This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

2021 July 9

2021 July 9

 

   Jeremy Tatum reports a Painted Lady from the Mount Tolmie reservoir yesterday evening.

  Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Amorbia cuneanum 

1 Dysstroma citrata

1 Malacosoma californicum 

1 Pasiphila rectangulata

 

Pasiphila rectangulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Amorbia cuneanum (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Mr E sends a photograph of a spider from the Baynes Sound connector (cable) ferry. It is Larinioides sp.,  possibly L. sclopetarius, but more likely, suggests Robb Bennett, Larinioides patagiatus.

Larinioides (probably patagiatus)(Ara.: Araneidae)   Mr E

2021 July 8

2021 July 8

     Jeremy Tatum shows a Herald Moth, from a caterpillar found on cottonwood at Durrance Lake, and shown on June 21.

 

Herald Moth Scoliopteryx libatrix  (Erebidae – Scoliopteryginae) Jeremy Tatum

 

Also a Gabriola dyari from Swan Lake this morning.

 

Gabriola dyari (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

 

 

July 8

2021 July 9

 

    Jeremy Tatum shows a Herald Moth, from a caterpillar found on cottonwood at Durrance Lake, and shown on June 21.

Herald Moth Scoliopteryx libatrix  (Erebidae – Scoliopteryginae) Jeremy Tatum

Also a Gabriola dyari from Swan Lake this morning.

Gabriola dyari (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

2021 July 7

2021 July 7

Liam Singh reports a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell from Panama Flats, July 5

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

Protitame subalbaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

Zotheca tranquilla (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

 

Clemensia umbrata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Jochen Möhr

2021 July 6

2021 July 6

Aziza Cooper sends some photographs from Layritz Park, July 4, during the VNHS July Butterfly Walk.

 

Anthrax sp. (Dip.: Bombyliidae) Aziza Cooper

 

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Aziza Cooper

Cepaea nemoralis   (Pul.: Helicidae)  Aziza Cooper