2022 August 5

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   I have just moved my computer from UVic to home.  This will have some advantages and some disadvantages, and possibly some glitches in posting Invertebrate Alert while I sort things out.  I am hoping that the advantages will eventually win.

   Ren Ferguson sends a photograph of a moth from Mount Erskine on Salt Spring Island, August 4.  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying it for us.

Caripeta divisata (Lep.: Geometridae)   Ren Ferguson

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of some moths from Metchosin, plus another view of the gigantic beetle that he showed on August 3.

Campaea perlata (Lep.:  Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Campaea perlata (Lep.:  Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Campaea perlata (Lep.:  Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Zotheca tranquilla (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

Prionus californicus (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Jochen Möhr

   The yellow Yellow Woolly Bear caterpillar shown on August 2 has since undergone ecdysis (skin change) into its final instar, and is now a much richer brown, less yellow, colour.

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

   Jeff Gaskin writes today:  While I didn’t find too many butterflies at McIntyre Road  reservoir – nothing but Cabbage Whites –  I did see a good number of dragonflies.  I followed up on what Val George reported the other day and found many Eight-spotted Skimmers, a few Blue-eyed Darners, Blue Dashers, 2 or 3 Black Saddlebags, an individual Western Pondhawk, and a Cardinal Meadowhawk.  The Black Saddlebags and Blue Dashers were lifers for me.

2022 August 4

    Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a Drumming Katydid from View Royal, August 3.

Drumming Katydid Meconema thalassinum (Orth.: Tettigoniidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Aziza Cooper sends a photograph of a Woodland Skipper from near Bear Mountain, and a Lorquin’s Admiral from Goldstream Park, August 3.

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

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of Hypena  humuli.  Moths of the genus Hypena are sometimes called “snout” moths on account of the long forward-projecting labial palpi.  The caterpillar of this one, which was shown on July 20, was found on Stinging Nettle near Blenkinsop Lake.  The species also feeds on Hop (Humulus) and is known as the Hop Vine Moth.  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying it.

Hypena humuli  (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 August 3

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  I’m expecting another Red Admiral to emerge today:

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Jeremy Tatum

   Mike Yip sends a photograph of a caterpillar found under an apple tree in his Nanoose garden.  We don’t know exactly what it is, but Dr David Wagner suggests that it may be a morph of a species of Zale. 

Possibly Zale sp. (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Mike Yip

    Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of a moth and a gigantic beetle from Metchosin.  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying the moth.

Adelphagrotis stellaris (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Prionus californicus (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Aziza Cooper writes:  On August 2, the VNHS birding group went to Pat Bay. On a neighbourhood road we found a large nest of the Bald-faced Hornet.

Bald-faced Hornet Dolichovespula maculata (Hym.: Vespidae)  Aziza Cooper

There was a young man from Tralee

Who was stung on the nose by a wasp.

When asked:  “Does it hurt?”

He replied: “No it doesn’t –

It’s a good thing it wasn’t a hornet.”

Sometimes attributed to W.S. Gilbert

   Val George writes:  Yesterday afternoon, August 2, there were many dragonflies at McIntyre Reservoir: Eight-spotted Skimmers, Blue-eyed Darners, Blue Dashers and two female Western Pondhawks (photo of one of them). [Jeremy Tatum interjects – I was there too on that day, and I also saw a Black Saddlebags – but almost no butterflies, in spite of the Teasels being in full bloom.]   Val continues:  On the way home I checked the door of the Nature House at Swan Lake; as well as several Malacosoma moths there was this large Catocala moth.

Female Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Val George

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  In spite of being so large and spectacular, Catocala moths are notoriously difficult to identify to species.    For Val’s moth, I am very tentatively thinking of C. unijuga – but this is by no means certain.

Catocala (possibly unijuga?) (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Val George

2022 August 2 afternoon

    On July 15 we showed a photograph of a tiny Red Admiral  caterpillar.  On July 29 we showed what progress it had made by July 27.  (It was already a chrysalis.)  Let’s have a look and see if it has made any further progress today:

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Jeremy Tatum

It has emerged as an adult!   Unfortunately,  I had an appointment to keep and I was unable to spend the time to get a photograph of its beautiful upperside.  I released the butterfly on Buddleia in the Finnerty Gardens at UVic.   I saw two Woodland Skippers in the Gardens – the first I have seen this year.

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  This morning’s lonely visitor at the light was what I think is Spargania magniolata.  [Libby Avis agrees!]

Spargania magniolata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

  Jeff Gaskin writes: 

  Kirsten Mills and I drove a lot around the Nanaimo logging roads yesterday, August 1st.  On Northwest Bay logging road we found 3 Hydaspe Fritillaries, 5 Common Wood Nymphs, 6 Pale and 4 Western Tiger Swallowtails and 17 Lorquin’s Admirals.

  On the roads up Mount Cokeley, we found an Anna’s Blue, 11 Hydaspe Fritillaries, 3 Pale and 7 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 2 Mourning Cloaks,  1 Satyr Comma and 10 Lorquin’s Admirals.

 Today, I saw a Western Tiger Swallowtail in Esquimalt Gorge Park.  Dragonflies I saw also in the park included a female Western Pondhawk, and a Blue-eyed Darner. I also saw a Common Whitetail along the Northwest Bay logging road.

2022 August 2 morning

    Yesterday’s appeal for someone to identify a crane fly shown in yesterday’s posting bore fruit.  Scroll down to August 1 to see what it was!

   Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of a beautiful  Golden Jewel Beetle that landed on his deck in Metchosin.

Buprestis aurulenta (Col.: Buprestidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum shows a Rusty Tussock or Vapourer Moth.  The caterpillar was shown on July 15.  This moth is a male.  You can tell that not only because of its elaborate antennae, but also because the female has no wings!  Many plants have been recorded as larval foodplants;  this individual was reared on Mahonia.

Rusty Tussock or Vapourer Orgyia antiqua (Lep.: Erebidae – Lymantriinae)  Jeremy Tatum

Here’s a Yellow Woolly Bear found yesterday at McIntyre Reservoir.

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