2024 October 11

   Aziza Cooper writes:  On October 10 at about 2 pm, there were two Cabbage Whites along McKenzie Road east of Borden Street, seen from my car.  Jeremy Tatum writes: That’s exactly where I saw two, also from my car, the day before.  I wonder if they were the same two.

Are these going to be the last butterflies of the year?  Or are there more to come?

Aziza writes:  On October 7 at the Hawk Lookout near Beechey Head, this beetle flew into a pine bush at the summit.

We thank Scott Gilmore for identifying the beetle as Monochamus clamator, and Aziza for identifying the hand as belonging to Liam Ragan.

Spotted Pine Sawyer  Monochamus clamator  (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Aziza Cooper

2024 October 10

Cabbage Whites haven’t quite disappeared for the year.  Jeff Gaskin saw two today in the Burnside/Gorge neighbourhood.

2024 October 9

No Invertebrate Alert was issued on October 9.

Jeff Gaskin saw one Cabbage White in the Burnside/Gorge community today, and Jeremy Tatum saw two flying over McKenzie Avenue.

Butterflies and dragonflies are becoming scarce now.  Just how late in the year can one see one?  Dr Rob Cannings just sent me a copy of an article (in the journal Argia) written jointly by him and Ian Cruickshank describing a sighting by the latter of a Variegated Meadowhawk on December 27 last year (2023) at Rocky Point Bird Observatory.

2024 October 7 evening

Banded Woolly Bears:   Val George writes:  I’ve seen two or three in the last week; this morning, October 7, there were three crossing the trails at Swan Lake.  Jeff Gaskin writes:   Today, Monday October 7, at Panama Flats I saw at least 2 Cabbage Whites, a Common Green Darner and one Banded Wooly Bear.

Tricky spelling:
British:         Woolly
American:    Wooly
Canadian:     Take your choice

2024 October 7 morning

   Aziza Cooper writes that, between 2 and 5 pm on October 6, she counted at least 20 Cabbage Whites in the Martindale area.

She photographed the dragonfly and the drone fly shown below.

Autumn Meadowhawk  Sympetrum vicinum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)   Aziza Cooper

European Drone Fly  Eristalis arbustorum   (Dip.: Syrphidae)   Aziza Cooper

  This makes an interesting comparison with the Common Drone Fly E. tenax photographed by Aziza on September 30, shown here on October 4.  E. tenax is called the Common Drone Fly, and E. arbustorum is called the European Drone Fly, although both are common and both are European.

We haven’t yet had any reports his month of the Banded Woolly Bear, although October is the month where they are usually very common.  Panama Flats may be a good place to find one.   By the way, in case you find one and are tempted to try to rear it to adulthood, please be aware that this is one of the most difficult caterpillars to rear successfully.

Ian Cooper obtained the following photographs on October 5 by the Galloping Goose Trail near Harriet Road.

Cross Orb-weaver  Araneus diadematus (Ara.:  Araneidae)   Ian Cooper

Cross Orb-weaver  Araneus diadematus  (Ara.: Araneidae) with prey   Ian Cooper

Goldenrod Crab Spider Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae) in clover blossom     Ian Cooper

Midge (Dip.: Probably Chironomidae)  Ian Cooper

Thrips (Thysanoptera)  on a Cat’s Ear blossom (Hypochaeris radicata)   Ian Cooper

 Harvestman (Opiliones)   Ian Cooper