2022 August 18 morning

    Aziza Cooper photographed this moth at Haynes Park, Oak Bay, on August 16.  Unfortunately we have not  been able to identify it with certainty, and it may have to remain unidentified.  A  good possibility suggested by Libby Avis is one of two species of Mniotype.  These species are variable, and are devoid of very obvious features by which they can be readily identified.  Aziza’s moth, too, is devoid of very obvious features – but that is not quite enough!

Possibly Mniotype sp. (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Aziza Cooper

   Jochen Möhr Sends photographs of three moths from his home in Metchosin.  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying the first, and for confirming the other two.

Great Brocade Eurois occulta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Xestia xanthographa (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Campaea perlata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 August 17 evening

    Aziza Cooper sends photographs of a skipper nectaring on Gumweed from Clover Point, and a dragonfly from McIntyre reservoir, August 17.

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Aziza Cooper

Western Pondhawk (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

2022 August 17

    Jeff Gaskin writes:   The Orange Sulphur that I reported yesterday morning just before noon August 16, could not be relocated later in the afternoon.  I took Kirsten Mills over there to see if we could get it confirmed or at least photographed but we couldn’t find it.  It is however a great place for dragonflies.  We also saw a Cardinal Meadowhawk, and both Paddle-tailed and Blue-eyed Darners.  [That’s in addition to the ones Jeff reported yesterday.  To his list, writes Jeremy Tatum, I can add Western Pondhawk.]

     Val George sends a photograph of a small ermine moth  (genus Yponomeuta) from the wall of his Oak Bay house this morning.   The several species of this genus are difficult to distinguish, the larval foodplants perhaps offering the best (but maybe not watertight) clue.  The presence of a nearby apple tree suggests the probability of Y. malinellus.

Yponomeuta sp. (Lep.: Yponomeutidae)  Val George

2022 August 16

 Colias Alert!

    Jeff Gaskin writes today:

   There was an Orange Sulphur at McIntyre Road  reservoir on the west side of the reservoir about half way along.  I’m going back there this afternoon with Kirsten to see if we can get any photos. I also found 1 or 2 Anise Swallowtails in the same vicinity as the sulphur.  Also, here were 2 or 3 Black Saddlebags, Blue Dashers, Eight Spotted Skimmers and Blue-eyed Darners.

    Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a Banana Slug from Latoria Creek Park and a fly from View Royal, August 15.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I don’t think I can do better with the fly than to suggest that it is probably  (not certain!) one of the smaller crane flies of the Family Tipulidae.  If anyone out there can do better than that, please let us know! jtatum at uvic dot ca

Banana Slug Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae) Cheryl Hoyle

Probably a small crane fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2022 August 15 evening

    Ron Flower sends photographs of dragonflies and a butterfly from Goldstream Park today.  Most of the dragonfly photographs we see on this site are from either Aeshnidae or Libellulidae.  It is nice to be reminded, by the Pacific Spiketail, that there are other dragonfly Families!

Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis (Odo.: Cordulegastridae) Ron Flower

Cardinal Meadowhawks Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Ron Flower

Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Ron Flower

Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae)  Ron Flower

Jeremy Tatum shows a young hawk moth caterpillar found on Populus at Rithet’s Bog, August 15.

Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Jeremy Tatum