in Saanich near Harriet Road on the afternoon of May 24.

Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon (probably equestris)  (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Bombus vosnesenskii  (Hym.: Apidae)   Ian Cooper

Striped Sweat Bee  Agapostemon  (Hym.: Halictidae)  Ian Cooper

Mining Bee  Andrena (Hym.: Andrenidae)   Ian Cooper

Small Carpener Bee Ceratina  (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

Jeff Gaskin writes:   I had a half decent day butterfly walking on May 25.   First of all, I had a total of 14 Ringlets, 1 near Viaduct Flats, and the rest or 13 in Layritz Park.   I also saw my first Lorquin’s Admirals of the year.   Both were on the Colquitz River trail north of Roy Road and south of Lindsay sreet.  One of the Lorquin’s Admirals was attacking a Mourning Cloak too.  I saw only 4 Western Spring Azures.  The rest of my butterflies were:   14 Cabbage Whites, 5 Pale Tiger Swallowtails, and 6 Western Tiger Swallowtails.

Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed two damselflies at McIntyre reservoir yesterday.  She also saw a Cardinal Meadowhawk and seven Cabbage Whites.

Tule Bluets Enallagma carunculata (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

On May 24 Marie saw two Western Tiger Swallowtails, one Red Admiral and 11 Cabbage Whites at Government House.  She secured these two photographs:

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy