2024 September 25

   The last three years have been quite poor years for Pine Whites, with only three having been reported to this site this year, the last one being on July 27.  It was a delightful surprise to get two photographs from independent observers yesterday, starting with this spectacular photograph by Gordon Hart at Aylard Farm, East Sooke Park.

Pine White Neophasia menapis  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Gordon Hart

Shortly after receiving this, we received more from Marie O’Shaughnessy, as follows

It was an interesting visit to East Sooke Regional Park this afternoon. With the misty fog shrouding the meadows at times it seems like nothing was going to be seen. How wrong, I was. The fog moved off by 2pm.

Two Pine White butterflies were busy nectaring,  My first for the year.
Several  Orb -weaver Spiders were capturing insects, including a dragonfly.  Plenty of crickets and grasshoppers were jumping.

Pine White Neophasia menapis  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Pine White Neophasia menapis  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Identification pending

Orb-web Spider Araneus diadematus   (Ara.: Aranaeidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Once the sun came out from the marine fog that blanketed Aylard Farm, this afternoon, many dragonflies were seen perched or flying around.  There were many male and female Variegated Meadowhawks in one of the upper meadows.  I could find only one Paddle-tailed Darner.  At least 10 Common Green Darners were flying in the meadow, but I never saw any ‘’ hanging ”, that I could find, even though they would disappear and re-appear.

Variegated Meadowhawk  Sympetrum corruptum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Variegated Meadowhawk  Sympetrum corruptum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata  (Odo.:Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 September 24

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  On September 6 Ian Cooper came across a white caterpillar with red spiracles hiding in a folded dead maple leaf on the ground along the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.  Because it was half hidden in the dead leaf, it was impossible to get a perfect photograph without disturbing the caterpillar.  Nevertheless, Ian got the photograph shown below.

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ian Cooper

Ian handed the caterpillar to me for rearing, and, before I could get any further photographs, the caterpillar had made a white silken cocoon.  Just three days ago I had occasion to look inside the cocoon, and I discovered a pupa inside, white as the driven snow, something I had never seen before:

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Today, September 24, the adult moth emerged, enabling the identification as Sabulodes aegrotata.  After photography, I released it along the Lochside Trail near Blenkinsop Lake.

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

This was an interesting find, because I had never before seen a moth pupa as white as this one.  Also, the caterpillar apparently has the English name Omnivorous Looper, suggesting that it is quite a well-known caterpillar, yet none of the images of the caterpillars of S. aegrotata that I could find on the Internet look at all like this one.

Jeff Gaskin writes:  This morning, September 24, at Swan Lake there were at least 2 Blue-eyed and 2 Paddle-tailed Darners.  Also, there were a few other darners which I was unable to identify, and one Blue Dasher.

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  There were still one or two Cabbage White butterflies flying around in Mount View and Swan Creek Parks this morning (September 24).  When will the last butterfly be reported?  Is an October butterfly sighting possible?

2024 September 23

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   The only moth at my apartment in Saanich this morning was this very worn Noctua pronuba.

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Here are two caterpillars found today along Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake.

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

Abrostola urentis  (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)   Jeremy Tatum

Abrostola urentis  (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)   Jeremy Tatum

2024 September 22

No Invertebrate Alerts were issued on September 20, 21.

Here is the pupa formed by the hawk moth caterpillar shown on September 14.  His Majesty the King is examining it from the obverse of a 2024 dime.

Since this species was split from S. cerisyi, Cerisy’s Eyed Hawk Moth, I (Jeremy Tatum) haven’t heard of any generally used English name for it.  Ophthalmic Eyed Hawk Moth doesn’t sound very good.  Has anyone heard of a name, or can make a suggestion for one?

Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae)   Jeremy Tatum

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:   I visited several spots Saturday and found only Cabbage White butterflies: 1 at Cattle Point, 2 at Uplands Park, 2 at Outerbridge Park, 2 at McIntyre Reservoir (to which Jeremy Tatum adds 1 at Mount View Park).  Marie sends a photograph of a Blue-eyed Darner at Outerbridge Park.  There is also a dragonfly exuvia in the photograph – not sure if it is the same species or not.

Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 September 19

   Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed this katydid at Qualicum Beach, September 15.  We thank James Miskelly for identifying it as a Slender Meadow Katydid  Conocephalus fasciatus.

 Slender Meadow Katydid  Conocephalus fasciatus  (Ortho.:  Tettigoniidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy