2022 August 25 evening

    Jeff Gaskin reports:  Yesterday, August 24, there was a Grey Hairstreak at Panama Flats seen along the central dyke closest to Interurban Road.  This is only the second report of this butterfly in Invert Alert this year.

Ian Cooper sends a group of photographs taken recently in the Victoria area of several pollinating insects.

Hover fly Eupeodes fumipennis (Dip.: Syrphidae) on Chicory    Ian Cooper

Eristalis arbustorum  (Dip.: Syrphidae) on Queen Anne’s Lace (Wild Carrot)   Ian Cooper

We are grateful to Dr J. Skevington for help with the identification of these two syrphids.

Resin Bee Dianthidium sp. (Hym.: Megachilidae) on Gumweed  Ian Cooper

Leafcutter bee Megachile (possibly perihirta) (Hym.: Megachilidae) on Perennial Pea

Ian Cooper

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae) on Douglas Aster

Ian Cooper

Small Carpenter Bee Ceratina sp. (Hym.: Apidae) on probably Spear Mint

  Ian Cooper

2022 August 25 morning

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  I think we have solved the computer problems that disrupted Invertebrate Alert for a while.  Now we just have to deal with the backlog – which may take a little while!

Cheryl  Hoyle sends photographs taken in View Royal, August 24:

Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae) Cheryl Hoyle

Acleris variegana (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Brown Lacewing (Neu.: Hemerobiidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Brown Lacewing (Neu.: Hemerobiidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Margaret Lidkea sends photographs of a caterpillar of the American Lappet Moth Phyllodesma americana.

American Lappet Phyllodesma americana (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)

  Margaret Lidkea

American Lappet Phyllodesma americana (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)

Margaret Lidkea

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of two geometrid moths from Metchosin this morning:

Drepanulatrix secundaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

2022 August 24 evening

    Mike Yip writes from Nanoose:  Common Woodnymphs were about two weeks late but I finally found a few in my yard on August 22. That inspired me to make a quick visit to Mount Washington on August 23 to look for a few butterflies. Great Arctics were still abundant, but it took a while to find one that wasn’t in poor condition. Other species seen were Common Branded Skipper, Hydaspe Fritillary, Anna’s Blue, Hoary Comma, , Purplish Copper, Mariposa Copper, Western Meadow Fritillary, Anise Swallowtail. Pine White, Cabbage, and Woodland Skipper. Also found a red and black dragonfly near Raven Lodge.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I think most of us here in Victoria will be feeling pretty envious, and will agree that Mike has lots more butterflies up there than we have down here.  We are pretty-well reduced here now to Cabbage Whites and Woodland Skippers.

Jeremy continues:  The dragonfly proved to be tricky to identify, but it has now been examined carefully by two dragonfly experts, Dr Rob Cannings and Dr Dennis Paulson, who conclude that this is only the second record for Vancouver Island of the Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum internum.  Congratulations to Mike are in order.

Common Woodnymph Cercyonis pegala (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)

  Mike Yip

Common Branded Skipper Hesperia comma (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Mike Yip

Common Branded Skipper Hesperia comma (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Mike Yip

Hoary Comma Polygonia gracilis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

Mariposa Copper Lycaena mariposa (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Great Arctic Oeneis nevadensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Mike Yip

Anna’s Blue Lycaeides anna (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Mike Yip

 Sympetrum internum (Odo.: Libellulidae)

Mike Yip

Jochen Möhr photographed the following moths from Metchosin this morning – kindly identified by Libby Avis

Cyclophora dataria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Drepanulatrix (possibly secundaria) (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum writes:  The presumed second instar hawk moth caterpillar shown on August 16, and again on August 20 in its third instar, has now reached its fourth instar:

Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.:  Sphingidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 August 24 morning

    Richard Rycraft photographed this bug just days after Ian Cooper photographed a similar one – the only photographs we have received of this insect since 2015.

Phytocoris tiliae (Hem.: Miridae)  Richard Rycraft

Ian Cooper photographed this series of arachnids “working the night shift” earlier this month.  The trapdoor spider was in View Royal;  the remainder in Colquitz River Park.  We thank Dr Robb Bennett for confirming Ian’s  spider identifications and for supplying the additional comments.  Robb also writes: They are all very nice images.

Ero (probably tuberculata)  (Ara.: Mimetidae)   Ian Cooper

    This is an Ero species – mimetid spiders that specialize in eating other spiders.  Our single native species of Ero is E. canionis but I think this is our relatively recently introduced species – E. tuberculata (apparently two pairs of dorsal abdominal humps (“tubercles”) versus a single pair in canionis).  Not known here a few years ago, it is now fairly common around southern Vancouver Island and the lower mainland.

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

      This common theridiid spider comes in several colOur morphs.  Sean McCann and Catherine Scott did a great study at Island View Beach of this spider preying on other spiders.

Dysdera crocata (Ara.: Dysderidae)  Ian Cooper

   This is an immature Dysdera crocata – the introduced “slater slayer” (specializes in eating isopods).

 Trapdoor spider  Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara., Mygalomorphae:  Antrodiaetidae

Ian Cooper

Harvestman.  Possibly Nelima paessleri

(Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae )

  Ian Cooper

    Marie O’Shaugnessy photographed this Cardinal Meadowhawk on August 23 at Beckwith Park.  It is holding its wings forward in typical Meadowhawk  fashion.

Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

2022 August 23

 August Butterfly Count

Message from Gordon Hart

Dear Butterfly Counters,

I am sending out a late reminder that the August count period extends from Saturday, August 20, to Sunday, August 28. This has been an unusual year with smaller numbers of butterflies of several species, but many of the late summer butterflies can still be found and we should document this season as a comparison to past years. Hopefully we will see better years in the future.

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/?p=33

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

    Aziza sends a photograph of a Golden Jewel Beetle  from Sidney Island, August 22.

Buprestis aurulenta (Col.: Beprestidae)  Aziza Cooper

   Ian Cooper sends a miscellany of insect photographs, from James Bay, August 22 (first two), and View Royal, August 18 (remaining four).  We thank Claudia Copley and Libby Avis for help with the identifications.

Triphosa haesitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ian Cooper

Prionyx (possibly canadensis) (Hym.: Sphecidae)  Ian Cooper

Euodynerus or Ancistrocerus (Hym.: Vespidae- Eumeninae) Ian Cooper

Female Beewolf Philanthus crabroniformis ((Hym.: Crabronidae)

Leucospis (probably affinis) (Hym.: Leucospidae)  Ian Cooper

Phytocoris tiliae (Hem.: Miridae)  Ian Cooper

   Val George found this moth on on the wall of his Oak Bay house this morning:

Nemoria darwiniata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George