2024 September 9

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  On Friday Sepember 6 at McIntyre reservoir the numbers of dragonflies and butterflies have greatly decreased   However, I was surprised to find a red dragonfly at 5.30 pm perched on a stick overhanging the reservoir.

There was
1 Cabbage White butterfly
1 Blue-eyed Darner
1 Paddle-tailed Darner
1 Cardinal Meadowhawk
2 Blue Dasher

   Of the red dragonfly mentioned by Marie,  Dr Rob Cannings writes:  This is a female Cardinal Meadowhawk. Note the heavy body, brown legs, brown streaks at the base of the wings. This species has a variable amount of yellow on the wings. The species normally oviposits by dipping the tip of the abdomen directly in the water while flying — alone or in tandem with the male. This looks more like it’s cleaning the tip of the abdomen, although I haven’t seen this behaviour before and I’m not sure that’s what’s happening.

Female Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum illotum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Female Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum illotum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 September 8 evening

   Ian Cooper writes:  Here are more photographs from my Sept 6/7 photo excursion.

Running crab spider: Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae)  Ian Cooper

Callobius severus (Ara.: Amaurobiidae)  Ian Cooper

Common Pill Bug – Armadillidium vulgare  (Isopoda:  Armidillidiidae)  Ian Cooper

Common Rough Woodlouse – Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae)  Ian Cooper

Springtail  Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae)  Ian Cooper

Large Yellow Underwing – Noctua pronuba  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Ian Cooper

2024 September 8 morning

   Ian Cooper sends some photographs from his overnight shoot of September 6/7.

Male Eratigena (probably duellica,  possibly atrica ) (Ara: Agelenidae)   Ian Cooper

Female Eratigena agrestis (Ara: Agelenidae)   Ian Cooper

Thread Bug  Empicoris sp.  (Hem.: Reduviidae)  Ian Cooper

Banana Slug  Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae)   Ian Cooper

Jumping Bristletail – Pedetontus saltator (Microcoryphia – Machilidae)

Crane Fly  (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Ian Cooper

2024 September 8

   Ian Cooper sends some photographs from his overnight shoot of September 6/7.

Male Eratigena atrica (Ara: Agelenidae)   Ian Cooper

Female Eratigena agrestis (Ara: Agelenidae)   Ian Cooper

Thread Bug  Empicoris sp.  (Hem.: Reduviidae)  Ian Cooper

Banana Slug  Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae)   Ian Cooper

Jumping Bristletail – Pedetontus saltator (Microcoryphia – Machilidae)

Crane Fly  (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Ian Cooper

2024 September 7 evening

  Val George writes:  This morning, September 7, there were three moths on the walls of my Oak Bay house: an Autographa californica and 2 Drepanulatrix moths, D. monicaria , maybe secundaria? – maybe neither?

Jeremy Tatum writes:  These two Drepanulatrix species are so similar – especially as the variation within a species is greater than the difference between the two of them – that I sometimes wonder whether they really do deserve separate full species status.  I think I’ll label this one either/or, although I think there is a slightly greater probability that it is secundaria, so I’ll put that name first.

Autographa californica  (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)  Val George

Drepanulatrix secundaria/monicaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

    Jeff Gaskin reports that the Black Saddlebags that he reported on September 5 in Esquimalt Gorge Park was still there today, Sepember 7.