INVERTEBRATE ALERT
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.

May 27 morning

2021 May 27 morning

 

   Jeremy Tatum shows photographs of a Pale Tiger Swallowtail, reared from a first-instar caterpillar found last year on Ocean Spray along the Panhandler Trail off Munn Road.  The butterfly emerged yesterday.   Some recent authors inexplicably omit the “Tiger” from the name.

 

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

 

 

May 26 evening

2021 May 26 evening

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here are two comma caterpillars.  The Satyr Comma from nettles along Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake.  The Green Comma from willow along Panhandler Trail off Munn Road.

 

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

 

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

May 26 morning

2021 May 26 morning

 

   Jochen Möhr wrote yesterday:  After a week of nothing – one lonely Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae at the black light.   

 

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Möhr

May 25

2021 May 25

 

    Here are photographs by Kan Vaughan of a dragonfly from the Beaver Lake retriever ponds, and a butterfly from Mount Tolmie, in the last week.

 

Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata (Odo.: Libellulidae)   Ken Vaughan

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae) Ken Vaughan

   Jeremy Tatum writes:

 

Total eclipse of the moon tonight:

Start:   2:45 am PDT

Total:   4:11 –  4:26 am PDT

End:     5:52 am  PDT

 

 

May 24

2021 May 24

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here’s another Hypena californica from Stinging Nettle along Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake.

 

 


Hypena californica (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae)   Jeremy Tatum