2022 September 10 morning

   Bruce Whittington sends a photograph of a Striped Meadowhawk from Ladysmith, September 8.

Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum pallipes (Odo.: Libellulidae)

   Bruce Whittington

   Ian Cooper sends photographs of spiders from Colquitz River Park, September 8 and 9. These pictures were taken at nighttime.  Thanks to Dr Robb Bennett for identifying to species the Triangle Spider Hyptiotes gertschi.

Hyptiotes gertschi  (Ara.: Uloboridae)  Ian Cooper

Hyptiotes gertschi  (Ara.: Uloboridae)  Ian Cooper

Hyptiotes gertschi  (Ara.: Uloboridae)  Ian Cooper

Web of Hyptiotes gertschi  (Ara.: Uloboridae)  Ian Cooper

Metellina sp.: (Ara.: Tetragnathidae)  Ian Cooper

Female Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

Male Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

   Ian also photographed a caterpiilar on Mahonia, which we have, unfortunately, been unable to identify.

Unknown caterpillar (Lep.: probably Noctuidae)   Ian Cooper

2022 September 9

    Kirsten Mills found a Lorquin’s Admiral at King’s Pond  yesterday, September 8.

   Aziza Cooper shows photographs of a White-faced Meadowhawk at Fisher Trail, Langford, September 6 (the first two photographs) and another of the same species on Observatory Hill, September 8 (third photograph). 

White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum obtrusum (Odo.: Libellulidae) Aziza Cooper

White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum obtrusum (Odo.: Libellulidae) Aziza Cooper

White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum obtrusum (Odo.: Libellulidae) Aziza Cooper

   Val George writes:  Yesterday at Witty’s Lagoon I witnessed a caterpillar behaviour I hadn’t seen before and wondered whether it’s normal. An Isabella Tiger Moth caterpillar (Banded Woolly Bear Pyrrharctia isabella) was swimming across a pool of water to get to the other side.  I’ve seen caterpillars that have fallen into water and struggling to get out, but this one was near the edge of the pool and was purposefully swimming with a pretty good imitation of a front crawl to get to the other side about five or six feet away – it did make it and crawled out on dry land.

2022 September 8

    Val George sends a photograph of a moth that was on the wall of his Oak Bay house this morning:

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

Marie O’Shaughnessy sends a photograph of a caterpillar on the fairway of the Victoria Golf Course yesterday:

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

Marie O’Shaughnessy

   Cheryl Hoyle sends some photographs from View Royal, September 7.

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Thanks to Libby Avis for identification of the moth below.

Copper Underwing  Amphipyra pyramidoides (Lep.: Noctuidae)

Cheryl Hoyle

Two spiders from Ian Cooper:

Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae)  Ian Cooper

Eratigena (probably duellica) (Ara.: Agelenidae)  Ian Cooper

   Robert Cowan sends a photograph of a dragonfly from Rocky Point, September 5.

White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum obtrusum (Odo.: Libellulidae)

Robert Gowan

2022 September 7 evening

    Bryan Gates writes:  I left a night light on at our outside deck at Saratoga Beach, V.I. (near the Oyster River).  Lots of moths next morning:

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)   Bryan Gates

Eulithis xylina (Lep.: Geometridae)  Bryan Gates

Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)   Bryan Gates

Jeff Gaskin writes:  found  2 Lorquin’s Admirals at Swan lake today,  September 7, with one being at the parking lot and the other by the small foot bridge by Highway 17. I also did well with dragonflies at the lake today, September 7.  I had three darner species with several being Blue-eyed Darners, a few Paddle-tailed Darners, 2 Common Green Darners, 2 Eight Spotted Skimmers, and 3 Blue Dashers.

At Blenkinsop Lake today I saw at least five Blue-eyed Darners, and 1 Paddle-tailed Darner.

And Jeff adds later:    I found another  Lorquin’s Admiral from my mother’s backyard in the Gorge/Burnside neighbourhood this afternoon

2022 September 7 morning

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  A friend and I were delighted to find a few hovering dragonflies at McIntyre Reservoir yesterday afternoon.  We saw a Common Green Darner. The majority of the dragonflies seen were Paddle-tailed Darners,  and  three Black Saddlebags. Also saw only one  Eight-Spotted Skimmer.

Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

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

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  Last night three Neoalcis californiaria and at least five Udea profundalis.  I took only one picture of one of the latter.   In addition a Synaxis jubararia and an Alucita montana.  

Alucita montana (Lep.: Alucitidae)  Jochen Möhr

Udea profundalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

Tetracis jubararia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Two caterpillar pictures from Jeremy  Tatum. The first from Rithet’s Bog; the second from Swan Lake.

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

Eyed Hawk Moth Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae) Jeremy Tatum