2024 September 17 morning

   Val George writes:  Yesterday, September 16, this moth, Xanthorhoe defensaria, was on the wall of the Nature House at Goldstream Park.

Xanthorhoe defensaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

2024 September 16

  Jeff Gaskin writes:  Only one butterfly of note to tell you about.  Today, September 16, there was one well worn-out Woodland Skipper at Swan Lake.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  The last Woodland Skipper – indeed the last non-Cabbage-White butterfly – to be reported was on Sepetember 6.  There are stiil a few Cabbage Whites to be seen flying around.

Jeff continues:  Dragonflies at Swan Lake included 1 or 2 Blue-eyed Darners, and 2 Blue Dashers.

Aziza Cooper writes:   Today, September 16, this Variegated Meadowhawk was at the Beechey Head hawk lookout.

Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

2024 September 15 evening

Only one small contribution this evening – a small geometrid caterpillar whose identity I (Jeremy Tatum) don’t yet know.  In case you are wondering if the plant it is on is grass, no it’s not grass – it’s Knotgrass.

Geometrid caterpillar  (Lep.: Geometridae) Jeremy Tatum

2024 September 15 morning

   Aziza Cooper photographed this Striped Meadowhawk at Swan Lake, September 13.

Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum pallipes  (Odo.: Libellulidae) Aziza Cooper

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  A quick visit to McIntyre Reservoir on September 14 revealed a few  creatures despite that the area had been really scalped along two sides.  A sunny afternoon brought out the butterflies and dragonflies as well as me.

At Island View Beach, I found 5 Cabbage Whites near the first parking area, and 2 Paddle–tailed Darners along the back ditch.
3 Cabbage White butterflies were busy nectaring at McIntyre Reservoir.  Also, the dragonflies seen were
2 Blue-eyed Darners
2 Blue Dasher
1 Tule Bluet

 Male Cabbage White  Pieris rapae  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

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

Tule Bluet  Enallagma carunculatum  (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   On September 14 Marie saw the following at Outerbridge Park:

1 Cardinal Meadowhawk
2 Striped Medowhark
2 Paddle-tailed Darner

 Autumn Meadowhawk Sympetrum vicinum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum pallipes  (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum pallipes  (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

We are most grateful to Dr Rob Cannings for identifying some of the tricky ones in this batch.

2024 September 14

   No Invertebrate Alert was issued on September 13.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is an eyed hawk moth caterpillar found on the sidewalk of Carey Road today.  It would not pose for a decent photograph, for it was in a hurry to bury itself in the soil in order to pupate.  The adult moth will appear next spring.

Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Jeremy Tatum