2022 July 13 afternoon

    Rosemary Jorna’s Ceanothus Silk Moth caterpillars, reared from eggs found near Kemp Lake, are now spinning their intricate double-walled teardrop-shaped cocoons:

Ceanothus Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)

Rosemary Jorna

Ceanothus Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)

Rosemary Jorna

Ceanothus Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)

Rosemary Jorna

Ceanothus Silk Moth Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)

Rosemary Jorna

   Meanwhile Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  We have quite a few Essex Skippers.  They seem to be wandering through in an easterly direction, about one every two to three minutes, once three of them at the same time.  For good measure here are two damselfly pictures, taken while trying to get pictures of Essex Skippers.   Jeremy Tatum responds: It can be difficult to distinguish between Boreal and Northern Bluets from photographs, so let’s leave these as either/or:

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Jochen Möhr

Boreal/Northern Bluet Enallagma boreale/annexum (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Jochen Möhr

Boreal/Northern Bluet Enallagma boreale/annexum (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 July 13 morning

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  Two nice moths were at the Swan Lake nature house yesterday when I was there sans camera.  Fortunately Scott Hall came by avec camera, and although the moths were awkwardly high up on the wall he managed to get pictures of both – thank you, Scott!

Gabriola dyari (Lep.: Geometridae)  Scott Hall

Campaea perlata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Scott Hall

Azzia Cooper writes:  On July 12, this Eight-spotted Skimmer was at Witty’s Lagoon. We also saw four Lorquin’s Admirals and two Western Tiger Swallowtails along the hiking trail, and eight or more Essex Skippers in the grass near the beach.

Eight-spotted Skipper Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

2022 July 12 morning

    Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  Thank you for your suggestion re Painted Lady butterfly  [that they flutter around the Jeffery Pine at the top of Mount Tolmie].  I found three fluttering around that big Jeffery Pine at 6.15 pm on July 11.  Just as you predicted  –  one even settled along the roadside.  Three were busy chasing one another most of the time so they didn’t settle for long. The one that settled was pretty worn.   The Western Tiger Swallowtail was the most abundant butterfly at that time, with a total of seven.      I saw four Lorquin’s Admirals, two Red Admirals and one Cabbage White.

Painted Lady  Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Painted Lady  Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2022 July 11 morning

     Marie O’Shaughnessy writes on July 10:  Mt.Tolmie is a haven at this time for  Lorquin’s Admiral ( 8 ) and Western Tiger Swallowtail (4 ).   No Pale Tiger Swallowtail during my visit.  During my one hour visit this afternoon, between  4 and 5 pm, I saw  one Essex Skipper, a nice fresh Red Admiral and a worn one.  Also one Anise Swallowtail, but no Painted Lady for me yet. 

Lorquin’s Admiral  Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Red Admiral  Vanessa atalanta  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Anise Swallowtail  Papilio zelicaon  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   Jeremy Tatum shows a Mouse Moth. It emerged last night from a pupa found by Judy Smith in her Victoria garden.

Mouse Amphipyra tragopoginis  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 July 10

    Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  Finally, we have not only one but two resident Lorquin’s Admirals, as well as several Swallowtails, who are, however, always on the wing.

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Jochen Möhr