2021 June 25

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  This small moth, which I’ll tentatively label Choristoneura occidentalis, came into my apartment yesterday.  In forestry circles its caterpillar is known as the Western Spruce Budworm.  I believe the foresters don’t like it very much.  This is part of a complex coming under the heading “Choristoneura fumiferana (or fumerana) group”  According to Powell and Opler, “the western components defy suitable placement by our nomenclatural system.”

Choristoneura occidentalis (Lep.: Tortricidae)   Jeremy Tatum

I found this caterpillar on a willow at Durrance Lake.   The long fine hairs mark it as Nycteola sp.

The two commonest Nycteola  species here are N. frigidana and N. cinereana.  The caterpillars of frigidana are supposed to feed on Salix and those of cinereana  on Populus – but I don’t know if this is rigidly true.  I’ll label it “probably” frigidana for the moment – but we’ll see when the adult moth emerges.

Nycteola (probably frigidana)  (Lep.: Nolidae)  Jeremy Tatum

And here is a Red Admiral caterpillar, from Stinging Nettle near Blenkinsop Lake.

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

On June 1 we posted a photograph by Steven Roias of the caterpillar of a Mouse Moth.  The adult moth emerged today and I released it, after photographing it, at Panama Flats, where there is probably a colony of them.

Mouse Moth Amphipyra tragopoginis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

We referred yesterday to reports of “butterflies” in Uplands Park, although we speculated that these might in fact have been Sheep Moths.  Elizabeth Garrett has since photographed two of them, and indeed that is what they are:

Sheep Moths Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep: Saturniidae) Elizabeth Garrett

Today, in the heat of the day, there are also many Sheep Moths charging at high speed over Mount Tolmie.  More about Mount Tolmie at the end of this posting.

On June 5 we mentioned that Sandringham Care Home on Fort Street had acquired a kit of 29 Painted Lady caterpillars.  The adult butterflies arising from these were released in the Sandringham garden yesterday.  The hope was that they would stay there.  However, the Painted Lady is a long-distance migrant and a powerful flower, so I’m not sure if many will stay.  If any viewer sees any Painted Ladies in that area, please do let us know.

Liam Singh writes:  I just wanted to let you know that I saw at least 5 Black Saddlebags at Swan Lake on June 24. They were about 100m east of the lollipop boardwalk chasing each other. I even saw a pair mating and then laying eggs in the water!  I’ve attached a photo of one that I was able to catch (after waiting two hours for it to fly close enough).  I’ve also attached a photo of a male Common Green Darner that I caught (one of many present).

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Liam Singh

Common Green Darner Anax junius (Odo.: Aeshnidae)   Liam Singh

[Jeremy Tatum writes:  In spite of its name, the Common Green Darner, while not rare, is not particularly “common”, and is one of our more spectacular dragonflies.]

Jeff Gaskin writes:  Kirsten Mills and I saw up to 6 Clodius Parnassians in their usual place along Nanaimo River Road around km 9 from the hwy.  This was on June 24 around 2 p.m.

Butterfly enthusiasts are reminded that last year some parnassians were seen that were suspected to be possibly P.smintheus.  Those who see parnassians are asked to keep a sharp look out and see if any of them might be this species.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I was on Mount Tolmie this morning, and I looked at an interesting large poster near the top, which I hadn’t noticed before, describing the history, natural history and geology of Mount Tolmie.  One thing it said was that the thing that we have been calling the “reservoir” is indeed just that – a water reservoir.  It also said that there are 11 species of butterfly to be seen on Mount Tolmie.  It didn’t list them, but let’s make an attempt now:

1. Propertius Anglewing
2. Essex Skipper
3. Woodland Skipper
4. Anise Swallowtail
5. Western Tiger Swallowtail
6. Pale Tiger Swallowtail
7. Cabbage White
8. Sara Orangetip
9. Purplish Copper
10. Western Brown Elfin
11. Grey Hairstreak
12. Western Spring Azure
13. California Tortoiseshell
14. Mourning Cloak
15. Painted Lady
16. West Coast Lady
17. Red Admiral

Wow!  That’s 17!  Are there more I should add?

Geologically much of Mount Tolmie is Wark gneiss, so we can look forward to a nice walk on the Wark gneiss.

2021 June 21

    Dr Cara Gibson sends a photograph of a chrysalis of a Mourning Cloak that she found on a pepper plant on June 8.

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae)

She also sends a photograph of a Polyphemus Moth, from just above the door of the Swan Lake Nature House on June 11.

Polyphemus Moth Antheraea polyphemus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Cara Gibson

Val George sends a photograph of a crab spider from his Oak Bay garden, June 20.

Crab spider Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Val George

Aziza Cooper writes:  Yesterday, Sunday, June 20, I found at least four Field Crescents in an overgrown field near the Tsartlip Cemetery on West Saanich Road. Two of the Crescents were mating.  One Essex Skipper was also there.

Access to the field is from the back left corner of the cemetery area.  It is choked with hawthorn and blackberry canes, so dress in heavy fabrics! The path is a game trail which curves eventually to the left where there is an opening with the butterflies. The Tsartlip Cemetery is just south of the Our Lady of Assumption Church Cemetery.

I didn’t visit the other known sites for Field Crescents, including Eddy’s Self Storage on Stelly’s Cross Road.  Next door to that site are two big new apartment buildings built on former fields.

[Jeremy Tatum writes:  This butterfly has borne several scientific names.  There are difficulties in frequently changing the name on this site, so we are retaining the name pratensis.  An alternative name is P. pulchella.]

Field Crescent Phyciodes pratensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper

Field Crescents Phyciodes pratensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper

Field Crescents Phyciodes pratensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)   Aziza Cooper

Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a caterpillar from a willow at Durrance Lake.  The moth resulting from this caterpillar will spend the winter in the adult state, and will then be one of the first moths to herald in the spring next year – hence the name Herald for this moth.

Herald Moth  Scoliopteryx libatrix (Lep.: Erebidae – Scoliopteryginae)   Jeremy Tatum

2021 June 20

    Summer starts at 8:32 pm PDT this evening.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Just as we have (more or less) sorted out our recent computer problems, my car has developed problems.  This means that for the rest of this week there will probably be delays in posting Invert Alert contributions.  So, if your contribution does not immediately appear, that will be the reason; it will eventually appear.

Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of Stenoporpia excelsaria  from Metchosin yesterday morning.

Stenoporpia excelsaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a male White Satin Moth that was outside his Saanich apartment this morning.  A caterpillar of this species was shown in yesterday’s Invert Alert.

Male  White Satin Moth Leucoma salicis (Lep.: Erebidae – Lymantriinae)  Jeremy Tatum

Here are photographs of two comma butterflies, which emerged from their chrysalides in the last few days.  Commas habitually rest face downwards.   Both are females.  Unfortunately I didn’t manage to photograph the uppersides.  The colour renderings are, I think, accurate.

Female Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Jeremy Tatum

Female Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Jeremy Tatum

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Yesterday, in the late afternoon, I visited Mount Tolmie and I saw Anise, Western Tiger and Pale Tiger Swallowtail, Painted Lady, Lorquin’s Admiral, Essex Skipper and Cabbage White.

   Val George sends photos of the two tiger swallowtails, suggesting that I show them side-by-side to show the features that I mentioned in the June 18 posting.  Alas, my computer skills are only up to showing them one above the other!   Viewers will notice that I prefer, on this site, to retain the name “tiger” for both species – some recent authors drop the “tiger” from eurymedon.

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Val George

Pale Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Val George

Cheryl  Hoyle sends a photograph of a katydid (also known as bush cricket) from her back yard in View Royal yesterday.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I’m no expert on katydids (or on anything else for that matter), but I believe this one is probably Meconema thalassina.  We don’t see many katydids here, and I believe this species, the one most often seen, is not native to our area.

Meconema thalassina (Orth.:  Tettigoniidae)  Cheryl Hoyle