2021 June 1

   Val George writes:  I saw this moth at Island View Beach yesterday, May 30.  It looks like a Xanthorhoe moth to me.   Jeremy Tatum responds:  To me, too.  I think X. defensaria.

Xanthorhoe defensaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)   Val George

   Steven Roias found this caterpillar of a Mouse Moth Amphipyra tragopoginis in his Saanich yard.

 Mouse Moth Amphipyra tragopoginis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Steven Roias

   Jeremy Tatum shows a photograph of a Spilosoma virginica, reared from a caterpillar last year, the adult released yesterday at Rithet’s Bog.  The caterpillar of this moth is the familiar Yellow Woolly Bear.

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

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:

This morning at the black light –

1 Plagodis phlogosaria

1 Tyria jacobaeae

Jeff Gaskin writes:  Yesterday, May 31, on Mount Tolmie there were at least 4 Painted Ladies and 1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail as well as a few Cabbage Whites.  Today, June 1, a walk along Hector Road produced the following butterflies  :  at least 8 Pale Tiger Swallowtails, 3 or 4 Western Tiger Swallowtails, a Lorquin’s Admiral, a Red Admiral as well as a number of Cabbage Whites. Kirsten Mills  tells me she was up Mount Tolmie about noon today, June 1, and saw a total of 6 Lady butterflies.  She thought one may have been a West Coast Lady but wasn’t sure.  Also up on the hill was a Red Admiral, a Lorquin’s Admiral, 2 Anise and 6 Pale Tiger Swallowtails and 2 Propertius Duskywings.

Jeremy Tatum writes:   Bill Savale and I visited the railway line north of Cowichan Station on June 1, and we saw:  6 Western Tiger Swallowtails,  1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail,  3 Margined Whites, 1 Satyr Comma,  1 Western Spring Azure.

2021 May 31

   Rosemary Jorna sends photographs of a miscellany of creatures from the Kemp Lake area.

Dr Robb Bennett identifies the spider as an immature male of the Subfamily Linyphiinae.

Immature male linyphiine spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Linyphiinae)  Rosemary Jorna

Immature male linyphiine spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Linyphiinae)  Rosemary Jorna

Banana Slug Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Millepede (Diplopoda – probably Julidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   [Jeremy Tatum writes:  I still haven’t quite made up my mind which spelling to use on this site.   “Millipede” is more usual, and “millepede” looks unfamiliar – though it is probably more “correct”.  It makes sense to use “mille” for a thousand, and “milli” for a thousandth part, as in millimetre.]

Gordon Hart writes from his Highlands home:  On Saturday May 29, I saw seven species of butterfly here at home, including two new ones for me for the year, Grey Hairstreak and Cedar Hairstreak.  Pale Tiger Swallowtails are plentiful right now, with the occasional Western Tiger Swallowtail.  I have attached three pictures.

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Gordon Hart

Cedar Hairstreak Mitoura rosneri (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Gordon Hart

Eristalis sp. (possibly horticola) (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Gordon Hart

2021 May 30

   The caterpillar of Malacosoma californicum is so abundant and ubiquitous that we sometimes forget that it is in fact a very handsome beast!   So here’s a close look at one by Jochen Möhr:

Malacosoma californicum (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)  Jochen Möhr

Malacosoma californicum (Lep.: Lasiocampidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Aziza Cooper photographed a flying insect with very long legs and abdomen at Sooke Potholes on May 29.  Well, writes Jeremy Tatum, I agree with the Class Insecta, and I can go further and say Order Hymenoptera.  After that it gets a little more diffficult, but I think I’m fairly (although not absolutely) certain that the Family is Ichneumonidae.  That cuts it down to about 1000 species in the Pacific Northwest.   I’d be approaching the area of speculation if I were to suggest Genus Therion.

Ichneumonid wasp, possibly Therion sp. (Hym.: Ichneumonidae)   Aziza Cooper

   She also photographed a bee, and we’ll see if we can come up with an identification in the next few days.  [Added later: Steven Roias identifies the bee as Bombus vancouverensis.]

Bombus vancouverensis  (Hym.:   Apidae)  Aziza Cooper

   After those tricky ones, you’d think the next one, a swallowtail butterfly, would be a bit easier.  Well, the background colour is certainly pale.  But are those black stripes quite thick enough for a Pale Tiger Swallowtail?   I don’t always find our two tiger swallowtails easy to tell apart, but I’ll go out on a limb and say Pale Tiger Swallowtail for this one.  I’m sure if viewers disagree they’ll let me know in short order.  Jeremy Tatum

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)   Aziza Cooper

Also seen by Aziza at the Potholes:  10 Pale Tiger Swallowtails, 2 Western Tiger Swallowtails and 3 Western Spring Azures.

   Jeff Gaskin writes on May 29:   Kirsten Mills and I saw seven species of butterflies on Mount Tolmie.  We saw all three swallowtails including one Anise at the summit; a Lorquin’s Admiral at the top of the stairs near the concrete reservoir, a few Western Spring Azures, a Propertius Duskywing and a few Cabbage Whites.  Also, of note we saw two Pale Tiger Swallowtails near the Pike Lake substation on Munn Road.  Western Tiger Swallowtails are finally starting to become more noticeable around Victoria as I even saw one down the street on Wascana near my folks’ place.

2021 May 29

   Rosemary sends photographs of a bee and a fly from Muir Creek, May 28, and a caddisfly from Sooke Potholes, May 27.   Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying the caddisfly.

Bombus vosnesenskii  (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Probably Eristalis sp.( Dip.: Syrphidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Caddisfly, probably of the Lepidostoma pluviale species group (Tri.: Lepidostomatidae) Rosemary Jorna

2021 May 28

   Jochen Möhr reports two Xanthorhoe defensaria (at two different lights) and one Lithomoia napaea at his Metchosin home yesterday morning:

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Lithomoia napaea (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum shows a Herpetogramma thestealis reared from a caterpillar from Blenkinsop Lake.  This is one of several caterpillars that feed on Stinging Nettle, in spite of the stings that presumably evolved to deter animals from eating the leaves.

Herpetogramma thestealis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Here is another (caterpillar and adult) nettle-feeder, also from near Blenkinsop Lake.  I do not know what species it is; I think it is probably a tortricid.  Possibilities:  Phiaris glacialis or  Celypha cespitana.

Is anyone can help, please do let us know.

Nettle-feeder, probably a tortricid (Lep.: Tortricidae)   Jeremy Tatum

Nettle-feeder, probably a tortricid (Lep.: Tortricidae)   Jeremy Tatum