2022 October 5 evening

    Jochen Möhr sends photographs from Metchosin of the moth Autographa californica:

Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)  Jochen Möhr

Cara Gibson sends photographs of two moths from Swan Lake nature house:

Udea profundalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Cara Gibson

Jeremy Tatum writes:  The moth below is Tetracis jubararia, or T. pallulata.  I am leaning towards jubararia.

Tetracis jubararia/pallulata  (Lep.: Geometridae)

  Cara Gibson

The Grey Hairstreak caterpillar found by Ian Cooper the other day (see September 29) has now pupated:

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 October 4 morning

    Two photographs obtained yesterday in View Royal by Cheryl Hoyle:

Mouse Moth Amphipyra tragopoginis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Dr Robb Bennett writes, of the spider below:  The spider looks like a Zygiella species.  Zygiella x-notata is common.  But could also be Z. atrica or Z. dispar in our area.

Zygiella sp. (Ara.:  Araneidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2022 October 3 evening

    At 4:15 this afternoon, there were still several Sulphurs at McIntyre reservoir.  Identification with certainty is proving difficult with some of the specimens, but, writes Jeremy Tatum, I believe all those that I saw today are Clouded Sulphurs, Colias philodice.  They are nectaring on Wild Radish Raphanus, which is plentiful there, so there is a good chance that the butterflies may remain while this sunny weather lasts.

  At 5.:00 pm there was at least one Painted Lady remaining at the top of Mount Tolmie.  It flies around the Jeffery Pine, often resting on the road surface beneath the pine.

2022 October 3 morning

    Here are some photographs from along the Galloping Goose trail, near Harriet Road, taken in the last few days by Ian Cooper.

Drone fly  Eristalis  arbustorum (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Lesser House Fly Fannia (probably canicularis) (Dip.: Fanniidae)

Ian Cooper

Lesser House Fly Fannia (probably canicularis) (Dip.: Fanniidae)

Ian Cooper

Lesser House Fly Fannia (probably canicularis) (Dip.: Fanniidae)

Ian Cooper

Lixus rubellus (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

Lixus rubellus (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

More photographs by Marie O’Shaughnessy from McIntyre reservoir.

Sulphur Colias philodice/eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   In the photograph below, we are not certain of the lefthand butterfly.  The one in flight is probably a Clouded Sulphur C. philodice

Sulphurs Colias  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)

  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2022 October 2

    Jeff Gaskin writes: Good things to report!!!

   First of all, I met Marie O’Shaughnessy at McIntyre Road reservoir today, October 2,  and immediately we started seeing sulphurs.  I would say we had two or three Clouded Sulphurs and two for sure Orange Sulphurs. Marie was able to take some pictures. Also, in the Martindale valley we counted 38 Cabbage Whites.

   Then, I coerced Marie into driving to Markham Road, where I had seen a nice, crisp looking Lorquin’s Admiral back on September 22, and we found to our amazement that it was still there.  This is the first time I’ve ever seen a Lorquin’s Admiral in October, and Marie took a few pictures.  The butterfly’s colours are still quite vivid, but it is missing little parts of its wings.

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

  Robert Fraser photographed a Lorquin’s Admiral in the Swan Lake parking lot today:

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Robert Fraser

   Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed a worn Painted Lady on the top of Mount Tolmie today:

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   Val George writes:  This moth, George’s Carpet Moth  Plemyria georgii , was on the wall of my Oak Bay house this morning, October 2.

Plemyria georgii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw (didn’t photograph) an Autographa californica flying around at Longview Farms in Central Saanich today.