2022 September 21 morning

   Aziza Cooper writes:  On September 20, one fresh Red Admiral and one Pine White were at Aylard Farm in East Sooke Park. The Red Admiral landed on my pant leg. 

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

   Mike Yip sends a photograph of a pair of damselflies from Nanoose.

Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum (Lep.: Coenagrionidae)  Mike Yip

   Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed this Yellow Woolly Bear at McIntyre reservoir yesterday afternoon.

Yellow Woolly Bear Spilosoma virginica (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) 

Marie O’Shaughnessy

2022 September 20

    Colias Alert!  Kirsten Mills saw four Orange Sulphurs at McIntyre  Reservoir today.  Below  are two photographs.  Kirsten also saw a Lorquin’s Admiral at Sayward Road, as well as the following dragonflies at McIntyre Reservoir: 3 Blue-eyed Darners,  1 Paddle-tailed Darner,  1 Common Green Darner, and 1 Black Saddlebags.

Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme (Lep.: PIeridae)  Kirsten Mills

Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme (Lep.: PIeridae)  Kirsten Mills

   Jeff Gaskin saw, at the north end of the Blenkinsop Lake bridge:  1 White-faced Meadowhawk,  4+ Blue-eyed Darners,  1 Blue Dasher,  and 1 Eight-spotted Skimmer.

  Here are more arthropods photographed by Ian Cooper at the same place as his Udea:

Helophilus sp. (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae) Ian Cooper

Syrphus sp. (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Uncertain but possibly Myathropa florea (Dip.: Syrphidae)

2022 September 20 morning

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  I am receiving a welcome supply of interesting photographs – keep ‘em coming!  They are coming in a variety of different ways, and they do take a little while to process.  It would be a tremendous help if contributors using PCs would send their pictures, if possible, in jpg. format  as an attachment (rather than in the body of the message).  Mac  users please continue to use zip.  Thanks.

Also:  In some recent Inverts, the photographs are displaying in a slightly small size.  This is because of a computer technicality, which I am trying to solve.

   Colias Alert!  Marie O’Shaughnessy sends a photograph of an Orange Sulphur  from McIntyre Reservoir,  September 19, 2:00 p.m.

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

    Cheryl Hoyle sends photographs from Outerbridge Park, September 19.

Spilosoma virginica (Lep.:  Erebidae – Arctiinae) Cheryl Hoyle

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Greenbottle Lucilia (probably sericata) (Dip.: Calliphoridae) Cheryl Hoyle

Bruce Whittington sends photographs of a bee and a fly from Ladysmith.  Thanks to Steven Roias for identifying  the bee, and Dr Rob  Cannings for the fly.

Male Leafcutter Bee Megachile (probably perihirta) (Hym.: Megachilidae)  Bruce Whittington

Female Robber Fly Neomochtherus willistoni (Dip.: Asilidae)

  Bruce Whittington

Gordon Hart sends photographs of a butterfly and a moth from the Highlands, September 19.

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

Udea profondalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Gordon Hart

Ian Cooper sends a photograph of an unusual colour variety of the same moth species, from the Galloping Goose Trail near  Harriet Road and Wascana Street, September 19.

Udea profondalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Ian Cooper

2022 September 19 evening

September Butterfly Count

Notice from Gordon Hart

 Hello Butterfly Watchers,

The September count period started on Saturday September 17, and ends on Sunday, September 25. Sorry for the late notice, but it seems there are still butterflies to be found, mainly Cabbage Whites and Woodland Skippers, and a few Lorquin’s Admirals, but there may be more species out there. 

This is an informal census of butterfly numbers and species in Greater Victoria. The area is defined by the Christmas Bird Count circle, extending from Victoria to Brentwood Bay and Island View Road in Central Saanich, and west to Happy Valley and Triangle Mountain, and Langford Lake and Goldstream areas. 

You can submit a count any time over the count period, just use a separate form for each count and location. In the case of repeat or duplicate counts, I will use the higher numbers. To submit counts, please use the form from the VNHS website at https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?cat=8

If you have difficulty with the form, just send me an email with the information.

Thank-you for submitting your sightings and good luck with your count.

Gordon Hart,

Butterfly Count Coordinator,

Victoria Natural History Society

   As if to affirm that there are indeed a few butterflies still to be found, Jeff Gaskin reports that Kirsten Mills found two Lorquin’s Admirals yesterday, September 18. One was at the Airport and the other one was in Browning Park near Shelbourne Street.

   And of course there are still many Cabbage Whites to be seen.

 Mike Yip photographed the bee below on Mount Washington, September 16.  We cannot be certain of its identity, but Steven Roias suggests that it may  be a male Bombus flavifrons.

Probably a male Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae)  Mike Yip

2022 September 19 morning

  A collection of insects photographed locally in the last two days:

Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Aziza Cooper

Dark Marbled Carpet Dysstroma citrata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Unidentified (so far!)  (Lep.: Tortricidae) Cheryl Hoyle

Western Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hem.: Coreidae)  Cheryl Hoyle